<p>I suppose I "underrepresented" the amount of time I spent on ECs when filling out scholarship information. Now on the Common App, I have more hours listed for these activities. I'm a bit anxious that someone may see it as over representation of credentials. Am I being paranoid? If not, what do I do?</p>
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<p>Yes. List the hours as accurately as you can; do not inflate them. Be mindful that students in school who spend 3 to 4 hours a night doing homework, generally have less than 20 hours per week (in total) to devote to all their extracurricular activities. Admissions Officers know this and can easily smell out a student who embellishes the time spent on their EC’s.</p>
<p>So I can put the proper amount of hours without fearing that they’ll like cross-reference the scholarship companies? hhaha</p>
<p>What Gibby said seems to be pretty accurate. I didn’t “calculate” putting 20 hours a week for my common app activities, but after seeing Gibby’s post, I went to my app and added up my hours, and it’s actually pretty near 18 hours a week, in line with what Gibby is saying. And I consider my schedule kind of packed (at least for me, with school work and all). But you know, if you did go over that 20 hour “mark”, just go for it! If it’s the truth, why not put it? The truth is what embodies your confidence, and in the very unlikely case some organization were to doubt you, you can defend yourself!</p>
<p>Mine add up to about 18 as well, I’m just wondering if they could like have access to other scholarships i’ve applied to, then see that for those activity sections I’d filled in different hours.</p>
<p>@wealthchaser: Colleges and scholarship agencies do not share information. Years ago, the Ivies were slapped with anti-trust violation because they did talk to each other. That doesn’t happen anymore.</p>
<p>During the review period, adcoms are too busy to stop for idle questions or tracking down much collateral info- especially considering H is probably going to take a hard look at somewhere above 15k applications. Other things can trip kids up. Just aim for honesty.</p>
<p>I will say that it’s a bit unusual to find yourself with this sort of discrepancy. Be wise.</p>