Is the College Essay Guy's Activity List Guide worth using for the Common App?

College Essay Guy’s Activity List Guide is generally considered one of the more helpful resources for tackling the Common App activities section, especially if you want your entries to be concise but impactful. The major value in his guide is how it helps you focus on action and results—so rather than just listing what you did, you’re encouraged to show impact and specificity in your descriptions.

One of the best tips he gives is to use strong, active verbs at the beginning of your activity description—for example, 'Launched recycling initiative,' 'Coordinated annual fundraiser,' or 'Mentored peers in coding club.' This makes your contributions sound more impressive and makes the limited space count. He also recommends quantifying your impact wherever you can, like 'Organized 14 events for 200+ students' or 'Raised $1,200 for local shelter.'

A lot of students have found the guide useful for fitting big ideas into the 150-character limit. For instance, one student who juggled multiple extracurriculars used his worksheet to break down each activity’s impact, then trimmed each description into a short but powerful sentence. They were able to showcase leadership and growth clearly—something that tended to get lost in longer, vague explanations before applying the guide.

If you do a lot both in and out of school, the guide can help you prioritize which details to include for maximum effect. Rather than listing every minor responsibility, you can highlight those that best illustrate your initiative and influence. Personally, when I used this approach, I found my activity list became much clearer, and I felt more confident that an admissions reader would actually understand the significance of what I did.

In summary, it’s definitely worth spending time refining your activity descriptions with a method like College Essay Guy’s. Even a few hours spent following his templates and tips can make your list much more compelling. If you feel your first draft is too generic or wordy, this guide is especially useful. Try writing out one or two activities using his strategies, and see if you can feel the difference—most students notice a big improvement!