Joining a fraternity, student government, activist club or sports team helps undergraduates meet like-minded people, form new friendships and unwind from intensive coursework, StateUniversity.com points out. A part-time job or an internship teaches communication skills in a professional environment, notes the College Parents of America website. Iowa State University research shows that college students involved in extra-curricular pursuits are more intellectually stimulated during class. Participation in varied activities also may impress graduate schools.
By encouraging a spirit of altruism and philanthropy -- through activities such as volunteering at an animal shelter, organizing a blood drive, mentoring an underprivileged student or cleaning up a neighborhood -- colleges may instill in students the values of leadership, compassion, responsiveness to the needs of others and respect for the surrounding community, according to StateUniversity.com.
Collegiate extra-curricular programs such as athletic departments partially depend on donor support. The more attractive and promising the program looks to potential sponsors, the more likely they will support it -- often to advertise and market their own products, write Steve Wieberg and Steve Berkowitz in an April 2009 article for "USA Today." By recruiting top high school athletes and scholars, sponsoring study-abroad programs and providing academic credit for internships, colleges build a more involved student body and attract corporate and alumni donations.
Alumni donate to their alma mater because they have fond college memories and hope their donation will facilitate a similarly positive experience among current students. Most college administrators are familiar with the annual "U.S. News & World Report" college rankings, of which an institution's alumni donation rate is a determining factor. As a result, holding all other factors constant, a school with higher alumni donations will rank above those with lower giving rates. By attracting more donors, colleges attempt to boost their national prestige.