<p>I’ve been told many times that applications are there to plan out how you’ll portray slices of your personality / achievements. With that being said, I need some advice.</p>
<p>For the common app, the question “In the space provided below, please describe which of your activities (extracurricular and personal activities or work experience) has been most meaningful and why (150 words or fewer).”</p>
<p>Should I write about my business-related activity since I’m applying to business programs, or the youth organization I started. Both are meaningful, so whichever I choose would be honest, however, I’m trying to figure out which would give the best portrayal of me with the strategy mentioned above. My common app essay gives another perspective about me…starts off with some off-beatness and leads to tie in my accomplishments and goals. Any advice?</p>
<p>It’s not really about strategically attracking, it’s more like betting on a horse race. Adcoms want to bet on that winning horse, but in order to be confident with that bet, they need to know if the horse has what it takes. So, essentially, what you put into that envelope that you send out to adcoms - that is your horse. In order to make it a winner, you have to put the most crucial information about yourself that will make the adcoms bet on you.</p>
<p>It would give your application a little boost if, “in the space provided,” you demonstrate how business-oriented you are: for example, if starting the youth organization proved your capabilities at management, showed you to be enterprising, entrepreneurial, a capable organizer, planner, recruiter, etc., that one would be just as good a choice as discussing the “business-related activity.” I actually don’t think you have to do either/or. Put one of those activities “in the space provided.” Discuss the other activity elsewhere in the app. (Find a way to include it.)</p>
<p>If the youth organization was “meaningful” additionally or principally in a non-business way, that’s fine, too. Business leaders are also valued for their constructive involvement in the community: that is seen as purposeful ultimately in economc growth terms, as well as promoting of the general goals of a modern democracy. Businesses, small & large, are expected to be service-oriented as well as financially sound. Virtually every business has an arm or division labeled something like “community.”</p>
<p>That made a lot of sense epiphany…I never thought of it that way. To start the organization was similar to starting a company. Thanks a lot. Would you mind reading my short response? I think it sounds kind of cheesy, so I’d like someone else’s opinion.</p>