<p>Hello all,
Regarding activity sheets (extra to the "additional info" section of the common app), I've encountered a lot of contraditory advice as to what to do. Everyone here says "don't send extra stuff, they won't give it the time of day," but it's a policy of my school counselor's to have every student submit an extra activity list. Some students' end up being upwards of three pages, and I've seen these students accepted to the Ivies, while the ones with one-page extra sheets get a load of rejection letters. If nobody will read them, then how can activity sheets have such a large effect on admissions (especially when two students' stats are relatively identical aside from their EC sheets)? And, given this, how can sending in an extra detailed list of activities possibly hurt a student's chance of admission, if it's done in a way that's not presumptuous or conceited?
Thanks</p>
<p>bump......</p>
<p>My d's school also has the students give the guidance counselor an activity sheet, but that's for the use of the guidance counselor in developing the GC's recommendation. The GC doesn't send the activity sheet to the colleges. My guess is that the ones with more activities have not only better applications (since the activities are also listed on the applications themselves) but also better recommendations. ("Student was able to keep a high GPA while spending mega time on all these worthwhile activities.")</p>
<p>My son did both. One for the GC to write a decent letter and one which he submitted to the private schools he applied to. Of course, this did not apply to the public schools because you apply online, etc and there is no place for the activity sheet. Reason we did it for the privates was because he had ECs which were out of the ordinary. For instance, a global positioning project he worked on won a Governor's award, and several other awards within CA. His drama group went to Edinburgh Scotland for the International Fringe Festival, etc. BUT nothing on the activity sheet was already on the app...so for instance, don't need GPA, SAT scores on the activity sheet. Already gave that with the appl.</p>
<p>bump...what about those of you who actually submitted it to colleges?</p>
<p>I'm submitting one.</p>
<p>I read in a book by Michele Hernandez (not A is for Admission--I can't remember the title) that you should sent an activites chart with your application. On the Common App, near the EC list, the wording suggests that the submission of such a chart is acceptable, although not as a substitute for filling in the little chart on the application itself.</p>