How do I create an impactful activity list using College Essay Guy's advice?

Feeling overwhelmed is actually really common when starting your activity list, but focusing on specific impact helps a lot. College Essay Guy’s advice about 'verb + impact' is right on: you want to lead each entry with a strong action verb, then quantify or qualify your contributions whenever possible. Admissions officers aren’t counting the number of impressive titles—they’re looking for your unique voice, growth, and evidence of leadership or initiative, even in less obvious ways.

For structure, try to use the 150 characters wisely: avoid filler words and use symbols/abbreviations when appropriate (like 'hrs/wk' for hours per week). For every activity, identify: 1) what you did, 2) what changed because of your involvement, or 3) what skill you developed.

Here’s an example (fictional):

"Organized 10+ volunteering events as Community Club VP; increased member participation by 30% and led partnership with local food bank."

Notice how the entry starts with an action ('Organized'), gives numbers where possible, and details both what happened (increase, partnership) and the role played.

If you’ve worked a summer job, go beyond the job title. Example:

"Managed cash register and trained 2 new hires at local cafe; improved checkout speed and received Employee of the Month."

For clubs that don’t have clear leadership positions, you can still mention unique contributions:

"Coordinated fundraising campaign as Math Club member, raising $600 for math kits for middle schoolers."

The templates from College Essay Guy helped me make my activities less repetitive by focusing each one on a different skill or outcome—I framed one around teamwork, another around initiative, another around creative problem-solving. Switching up which action verbs you use ('led', 'launched', 'initiated', 'coordinated', 'advocated', 'collaborated', etc.) can also add variety.

Lastly, don’t downplay activities that seem less impressive on paper. If you learned something meaningful or developed a skill (like patience or communication in a job), it absolutely belongs! Try filling in each template, then ask a friend or advisor which ones make your actions most clear and memorable.

Using 'verb + impact' for each item worked for me and helped my activities feel distinct, but if you have a unique story attached to an activity, work that angle in. Even small moments (like helping a nervous coworker through their first shift) can convey something unique about your contributions.