Hello!
I have about 12ish activities I’d ideally list on the common app, and I’m trying to decide whether I should just not include the least important ones or try and group things together.
For example, I am on my school’s Forensic team, I’m a team captain, on the state team and have my varsity letter.
I also was invited by my coach to be an assistant coach for a middle school team, and am a paid judge for middle school tournaments - these are both big time commitments that I feel are important to my application. I’m worried listing them separately from just a Forensics heading would be redundant, but that clumping them together wouldn’t give me space to adequately explain my commitment.
Another example is figure skating - I’m on my schools varsity team but I also compete individually and perform in my clubs annual show.
If I were to list these things as separate I’d most likely drop a community service board I’m a part of that I don’t have an official role in, and/or the Gender Sexuality Alliance club that I didn’t have an official role in- although I’m really reluctant to do that because LGBT is something really important to me.
I’d really appreciate any advice - thankyou!
Here is what you can do:
List an activity called “Forensics”. In the description, say “See Additional Information.” Then in Add’l Info, have a header that says “Activities - Forensics”, and CONCISELY bullet your activities. Like:
- Jennings High School Forensics Team member, 9-12. Captain 11-12.
- State of ID Forensics team member, 11-12
- Smith Middle School Forensics part time coach, 11-12.
- Attended ACE Forensics camp, summer after 10th & 11th.
- First place individual in regional and district forensic competition, 11th.
You can either just estimate your average weekly commitments and put in in the activity, or put it with each item (eg, add 4 hrs/week, 12 weeks/year or whatever to each bullet).
My kids used these rules regarding what ECs to put on the app because they had a lot of stuff:
Anything only 9th and/or 10th grade didn’t go on the app unless it was part of a larger category (like Forensics for you), or related to their planned major, or they won a significant award in it.
That helped consolidate.
But don’t feel bad if you are still over 10. Bullet as needed in additional info. Just label clearly as activities you didn’t have space for. And prioritize so your most important activities are first.
Do NOT put an extra essay in Additional Info. Keep it crisp.
FYI, my kids listed most of their awards in a specific activity in the Additional Info section as bullets. Admissions reads the whole application, and our thinking was that it flowed better if the activity & awards were listed together. Then admissions could see the whole picture of commitment and awards in that EC in one place. Their awards section was sparse (just academic stuff, mostly). They had very good admissions results.