text: Colleges know when someone signs up for a club just because they think it'll look good for college. They want people to sign up for a club because they genuinely enjoy its purpose, and not because of what it'll look like on an application. Colleges want active club members; not club members who barely go to meetings. Participating in marching band for all four years shows commitment, passion, and loyalty. Colleges want those attributes, so they are assured their students won't leave them for another college, and if they decided their major, they will stick with it. Required extracurricular activities would help students find their passions, and they would no longer wander aimlessly in life. Extracurricular activities show colleges passion, and passion is rare among teenagers. Often, passionate people go on to do great things in the world, and colleges want to have notable alumni.