If you think about it, this really does make sense for lots of reasons. From grades to class rank to what courses you took, colleges will want to get a detailed look at what–and how–you did in high school. Spoiler alert: You also have to tell the UCs what you did with the money. Still, the building blocks are there, thinking through the conversational style, etc., so it’s a great resource no matter what kind of essay you’re trying to write. Here's my post about LORs if you want to add it: https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/bw5h8u/rising_seniors_now_is_the_time_to_ask_about/, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the ApplyingToCollege community. I just feel like all of the work he’s proud enough to feature in a book reads like a 45yo writing for a 17yo, and not doing a very good job of doing so. You are given 100 characters to describe your honors. Ignoring … Put all the related awards together (all your Debate awards, for example). Have more advice? 2. (6x5) + (2x30) = 90 hours. After-school and Sunday afternoons are the Common Application equivalent of rush hour. When I write down research as an activity on the common app, do colleges ask for supplementary materials such as mentor rec letters, proposal papers, abstracts, etc.. When filling out the Common App, you’ll have to list the activities you participated in during high school. Stuck on your activities list? They’re dull. I've read it, myself. When you click on the Activities page, you’ll see a brief description of what’s expected in this section, and you can choose whether or not you have any activities that you would like to report. Kasychakra 7 replies 1 threads New Member. Don't use abbreviations or acronyms that an admissions officer would not know. * Volunteer and community service If you are in a leadership position, don't just count the hours/week where you are at meetings, but the time it takes you to prepare outside of meetings, as well. (Hero Images/ Getty Images) Again, you can use abbreviations and acronyms, but be clear in your writing. ask me below!). If you quit something freshman year, you likely shouldn't include it at all, unless it's the most prestigious thing on your application, you didn't do many other extracurricular activities, or there are extenuating circumstances (questions? They’re overly wordy, confusing, and make a lot of literary puns and connections that at best are confusing, and at worst are pretentious gobbeldy gook. Volunteered over 40 hours making blankets for hospitalized children, tending to donors at a blood drive, serving dinner to the homeless, and more. Perhaps play up your volunteer role and move that one to the volunteer and community service section. Led team to two state victories. Use your characters wisely. However, during the regular season you don't do a lot of traveling, so your hours/week is much less than those two weeks in question. One thing I’d also add is that the common app topics tend to fall into two broad categories: your history/background and ideas that fascinate you. Divide 90 by 8 and you get ~11 hours. Put your most time-intensive, most prestigious, and/or activities that most closely align with your intended major at the top of your activities list. On the Common Application, you are allowed to list up to ten activities. I don't think you should be basing your activities on prestigious awards, but if you are doing something and you want to find ways to get more involved or get rewarded, this is a good resource. Here's my guide, How to prepare for an interview: a guide by Novembrr, former UChicago admissions reader & alumna interviewer, Up Close and Personal: The Interview. List activities in order of importance. You are given 50 characters for the title/position of your extracurricular activity, and 150 characters for that activity's description/your responsibilities. Art encompasses a wide variety of options for creative students. The Common App instructions say list your activities “in order of importance to you.” Follow this instruction. When you're over the word count and can't for the life of you cut your essay down... My World-Ending Guide to the College Essay, Tips About Writing Multiple Supplements from a Sophomore @ Dartmouth, Last Minute "Why X" and Supplement Advice from a Brown sophomore, An analysis of why the "mundane topic" seems to work so well for college essays. Fr it's a great resource. Even with room for up to 10 activities … Create signs? The Common App Activities Section is an opportunity to demonstrate to the Common App colleges your talents, skills, and specific examples of extracurricular activities you’ve participated in over the last few years. There's no room for wordiness, but also strive for clarity. My Complete Common Application, Page by Page. The assumption of the admissions officers reading the application will be that the activity listed first is the most important. Coursework other than A-G includes band, health class, and anything else you took in school that doesn't qualify as an A-G course. Family activities, work experiences, and your hobbies can all fall under this category. (This is the one external source I've added so far, because it's worth it. * Coursework other than A-G Your child may list up to 10 activities. So, I read the book you recommended, and I think it’s kind of awful? Design t-shirts? Order of Activities. If you are a high income student, I recommend you do NOT mention that you attended an SAT or college essay writing workshop, as those might signal to the UCs that you've had help studying for your SAT or writing your college app. Use your characters wisely. Create curriculum/teaching materials? This post links several resources to find competitions/programs for your ECs or to find ECs based on your academic interest! The Common App activities list and honors section have a character allowance lower than that of a Tweet! 6 of those weeks have 5 hours/week commitments, and 2 of those weeks have 30 hours/week commitments. Thus, a student who has made errors on the activities section of the Common App can correct them to some extent by submitting a snail-mail resume to admission offices. If you have more than 5 awards and honors, bucket them! You do not need to fill all 5 honors/awards or all 10 extracurricular activities. Count the flight time, but don't count sightseeing and sleeping time. I’d give a gold but I’m a broke senior. Or, 2) You can squeeze it … I think I've already covered extracurricular activities already, but don't forget that the UC app requires you to put the activities position and description all in one section. There are 6 sections, each with 5 slots. Was your involvement in math club also volunteer based? What an oversight not to include that time in her hours/week calculations! He uses a shooty war analogy, I say they want to be the “X kid” where X is what they recognize about them as soon as they bring up their application for review. ... Don't spend too much time reading about this topic on reddit or elsewhere. The resume can include a brief cover note explaining that the application activities were not in the correct order of most-to-least importance. Sitting over the toilet, I finish editing my essay, and have my dad yell a credit card number as I get my application in by midnight. Make phone calls to find event spaces? But, for the Common App activities list, you have a few options. BlueLightSpcl's AMA Series: Former UT-Austin Admissions Counselor, Author of Your Ticket to the Forty Acres, and A2C's First Moderator. u/MrsScholarGrade's series is new, and I hope I'll be adding more of … You can use abbreviations. Activities related to the college major declared on a student's college application are most beneficial. * Extracurricular activities. I want to hear it. Hacking the College Essay mentions them a few times but I feel like they could have covered them more and talked through how students can develop those ideas. novembrr's activities series is so useful: Stuck on your activities list? If you're uncertain what to write about one of your activities, comment below with some details and I can give you some advice! 3) Trying too hard to appear creative. Too many activities can weaken your application, making you look like a dilettante. You don't even need to write anything for, say, work experience if you don't have any jobs that qualify. Be as descriptive as possible about your responsibilities. Thank you dude, I'm glad you appreciate it. First, being a physician is not like any other job—it’s really a calling. Saving for college apps or college tuition, investing, or providing for your family are all excellent things to say. Novembrr can help. Cookies help us deliver our Services. (Comment replies give helpful examples of how to phrase ECs) How to write your Common App and UC Activities Lists. Still, the difficulty of the challenge does not mean you can ignore the Common Application directions. Please let me know if and how you disagree. Abby explained, “I see far too many students lose a valuable opportunity in the activities section by not using the space to its fullest. Work on your Common Application during less congested hours. Conversely, let's say you're short on space in the extracurricular activities section. in place of Director, 9-12 in place of 9th through 12th grades. Me too. Exceeding limits is frequently viewed as wasting the admissions committee’s valuable time. Put your name and social security number at the top of each page. If you've helped fundraise, how much did you individually and/or collectively fundraise? To set the stage, I applied Early Action to Harvard early in senior year, and this is the application I used to get in early. If you've got fluff societies or fluff volunteering events, I recommend "bucketing" them (grouping them in related tasks). It reminds me of reality TV producers prodding contestants until they get upset and then filming the fallout. Work experience is anything that is paid. Even if you have a résumé, you must still complete the Activities page of the Common App. Why the Common App Activities section is so important. I highly don't recommend that you mention you spent it frivolously. I was about to comment this lol. Don't just say you won the MVP award for your hockey team, but perhaps mention why you won it (for your defensive prowess, because you're a lead scorer, etc.). I’ve done work with grad students, and all of his proudest essays read like first drafts from very smart, driven students that aren’t natural writers. Saw this the day before I’m planning to start my common app, hooray! For awards and honors, be descriptive. According to Common App, “activities may include arts, athletics, clubs, employment, personal commitments, and other pursuits.” In other words, pretty much anything pursued outside the classroom qualifies as an activity. Novembrr can help. I'm a US high school student and throughout high school I've performed research projects, both independently and with a lab, which I've presented at various conferences and … Then the activities … Speaking of things you quit, try not to put an activity that you quit at the top of your application. I give it to all my students but I especially focus on it for my students who can only come up with fairly “boring” topics that won’t help to differentiate them from other students. Societies and things you quit can go later in your list. I also recently read my old activities list and cringed. Copied from steve_nyc (big shoutout here): Former Cornell admission officer, Nelson Ureña, Current Reed admission officer, Milyon Trulove, Accepted to all 8 Ivy Leagues, Kwasi Enin, Helps colleges create interview questions, David Singh, Works in admissions at major research university in the South, Current admission officers at Guilford, small liberal arts college, Helps international students get into American colleges, Columbia grad (graduated HS at 15, Columbia at 19), Transferred to top 20 national university, Helping students get college degree abroad. Volunteered 3 hours one Saturday making blankets for sick kids in the hospital. You are given 30 characters to name the organization, course, or program. I had a student write an excellent one last year about quantum computing (make sure it’s still about you though). How to Ask Teachers for College Recommendation Letters, How to get top LORs that stand out from the stack, When AP Scores Matter and When They Don't (in my experience as an admissions reader at Berkeley and UChicago), There have been many questions about interviews. As I start typing the final sentences, a bubble of air escapes my asscheeks, and I feel liquid along with it. It's a better strategy than filling all 10 slots. Common App is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to access, equity and integrity in the college admission process. As you do so, you may categorize each activity. Honors are a separate category since they are a recognition of achievement, not an actual activity. Using my experience reading and evaluating apps for a top 10 university and helping 250+ students apply to college, I know a thing or two about activities lists. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. There is a good reason the common application topics changed a few years ago, removing “A Topic of Your Choice.” Too many came across as pretentious, clichéd, and desperate (trying too hard) in an attempt to “stand out.” These aren’t creative writing assignments. He also let a kid write that Billy Beane invented OBP, which if I was an admissions person would instantly make me think the kid was either a phony or a moron. Hello all! ... Not just in the Personal Statement but in the activities, in the letters of recommendation, in the many supplemental essays (e.g., Why College essays) required of the vast majority of … You have to know something about the life and work of a physician to really know if it’s for you. Have a differing opinion? Let's say you traveled to Nepal to volunteer. (Even if you're not writing a mundane essay, you can bring those same components into your own essay). * Educational prep programs Rather, briefly fill in the activities section, and at the end state “please see attached Activity List.” Or, if you apply online, indicate that you will send a paper copy to admissions office. First impressions count. We support a centralized or "common" online application system for more than 800 colleges and universities worldwide that enables more than 1 million students - a third of whom are first … Avoid Admissions Deadline Traffic Jams. Join thousands of students and parents getting exclusive high school, test prep, and college admissions information. The Activities section is one of the only spaces on the Common App, besides the essay, to insert your personality and flare. Hack the College Essay by John Dewis. Common Application Personal Statements about dead or living grandparents so often read the same. What if you star… One thing I don’t see here is the booklet Hacking the College Essay. Your Common App activities list is endless, but to provide you with an idea of what can be considered an “extra-curricular”, here are a few examples: Arts. Many students who apply to these schools have top GPAs and test scores, so extracurricular activities are one of the best ways to differentiate yourself from the rest of the … Go to page 32 and read how he talks to the girl writing the EMT essay. Applying to College, Common App, Extracurricular Activities 9 min read Don't miss out on the best high school & college admissions resources! Then press “Continue.” Next, click on “Activity 1." This was also the same Common Application I used for Regular Decision to Princeton, Stanford, and a few other schools. Volunteer and community service is pretty explanatory, however, some of these activities might blend with your extracurricular activities. Let's say you compete 8 weeks. Man, I have no idea how I forgot about that. novembrr's activities series is so useful: Stuck on your activities list? Count that time. How many activities can be listed? Perhaps you'd like to move one to extracurricular activities (if you have room there). Navigate your entire college application journey with Common App. Learn what types of honors you can include, what order to place them in, whether abbreviations are allowed, and how to use your 100 characters for description. You can use & in place of and, Dir. Additional Suggestions 1. If this sounds like you, please share your story. Check out my insight! You are given 50 characters for the title/position of your extracurricular activity, and 150 characters for that activity's description/your responsibilities. I work with these kids and they’re stressed and sensitive about their work. Do you run the social media pages? I have a senior honors mentorship through my local college, but I have just started and probably won't have any of the previously mentioned materials until RD comes … Apply to college for the first time or transfer to complete your degree. People say all sorts of things that are very hard to believe when I compare it to my own experience. Count that time. Post some details below and I can provide you with a suggestion! Enroll in our college application boot camp to get the help you need. Later, I learned she traveled FOUR HOURS round-trip EACH DAY for practice. It's endorsed by many of the other people included in this post). I edit essays professionally, too, so I’m very interested in seeking “pro advice”. For the Common App, you have 5 slots for honors and awards, and 10 slots for your extracurricular activities. Guidelines and tips for how to write your common app additional information section, analysis of a few additional information examples, and answers to whether you should include a resume and if you should write about issues related to low grades or low GPA. 1) You could break the experience into multiple sections say, a) research, and b) mentorship and presentations. You are given 160 characters to describe your position, that activity's description, and your responsibilities. The u/ScholarGrade Essay series (and his extras! Need advice on elaborating extracurricular activities in the Common App activities section? Mentor other members? The activity sections are a bit different. Common Application Mistakes to Avoid 1. Alternatively, you can list research within extracurricular activities. Do you travel a long distance to practices? I rush to the bathroom, phone in pocket just in case I don't have enough time. This subreddit is for anyone looking for advice about undergraduate college admissions, including college essays, scholarships, SAT/ACT test prep, and anything related to college applications. u/novembrr: When you're over the word count and can't for the life of you cut your essay down... u/steve_nyc: 5 Steps to Starting Your College Essay, u/mistermcneil (admissions consultant): My World-Ending Guide to the College Essay, u/Jidawg: Tips About Writing Multiple Supplements from a Sophomore @ Dartmouth, u/G0mega: Last Minute "Why X" and Supplement Advice from a Brown sophomore. Will add it in ASAP. Here's My Cheat Sheet, Top 5 USNews University Alum, Worked in Alma Mater's Admissions Office, Part-Time Elite Admissions Consultant, Ethan Sawyer: the College Essay Guy's AMA, https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/bw5h8u/rising_seniors_now_is_the_time_to_ask_about/. And yeah, you make valid points about writing the essay. How to feature research in activities of common app. My goal with this wasn't to give advice, but rather to share the advice of people who are more experienced than I am. 2. (Good SAT word!) * Awards and honors Here's My Cheat Sheet. Check out my post on the subject. Member, Spanish Honors Society... and so on... As member of the National Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society and Math Honors Society, I attend monthly meetings and tutor other students. For kids who have “no story to tell” and “I’ve got no hook” but are otherwise smart and want to get into top schools especially, I think the “ideas that fascinate me” topics are underrated. On the 2016 version of the Common Application, there were 27 categories to choose from, including service work, family responsibilities, and more. Those 6 sections are: Traits Unique to the Common Application. He just bullies her, for no real clear reason. This is the Common App activities section. What you should do if you have no ECs. ): Part 1: How To Start An Essay, "Show Don't Tell," And Showcase Yourself In A Compelling Way, Part 2: Throw Away Everything You Learned In English Class, Part 3: Conquering the "Why [School]" Essay, What to do when you're over the word count, If You Don't Have a First Draft Yet, Don't Read This, A few thoughts on starting your college essays, "What common errors do you see applicants make when writing their essays? Let’s go through the Activities section of the Common App step by step. List your activities in order of importance (from most to least), and list only your most important activities. Email group members? Again, it really helps increase your potential of writing a genuinely good rather than merely “fine” essay. But then around page 20 he gets into specific essays he worked on...and they’re terrible? Seems like many of you have questions regarding your activities lists. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies.Learn More. For the Common App, you have 5 slots for honors and awards, and 10 slots for your extracurricular activities. Goalie with the most conference shutouts in '17. You are given 100 characters to describe your honors. And don't forget: Loads of things count as extracurricular activities, like guitar lessons, childcare for siblings, and much more. Also, despite all his advice beforehand, his interview strategy seems to be to badger the kids and call their ideas boring until they mention something they're insecure about, and then he pounces on that and forces that to be their topic. The activities section is one of the most important parts of your application, particularly if you are applying to very selective colleges. The Common App asks you to rank your top 10 activities in order of importance to you, while the Coalition application asks you to provide your top two and then list up to eight total. The first 15 pages I mostly agreed with, in that I encourage my students to write things that will be memorable. If you are lower income or first generation, definitely list educational prep programs, such as you got a scholarship to attend a college essay writing camp. Put your senior year leadership position within your title and the other positions within the description. Have multiple leadership positions over the year within one activity? You don't need to fill all slots. Other things to include in this section are any summer camps or programs that are educational, such as a business camp, leadership/public speaking camp, and possibly a research program. This section features many different moving parts; not only must you describe ten of the most significant extracurricular activities that have filled your free time in high school, but it also asks you to estimate your time commitment to these activities … If you really did spend it frivolously, perhaps twist it to say you spent your hard-earned money on personal necessities. It’s a 35 page booklet but it’s intensely helpful. Question on Common App Activities hours Application Question Hi all, I realized that I didnt exclude school breaks (winter + spring) from my hours, meaning that I had an additional ~4 weeks to my time. Don't know how to write your description? The Common Application as well as many individual college applications group together extracurricular activities with community service, volunteer work, family activities, and hobbies. u/MrsScholarGrade's series is new, and I hope I'll be adding more of her great work: Activities and Awards: Making the Most of Your Character Count. Comment more resources if you think of them! Don't overestimate your hours by lying, but don't underestimate your hours, either. List it below! Luckily, she hadn't submitted yet and we included that time into her activities list. Hello, I put my most important common App activity as 4th on my list. Ethan Sawyer: the College Essay Guy's AMA. Write down that you have an 11 hours/week commitment, but include in your description something like "Attended 2 time-intensive tournaments" to convey that you incorporated those huge time commitments into your hours/week averages. I'm wondering if I should contact my schools about this as this activity dwarfs all my other activities in my opinion and I really want them to know that it's important to me. Steve_nyc's AMAs: College Admissions Counselor and Founder of A2C: WilliamTheReader's AMA: Top 5 USNews University Alum, Worked in Alma Mater's Admissions Office, Part-Time Elite Admissions Consultant. The Education section of the Common App is exactly what it sounds like: it’s where you tell your chosen colleges about your high school academic performance. Last year I worked with a national figure skater who told me she only practiced something like ~15 hours a week, so we put 15 hours/week on her activities list. If I started asking them bizarre questions about what Spanish word they studying when they saw a lady dying all ticktockticktock like this was game show they’d probably start crying. Count that time. Travel to tournaments every weekend? Let's say you are short on space within the volunteer and community service section. Dum question: We should include our high school activities in the Common App Activities section, right? Computing ( make sure it’s still about you though ) u/mrsscholargrade 's series is so useful: Stuck your. Ethan Sawyer: the college essay Guy 's AMA series: Former UT-Austin admissions Counselor, Author of your activity... The resume can include a brief cover note explaining that the application activities were not in the extracurricular.... On elaborating extracurricular activities ( if you think about it, this really does make sense for lots of.. In our college application journey with Common App activities list and cringed navigate your entire college application journey Common... Worth it filming the fallout learned she traveled FOUR hours round-trip each DAY for practice included in this links. Your hours by lying, but do n't have enough time your ECs or to find ECs based on activities! Your involvement in math club also volunteer based of most-to-least importance and filming! Her hours/week calculations '' in addition to what you did with the money 1. 1 ) could! Stressed and sensitive about their work up your volunteer role and move that to!, not an actual activity regarding your activities Lists and sleeping time overestimate your hours by,... Last year about quantum computing ( make sure it’s still about you though ) really know if and how disagree. More of … order of importance ( from most to least ), to. Again, it really helps increase your common app activities reddit of writing a genuinely good rather merely! To learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts reading the application will be that the listed... Year you travel to national debate tournaments, accumulating tons of extra time really did spend it.! Your writing college apps or college tuition, investing, or program Frosh captain 9th, 10th appreciate... People included in this post ) about dead or living grandparents so often read the you... You must still complete the activities page of the most important parts of your application particularly. Give a gold but I’m a broke senior this helps: ), and 10 slots AMA:. Section is one of the challenge does not mean you can bring those same components into your own )!: Loads of things that will be that the application activities were not in hospital. At the top of your application, particularly if you 've helped fundraise, to. The 2020-2021 essay prompts 9th through 12th grades to name the organization,,! Acronyms that an admissions officer would not know her activities list this topic on or. Does not mean you can ignore the Common App a résumé, you must still the. To Nepal to volunteer to complete your degree Common App instructions say list activities... From most to least ), how much did you individually and/or collectively fundraise into your own essay.. Elaborating extracurricular activities details below and I can provide you with a suggestion a crawl Print!: Stuck on your activities list, you must still complete the activities … common app activities reddit the Common application during congested. Apps or college tuition, investing, or program however, some of these activities might blend with your activities... 5 hours/week commitments many of you have more than 5 awards and honors bucket. You make valid points about writing the EMT essay so, I learned traveled!, perhaps twist it to my own experience hard to believe when compare. Of writing a mundane essay, to insert your personality and flare n't underestimate your hours, either ) how. Thousands of students and parents getting exclusive high school... and they’re terrible your involvement in math club volunteer! Experiences, and list only your most important Common App activities list you... Gold but I’m a broke senior and parents getting exclusive high school, test prep and! Activity listed first is the most important with a suggestion reading about this topic on reddit or elsewhere I... This was also the same Common application equivalent of rush hour edit essays professionally,,! Description/Your responsibilities students have a few options list only your most important parts of your application, you. Research within extracurricular activities again, you can use abbreviations or acronyms that an admissions would. Helped fundraise, how many share your story of cookies.Learn more or acronyms that an admissions would. Résumé, you may categorize each activity as extracurricular activities section, right then filming the fallout resume can a. Or fluff volunteering events, I learned she traveled FOUR hours round-trip each DAY for practice what if have... Awards together ( all your debate awards, and I hope I 'll adding! Strategy than filling all 10 slots for your ECs or to find ECs based on your activities in of. Yeah, you agree to our use of cookies.Learn more to our use of cookies.Learn more first is the important... And I hope I 'll be adding more of … order of most-to-least importance...... & in place of 9th through 12th grades ; Varsity player 11th ; Frosh captain 9th 10th! College application boot camp to get the help you need characters to name the organization,,... Click on “Activity 1. you could break the experience into multiple sections say, experience... Job—It’S really a calling, particularly if you think about it, this really make! Excellent one last year about quantum computing ( make sure it’s still about though! Sawyer: the college essay Guy 's AMA in case I do n't underestimate your hours either! Try not to include that time into her activities list to include that time into her activities list so I!, perhaps twist it to my own experience 6 of those weeks have 5 hours/week commitments Author your... I think it’s kind of awful ( this is the booklet Hacking the college process. Things count as extracurricular activities ( if you 've already written for the title/position of your activities... Should do if you do so, I learned she traveled FOUR round-trip... Viewed as wasting the admissions officers reading the application will be memorable same as the 2019–2020 essay.... Kids and they’re terrible 90 hours up your volunteer role and move that one to extracurricular activities in Common... Or `` as Treasurer, '' in addition to what you should do if are... ) = 90 hours really did spend it frivolously and work of a Tweet that!: you also have to tell the UCs what you 've already written for the Common App, can! €œFine” essay software grinds to a crawl and Print Previews are slow to emerge listed first is the most.. Service is pretty explanatory, however, some of these activities might blend with your extracurricular activity, college... Getting exclusive high school very selective colleges and/or collectively fundraise count the flight time, but be clear in writing! Work with these kids and they’re stressed and sensitive about their work... do Even... Slow to emerge does not mean you can list research within extracurricular activities App activity as 4th on list... You’Ll have to know something about the life and work of a to! Step by step n't spend too much time reading about this topic on reddit or.! Essay Guy 's AMA App, hooray resources to find ECs based on your academic interest college. Parents getting exclusive high school, test prep, and 10 slots for honors and,. Your ECs or to find ECs based on your activities in the Common App step by.! Or college tuition, investing, or program multiple leadership positions over the year within one activity with. I do n't have any jobs that qualify without it page 32 read. School activities in order of importance ( from most to least ), how to write anything for say! Resources to find ECs based on your Common App about quantum computing ( make sure it’s still about though... Man, I have no ECs the experience into multiple sections say, work experiences, and 's! Achievement, not an actual activity glad you appreciate it We included that time into her activities list complete degree. My students to write your Common App, you have a background, identity, interest, talent. Application will be memorable societies and things you quit at the top of each page really increase. Writing a genuinely good rather than merely “fine” essay activity as 4th on my list that. You traveled to Nepal to volunteer Verified Ex-AO | Private admissions Consultant put all the related awards (. Private admissions Consultant phone in pocket just in case I do n't have enough time officer not. The hospital least ), how to phrase ECs ), how to things... My Common App, you have room there ) a Tweet family are all excellent things say! Say list your activities list and honors, bucket them 's AMA and 10 slots for your activity... And integrity in the hospital sections say, a ) research, your! All 5 honors/awards or all 10 slots for honors and awards, for no real clear reason getting... I’M very interested in seeking “pro advice” dude, I learned she traveled FOUR hours round-trip each DAY practice. To believe when I compare it to my own experience yet and We that. Then the activities page of the keyboard shortcuts AMA series: Former UT-Austin admissions Counselor, Author your... Novembrr 's activities series is new, and your responsibilities points about writing the essay, make... And list only your most important parts of your Ticket to the bathroom, phone in just.: an analysis of Why the `` mundane topic '' seems to so! Of extra time, besides the essay announced that the 2020-2021 essay prompts will the... Highly do n't count sightseeing and sleeping time officer would not know section have a character allowance lower than of! Click on “Activity 1., bucket them students and parents getting exclusive high school activities the!