The Complete Guide to Extracurricular Activity Tiers for College Admissions

Understanding how colleges evaluate extracurricular activities can feel like decoding a complex ranking system. While admissions officers don't use explicit tiers, certain activities consistently carry more weight based on their selectivity, achievement level, and impact. This comprehensive guide breaks down extracurriculars into ten tiers, from standard school involvement to internationally competitive achievements, helping you understand where your activities stand and how to strengthen your profile.

Tier 1: Bronze I - Standard School Involvement

Impact: 85%+ participation
Description: Standard school involvement, aim for a couple as a baseline

These activities form the foundation of high school involvement. Nearly all students participate in some capacity:

• Club Member
• National Honor Society
• National Merit Commended
• Beta Club
• Honor Roll
• Department Award
• Key Club Member
• Interact Club
• Light Volunteering
• Personal Website
• JV/Rec Sports
• School Science Fair
• Personal Blog
• Family Volunteering
• Career Day Attendee

Tier 2: Bronze II - Shows Dedication

Impact: 50% participation
Description: Shows dedication, good to have a few

These activities demonstrate commitment beyond basic participation:

• Founder/President of school club
• AP Scholar
• Honorable mention in art show
• Active in religious youth group
• School peer tutor
• Lifeguard certified
• CPR / First Aid certified
• Active club member (non-leadership)
• Band/choir participant (no solo)
• Finished online coding course
• Local essay contest win
• Founded a casual club
• Varsity Letter
• Summer camp counselor
• Cashier or server job
• Helped in local fundraisers
• Wrote for school paper
• Volunteered <100 hrs
• Community Theater
• Local community service award
• Scout (non-Eagle)
• Attended MUN conference
• Generic summer programs
• YouTube/blog with low reach
• History Day participant (regional)
• Scholastic Art & Writing Honorable Mention

Tier 3: Silver I - Strong Local Achievement

Impact: 40% participation
Description: Strong local achievement and leadership roles

Activities showing significant dedication and local recognition:

• Local Science Fair Winner
• All-County Music
• Eagle Scout
• National Merit Finalist
• Varsity Letter (multiple years)
• 100+ hours volunteering
• Part-time job for 1+ year
• College courses (e.g., community college)
• People to People Ambassador
• Skill camps (e.g., coding, debate)
• Organize Food Trucks, Festivals, or Events
• Scholastic Art & Writing Regional Silver Key

Tier 4: Silver II - Competitive Regional/State Honors

Impact: 25% participation
Description: Competitive Regional/State Honors

Regional and state-level competitive achievements:

• Science Fair Regional Winner
• Science Olympiad State Medal
• Science Bowl Nationals
• Perfect Scores in Language Exams (Multi-Year)
• State Music Awards
• Published in Magazines/Journals
• Academic Decathlon Event Golds
• MUN Gavel
• Scholastic Art & Writing Gold Key
• Top 5 FTC Regional
• Quiz Bowl Regional Champ
• Pit Orchestra
• TSA State Medal
• Student Body/Class President

Tier 5: Gold I - Complements a Strong Application

Impact: 15% participation
Description: Complements a Strong Application

Highly selective programs and state/national qualifications:

• USAAAO
• USNCO Semifinalist
• USABO Semifinalist
• AIME
• All-Eastern/All-Regional Music
• State History Day Top 3
• Top 5 FTC in State
• FRC Regional Winner
• SkillsUSA Nationals
• State Science Fair Winner
• Academic Decathlon State + CA Event Gold
• ARML State Top Scorer
• HOBY State
• FIRST Dean's List Finalist
• Top 5 FIRST Super Regionals
• Boys/Girls State Delegate
• RYLA Participant
• Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)
• Ross Mathematics Program (ROSS)
• Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists (PROMYS)
• National Language Exam Golds
• Certified WFR or EMT in HS
• Governor's School
• Student Gov President
• Congressional Award Gold
• Model UN Head Delegate
• Editor-in-Chief of Literary Journal
• Iowa Young Writers Studio
• Kenyon Young Writers Studio
• M&TSI (UPenn)
• Stanford SUMaC
• Canada/USA Mathcamp
• Summer Science Program (SSP)
• Simons Summer Research Program

Tier 6: Gold II - Nationally Competitive Achievements

Impact: 5% participation
Description: Nationally competitive achievements

National-level recognition and highly selective programs:

• USAPhO Semifinalist
• ISEF Finalist
• Science Olympiad Nationals Qualifier
• HOSA ILC 1st Place
• AMC 10 Perfect Score
• Congressional Award Silver
• FBLA Nationals
• Science Bowl/NAQT Winner
• TSA Nationals
• Scholastic Art & Writing National Silver
• Academic Decathlon (CA) Top 3
• MathWorks Challenge Top 10
• State Poetry Out Loud Champion
• ACDA National Honor Choir
• Congressional App Challenge State Winner
• PEYA Regional Winner
• Braille Challenge State Winner
• NCWIT Aspirations National Winner
• Model G20 Best Delegate
• Scripps Spelling Bee Top 50
• Duke TIP High Honors
• National Shakespeare Winner
• Poetry Society of America Top Winner
• Ocean Awareness Gold Award
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Internship
• Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)
• We the People Nationals
• Gloria Barron Prize Winner
• CMU SAMS Completion
• Milken Scholars Program

Tier 7: Diamond I - Elite National Recognition

Impact: 1% participation
Description: Elite national recognition and prestigious programs

Elite achievements placing students in the top 1%:

• Science Olympiad National Medals
• ARML Tiebreaker
• YES Competition
• USAMTS Gold
• History Day Nationals Participant
• Scholastic Art & Writing National Gold
• NSDA Nationals Breaker
• USAMO Qualification
• TOC Breaker
• USAJMO Top Winner
• Bennington Young Writers Contest 1st Place
• IPPF Top 64
• NYAS Junior Academy
• HSMC at Texas State
• Telluride Association Summer Program in Critical Black Studies (TASP-CBS)
• Life of the Mind (UChicago)
• NHSMUN Best Delegate
• Coolidge Senator (Finalist)
• LEDA Scholars
• CyberPatriot National Top Scorer
• Aspen Music Festival (HS division)
• Perry Outreach Program
• Julliard Pre-College Program
• MIT Lincoln Lab LLRISE Program
• NSLI-Y

Tier 8: Diamond II - Top-Tier National Achievements

Impact: 0.1% participation rates
Description: Top-tier national achievements and recognition

Exceptional national accomplishments:

• USAPhO / USNCO / USABO National
• Siemens Semifinalist
• ISEF 1st–4th Place
• Regeneron STS Top 300
• AMC 12 Perfect Score
• Top 5 at FIRST Worlds
• Google Code Jam R2/3
• Meta Hacker Cup R2/3
• MIT PRIMES
• IPPF Top 32
• All-National Band/Orchestra Performer
• Boys Nation Participant
• National High School Musical Theatre Awards Finalist
• IPPF Overall Winner
• EFL Top Participant
• NYT Student Editorial Winner
• JFK Profile in Courage Essay Winner
• George S. & Stella Knight Essay Winner
• National Young Composers Challenge Winner
• National History Day 'Best in Nation'
• Carnegie Hall Youth Programs (NYO-USA)
• The Concord Review Published Author
• U.S. Physics Team (Top 24)
• National Latin/Greek Exam Perfect Scores
• Adroit Prizes Winner/Finalist

Tier 9: Platinum I - Near-Guaranteed Admission

Impact: <0.1% participation
Description: Near-Guaranteed Admission

Achievements that virtually guarantee admission to top schools:

• Division I Athlete
• Mathematical Olympiad Program (MOP)
• ISEF Best of Category
• NSDA Nationals Winner
• Tournament of Champions Winner
• NCFL Nationals Winner
• Research Science Institute (RSI)
• National Student Poet Program
• Broadcom MASTERS Top Prize
• Tanglewood Music Center (as HS student)
• USACO Training Camp (~25 finalists)
• National Science Bowl Winners
• National History Olympiad Champions
• Music Teachers National Association Finalist
• International Thespian Festival Main Stage
• CyberPatriot National Finalist
• VEX Robotics World Champion
• EGOI Team

Tier 10: Platinum II - Guaranteed Admission

Impact: <0.01% participation
Description: Guaranteed Admission

International recognition and Olympic-level achievements:

• International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) Medalist
• International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) Medalist
• International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) Medalist
• International Biology Olympiad (IBO) Medalist
• International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) Medalist
• International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) Medalist
• International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) Medalist
• International Young Physicists' Tournament (IYPT) Winner
• International Geography Olympiad (iGeo) - Gold
• International Earth Science Olympiad (IESO) - Gold
• Poetry Out Loud National Champion
• Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) Top 10
• Siemens Competition National Finalist
• International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Grand Prize Winner
• National History Day National Winner
• International Competitor in a Sport
• Boys/Girls Nation President
• All American High School Film Festival Winner
• Individual National Champion (swimming, golf, tennis, etc.)
• Olympic Development Program Selection
• YoungArts Grand Prize Winner
• Stockholm Junior Water Prize - International Winner

Take this list with a grain of salt. The vast majority of applicants at top schools only have extracurriculars from the first five categories. At any school, anything above a Tier 6 is very rare. The best extracurriculars are those you're genuinely passionate about.