<p>Can I say that I have the sole responsibility of taking care of all three of my family's dogs on the extracurricular section of the common app? And would it be called a "family responsibility"?</p>
<p>I read that it is fine to also list your hobbies, so I figured that a chore that took up so much of my time would be applicable too, right? I spend probably 3-4 hours a day taking care of them since the youngest dog cannot be left alone. </p>
<p>Anyway, I'd really appreciate your help!</p>
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<li>Mike</li>
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<p>Do you ACTUALLY spend 3 or 4 hours every day taking care of you dogs? If you have to devote that much time taking care of them I would include it. Don’t try to make up BS though.</p>
<p>I know it sounds ridiculous, but the one dog absolutely cannot be left alone. So I have to spend A LOT of time with him. Maybe i should lie and lower the number of hours so it doesn’t seem fake… I have to wake up early to take care of the dog and then do all my homework after he goes to sleep (or if I’m lucky, I can do some of it while he’s awake). </p>
<p>So yeah, it’s a lot of time! It makes it rather hard for me to have more than an hour or two of Extracurriculars a day.</p>
<p>Can you make it out to be like “dog training”? That might make more sense than “taking care” if you’re spending so much time on it.</p>
<p>Well for most of last year it was dog training, but this year it’s not training so much. One of the dogs is sick, so she takes a lot of care, and another has something wrong with him that makes him, like I said, unable to be left alone.</p>
<p>TBH it sounds like something you’d put just because you have nothing else you do with your time. If I read “taking care of dogs” on an app I’d think it was ridiculous. People have chores. Empty dishwasher, take out trash, sweep…it just sounds silly to me.</p>
<p>Okay thanks. The thing is I want fill up all ten activities on the common app but the tenth one I have right now isn’t very good (CCD Teacher for one year). </p>
<p>But what you said makes sense! Thanks</p>
<p>I assure you this is a worse 10th one, unless you put it as dog training/daycare (maybe). 
Besides, they want to see commitment to a few activities, not activities for activities’ sake.</p>
<p>You don’t have to fill up all 10 slots on your application, you know.</p>
<p>They’d rather see fewer slots filled with passionate activities than you listing everything you’ve done in your life.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about filling up 10.</p>
<p>You need at most 2-3 activities in which you are significantly engaged. To repeat something said here ad infinitum: It’s quality, not quantity of ECs that matter. To put down 10 ECs is ridiculous - it screams ‘resume padding.’ And ‘dog care’ trivializes all the hard work you put into your other ECs (assuming you have a few like that).</p>
<p>I agree that taking care of your dog sounds kind of trivial on first glance. Although after you explained your situation, it does look like a legit responsibility. Kinda unfair…Maybe you could talk about it in an additional resume or essay.</p>
<p>I have a personal question as well. If I’ve done several different activities, but they are related, will that seem like a significant engagement? I have played and coached for 4 teams in a single sport (not because I switched teams, but since they were in different contexts, i.e. one school team, one club team, one team in another country, one team for my company). Should I use 4 slots for this? </p>
<p>Additionally, I taught a class last summer but I couldn’t return there this year. I’m afraid that it will seem like I’m not committed to my activities. I’m tutoring in my spare time this summer though; is that kind of similar?</p>
<p>You’ve been doing this for awhile. It does take time and, from what you’ve said, is a real responsibility (as much as a job). Have you needed special training? Have you learned anything significant? This could be a great essay and could explain why you can’t do other activities. Most schools don’t care about activities anyway.</p>
<p>By any chance, are you thinking of vet school? Or working with people who have special needs? You might consider this as career exploration.</p>
<p>Well no I am not thinking of working with animals but I do plan on going to med school and becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Thanks so much for the advice!!</p>
<p>definitely put this on your app. just make sure to word it right so the adcoms understand what you’re doing</p>
<p>Sounds like too much work to simply not mention it somewhere. I’d say mention it, but word it in a way that it doesn’t just sound like “dog caring” because that does just seem like filler.</p>
<p>Definitely consider it as an essay topic.</p>
<p>Thank you stressedout and 1005pker!!! Now I’m sure I’ll put it on!</p>
<p>So just wondering, why can’t the dog be left alone?</p>