Excelling at a certain sport can earn students a spot at a school, including tuition or full-ride (including room and board) scholarships. Many college admissions committees also are impressed with a student's commitment to sports, particularly if the student in question has been heavily involved in one area. Mary Rombokas conducted an extensive study, which was presented to the Southeastern Conference of Counseling Center Personnel in Georgia. Rombokas studied the correlation between high school sports and college grades and found that although athletic students were less likely to be involved in drugs and heavy drinking, their grades were often the same or just slightly higher than their non-athletic counterparts in college.
Students who participate in music, whether it be within the school or on their own, learn a high level of discipline. In addition, students who are in a band, orchestra or choir, quickly learn the value of teamwork and how to work with fellow teammates to achieve the finished project. Mary Rombokas' study found that students involved in music had, overall, higher college grade point averages than those who did not. According to Rombokas, music education had the highest correlation with school retention rates.
Many students in high school choose to participate in academic extracurriculars, such as foreign language clubs, business clubs, math teams and debate teams. These clubs and competitions help foster a deeper love for that particular subject, which, in turn, helps students' academic pursuits in that area. Students who choose to study those subjects in college will typically have a better appreciation and a deeper interest in a particular subject or area of academia.
Nonparticipation in extracurricular activities is often associated with poor time-management skills, which will carry over into college life. Rachel Hollrah, a student at Iowa State University, did a simple project on the benefits of participation in extracurricular activities. The counselor at nearby Battle Creek-Ida Grove High School stated that students who are active in after-school activities must keep up their grades in order to participate, thus forcing students to study harder, a skill that will carry over into college life. Rombokas' study also confirmed that students who are involved in extracurricular activities are less likely to become discipline problems in high school, college and later on in life.