<p>Keeping track of stuff starting freshman year was not only useful for filling out the common app but also for making up her “brag sheet” which she attached to her applications and for things like her NHS application (where they wanted you to list your accomplishments). The idea was given to me by the head of her HS guidance department at their HS freshman orientation session.</p>
<p>It’s also important to have that academic and EC resume ready end of junior year to attach to the requests for teacher’s recommendations.</p>
<p>For my oldest, he kept track of activities but just guessed for number of hours. Whether he raked gravel (planted trees, handed out water …) for 10 hours or 30 hours is not all that important to admissions. The fact that he planned a project and followed through with tangible results is the important part.</p>
<p>We did a paper file too and started with the summer before 9th grade. Then in 10th grade they made her do an EC resume for an assignment and she was VERY glad I had put all those programs, brochures, certificates and post it notes in the manila envelope in the cabinet. Oddly enough, even some really BIG projects from 9th and 10th grade were somewhat forgotten until she needed the list for NHS and SHS in the beginning of Senior year. I am really glad we did what we did.</p>
<p>Curiousjane,
Go to the common app online and print it out so the you can see what it looks like.
Google the link, and print out the forms in PDF; u don’t need a login.</p>
<p>The list is what allows you to cull later. When ur S is a sr, he’ll look at his list and decide how to present his ECs to best present himself. Thus , football may include all camps, practices, games, fundraising etc, but if he want to highlight fundraising separately he could separate it into 2 ECs in the list. Snowboarding is an EC. I feel that EC usually includes transportation times as well. Basically all times that took related to it which did not allow study time. But others may disagree. Just do it based on what he think acurately portrays what he did.</p>
<p>Re: paper folders/files, here’s my method:</p>
<p>I use three-ring binders for certificates and the like. I buy boxes of plastic sheet protectors (from Costco) and slip in certificates, major papers, even drawings and especially significant birthday cards, etc. I also include things like immunization records, report cards, the large school picture, etc., programs for band concerts. I have them for my kids from when they were little and included papers like “I LOEvE YuO Momm” with a picture of a mama and baby bird. Documents are easy to access and it’s fun to browse. I use a different color binder for each of my kids, and I organize them chronologically. Super easy to insert something that I come upon (such as the bill for the broken arm that is tucked into a medical file) that I want to add a few years later. It’s easy to leaf through the binders for information about awards and special events, and I did so when compiling a few scholarship applications for my DS13. </p>
<p>I have dreams of “scrapbooking”–those bits of memorabilia (tickets, programs, pictures, invitations, etc.) I have organized in large manilla envelopes–one for each child for each year. On the outside of the envelope, I write the year and a list of the events that should be scrapbooked for each year (for example: 2011: Macbeth in school play, 11th Birthday Party–theme Harry Potter, trip to mountains, lost last baby tooth, cousin Nathan born, trip with Dad to see Grandma, etc.) Truth is, I don’t really like scrapbooking. I like organizing better, so the three-ring binders and the folders may be what I end up handing to my kids some day. </p>
<p>(Couldn’t resist sharing my system, which works well for me.)</p>
<p>everytime i get a new EC, a new internship, extra volunteer hours, or any gig, i add them to a word document in my computer in a resume. that’s how i do it!</p>