ECs: help w/ the Common App?!

Applying to College
1

<p>I need advice/help conveying my EC's on the Common Application. Would it be a good idea to include a resume w/ a little more detail describing the accomplishments of the clubs etc.? If someone could tell me which ones to include that would be great.</p>

<p>Extracirriculars:
-Track (4 years) - Varsity Letter. I might be Captain Senior year, but that's announced later in the track season and too late for college applications. </p>

<p>-Cross Country (4 years) - Varsity Letter, Captain, Prestigous Coach's Award for Leadership and excellence on the team</p>

<p>Question: On the Common App is it okay to put Varsity XC for 4 years as supposed to JV Cross Country because I was JV for Frosh, Soph and Varsity Jr, Sr? Same goes for Track.</p>

<p>-Share the Sole: Started a project (and started it into an Organization/Campaign, but I don't have enough money/legal resources to make it an official non-profit) working with local running companies and have donated about 250 shoes to lower-income High School Track programs. I have no idea how to explain this on the Common App. I was featured in the local Newspaper, the largest newspaper in Oregon, and on the Nightly News. How do I even explain all this? Should I include the newspaper articles? I figured out that the total money in shoes donated is easily $10,000.</p>

<p>-Mayors Youth Advisory Board (2 years) - Co-Chairman Senior year, Historian Junior year, I was selected to go to Washington DC w/ our Mayor to attend a National Conference on Local Gov't and Public Policy</p>

<p>-Uganda Club (3 years) - President Sr., Last year we raised $20,000 (literally)dollars for our Sister School and organized a Fast that included 25% of our school. This year our goal is $14,000 and we want to expand into the community etc.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Fellowship of Christian Athletes (3 years) - President Jr. and Sr. year, I feel bad..but I don't really care about it that much. It's fun, but doesn't really excite me. Should I include it? It's about 1.5 hours every week for the entire year.</p></li>
<li><p>Freshman Treasurer (Could this go under awards?)</p></li>
<li><p>Volunteer @ Beaverton Library for 4 summers. I've volunteered about 150 hours there. I wasn't planning on including it...</p></li>
</ul>

<p>PLEASE HELP! Thanks.</p>

2

<p>BUMP.</p>

<p>please?</p>

3

<p>Will someone give me advice?</p>

4

<p>Um.. no, I don't think it'd be a good idea to have an extra resume. If it's significant enough, you can include it in an essay.</p>

5

<p>I disagree with Flippy. Our GC recommended that EVERYONE have a separate "EC resume." Maximum 1 page - list your activities and highlight what you did with each one (e.g. - Eagle Scout - project consisted of organizing and leading a group of 20 people to build park benches and place them along hiking trails in local forest). She suggested my son create a rought draft of this resume in advance and give it to the teachers along with the rec forms. That way the teachers could include some of the info (if it was relevant) in their recommendation.</p>

<p>On the EC section of the Common App, my son listed his activities and checked off the appropriate boxes, then in the column on the right (I can't remember what the column was called) he wrote "see attached."</p>

<p>He put the EC Resume on the "additional info" page of the common app. I think this is pretty standard procedure.</p>

<p>At least one college info session we attended (Providence) the question was asked if an Activities Resume was a good idea. The admissions staff said absolutely, just don't make it overly long.</p>

<p>You started your own foundation? Awesome! That should be item # 1 on your resume. And DEFINITELY include the newspaper article!</p>

6

<p>Which high school does your son go to?</p>

7

<p>I think I might include a resume, but it might be a good idea to call the school ahead of time</p>

<p>As for EC's, I think I'll include:</p>

<p>Share the Sole, XC, Track, Mayor's Youth Advisory Board, Uganda Club</p>

<p>I think those are meaningful without going overboard? Oh and I forgot National Honor Society! I'll include that in Academic Honors.</p>

8

<p>Remember, colleges are looking for a demonstrated passion/focus. If you have ECs that are all over the place, that doesn't bode well. That's why they tell you to pick the most important ones.</p>

9

<p>^I agree.</p>

<p>But, I can see that you want to go into details on your EC's, which a resume would be good for...</p>

<p>I think I remember reading that school X does not want to see an attached resume.</p>

10

<p>I don't think my EC's are all over the place:</p>

<p>Running - XC and Track</p>

<p>Service/Local and International Involvement - Mayor's Youth Advisory Board & Uganda Club</p>

<p>My combination of both - Share the Sole</p>

<p>These are the EC's I am passionate about. </p>

<ul>
<li>NHS which is more of an "academic honor/award"</li>
</ul>

11

<p>You should probably do something extra with the Share the Sole(I don't know if sending articles would help or not, though. You should call the schools up and ask them if they would allow you to send an article or something. My friend was waitlisted at some of the Ivies and they actually asked for some articles from his Robotics Team pursuits(National champion though). In that case(when waitlisted) it would certainly help. But I'm not completely sure for regular admission. However, I will tell you to send in extra stuff if you are applying to LAC's, as they like to see initiative.</p>