<p>Do you think it's a good idea to list all of the extracurricular activities you've done throughout high school on the Uncommon App? I'm not really sure, as quite a few of them I only joined for a year or so, or which ended because they were exclusive to students in a certain class or because the teacher who ran it left.</p>
<p>And also, babysitting for my younger brother and sister takes up much of my time, a lot of which is because my mom has got cancer and she goes to chemotherapy for a large part of the day every couple of weeks. Though I do babysit when she goes to the store too and stuff, like many other teenagers do. Do you think it's a good idea to place that under "Optional Comments" and explain? Or does it seem like I'm trying to get their sympathy? I'm worried about that too, as I was thinking I might talk about my mom's cancer in one of the essays. I sincerely don't want to make anyone feel sorry for me or anything, it's just a big part of my life, so any tips on how I might put it in the right light?</p>
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<li><p>I think it's a good idea to list everything. I would put the "major" EC's, the ones you spent the most time on and are most meaningful/impressive, at the top, but include everything. Even a small amount of time spent in an EC shows your diversity of interests, and can't hurt.</p></li>
<li><p>Does your mom's cancer/chemotherapy treatment directly affect something on your resume? For example, did your grades drop noticeably at the time that she was diagnosed, or did you have to give up an EC activity you liked because of the demands on the family? If so, then it definitely warrants an explanation in the "Optional Comments." Otherwise, it's hard for admissions to judge how much the situation affected your transcript.</p></li>
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<p>However, it sounds like great source material for an essay. As long the essay describes the way that you dealt with the situation personally (and how this shows that you're a good candidate for Chicago), and not a sob story about your family's misfortunes, it should be good. Chicago loves a strong-willed individual, and something like that would presumably have such a large impact on your life that it deserves to be mentioned in an essay.</p>
<p>Babysitting is a job just like any other-- every hour you spent babysitting was on hour you couldn't spend on the soccer field, in a school club, or with friends. I forget if Chicago has a place for "work experience," but I think you should certainly mention that you babysit-- it says a lot about you, your maturity, and your ability to face challenges and limitations.</p>
<p>Again, this does not have to be a sob story, but it sounds like you're more on the other extreme of neglecting to recognize your own accomplishments in the face of serious hardships.</p>
<p>My best wishes for you and your mom; that is a hard thing for your family to work through.</p>
<p>My son helped care for his grandparents and made a brief note of this in the optional section, and I think you could reasonably do the same. I also agree with Jack's note on an essay, if you choose to follow that path.</p>
<p>Thank you all very much!! I think I'll just list all my extracurriculars. I actually have already written the bulk of the essay, and from what I can see, it basically runs along the lines of what jack advised. And I'll note all of my babysitting too and put it in the optional section so I might be able to explain a bit.</p>
<p>And thanks ohio_mom for the best wishes. :]</p>