Awards vs EC's

<p>I was just typing up a resume for a summer app I'm working on, and all I can say is I have just about no awards & don't have ANY of the basic EC's (clubs, etc) However, a lot of my stuff is kinda different, but I don't know if different is the same as unique?</p>

<p>What do you think?</p>

<p>Basics that everyone has:
-Employed @ McDonald's since 6/04 (8-16hrs/week school year; 20-25 hrs/wk summer); will be a manager in a few months
-JV CC 9/10/11; JV Track 9/10
-Boy Scouts: almost Eagle, lots of service, etc
-Nominated for ROP Distinguished student (multi-district program, mightget it or might not)
-Weekly religious school 9th/10th some volunteering</p>

<p>Weird Stuff (are these good or just different?):
-Compiled/analyzed statistics for Varsity runners in our CC league for my coach. Predicted one-half of athletes’ times within fifteen seconds and one-fourth of athletes’ times within five seconds three months in advance. Published projections on the web. (10th/11th)
-Read several books on the training of distance runners to help formulate training programs of select athletes.
-Caucasian w/ 4 years of Chinese. Only non native speaking student at school to have completed all 4 years of Chinese by the conclusion of sophomore year. Intend to continue in Chinese foreign language (with the addition of Hindi) in college.
-Assistant teacher in a class that teaches children Chinese. Also am donating boxes to orphanages in China monthly (we adopted my sister from China)
-Writing a mystery novel that teaches abt the civil war (15k words so far)
-Fantasy Baseball: sounds like a joke but is really hrs & hrs of statistics if you take it seriously...6 yrs...won prizes 3 of last 4 yrs (national competition...won $300 in prizes)
-Started a small business @ school w/ invention...$200+ profit this yr</p>

<p>So I think I'm a star or I'm screwed. What's the verdict?</p>

<p>Do not put McDonalds... It says that u do not have an ability for anything better..</p>

<p>Sports are good..</p>

<p>Religious school might make u lose reputation at some religiously affliated schools.. Check that.. They aren't supposed to discriminate but you will never know if they did or not..</p>

<p>All of your awards seem nice.. Fantasy Baseball is pretty cool.. It says that you are an expert in Statistics and Sports.. can't go against u..</p>

<p>A white person learning chinese. .wow.. very rare and very well looking... did u take SAT II: Chinese?? thats the main way to show ur skills...</p>

<p>All your volunteering is very nice..</p>

<p>don't put mcdonalds? It's the only place close enough I can work really, & isn't 15/hrs a week significant (if for no other reason than it sucks up 15 hrs a week during the school year when everyone else is studying...none of my top student friends have jobs)</p>

<p>do put mcdonald's, there's absolutely nothing wrong with working there. Where do you want to apply?</p>

<p>do not put fantasy baseball</p>

<p>What exactly are you applying for? You tailor your resume/activity list to the program that you're applying for.</p>

<p>If, for instance, you are applying to a summer program that is designed to teach business skills, McDonalds would be perfectly appropriate to put down, and it might tip you into the program.</p>

<p>If you are applying to a summer math program, putting down the fantasy sports game -- with an explanation of how you used statistics in that program -- might highlight your math passion and expertise.</p>

<p>Most summer programs prefer students whose activities demonstrate a strong interest in the area that the program covers, and who also demonstrate maturity and responsibility. Your holding a job at McDonalds would be what most programs, regardless of their subject, would view as evidence that you are mature, reliable and responsible.</p>

<p>Its a business program. Wharton.</p>

<p>Then the things that relate to busines are most important. Put these things in, explaining what they are. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>-Employed @ McDonald's since 6/04 (8-16hrs/week school year; 20-25 hrs/wk summer); will be a manager in a few months
How do you know you'll be a manager in a few months? What have you learned through this experience? How does this experience relate to your wanting a business career? How'd you get the job (extra impressive if you did something that most people at your school don't do -- such as work a job, and if you got the job through your own interest and assertiveness, not through family connections).</p></li>
<li><p>-Started a small business @ school w/ invention...$200+ profit this yr</p></li>
</ol>

<p>What's the business? How'd you get the idea? What challenges did you face in starting it?</p>

<p>Either 1 or 2 could be good topics for any essay that the program requires.</p>

<p>These can be very important particularly if you tie these into the importance of China and India in business community because of the size of their markets. Your language skills and interests as well as your knowledge of China would be valuable assets in business: Caucasian w/ 4 years of Chinese. Only non native speaking student at school to have completed all 4 years of Chinese by the conclusion of sophomore year. Intend to continue in Chinese foreign language (with the addition of Hindi) in college.
-Assistant teacher in a class that teaches children Chinese. Also am donating boxes to orphanages in China monthly (we adopted my sister from China)</p>

<p>I think that your being on sports teams and in scouting both demonstrate well your sense of responsibility, discipline and teamwork and would be relevant to include on your application. Having an interest in your community demonstrated through community service also is seen as a plus by businesses.</p>

<p>I do not see the relevance of these things to the Wharton program. I fear that if you include these things, you would seem like perhaps your interests are so broad that business isn't your primary interest so your space might go to someone who seems more focused on business.</p>

<p>-Writing a mystery novel that teaches abt the civil war (15k words so far)
-Fantasy Baseball: sounds like a joke but is really hrs & hrs of statistics if you take it seriously...6 yrs...won prizes 3 of last 4 yrs (national competition...won $300 in prizes)
-Weekly religious school 9th/10th some volunteering
-Compiled/analyzed statistics for Varsity runners in our CC league for my coach. Predicted one-half of athletes’ times within fifteen seconds and one-fourth of athletes’ times within five seconds three months in advance. Published projections on the web. (10th/11th)
-Read several books on the training of distance runners to</p>

<p>My concern is if I only introduce those business related ec's, I will not appear well-rounded. Some of those things I do are uncommon, and several are related to statistical analysis. Doesn't this count as business-ish?</p>

<p>Typically summer programs that focus on a particular career are interested in students whose activities demonstrate a strong interest in that field. I know because I have been involved in creating and operating such programs.</p>

<p>They aren't looking for well rounded students who may decide to major in other fields. They are looking for students with a clear interest and talent in the field taught in the summer program.</p>

<p>That's why I don't suggest that you put those other activities in. They make you seem like a liberal arts student, not a person who'd want to eventually go to Wharton for college and who'd have the business background to get an acceptance.</p>

<p>Can anyone else confirm this?</p>

<p>do put McDonald's. Everything else you have done is more impressive when you consider that you have spent 15 hours per week working.</p>

<p>Wouldn't only putting down Business related stuff make him seem kind of one-dimensional? I personally don't see anything wrong with putting other noteworthy things down, just as long as you can keep the resume kind of stuctured. I'm pretty sure you could put stuff unrelated to Business because how many people actually know what they want to do when they grow up?</p>

<p>The only real concern I have about his putting the other things on the resume is the space. Assuming he does a one-page resume, which is all that a student needs, if he expands on his business-related and service activities (Boy Scouts), he won't have much room left. </p>

<p>I personally think he'd be better off focusing on his several impressive business and service-related activities than cramming the kitchen sink in there. If he does have extra space for the more fluff activities, he could list them at the bottom under "hobbies" or some similar category.</p>

<p>Thanks for all of your help. Is a 2 pg resume is that bad of a thing to do? (I go over 1 pg even if I left out all the things you reccommended)...are the suggested margins 1 in x 1 in or can I make them less?</p>

<p>While I GREATLY appreciate the help (esp Northstarmom), no one actually answered me question. =) Are these GOOD ec's or DIFFERENT ec's?</p>

<p>They are unique, I'm looking at business programs as well and some of the ec's i'm putting down are:
National Academy of Finance
Internship at Morgan Stanley
Ran my own online business</p>

<p>I'd recommend doing a summer internship at a financial services company near you. Some of your ec's are interesting yet do not fit in with the rest. The stats is interesting as is the business. I also did an NSLC conference--you could possibly do a business centered conference in Washington DC if you wanted. Good luck!</p>

<p>Yeah thanks. How do you get a good internship like that? My older brother, who just went thru college & did an internship @ merrill lynch, said finance firms dont take hs kids? yet i see people on here like you w/ morgan stanley, etc. how do i go about getting a cool internship like that? what did you do?</p>

<p>Well I'm in the Academy of Finance so an internship was a requirement. I would suggest compiling a list of firms in your area and contacting them about an internship.</p>