What should I put for my 10th EC spot on the Common App?

Context: Applying for an architecture major (B.Arch and B.S. programs).

As of right now on my Common App, my 10th EC space is taken by a volunteering experience I had volunteering to teach art/music/theater at a local art school I used to attend as a kid.

However, I am considering combining this experience with two other volunteering experiences I had (which are already combined — these two are less significant/sentimental and I had much less to say about them: just teaching architecture to kids at my local library and helping a local teacher teach fifth graders to paint a school mural). However, when I tried combining it, it made the art school volunteering seem less important to me.

I am considering dedicating the 10th space to writing a column in my school’s online newspaper reviewing free art museums in the area. However, I already have 3 other publication/writing-related extracurriculars and I’m not going into writing. However, I feel like this column is kind of unique (?). At the same time, the column isn’t in a major newspaper and doesn’t have much impact.

Please let me know what my 10th EC should be: the volunteering experience or the newspaper column. thanks!

Quality is more important than quantity. Just because there are 10 spaces doesn’t mean you need to fill them. I think I filled 6 and I did fine in admissions.

If you’re determined to fill 10, flip a coin. If the 10th spot isn’t important to you, it certainly isn’t important to admissions

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You don’t need to fill all 10 spots on the list just because there are that many. Pick one other if you want to…or not…and don’t think twice about this.

Include the activity that feels more meaningful to you.

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