How to avoid making my application look like a checklist?

Pre-Med & Medical School High School Student Topics
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Hello CC! I’m still fairly new so forgive me for any formatting errors. I am a rising junior in high school and I am interested in BS/MD programs, and it has just occurred to me that I should probably start formatting things for the Common App and organizing my ECs into categories and whatnot. I did so and realized that my application looks extremely similar to the ones posted on the BS/MD forums here (research, shadowing, clinical experience, HOSA/Red Cross/insert clubs here, etc.). My only ‘unique’ factor is my music experience/competitions (which a lot of pre-med applicants also tend to have, for example All-State), and my volunteering project where I use music in hospitals and medical settings. Does anyone know whether doing all of the typical pre-med activities in a checklist kind of way hurts me and if I need to be doing something different or more? I love the things I’m doing and I have gotten involved in anything I can and am interested in that isn’t restricted because of age, but it ended up being very stereotypical :sob: Thanks in advance!

Edit: I’m also asian/brown and by those standards I’m pretty mid so I really really can’t be like every other brown kid applying

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Great. Keep it up !!

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If you aren’t treating your EC’s as a “check the boxes” exercise, why would they look like a checklist? If you have stayed committed and made an impact doing what you love, that passion should come out in how you describe the activities and how those activities align with the themes that radiate from your essays and recommendations. Be you!

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