Extracurricular Equity
By Naomi Imai Nov. 4, 2026
From Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which specializes in science and technology, to San Diego State, known for
business programs, California State University (CSU) has 22 campuses to choose from. Depending on the college, applicants face either guaranteed or holistic admissions. Guaranteed admissions are preferable because they provide eligible students with a clearer path to higher education, while holistic admissions can disadvantage students from low-income families and encourage applicants to pursue achievements primarily to strengthen their college applications.
Sixteen of the 22 CSUs have a guaranteed admission program that notifies qualified students using academic data and provides early admission opportunities before students apply. San Jose State, the closest CSU to the school, is one of six campuses left out of the program because it is already too full. During a pilot program in Riverside County, CSU applications from participating students rose 15% compared to the previous year, according to the Riverside County Office of Education.
“I think knowing that I qualify for a guaranteed admission would make me way less stressed because I wouldn’t keep the thought that I’m not good enough in the back of my mind and I’ll also not have to worry about applying for many colleges,” Sophomore My-Anh Gaines said.
UCs also guarantee admission to students in the top 9% statewide or the top 9% at their high school, but only to a campus with space, and every UC campus still reviews applications holistically. Most selective universities, such as Stanford, the University of Chicago and Dartmouth College, use holistic admissions. That means considering the entirety of an individual’s experiences, skills and potential rather than focusing solely on academics like test scores or GPAs. It aims to create more diversity, equity and inclusion within academic institutions. It also helps colleges identify students who excel in a certain subject or field, even if their grades do not necessarily reflect it.
College admissions are so competitive because applications submitted through the Common App have more than doubled since the 2016-17 school year, according to Common App data. Holistic admissions aim to give every student a fair chance, but they also make the process more stressful and subjective. Simply getting good grades is not enough, so some students create nonprofits just to list the title of founder on their college applications.
“There is an increase in the number of students seeking higher education. This means that schools are receiving high amounts of applications and are potentially making students feel that they must meet high standards in order to be more competitive,” College Advisor Kayla Hightower said.
There is also the strain and cost of extracurriculars that holistic admissions look at. Many students participate in extracurriculars not because they are interested but because this system rewards the most active students. The pressure to constantly prove themselves can turn any activity into a source of stress. Participating in extracurriculars may be financially hard on low-income families. For example, the Aspen Institute’s Project Play found that family spending on a child’s main sport grew 46% from 2019 to 2024.
In contrast, a 2016 National Bureau of Economic Research paper on Texas’ automatic admissions found that certainty about college admissions encourages college-ready low-income students to consider more rigorous colleges. This suggests that guaranteed admissions help qualified students pursue colleges that they might otherwise overlook and focus less on extracurriculars they cannot afford.
Ultimately, holistic admissions, which were made to be fairer, could become an uneven playing field based on a student’s situation and unintentionally favor those with the resources to found nonprofits or fund high-cost activities. If colleges want to foster genuine equity, they should give less weight to costly extracurriculars so that a student’s true potential is not overshadowed by their family’s financial situation.
About the Contributors
Naomi Imai
Staff Writer
Naomi Imai is a sophomore at Leland High School. The classes I'm taking this year are Chemistry honors, Precalculus, P.E. 2, Accel World history, Ethnic Lit Honors, and Journalism 1-2. I also love to listen to vocaloid songs.
Krio Moon
Managing Editor
Krio Moon is a senior at Leland High School and an artist for The Charger Account. Outside of school, she likes to watch feel-good movies and play tennis.
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