Best Extracurriculars for Mathematics and Statistics Majors

If you’re a high school student who is planning to major in math or statistics, certain extracurricular activities can provide you an exceptional opportunity to demonstrate strong analytical and quantitative skills.

And that will be important when it comes time for you to apply to colleges. Two of the strengths that college admissions teams are looking for in the applications of students who are embarking on either path are logical thinking, analysis, and problem solving.

The good news is that the extracurriculars that will be most impressive and provide the best opportunity to obtain deeper knowledge in your chosen topics are likely activities that already appeal to someone with your inclinations.

Plus, the very fact that you choose to engage in math or data analysis problems outside of the classroom shows a passion for your subject that colleges like to see.

While top colleges will always first look for the three main prerequisites — rigorous coursework, high GPA, and top scores on standardized tests — extracurriculars also weigh in. In fact, strategy experts at Crimson Education estimate that these activities can account for as much as 30% of the college application.

To get an idea of what kinds of activities count, it helps to look at what other students who have gone before you have done. Here are some activities of students who have been accepted into top colleges:

8 Extracurricular Activities Ideas for Math and Statistics Majors

Examples of Extracurriculars for Mathematics and Statistics Majors

There are a number of activities where students majoring in math or statistics can deepen their learning and keep challenging themselves. Your experiences, project results, and even awards can help you show excellence at the practical application of mathematical principles and problem-solving.

The types of extracurriculars that are optimal for high school students to participate in range from clubs and competitions to mentoring and peer tutoring to data analysis or quantitative research projects or internships.

1. Math Clubs or Math Olympiads

Joining a math club at your school is a great way to make friends and participate in discussions that explore advanced topics with like minded peers. If your school doesn’t already have a math club, consider starting one!

Founding a club and recruiting other students to join shows initiative and leadership skills that admissions committees love to see.

Participating in competitions such as the USA Math Olympiads, International Math Olympiads, American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), or regional math leagues will provide you with an opportunity to apply mathematical principles, show your work, and learn from solving problems.

In these competitive arenas there’s an emphasis on proof-based problem solving, where it’s not just about getting the correct answer but showing clarity and rigor of thinking. Problems are typically scored using a points system, where each problem is worth a certain number of points for a maximum possible score.

Achieving a medal shows that you put in the hard work and dedication and that you have a real passion for math principles. Earning top place in one of these competitions demonstrates exceptional ability and can help a math/stats student stand out among the field of college applicants.

2. Tutoring Peers in Math or Statistics

If competition is not your thing but working one-on-one is appealing, you may find a peer tutoring experience rewarding. Tutoring showcases a different set of skills, mainly related to your ability to break down tough concepts into digestible bites and communicate them to others.

Tutoring requires the same understanding of mathematical concepts as winning a competition, but it also demonstrates talent in explaining tough concepts to others clearly.

It can also show a commitment to community service. Tutoring students in underserved communities is very impressive to some select colleges. It shows the type of spirit and commitment that you will bring to their campus community and showcases both personal and interpersonal skills. It’s a great way to explore whether you would enjoy an academic career path.

3. Participating in Data Analysis Projects or Competitions

If you enjoy data analysis, you might find participating in a Kaggle competition or Data Science Bowl fun, interesting, and beneficial. While both competitions offer deep dives into data analysis, there’s a difference.

Kaggle is a platform that offers data science challenges across a wide range of areas, from financial forecasting to natural language processing. The competitions are sponsored by research institutions as well as corporations and other organizations.

The data science bowl presents challenges that solve real-world problems that have social impact, so there’s an extra component for social good. Kaggle sometimes partners with one of the larger government consulting firms to offer these types of challenges on topics such as education, health care, or global climate change.

Still another way that a high school student can work on data challenges is to search for open data sets and analyze the data yourself and write up your conclusions, perhaps under the guidance of a teacher or mentor. Some data sets that are open and available include:

• Data.gov
• World Bank Open Data
• Google Dataset Search
• The UCI Machine Learning Repository
• FiveThirtyEight
• Various universities

Or, analyze other data that you find interesting, such as sports statistics or school attendance records or grades.

4. Joining Finance or Investment Clubs

Prospective math/stats majors who are curious about finance, how stock or bond markets work, or other financial instruments might find joining an investment or finance club compelling.

There are so many data sets involved that will interest you if you enjoy analysis and are good at identifying patterns.

Math and statistics students are expected to have strong analytical and problem solving skills, so working on solving real-world problems should appeal to you.

Some activities that many finance or investment clubs participate in include managing a portfolio and presenting recommendations. These activities will give you a story to tell on your college applications that will make your personal essay memorable.

5. Research Internships in Quantitative Fields

Another way that high school students can gain practical experience — and be financially compensated as well — is to get a summer internship working in a quantitative field. Some possibilities include analyzing financial data, working on strategy or participating in statistical modeling for:

• Investment banks
• Hedge funds
• Wealth management companies

Or, if data mining and machine learning interest you more, look for internships at tech companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon. You could also work on data analysis for a consulting firm like Booz Allen Hamilton or McKinsey.

Any one of these experiences will strengthen your skills, show real-world application, and demonstrate the kind of intellectual growth that will be key to your future major and beyond, including:

• Strong mathematical and statistical skills
• Data analysis capability
• Machine learning techniques
• Problem solving skills
• Strong communication ability

Whatever extracurriculars you choose to participate in during high school — whether it’s competing in competitions, joining a club, mentoring peers, or engaging in real world data analysis projects — don’t allow it to be just about impressing colleges on your application.

You’ll gain far more by taking part in extracurriculars that align with your genuine interests and passions. Then the experiences you tell about will not only demonstrate your exceptional academic ability and analytical aptitude but also attest to your intellectual curiosity, leadership, and commitment to societal good.

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.