dchow08

Absolutely! Why not?

Butternut

^ I guess I was thinking not, since I haven't done much with it, just played. lol . Thanks for the response.

boho_girl

^^ The way you can show commitment and love (passion, blah blah) is not only by receiving awards (certainly, they're great addition), but you can also show it by committing to it over the course of several years.

I feel like anything can go depending on how you present it/them on your application...

piccolojunior

I always thought it was about showing overall focus...at my interviews I talked about how interwoven my science research and athletic ambitions are, and I had no problem just running with these two topics for the majority of the time.

dchow08

Not everyone has a focus at age 17, piccolojunior. Heck, I don't have a focus. I'm all over the place. I like to do a lot of this, and a lot of that, and a lot of the other, because I enjoy doing them.

Ealgian

I have a number of ECs that I spend a great deal of time on. They cannot all fit into the 7 spots on the Common App. I will definitely be submitting an attachment - kinda like a bragsheet - that breaks everything down.

My Question is: If I submit this attachment, wouldn't this dictate submission of a paper application instead a web app? (I'm kinda cautious about starting my Common App online account, and some of my friends who graduated had trouble with the website as far as submitting things properly. Not petrified, but wary).

Poseur

Nope; in the 'Additional Info' section, there's an option to upload a document.

Ealgian

>Poseur

Thanks! That's really helpful.

sexycani

Beautiful thread.

BRJ-CT

My sister can't do very much after school, there isn't a bus to take her home and she only has one day (Friday) that she can so she does a club that day and is in Model UN. She babysits a neighbors child instead and has saved enough money over 2 years to buy a lap top. How should she present this?

dchow08

Just put the activities she does do--there's no need to put an explanation for everything that's not perfect.

Northstarmom

"She babysits a neighbors child instead and has saved enough money over 2 years to buy a lap top. How should she present this?"

That's impressive. She could write her essay about that or she could put the regular babysitting in the jobs section of her application.

iheartmusik

I tried to read this whole forum, but I don't think it's been answered.
My question is: Do you include the activities you'll be doing in the upcoming year?
Say senior year you become the editor of the newspaper, etc. Can you include it on your app?

dchow08

iheartmusik: It hasn't been answered because the answer to your question is rather obvious. I'll let you wonder why, next to the activities you list, there is a section where you check off what grades (9-12) you're doing them.

zoaxanthellae

Do ECs count if you don't really do anything organized with them [i.e. competitions]? Because I've played the piano for the past...11 years or so. I still take lessons, but I don't play competitions any more.