<p>I'm a junior. My dream is to get into Brown. I have decent SAT scores and good grades, but I'm worried about my ECs. I've done badminton for 2 years (JV) and been in a volunteer club for 3 years, but those aren't the things I love.</p>
<p>The things I love are ancient studies + linguistics + languages + writing. The stuff I've done related to that:</p>
<p>--taken a linguistics class
--going to start Latin this summer and Ancient Greek in September
--going as a "student ambassador" to Japan this summer ($1000 scholarship)
--written an unpublished novel</p>
<p>So here's my question: is this enough? </p>
<p>I consider my writing to be really important to me... I spend time on it. If it's not published, and all I do is write a lot rather than showcase my writing to others, does it count as an EC?</p>
<p>Also, the Japanese thing is going to take up most of my summer and only 4 people from my town were chosen to go. I reallyreally love Japanese - I spend a lot of my spare time just listening to the language and translating it, stuff like that...</p>
<p>I don't really know what else I can do for ancient stuff/linguistics except take classes in them, which I'm doing outside of my high school. </p>
<p>So yes, that's what I've done. I haven't gone out into the community much (except for the Japanese thing), but that's because what I do doesn't lend itself well to that. Is that okay? Should I be thinking of more things to do, or is it too late for that?</p>
<p>Does what I've done show the passion I feel about these things?</p>
<p>yes! Anyone have any friends with connections? ;)</p>
<p>Anyway, yeah.. I'm TRYING to submit to places.. but it generally takes months to get rejected (much less accepted), so it's really, really highly unlikely that I'll be published by fall. Hehe.</p>
<p>Don't fret. While it is hard to get published, I think the topic of the process that you went thru in writing the book (highlighting your passion for writing) and trying to get it published could be the topic for a terrific essay.</p>
<p>And, if other people that have read it (like an English teacher or GC) think it is good, maybe it is worth submitting it or a selected chapter as supplemental information to those schools that are on your list that accept SI.</p>
<p>Most schools would look favorably upon applicants who are good writers (and potential published authors).</p>
<p>Yeah, my plan right now is to stress the Japanese thingie and my writing in my essays, as well as a temporary facial paralysis I've come down with (which sucks. but it's really affected me, so I guess it would make a good essay). I hope it's enough..</p>
<p>My community college classes aren't exactly ECs persay, but they do take up a lot of time.</p>
<p>Okay... Hmm. I'm wondering how many people would want to join a linguistics club, and what in the world we could do in it. hehe.</p>
<p>Oh, I actually had another idea. I want to tutor some middle school or elementary school kids in Japanese, since those levels don't offer it as a course (and I always really wanted to take it but had to wait till high school, eck). Would that work??</p>
<p>to stress your enjoyment of and commitment to writing -- enter some essay contests (there are many), tutor elementary and middle school kids in writing, start up a writing club at your local library where everyone exchanges work and critiques it.</p>
<p>for Languages -- first, if you really love Japanese, why couldn't you study it before now? do some intensive self-studying along with the trip this summer and see if you can skip ahead in the language. I don't think you can really know enough Japanese to teach elementary or middle school kids, but how about starting an asian/japanese culture club. What about a presentation on japan that you give at local elementary schools?</p>
<p>The thing is to think outside of the box -- don't constrain yourself by what has been done before, what you can do at your school, etc.</p>
<p>For writing, you also could participate in a summer writing program or workshop, including workshops offered for adults. There are many excellent ones that you can find by Googling.</p>