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).
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?
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?
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.
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.
BRJ, I also think that is very good, re babysitting. My sisters’ daughter went to a big public school, any "good"club was run by students that could walk there or had cars, many clubs were “name only”, attendance was poor. She danced on the weekends and babysat during the week, a block or two away. They only had 1 good car and one “hanging in there” and playing taxi with long work hours wasn’t an option. Her brother cut lawns and did other things, not checkable by the school, but all 4 years. They both didn’t have a problem getting in decent schools with good grades and average to above average SAT/ACT scores. The boy got about a 1200(old score) and the girl (1300)They got into their state schools, Providence, Bates, James Madison, George Washington, can’t remember others now. EC’s matter to some degree, but if you’re a strong student, hard worker and have good recs, a padded resume should just be that.
My twin daughters don’t have access to a lot of clubs/EC’s at school. My husband has one day off during the week so they joined a literary club they liked that day. Another, on a Friday, they can’t do…late days for both of us. At their school also, there are a lot of walkers and students that have parents that can drive them home. I lost that luxury 2 years ago when I had to transfer offices 20-30 minutes away instead of 10.
Their GC said that although the colleges might look at what the school offers, she can also state (along with the student) things such as work, transportation and other issues that would make it difficult. They found a friend that will do Model UN with them next year and I’m going to offer gas money if she will occasionally take them home.
Does this sound good for my ECs, I don’t have many but I feel like they show the real me rather than joining a bunch of clubs I don’t care about:
Science Club (11th and 12th)
Science Brain Bowl/Olympiad (11th and 12th)
Math League (all four years)
Mote (aquarium/ research center) internship for two years (11th and 12th)
starting Ocean Club at school to compete in the Regional and National Ocean Science Bowl (11th and 12th)
NHS (11th and 12th)
Latin Club (11th)
volunteering:
promoting sustainability of fisheries
cleaning garbage off of beaches
clearing garbage from local fishing areas
helping local school set up and maintain tanks
handing out informational packets about sharks to help promote public awareness about sharks plight in the oceans
I think your ECs are great!
They are very focused and I think they show what you’re all about (the Ocean/oceanic environmental sciences -is it correct to say the latter?-)
@boho_girl:
I’m not sure yet, probably marine biology or environmental sciences. Maybe oceanography. My main thing is sharks (the Mote research internship is a place that specializes in sharks) that I want to study, but I love anything ocean/environment-related.
@Equilibrium:
I know they aren’t that great, I couldn’t do anything other than math league until 11th grade because I have transportation issues alot of the time (single mother with money/health problems.) I think colleges would be fairly understanding about that though, don’t you think?
can someone rate my ec ( these are projected for senior yr)
<ol>
<li>Debate Team Captain ( senior yr)( 4 yrs total on team )</li>
<li>Student Council president ( sofphmore though senior yrs)</li>
<li>Editor of the newspaper (senior yr)(4 yrs)</li>
<li>400 hrs of volunteer work at hospital</li>
<li>Intel Science talent search- (hopefully semifinalist)</li>
<li>International Youth Leadership Forum in Medicine.</li>
<li>I have invested in the stock market- and ive made 5% in extra money</li>
</ol>
Also, as a side note, in debate tourmaments, i write bills about current medical issues. Also, i write alot in the newspaper about medical issues.
Summer Programs
<ol>
<li>Northwestern Center for Talented Youth</li>
<li>Volunteering at a hospital</li>
<li>Junior Statesman Program ( Hopefully )</li>
</ol>
They’re all pretty strong extracurriculars, although it seems like a lot of people do these types of things. You should list them in the order of importance to you–we can’t tell you that. Generally put the most time-consuming things that you’re most involved in (leadership as well) at the top and then work down.
