How to Write the Common App Activities List for 2026-27: Rules, Limits and Examples
By Rona Aydin
What are the Common App activities rules for 2026-27?
| Field | Limit or format | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Number of activities | Up to 10; Common App says entering 10 is not required | Approaching the activities section (September 2026) |
| Activity type | Dropdown list; includes “other club/activity” | Approaching the activities section |
| Position/Leadership description | 50 characters; optional from 2026-27 | Approaching the activities section; 2026-27 counselor deck (May 21, 2026) |
| Organization name | 100 characters | Approaching the activities section |
| Activity details, honors won, and accomplishments | 150 characters | Approaching the activities section |
| Years of participation, hours per week, weeks per year | Reported for each activity | Gather Materials (September 2026) |
What changed in the activities section for 2026-27?
Common App’s launch announcement says the section “will be renamed activities and experiences,” “with fields that better capture a breadth of commitments beyond high school” (Common App, July 31, 2026). Its counselor deck lists the changes:
- “The Activities section will be renamed ‘Activities and experiences'”
- “Instructional text revised to better capture a breadth of commitments beyond high school”
- “The ‘position/leadership’ field will become optional”
- “Time commitments for post-high school experiences can be reported more accurately”
- “Character limits for activity names, roles, and descriptions will not change”
Source: What is new with Common App, 2026-27 first-year app updates (May 21, 2026). Common App’s September 2026 handout still lists the position field with its 50-character limit, so a student with a real role should still fill it in, in our view.
How should students order their activities?
Common App’s activities handout gives no rule on order. It asks students to think about “the activities and experiences that have been the most meaningful to you throughout high school” (Approaching the activities section). In our view, the list should open with the activity that carries the most time, responsibility and results, followed by the ones that support it, with breadth (a job, family duties, a hobby) after that. A student does not need to fill all 10 places, and in our experience a short list of real commitments reads better than a long one padded with minor entries. Our spike strategy guide covers how to build the top of the list.
How do you write a strong 150-character description?
Common App says: “You have limited space in these fields, so you may need to abbreviate words and simplify your grammar.” In its example, the edited description leaves out the time spent, because “that information is reported elsewhere in the section” (Approaching the activities section). In our view, each description should name the action, the scale and the result, in that order, and skip anything the other fields already show.
| Weak description | Stronger description (characters) | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| I am the president of the debate team and I organize meetings and tournaments for our school. | Led 22-member team to state finals; ran 3 invitationals for 200+ debaters; coached JV squad (91) | Role moved to the position field; scope and results added |
| I volunteer at the local hospital helping patients and doctors in various departments. | ER and oncology volunteer; trained 5 new volunteers; designed patient comfort kit now used hospital-wide (104) | Specific units, leadership and an outcome |
| I do research in a lab at a university near my house. | Ran gel electrophoresis assays in university genetics lab; presented poster at regional science symposium (105) | Concrete task and output |
| I work at a restaurant to help my family and learn responsibility. | Cook and shift lead at family-owned restaurant; promoted in 6 months; train new hires on weekend shifts (103) | Promotion and responsibility, not a motive |
| I help out at home a lot. | Care for 2 younger siblings after school; manage pickups, homework help and dinner on weekdays (94) | Specific duties; hours go in the hours field |
Should a job or family responsibilities go on the list?
Yes, if they took real time. Common App’s handout asks, “Did you have family responsibilities, a job, internship, or volunteer work?” and “What about hobbies or sports?” (Approaching the activities section). Common App’s first-year guide says the section is where “You can share your interests and who you are outside of the classroom” (Common App first-year guide). In our view, paid work and family duties should be described with the same specifics as any club, and a student does not need a title to show leadership; see our guide to leadership without a title.
What should students leave off the activities list?
In our view, leave off activities with little time and no role, middle school activities that did not continue, and pay-to-attend courses that admitted anyone unless the student produced real work there. Programs that admit by competitive application, such as RSI, SSP or PROMYS, are different and, in our view, usually earn a place. Hours and titles should match what the counselor and teachers will describe, because in our experience readers see the whole file together; our recommendation letter guide covers how letters can support the list. For what counts in the first place, see what counts as an extracurricular and how many extracurriculars you need.
How does the activities list connect to the Additional Information question?
Common App says, “If you need more space to elaborate on an activity or experience, you can use the additional information question,” which sits “in the writing section” (Approaching the activities section). For first-year applicants, Common App cut that question from 650 to 300 words for 2025-26: “The first-year app limit will be reduced from 650 to 300 words max” (Common App, February 27, 2025; 2025-26 counselor deck). We found no later change. In our view, it is the place to explain a gap or the scope of a project, not to repeat the list. Academic honors that are not activities belong in the Common App honors section, which takes up to five academic honors (Gather Materials).
Frequently Asked Questions About the Common App Activities List
Up to 10. Common App says students do not need to enter 10 and should focus on the activities that best tell their story.
The position field allows 50 characters, the organization name 100 characters and the description of details, honors and accomplishments 150 characters. Common App says these limits will not change for 2026-27.
No. The Common App counselor deck for 2026-27 says the position or leadership field will become optional.
Common App says the section will be renamed Activities and experiences for 2026-27, with instructions revised to cover commitments beyond high school.
The Common App activities handout gives no rule on order. In our view, the activity that carries the most time, responsibility and results should come first.
Yes, if they took real time. Common App asks students whether they had family responsibilities, a job, an internship or volunteer work, and these can be listed like any other activity.
For first-year applicants it is limited to 300 words, cut from 650 words for 2025-26. Common App suggests it for more detail on an activity.
Oriel Admissions reviews activities lists line by line, choosing the order and tightening each 150-character description so it shows what the student did and what came of it.
Sources: Common App, Common App opens application to launch 2026-27 season (July 31, 2026), Common App, What is new with Common App: 2026-27 first-year app updates (May 21, 2026), Common App, Approaching the activities section (September 2026), Common App, Gather Materials, first-year (September 2026), Common App, first-year students guide, Common App, first-year toolkit, Common App, Announcing the 2025-2026 Common App essay prompts (February 27, 2025), Common App, What is new 2025-26 (May 22, 2025), Common App, Research summary: trends and disparities in extracurricular activity reporting (April 18, 2023). All read October 26 and 27, 2026.
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team pairs deep admissions expertise with a distinctive 360 approach spanning academic planning, extracurricular strategy, essays and application execution. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.
