Write It

Can you put independent hobbies and projects on the Common App?

Describe a self-directed hobby or project without a club, award, or organization. Show what you made, practiced, or investigated with specific evidence.

Write It teamUpdated 2 min read

A self-directed hobby or project can belong in your activities list. Explain what you actually did and how you engaged with it over time. You do not need to create a club or business name to make an independent interest look official.

Distinguish an interest from an activity you can describe

Start with your routine. Do you build models, compose music, maintain a garden, translate stories for practice, create games, or study a topic through a continuing project? A useful entry explains active engagement, not just the statement that you like something.

This does not mean every hobby needs a product or public audience. Reading can involve sustained inquiry; practicing an instrument can matter without performances. Identify the actual pattern of participation and what it shows about how you spend your time.

Name the setting plainly

Use a role and setting that accurately describe the work. “Independent game developer” can be factual if you made games independently. “CEO” is likely to confuse the reader if there was no business, team, or operating company. A plain description lets the substance carry the entry.

When the activity type does not neatly fit the menu, read the application’s available options and choose the most accurate one. Explain the work in the description instead of forcing an unrelated label.

Give the reader a concrete picture

Original fictional example under 150 characters: “Built small puzzle games; tested controls with friends and revised levels after watching where players got stuck.”

The description explains making, testing, and revision. It does not claim a large user base or commercial success. For a different hobby, replace those details with your actual practice: the techniques you tried, materials you worked with, or questions that organized your learning.

  • Use numbers only when you know what they count.
  • Do not call casual browsing formal research.
  • Credit collaborators when a project was shared.
  • Avoid counting the same project again inside a separate club entry.

Decide whether it adds useful information

Compare the hobby with the other activities you plan to list. Does it show a sustained part of your life or something missing from the rest of the application? A genuine independent commitment may add more than another lightly attended club.

You do not need to turn every enjoyable activity into an admissions project. Describe what you have actually done, with an honest estimate of time. If you discuss the interest in an essay, use that space to explain your thinking rather than repeating the activity description.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a website or portfolio to prove the hobby?
Do not create or submit extra materials unless the college’s instructions make them relevant. The activity entry should be understandable on its own; follow each college’s rules for optional supplements.
Can gaming be an activity?
Describe the genuine involvement and why it is meaningful, such as sustained competitive participation, design, or community responsibilities. Do not relabel ordinary play as leadership or technical work you did not do.

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