Supercurriculars: What They Are and How to Use Them

Supercurriculars are the academic things you do beyond your syllabus — reading, lectures, competitions, projects, MOOCs — and they are the strongest evidence in a personal statement.

Extracurricular vs supercurricular

Sport and music are extracurricular. Reading a book on your subject, entering a subject olympiad, or building something related to your course is supercurricular. Universities care far more about the latter.

Depth beats breadth

One book you can discuss intelligently beats ten you skimmed. Tutors probe what you actually understood.

How to write about them

Never just name-drop. For each: what you engaged with, what you learned, and how it changed your thinking.

Where to find good ones

Subject olympiads, university outreach programmes, essay competitions, reputable reading lists, and free courses. Pick things you'll genuinely finish.

The test

If you can't have a ten-minute conversation about it, it doesn't belong in your statement.

Writ's supercurricular library suggests verified, subject-relevant options, and the coach makes sure every one you mention is backed by real reflection.