<p>Is having a long list of clubs, activities, awards, basically anything and everything you did in your life better than a few, outstanding ones? I know this question sounds stupid, but what is best for Penn? Because Ive talked to a couple of my senior friends who were accepted to colleges already, that a lot of them told me to just put everything down, regardless of its significance. </p>
<p>But yea, for penn, is better to concentrate on a few? Or are different colleges looking for different things (ie: some like laundry lists, some dont)</p>
<p>What does your laundry list look like? If it is a lot of clubs you are just a member of and don’t do anything for then they really don’t add much. It’s fine to put down some clubs that you are just a member of and don’t take a very active role in, but it adds very little if over half of the ECs you list aren’t anything significant. The clubs you are most passionate about will come through in your essays and your interview. You only have a limited space on the application for ECs anyway. On the application I would put your main activities. In the supplemental part you could add a list of everything you have done if you really want to.</p>
<p>thanks for replying!
but no, im only in a handful of clubs anyways, not a laundary list…im not gonna waste time listing them…
but most of it will be geared towards music. here’s how:</p>
<p>2005 winner of lakeland civic orchestra young artists concerto comp.
2006 semi-finalist in the PianoArts North American Biennial Piano Comp.
-here, I competed at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music
-I worked with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
2007 accepted as keyboardist in a youth orchestra (3 years and running)
2007 accepted (through application process) to be in the premiere of Cleveland International Piano Competition’s first Junior Jury
2008 first prize winner of Arts in the Cathedral Competition for young artists
2008 debut at EJ Thomas Hall with the Akron Youth Orchestra as a winner of the AYS concerto competition
2008 performed in the master class series at the Gilmore International Piano Festival in kalamazoo MI
2008 finalist in the Piano/OHIO competition sponsored by the Cleveland International Piano Competition
2008- a second prize winner of the Buono and Bradshaw International Piano Competition and invited to perform at the Kosciuszko Foundation in NY
2009- 1st prize winner in the senior division of the Heidelberg Performance Pacesetter Competition
2009- a second prize winner again of the Buono and Bradshaw Int’l Piano Comp.
will be performing at the Kosciuszko Foundation this winter</p>
<p>I’ve also volunteered at a retirement home, library, and hospital
I’m currently doing a paid internship at the Cleveland Clinic, conducting original research with my mentor</p>
<p>I really want to go into medicine, but in my app process i plan to tie music and medicine together somehow? but i will definitely mention piano, because it is a passion (def. not just doing it for college)</p>
<p>I should look into this myself, but I wonder if you are allowed to send a resume seperate… Because that’s probably a good idea with so many awards/activities and all. Doesn’t it say you can send a resume seperately? I think so. I’d put the BEST of the best on the CommonApp and then “elaborate”/add others on a resume.</p>
<p>I would suggest submitting a separate activity list, or resume, however you call it. You can elaborate your activities, honors/awards earned etc. there. I’m not sure if this is possible, but can you write “please refer to the attached resume” on the Common App? My only concern is that by writing a brief list on the App might make some admission officers read through that only and not bothering with the longer resume (they are busy, you know!).</p>
DON’T do that. I submitted a resume that explained the very intricate details of everything I did in each club, and it ended up being like 6 pages. I doubt anyone read it. Save that for an essay and consider getting an additional recommendation from a club advisor or peer who can describe your impact in the organization.</p>
<p>so…basically, the best option is to put your best awards,etc. on the common app
and elaborate the rest of the award, etc. on an attached resume?</p>
<p>Be comfortable with the possibility that your common app will be reviewed by itself, but make sure your important achievements still stand out if you want to list a ton of stuff.</p>
<p>there is no guarantee that they will look at your resume, but it is definitely worth a shot & Penn admissions people are pretty personable from what I experienced applied last winter, so I think it’s worth it. Make sure to list your top things on the common app & just explain EVERYTHING else in your resume, but keep it condensed & readable. </p>
<p>definitely do not just say see resume on your common app…</p>
<p>There is an optional box on commonapp that gives you the opportunity to put down your ECs, should they not fit on the designated Activities List. (No, I am not talking about the part where one briefly elaborates on one of one’s ECs.)</p>
<p>Oh true. I think I used that sometimes. I think it’s called Additional Information on the last page of the application and it prints out as one full blank page so you can fit a lot onto it. The problem is that you can’t format it but at least you know it’ll be in your application. I mailed my resumes in separately since I did all my apps online, and that was a huge pain.</p>
<p>i’m pretty sure i can only fit one one award despcription in that little box per 1 activity</p>
<p>so, do i have to do “add activity”, select “music: instrumental” again, and then list the next award description?? that seems so tedious…i mean, not that i mind, but i’m sorta convinced i’m doing this wrong.</p>
<p>You are not doing it wrong. As I said there is a place for you to cram in all the rest of the laundry list. Just make sure you include the most important ones in the list.</p>