<p>So I recently signed up to too many volunteering positions. I didn't think I would get all of them.</p>
<p>I want to do all of them, though I know I can't.</p>
<p>Would it be bad if I did 2-3 of them (once a week for 4 hours plus travel).</p>
<p>If so, which ones would be the best?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>A Hospital I have been volunteering at since the summer of my 8th grade. I will get more patient contact when I start again in the fall. </p></li>
<li><p>A Children's Hospital with lots of patient contanct (I would be playing with them). </p></li>
<li><p>A Clinic with lots of patient contact (translating Polish).</p></li>
<li><p>A Rehabilitation Hospital. I am on the waiting list. Lots of patient contanct and lots of different tasks.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I love to volunteer. I am also doing other things and am worried my schedule is too crazy. Research, 1-2 Clubs, and teaching Chemistry to freshmen.</p>
<p>Choose whichever you’re most interested in. You’re going to get the most bang for your buck by doing something that matters to you. If you like what you’re doing, find it meaningful, and can communicate about it effectively (written and verbal!), then you’re going to be just fine. </p>
<p>I think it’s best to do things that are meaningful and interesting to you, rather than trying to check some boxes on some adcom’s mysterious list. Be genuine and diligent with your activities and interests, and it will show through when it counts. Good luck!</p>
<p>Like kristin said, do whatever is most interesting. Pick activities that will mean a lot to you as a young person still developing and trying to figure out how the world works. Before you take on anything else, ask yourself first if you feel stressed at all. Is your GPA keeping you out of admissions of any school? Don’t do ECs if you can’t keep up your GPA because your GPA and MCATs are the things that actually get you in the door. ECs will help you get interviews, but they certainly won’t (for the most part anyways) show how well you can do academically. If the workload you have right now is causing you any stress, then I would consider dropping somethings. That being said, I don’t equate stress with working hard. There’s a difference between when you feel rushed and can’t keep up and when you feel tired from working hard/feeling a little pressure to work hard because there’s a stack of work that needs to be done. Challenging yourself is good; stressing out is not. </p>
<p>It’s also very important to know when to stop certain activities. Some activities you sign up for won’t be what you thought they were going to be. You can definitely stop doing those activities, provided that you fulfill your first commitment to the activity. Don’t feel like you need to do anything you haven’t promised on. For example, if you really don’t like your lab/research, then tell your mentor/PI that you don’t enjoy the research. They want people motivated and genuinely interested in the research. If you can’t interested, it will show and you probably won’t get a great experience you would elsewhere. </p>
<p>The pre-med type can be very worried about their application, so for your sake, I will give you some input for what I personally think is worthwhile because you seem genuinely interested in all your options anyways. Translating Polish for a clinic would be my 1st choice because you will be getting a lot of interactions with patients and doctors. Also, many med schools have a strong emphasis on being fluent in at least one other language. It isn’t a requirement, but it definitely will impress. I would say option #1 is your second best choice because the staff/your supervisor has seen you work there for a long time and seen you grow this whole time. Growth is a very important quality for doctors, at least in my opinion. They would be able to write you a great letter of recommendation. The children’s and rehabilitation hospital provide basically the same experience. I don’t know the details of each opportunity, but I would also consider what program can provide you good leadership experience.</p>
<p>You’re doing everything right for your application. Don’t stress so much on what you should do. Just take a moment to think about your options and JUST CHOOSE. If you’ve applied and thought about everything, there really shouldn’t be a problem with your choice.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>Thank you so much! I think I will go with both #1 and #3. One is during the weekend which is great since it’ll actually get me to not sleep in.</p>