<p>I've seen people on here say a lot not to have too many ECs or whatnot because it will look like you're spreading yourself too thin. They said to go for depth and not breadth; however, what if (like me for this purpose) you have depth AND breadth. Is this too much as well?</p>
<p>Yes. Colleges prefer shallow, intellectually limited people.</p>
<p>I’m don’t think it’s possible to have both a lot of depth and a lot of breadth. There are so many hours of the day that you can spend on ECs, and if you have too many, there’s no way you can be really devoted to all of them.
What’s too many is subjective though. What do you consider to be depth (i.e. how much time you need to spend to show devotion)? What do you consider to be breadth (i.e. how many do you need for it to be a significant number)?</p>
<p>Go through your ECs and ask yourself where your real accomplisments are. For more selective admissions just participating in something doesnt really count for much. They are looking for situations where you stand out.</p>
<p>thats the thing I dont know how, but i always make time for things. Im extremely devoted to everything i do and I feel everythig I do for the most part i distinguished myself and have accomplished things. How does this come across</p>
<p>Without specifics, it’s impossible to say how what you have done comes across. Provide some details and you may get some better answers.</p>
<p>Are you recognized at the state or national level for what you do? It’s hard to achieve a high level of achievement in a dozen unrelated activities. Forget what you think. Have others recognized your achievements and obviously, the less local the recognition, the greater your depth. Your mama telling you you’re the best doesn’t count anywhere except at home.</p>
<p>If you have significant recognition that can be documented in everything you do, then you have significant breadth and depth and its not too much. </p>
<p>If you are saying that winning a local pie eating contest counts, then you are off base.</p>
<p>Thank you halcyonheather, I feel the same way</p>
<p>bmonticello23- You are essentially asking us if you are great at too many things… Come on. This isn’t the place to boost your ego about how good you are at everything and how you are set for college. Everyone here, including you and I know that it would not be bad to be outstanding and decorated in too many ECs</p>
<p>lol yeah I’m recognized on the international, national, state, and local level for some things, others i have leadership positions in clubs. And others Im getting graduate level research published soon, and will be researching at Harvard next summer. I started businesses, brokerage firms, etc. (i.e. see my chance page…theres some more positions and ecs in addition to those though. I also started a stem club, got famousish vps and scientists to come in to give talks. I also started an fbla club after becoming an international finalist for DECA. I have a lot, but also depth, so idk how that looks.</p>
<p>/humblebrag</p>
<p>Lol its not that. I want to know if its a negative or detriment that ive done too many things although i believe i have depth in them</p>
<p>It is not a detriment. If you thought you had some things that didn’t have depth (eg, only freshman or freshman/sophomore year activities with no real accomplishments), I would say leave them off altogether if you have other better items to include. That does not sound like the case with you, though.</p>
<p>thanks for the tip. Yeah the only thing i think I wont include is MUN because it was created this year and we didnt do anything. And i forgot to mention Ive also worked like 4 jobs at once at one time, which cant come off as impossible since i had to work them, so that might be a testiment to my time management skills. And as crazy as it sounds ive gotten raises bonuses and promotions lol.</p>
<p>Hey, I checked out your ECs. You definitely have breadth. </p>
<p>Depth-
- Independent Research - Were you published/did you make significant progress or discovery, or just spend hundreds of hours? If not, doesn’t count for depth
- Technician (Easy-Tech) Staples, Inc - Work full time, doing a job that is only for 18 y/o+ but got at 16. - Hundreds of hours? If so, depth
- Basketball Coach - Is the team really good/hundreds of hours? If not, no depth.
- Tutor/Grader - Kumon. Hundreds of hours? If not, no depth
- (Started my own business) Founder & Chief Executive Officer - Luxser Technologies [app and website development] - Have you made hundreds-thousands of dollars? If not, no depth
- Museo De La Isla De Cozumel, Cozumel, Mexico - Did you publish anything/significant discovery? If not, no depth
- JV Tennis - Good (I play sports and I know the time commitment)
- Varsity Basketball - Good
- Co-Founder & Vice President - Indian Culture Club (ICC). Did you do anything substantial/hundreds of hours? If not, no depth
-Founder & President - PHS STEM Club (D.O.C.S.)- Based on your description I’d say that qualifies as depth.
-DECA - went to Nationals and States- Good - NJ Science League - Lots of time commitment/accomplishments? If not, no depth
- Co-Founder & Board Member of a Teenage Investment Firm (The Intelligent Teenager) -Did you make hundreds-thousands of dollars/hundreds of hours? If so, depth
Lead Guitarist in a Band - If you got good gigs, and you spend a lot of time, depth. - Fundraising is good.</p>
<p>Anyways, I can’t believe I just spent the time doing that. Now, I’m a senior like you, so I’m hardly the best judge, but that is my opinion on what depth really is. Hopefully that might help you figure out what the best aspects of your ECs are.
You have excellent ECs (better than mine). But this post is incredibly unnecessary, the very definition of humblebrag.</p>
<p>Also, please don’t respond answering all of my rhetorical questions, we don’t need to know that indeed you have too much depth and breadth.</p>
<p>Also, sorry if this came out harsh. I wish you best of luck.</p>
<p>haha @silogram and its okay I wont. And also, i was curious to see what ppl think too much is, because I was just a little worried. Every post doesnt have to be of life and death importance :p</p>
<p>Great brag.</p>
<p>its not to brag, honest.</p>
<p>OK. But, honestly, it doesn’t come across that way to a lot of us. </p>
<p>And that’s the thing about communication: when the message that people receive is different from the message that you mean to send, it’s the message people receive that matters.</p>
<p>@sikorsky exactly because a lot of people on cc tend to be arrogant sometimes, but thats what I wanted to see, how my ECs would come across</p>