<p>I want to do extracurricular activities that is somehow related to the medical field and medicine. Does it count if I go and work for my mom's boss at her private pharmacy this summer? Do I have to get some certificate to prove that I did what I did? I don't know where else to find extracurricular activities that makes me seem devoted and "special". All the other summer jobs I find are only scooping icecream, stacking library books, etc...</p>
<p>Sure, anything you do outside of school technically “counts”. You aren’t asked to provide any proof of what you did.</p>
<p>And don’t be so quick to belittle scooping ice cream and shelving books - colleges love to see students with work experience, regardless of how seemingly unimportant or uninteresting that work experience may be.</p>
<p>So how do colleges know what I did?</p>
<p>Can’t people just lie then?</p>
<p>Don’t ever lie on a college application. EVER. It will come back to you. When you sign your application, you are signing that you have provided an honest and truthful account of education and history. The universities want students who have some integrity.</p>
<p>This is one of the most important decisions you will make for your future; why would you lie to get in? </p>
<p>Re: scooping ice cream. Some colleges like to see work experience on an application because it shows that you have balanced your studies learning how to be employee and dealing with the vocational aspect of finances and budgeting. They like to assume those dollars will be contributed for your education.</p>
<p>A job can also show you can meet adult expectations outside the school setting. Even if your mom connects you, it can still be work experience. Kids who try to fake ECs often don’t seem to have a clear understanding of what the colleges like. It’s not really “anything” you do outside school. And the UCs still say they audit ECs for some percentage of apps. Do try to read what the colleges say about what they like, what they look for, on their web sites.</p>
<p>Yes, the option to lie is before you. But therein lies the irony. Anything you’d lie about is likely not to matter. The big things which can really help (national award, sports championship, published book) are easily verifiable.</p>
<p>But you’re mistaken if you think colleges are at the door scrutinizing your resume and your work log or volunteer hours log book. It’s just not done.</p>