How Much Do Extracurriculars and Community Service Matter?

This is a question that comes up often from students preparing performing arts college applications — and the honest answer is that it depends significantly on what kind of program you're applying to.

For BFA and conservatory programs specifically

For most performing arts BFA and conservatory programs, extracurricular activities and community service are not primary evaluation criteria. The audition — what you can do in the studio — is the center of the evaluation. Your essay, your training background, and your demonstrated commitment to your art form are what matter most.

This doesn't mean extracurriculars are irrelevant. But a student with extraordinary dancing and minimal community service experience will typically be more competitive at a conservatory than a student with extensive community service and weaker audition performance. The priorities are clear.

What does matter in extracurriculars for performing arts applicants is activities that demonstrate genuine engagement with the performing arts world — attending professional performances, participating in community arts organizations, choreographing for younger students, teaching, creating independent work. These activities reinforce the picture of a student whose commitment to dance is genuine and multidimensional.

For selective universities with dance programs

For students applying to highly selective universities — where dance is a component of the application rather than the primary evaluation criterion — extracurriculars matter significantly. These institutions are evaluating the whole student, and a rich extracurricular profile that demonstrates leadership, community engagement, and genuine range of interest is part of what they're looking at.

For these applications, community service, leadership roles, and activities outside of dance are genuinely relevant. They contribute to the picture of a student who will enrich the campus community in multiple ways.

Quality over quantity — always

Whether applying to a BFA program or a university, the quality and depth of extracurricular engagement matters more than the quantity. A student who has been deeply involved in one or two activities — who has grown, led, and made a genuine contribution — is more compelling than a student who has accumulated a long list of superficial involvements.

Admissions readers can tell the difference between genuine engagement and résumé padding. The former tells them something real about who you are. The latter tells them you know that extracurriculars are supposed to be on an application.

Community service in the performing arts world

Community service that connects to the performing arts — teaching dance to underserved youth, organizing performances at community centers or care facilities, supporting arts access for students who lack it — is particularly meaningful for performing arts applicants. It demonstrates that your commitment to dance extends beyond your own training and career to the broader role of dance in community life.

This kind of service is also genuinely meaningful, which is the better reason to do it than application strategy.

Book a free call at dancingincollege.com to discuss your application strategy.