Extracurriculars for Political Science

If you’re a high school student who plans to major in political science, you’ll want to participate in extracurriculars that deepen your political and civic engagement — in your school, your community, and the world beyond. The extracurricular activities suggested for political science students are varied, and that’s a good thing. Exploring different kinds of activities will help you test out possible directions and find the best fit for you.

Potential career paths for a political science major are also broad and varied. You could choose to go into politics, work for a congressperson or campaign, or work as a lobbyist or a political consultant. Or you could go into law or clerk for a judge. Or maybe you’ll find yourself attracted to nonprofit work or advocacy. On the other hand, many political science majors go on to work in education, while others may become writers or reporters covering a political or government beat.

Though the main prerequisites for acceptance at a top college are a rigorous course of studies, top grades, and good test scores, extracurriculars do matter quite a bit. According to Crimson Education Specialists they may account for as much as 30% of your college application.

So where should a political science major begin when looking for meaningful extracurricular activities? It can help to see what other students who were admitted to top colleges have done — and we have that data!

Crimson Education has been working with students on their college applications for more than a decade. Here are some examples of extracurriculars that students who were accepted by top universities submitted.

25 Extracurricular Activity Ideas for Political Science

Examples of Extracurriculars for Political Science

1. Model UN or Debate Team

Model UN is designed to give students an overview of what working for the United Nations would be like. Through simulations and role play students learn what it’s like to be a delegate, solving real-world problems for your country.

You will break into teams, with each team assigned a country. Then each student on the team will specialize in a certain area. For example, if your team is the United States, you may be assigned fair trade, or nuclear disarmament, or climate change, among other topics.

You will learn to research policy positions and draft resolutions  and other policy documents. There will also be opportunities to practice public speaking, negotiation, and consensus building.

Similarly, Debate clubs offer opportunities to practice public speaking. When arguing for a particular side in a debate, you will need to research issues from many points of view, analyze your findings, and develop a well-reasoned argument that is persuasive.

Sometimes you’ll be required to argue for a position that you personally disagree with or even one that doesn’t align with your personal ethics.

How you internalize such experiences can provide material for a moving personal statement on your college application that reveals how you think and what you believe in.

2. Volunteering for Political Campaigns or Civic Organizations

The term “civic organizations” sounds so formal, but they will be more familiar to you than you might expect. Most are organized around advocating for a cause, improving the community, or enhancing social welfare.

Here are just a few examples of civic minded activities:

• Volunteering at a food pantry or soup kitchen
• Attending city council meetings or town hall meetings
• Organizing to get out the vote
• Cleaning up a park or other beautification project
• Participating in a historical reenactment
• Planting a community garden
• Fundraising for a charity or cause that’s important to you
• Volunteering at a library to help seniors with smartphones or computer issues
• Writing about political activities for your school newspaper or community newspaper

On the other hand, you could engage directly with politics by working for a political candidate or even laser focused on a particular ballot initiative that’s meaningful to you.

Working on a political campaign is like getting a crash course in the electoral process. You’ll not only get to know who your local politicians and their opposition are, you’ll become aware of the issues that are most affecting your community.

When it comes to gaining experience working in politics, it’s wise to start close to home. Your city council members, state legislatures members, and even local sheriffs are all elected officials who have to campaign to get votes, so call their offices and ask about volunteer work for high school students.

Getting involved in civic organizations and local politics offers an additional advantage. You’ll be growing your network, out of which you may one day connect with a mentor or work with others who can vouch for you by writing recommendations for your college applications. Your networking might even one day lead to a job offer.

3. Interning with Local Government Offices or NGOs

Another way to explore whether politics or public service are right for you is to apply for a summer internship. Internships in government provide students with the chance to gain hands-on experience doing work that builds your understanding of how government works.

You will learn skills like communication, teamwork, and time management. You’ll know what it feels like to make a real impact on the world — and you might even be paid to do it.

On the other hand, if you intern at a nongovernmental organization you’ll be working for a cause on an international level — from solving world hunger to clean water access to environmental advocacy and more. This work can feel very rewarding because you’re changing people’s lives. The cause you choose to work for depends on what resonates for you.

Here are some government and NGO internship ideas for political science students:

4. Participating in ‘Youth in Government’

Youth in Government is a civic engagement program headed up by the YMCA. It’s designed to educate students about how the government works at all levels — local, state, national, and international.

For example, students may assume roles in a mock state government, participating in the activities of one of the branches — legislative, judicial, or executive.

Through simulation exercises where you role play legislators, judges, journalists, and lobbyists, students learn firsthand the key functions of government as well as important checks and balances. You are exposed to government structures, and encouraged to discover first-hand how policy is created and implemented.

But most importantly, the program establishes that civic responsibility is key to a working Democracy. Students are empowered to be informed citizens who are active in their country’s Democratic processes.

Youth in Government instills skills that political science students are going to need in college and beyond, including communication, critical thinking, public speaking, and leadership. And all of this will look very good on your college applications.

5. Writing for School Newspapers on Political Issues

Often referred to as the fourth pillar of Democracy, journalism plays an important role in our government. In the most idealistic terms, journalists speak truth to power and expose corruption.

Traditionally, working for a news outlet or publisher could be a stepping stone to a career in politics, because it teaches all of the pertinent skills: critical thinking, communication, civic engagement, and information gathering.

But these days, given the proliferation of fake news that’s often spread on social media platforms that fail to fact check, the most important skill journalism will teach you is how to evaluate sources, how to know what’s true.

Skills journalism teaches that are invaluable to a political science major:

• Critical thinking
• Analysis
• Communication
• Sourcing

6. Demonstrating a Commitment to Advocacy and Public Service

Any one of these career paths applicable to a political science major is going to require a commitment to advocacy and public service. That’s because political science studies require engagement with issues of social justice, public policy, and governance.

If these things resonate with you, then you know that public service aligns with your core values. And that’s a beautiful thing, because public service isn’t just theoretical. Only through advocacy and public policy can we create the change we want to see in the world.

When college admissions officers are reviewing applications of prospective political science majors, they are looking for qualities like this. They are seeking students who are not only strong in academics but also actively engaged in their communities and the world. It tells them what you will bring to their college campus community.

In short, they are looking for passion — your record of community advocacy demonstrates passion, and how you reflect on your experiences in your activities and what you learn from them can make your application stand out among the competition.

Why Extracurriculars Matter

Extracurricular activities matter to admissions teams because they help them understand who you are as a person. Sure, they’ve got your transcript. They see the rigor of your studies, your grades and GPA, and your test scores.

All of this tells them that you’re prepared to do college level work. But it doesn’t tell them what personal qualities you will bring to their campus community and if you’d be a good fit for their school. Your extracurriculars—and how you frame your experiences—could be a deciding factor.

What you learned from your extracurricular activities, and how you reflect upon that, can give you a personal story to tell that will set you apart from other students and make your application memorable.

This is increasingly important, because admission to top colleges and universities has never been so competitive. Top schools receive tens of thousands of applications — from far more students than they can ever accept. And admissions rates are shrinking every year.

This is why Crimson Education Specialists recommend that students begin strategizing about your extracurriculars as early as 9th grade. If you wait until 11th Grade, you won’t have time to strategically choose activities that help political science students grow, acquire skills, and have a story to tell that resonates.

If you're unsure how to build the perfect extracurricular profile and college application, our experts can help! Students working with Crimson are 7x more likely to gain admission to their dream university.