When You Should Quit an Extracurricular Activity

High school clubs and extracurricular activities require time, energy, and commitment. Sometimes, it's OK to quit!

Sometimes, the best high school extracurricular activities happen when you quit. Surprised?

Read on for our best advice on when quitting is the best choice, how to make the decision, and what really matters in high school extracurricular activities.

“If I quit an activity I’ve been doing for years, will it hurt my college application?” 

Phew! I have answered this one probably a thousand times in my career. 

It’s easy to think that sticking with something for the long haul is automatically impressive, but it’s just not that simple.

Busting the Myth of Longevity

Longevity -- sticking with a single extracurricular activity or high school club -- can showcase persistence, commitment, and dedication—but only when it’s meaningful. Admissions officers don’t just want to see how long you’ve been involved in an activity. They care about what you’ve gained from it, how you’ve contributed, and whether it aligns with your interests and goals.

Before choosing to either quit an activity or remain with it, ask yourself these important questions:

1. What has been my motivation to stay involved so far?

   Are you still passionate about this activity, or are you continuing out of habit or obligation? 

Are you growing as a person in meaningful ways? What skills are you developing, growing, exploring? Or do you feel stagnant?

2. If I quit, what will I do instead?

   Quitting an extracurricular activity without a plan for what you will do in its absence is not a good idea. However, quitting one activity so that you can either replace it with another, more exciting pursuit that challenges you can be a smart move. 

Ask yourself: What will quitting give you the opportunity to do that you don’t have the time, energy, or bandwidth to do currently? 

PRO TIP: The answer really shouldn’t be “sleep” or “nothing.” Don’t get me wrong. I value sleep, and I value down time. But if you have been committing 15 hours a week to swimming during the season and choose to quit, are you really going to add 15 hours of doing “nothing” or “sleeping” to your agenda? That’s unlikely. 

Take your time. Be thoughtful. Make a plan. 

The only wrong answer in your plan is doing nothing instead of something. 

When Quitting (Even Something You’ve Done a Long Time) Might Be Worth It

• You’re unable to articulate why you continue to participate.

• You are not building any new hard skills or soft skills.

• You are keeping an activity because of title, but you are not really doing anything of substance despite the leadership role you hold.

• You’re no longer learning, growing, or getting any positive benefit from it.

• You could not answer a question about why this activity is meaningful to your school, your larger community, or your own personal growth.

• You’re missing the chance to explore something else you’re genuinely interested in.

Being involved in extracurricular activities long-term can be valuable. It can demonstrate commitment, perseverance, and passion. However, longevity alone is not the goal to well-planned high school extracurricular activities. The most important aspect of extracurricular activities is their impact on your personal growth, which comes from being actively engaged, learning new skills, and making meaning impact for yourself and your community. 

Colleges value depth, intentionality, skill development, and personal growth more than the number of years you have committed to a singular club or organization.

The Bottom Line

Don’t stay in an activity just because you think longevity “looks good,” but also don’t just quit extracurricular activities because without taking time to plan for why you are quitting and what you will do next.