When crafting a compelling medical school application, many students wonder whether high school activities should be included in their Work & Activities section. After all, some pre-med applicants had incredible experiences in high school—research projects, leadership roles, medical volunteering—but is it appropriate to mention them when applying to medical school?

At AcceptMed, we help students create applications that maximize their strengths and tell a compelling story. Understanding when high school activities add value—and when they don’t—is key to avoiding common mistakes and ensuring your application reflects your most relevant experiences.

The General Rule: Avoid High School Activities Unless They Are Truly Exceptional

Most medical schools expect applicants to focus on undergraduate and post-grad experiences. However, there are a few exceptions where including a high school activity might make sense:

• If the experience continued into college – If you started an activity in high school and continued it throughout college, it demonstrates commitment and long-term involvement.
• If it was a truly unique, high-impact experience – Did you conduct published research, start a successful non-profit, or gain patient-care experience before college? These might be worth mentioning.
• If it directly shaped your path to medicine – If an experience was a defining moment in why you pursued medicine, it may be worth referencing briefly.

Example: When It’s Acceptable to Include High School Activities

• If you started volunteering at a hospital in high school and continued into college, it demonstrates long-term commitment.
• If you conducted research in high school that led to a published paper and you continued research in undergrad, it can help establish credibility.
• If you founded a health-related community program that continued past high school and into college, it demonstrates leadership and impact.

Example: When You Should NOT Include High School Activities

• If the activity was a one-time event with no continuation (e.g., attending a summer camp).
• If you haven’t engaged in a similar activity since and it isn’t relevant to your medical journey.
• If the experience is overshadowed by more recent, impactful activities in undergrad.

Key Takeaway: Only include high school activities if they were high-impact AND continued into college OR directly shaped your path to medicine.

How to Frame a High School Activity Without It Feeling Outdated

If you choose to include a high school activity, the way you describe it matters. Instead of highlighting that the activity occurred in high school, frame it as part of a larger, ongoing journey.

Weak Example (Emphasizing High School Too Much):
"In high school, I volunteered at a nursing home, assisting with daily activities for residents. This experience taught me about geriatric care."

Stronger Example (Focusing on Continuation and Growth):
"My interest in geriatric care began when I started volunteering at a nursing home, a role I continued throughout college by working in hospice care. These experiences reinforced my commitment to patient-centered medicine and helped me develop essential communication skills for working with elderly patients."

Why This Works:

• It connects a high school experience to relevant college experiences.
• It emphasizes continuity and long-term commitment rather than focusing on the past.
• It demonstrates growth and development, showing how the experience shaped future actions.

Key Takeaway: If you include a high school activity, always tie it to later experiences to show progression and impact.

Where to Include High School Activities in Your Application

If a high school experience meets the criteria for inclusion, here’s where it might fit in your application:

Work & Activities Section

• Choose an experience category that reflects what you did (e.g., community service, research).
• Focus on what you accomplished after high school and how it relates to your medical journey.

Personal Statement (Only If It Was Truly Transformative)

• If a high school experience directly influenced your decision to pursue medicine, you may briefly mention it.
• Keep it concise—admissions committees care more about what you’ve done recently.

Secondary Essays (Only If Relevant to the Prompt)

• Some schools ask about the origins of your interest in medicine—this may be a good place to briefly discuss a formative high school experience.

Key Takeaway: Only include high school activities if they are directly relevant to your medical journey and fit naturally in your application.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Listing High School Activities That Don’t Relate to Medicine

• DON’T “Captain of my high school soccer team.”
• DO “Developed leadership and teamwork skills as a high school soccer captain, which I later applied to mentoring pre-med students in college.”

2. Focusing on High School Instead of College

• DON’T “In high school, I shadowed a pediatrician, which introduced me to medicine.”
• DO “Shadowing a pediatrician sparked my interest in medicine, which I later explored further through clinical volunteering and research in college.”

3. Including Too Many High School Activities

• Admissions committees expect growth—if you rely too heavily on high school activities, it may raise concerns about your lack of undergraduate involvement.
• Focus primarily on college and post-grad experiences.

Key Takeaway: Keep the focus on your recent experiences—only reference high school activities when necessary and always tie them to later growth.

Should You Include High School Activities?

Yes, If:

• The activity continued into college and demonstrates long-term commitment.
• It was a high-impact experience (e.g., research publication, starting a health initiative).
• It directly influenced your journey to medicine and can be framed in the context of later experiences.

No, If:

• It was a short-term activity with no further involvement.
• You have more relevant and recent experiences to highlight.
• It does not contribute meaningfully to your narrative as a future physician.

At AcceptMed, we guide students in crafting applications that highlight their strongest, most relevant experiences—whether they started in high school or college. By focusing on growth, continuity, and impact, you can ensure your Work & Activities section tells a compelling, well-rounded story that strengthens your application.

• Most high school activities should be left out, unless they were high-impact AND continued into college.
• If you include a high school activity, frame it in a way that highlights its relevance to your medical journey.
• Medical schools prioritize recent experiences—focus primarily on undergraduate and post-grad involvement.
• Avoid listing too many high school activities, as it may suggest a lack of later involvement.
• Tie any high school experience to your long-term growth and development in medicine.