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Welcome To Engage MatchPoint
Our team's goal is provide students with ideas that can help them
get more engaged in extracurricular activities during the school year.
Why Is Engagement So Important ?
Getting involved in activities outside of class can help students feel more positive about the future. Students who participate in extracurriculars and community service are 2.5 times more likely to say they get good grades. They also feel 4.5 times more hopeful about their future compared to students who are not involved.
We want to stress that students should never join activities to pad their college application. Instead of asking "Which clubs should I join?" or "How much community service is needed?", start by thinking about your talents, interests, and motivations. Ask yourself: What do I naturally do well? What skills have I developed? What activities excite me? What would I try if I couldn't fail? This helps you see how to build on your strengths and interests, to thrive and not just impress colleges.
Let your aptitudes & interests guide you. Pursue opportunities that fit your talents and creativity. By choosing activities you truly care about, you'll not only enrich yourself but also do better in school and feel more hopeful about the future. Believe in yourself - you can find activities that are meaningful for you!
Our Engage MatchPoint Chatbot
This chatbot is built to help jumpstart the activity discovery process and encourage students to get engaged outside of the classroom. It's often challenging for a student to dive into discovering where to start with their plans for extracurricular activities. With the many options available, students may feel overwhelmed deciding where to focus their time and energy. Based on the student's responses, the chatbot generates suggestions for clubs, volunteer organizations, sports teams, and other programs the student may wish to explore. The chatbot reminds students to speak with parents, teachers and counselors for additional advice on pursuing extracurricular activities that align with the student's aptitudes, motivators, and goals.
Guide to Activity Planning
The most successful college applicants have engaged in activities that are based on their interests, aptitudes, and motivations. This guide presents our i4 framework and walks you through how your student can optimize their interest, involvement, initiative, and impact to successfully engage during high school and develop into a strong college applicant.
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Although the thermometer might say it’s winter, summer will be here before you know it. If your teen is interested in a specialty summer program in areas like STEM, business, healthcare, or even the military, it's time to start researching options. Many of these focused programs have early application deadlines that fall during January and February. Below are just a few that require early applications.
Summer planning looks different at every stage of high school. Freshman year is a time for exploration and trying new activities, while junior year is all about leadership, impact, and aligning experiences with college and career goals. From discovering new passions to drafting college essays, each step helps students build a compelling story for admissions. Ready to help your student make the most of their summers? Check out this mini- guide for actionable, grade-specific advice to unlock their full potential!
As a parent, you can guide your high schooler to find fulfilling clubs. Have them reflect on their interests and find clubs that align with those interests. Make sure any new commitments fit into their current schedule so they don't get overwhelmed. Look for clubs that offer leadership roles to help develop their skills. Urge them to branch out from their immediate friend group to get exposure to new perspectives. Suggest balancing interest-based clubs and service clubs, so they can follow true passions while also giving back. If they are unsure of fit, encourage attending club fairs or shadowing club options before fully committing. With thoughtful guidance now, you can set your teen up to get the most out of the club experience through exploration, relationships, and making an impact.
As a student prepares their college applications, remember that admissions officers don't just look at test scores and grades. They also highly value "durable skills" - intangible human strengths cultivated through extracurricular activities. More than just a list of achievements, these skills spotlight a students's personality, interests, and potential to add unique value to campus life. When thoughtfully expressed in applications, they demonstrate maturity, work ethic, and readiness for college success.
While academics are key, colleges also look for evidence of positive character and real-world skills. There are activities teens can get involved with to build these assets. Volunteering allows teens to demonstrate compassion and take on leadership roles. Playing a sport teaches collaboration, communication, discipline, and perseverance. School clubs let teens explore interests with like-minded peers. Part-time jobs build time management, responsibility, and people skills. Travel opens teens' minds to other cultures. Taking on new challenges pushes teens outside their comfort zone to build confidence. The key is finding activities the teen will enjoy long enough to build character and abilities that will equip them to thrive in college and adulthood.
As the fall semester begins in a student’s junior year, many families feel anxious that they might miss required steps in the journey to college. Not to worry! We’ve got you covered.
In sophomore year, your student is in a wonderful position to build on the interests and skills they learned in 9th grade. You’ll notice that one thing is not on our lists of tasks—college exploration. We find that it’s much more important to focus on academic and extracurricular activities that will help your student thrive in high school at this stage. Thriving in high school is what prepares students to be successful in college.
Authenticity is important because it allows teenagers to explore their interests and develop their talents in a way that is true to themselves. When teenagers are involved in activities that they are passionate about, they are more likely to stick with those activities and see success. Ultimately, authenticity is essential for ensuring that your teenager's extracurricular activities are beneficial and enriching experiences.
Parents of 9th-11th graders dreaming of UT Austin: As your child plans activities, remember UT's "Change the World" essay evaluates character and potential impact. Choose academics that highlight intellectual curiosity and passion for learning. Pick extracurricular roles involving leadership, problem-solving and community commitment. This essay is a chance to convey your child’s character development and influences driving their desire to create change. Make activities meaningful to reveal their promise as future changemakers. UT assesses character beyond grades – help your child pick pursuits showing their perspective and readiness to positively transform lives.
Artificial intelligence keeps getting smarter, but it still can't truly understand human emotions. That's why developing "emotional intelligence" is so critical for teenagers today. EQ helps teens build self-awareness, empathy, stress management, and communication skills. Strong emotional intelligence leads to better mental health, relationships, and decisions. As AI advances, nurturing EQ may be the best way for teens to thrive while using technology responsibly.
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