Updated: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
By Rod, IvyWise College Admissions Counselor
In the competitive world of college admissions, students are constantly seeking ways to stand out from the crowd. One unique and intellectually stimulating activity that can give applicants an edge is playing chess. Beyond being a classic game of strategy and skill, chess offers numerous benefits that can enhance a student’s application. From developing critical thinking and problem-solving abilities to demonstrating dedication and discipline, the skills honed through chess can make a compelling case to admissions committees.
While playing chess can be beneficial, it is essential to present your involvement and achievements in a thoughtful and compelling manner in your college application. Emphasize the skills, personal growth, and contributions that playing chess has enabled you to develop and make connections to your broader academic and personal goals.
Active participation in chess clubs, tournaments, and online communities highlight dedication and commitment. Admissions officers appreciate students that are involved in meaningful extracurriculars and can balance their academic and extracurricular commitments effectively. Not only does this reflect how a student might be involved outside of the classroom within a college community, but it also speaks to their ability to manage their time well.
Being active in chess clubs and communities also offers opportunities for teamwork. Even though it is an individual game, being part of a chess club allows you to collaborate with others, organize events, and mentor less experienced players. Demonstrating leadership and the ability to be an asset in a team setting is a plus for colleges that are evaluating how you might contribute to their communities outside the classroom.
Chess is a game that is known to cultivate patience, resilience, and sportsmanship. These are highly desired qualities for colleges as they can indicate personal growth and highlight the ability to handle setbacks. Sharing stories or anecdotes in your college essay about how chess has shaped your character and influenced your approach to life can make for a compelling case for your personal development.
While it can be hard to show in an individual application that chess is responsible for a certain level of intellectual development, anecdotally I hear from students all the time about how chess has helped them thrive academically. Chess is a game that requires strategic thinking, problem-solving, and critical reasoning skills. Regularly playing chess can enhance your cognitive abilities, improve your concentration, and develop your analytical thinking skills. These qualities can help a student thrive in the classroom, which in turn enhances their application to college.
Achieving notable successes in chess such as winning tournaments or earning a high rank can make your application stand out and demonstrate your exceptional abilities and accomplishments. Institutions are especially drawn to exceptional students in the classroom who also have extraordinary achievements outside of it. Not only can such achievements help you gain admission, but they can also help you earn scholarships.
Yes, some colleges do recruit for chess! A few schools are known for their strong chess programs and actively recruit talented players. Some institutions even offer scholarships and other resources to support their chess teams, making it a significant part of their campus culture.
If you’re a chess player, it’s worth checking out the programs at the schools below — however, this is not a complete list.
Achievements and ranks necessary to be eligible for chess scholarships can vary widely. However, chess tournament winners and highly ranked players usually stand a decent chance at winning a scholarship, especially given how small the chess player pool can be within a broader admissions pool for just about any institution.
Whether you’re passionate about chess or a different activity, it’s important to highlight on your application what you’ve learned from your extracurriculars and how you hope to apply and grow these skills in college. At IvyWise, our team of college admissions experts has over 410 years of collective undergraduate admissions experience. We have reviewed thousands of applications and know what admissions committees look for. Learn how we can help you stand out in the college admissions process.
“But what about the kids who start charities and do cancer research?” a mother asked me recently. She, like many others, was concerned about how her daughter’s list of extracurricular activities would stack up next to a group of lauded, accomplished high school seniors on her college applications.
In the U.S. admissions process, colleges and universities take many factors into consideration. Admissions officers look at “hard factors — GPA, grades, and test scores — and soft factors — essays, extracurricular activities, recommendations, and demonstrated interest — to gain a full picture of applicants.
