<p>Hello everyone. I apologize in advance for the long post, but I would appreciate any suggestions that the parents on CC could give me.</p>
<p>I have a few questions regarding the common app EC activities section. For my awards, I have listed 5 awards, all related to math/science, particularly to the research I've been working on at a nearby university. I also use the common app EC essay to talk about my university research.</p>
<p>This in mind, would you still advise me to list research at the university as my 1st (most important) EC activity in the activity section with the limit of 10 activities even though I've already talked about it in my essays/awards? My first few activities are all math/science related, so will that be looked at unfavorably?</p>
<p>Also, do you have any general tips on formatting the descriptions of the ECs on the common app? I know the space is really limited, so should we focus the description on our responsibilities in the club/activity? How can we show dedication to the activity in the space that we have?</p>
<p>On a side note, I plan on using the additional information section to add additional scores, additional honors, and additional ECs. Should I be listing ALL the honors/ECs I've done, or just the ones I feel most important?</p>
<p>I think it’s okay to be true to yourself. My older son’s ECs were all academic and/or computer science related. He presented himself that way and made no real effort to be well-rounded. It worked out fine - he got into 2 out of 5 reach schools and into 2 safeties. He had no match schools. If science research is your favorite EC there’s no shame in that. That said, when you put together the application it is worth it to think about the total picture your are presenting. So if you want to show that you also have an artistic side, you would want to make sure that the fact that you were in orchestra, or were on the literary magazine or whatever appears on the list. You want to craft a picture of yourself. You can be the comp sci nerd. (My older son.) Or the quirky kid who delved into origami, had interesting insights into neighborhood history and played in two orchestras. (My younger son.) There’s no one right way to do these things. </p>
<p>In general - you don’t need to duplicate material. Both my kids decided that the Common Application boxes gave enough room to list their activities and they used their essays or letters of recommendations to fill out those activities. I don’t think those lists in and of themselves sway too many admissions officers.</p>
<p>My kid grouped her ECs because she had too many. She listed ballet as her main EC. She then grouped volunteer work, school activities, music…In the description, she described her involvement and accomplishments.</p>