<p>For the extracurricular essay, does it have to be just explaining what the extracurricular is? Or by “elaborate” could that mean explaining why the activity is important to you? Mine is cross country so I think it’s pretty obvious what it is, but in my essay I compare it to something else and talk about going beyond my limits.</p>
<p>Don’t explain what cross country is in your essay, if that is what you are asking…</p>
<p>Yes, it means explain why the activity is important to you. No need to explain cross country, since it’s not really obscure.</p>
<p>This essay should be more about the “Why” than the the “What.” Your reasons for doing an activity are EXTREMELY important, especially since the applicant pool is so homogeneous with respect to extracurricular activities.</p>
<p>Try to highlight why you were passionate about cross country without explicitly stating something along the lines of “I’m passionate about it because…” In short, the essay’s purpose is to provide the admissions officers a slice of your life outside of school. If your excitement is genuine about your EC activity, then it will show in your essay and subsequently excite the reader as well.</p>