<p>After several years of extensive experience in tutoring and editing essays in and out of school, I decided to start offering my essay-editing services to people on College Confidential (just to be helpful! :)). I've been doing this for less than a week now, but I've already been working at it for ~5 hours. By the time college application time rolls around, I could have a decent amount of hours, so I'm wondering if I could actually list this on the Common App as an activity! I already have "Coach at school's writing center" on my Activities list, and I feel like I could put my volunteer editing on CC.com under the "Details, Honors, Achievements" section of that activity.</p>
<p>I'd like to stress that I am NOT editing people's essays on CC.com just to get volunteer hours or something. I have plenty of that. I'm doing this simply because, besides enjoying it, I see a lot of super-stressed kids on this site who desire some guidance and reassurance, and I'm more than happy to provide that. This idea of putting my CC.com essay-editing on my college applications just came to me now...and I'm just not sure if it seems silly/petty to do that. I mean, hey, I'm spending a lot of time on this, and I'm legitimately passionate about helping people on CC.com, so it's in no way a lie or exaggeration.</p>
<p>Umm… you have to be careful. You set the trap that if your own essays aren’t fantastic, knock 'em out of the park essays, then the application reader says, “huh?”. And then if they think there is an inconsistency there, they start to wonder if there are others in your application. As altruistic as it is to be helping random strangers on the internet, I don’t think this is a good idea.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t put it. It seems really reaching, and there is no evaluation of the quality of the help given or any umbrella of legitimacy over it as a project.</p>
<p>DON"T mention it, as it might put some extra focus on your own essay, as in “Hey, this kid says he edits college essays for fun . . . let’s see if he’s really that good!” You want an Admissions Officer to read your essay, and get swept away with the story you are telling, not scrutinizing the essay for “the hands of a pro.”</p>
<p>Definitely a bad idea. There is no way to prove you are doing it other than to show the admissions committee, but you can’t show them because people asking for help expect privacy.</p>
Why does it matter whether or not it’s verifiable? Many things people do can’t be verified, like hobbies (and hobbies you care about can of course go on your college app). Isn’t this a hobby?
The adcoms can already see on my college app that I volunteer at my school’s writing center, so obviously it shows I’m a confident writer. I put a lot of work into my own college essays, and I don’t mind attention being drawn to them. Wouldn’t it be bad if I was worried about that sort of thing, meaning, in an ideal situation, shouldn’t a college applicant be proud to show off his/her essay? (Not to confuse confidence with arrogance here…)</p>
<p>If you already volunteer at your school’s writing center and you’re listing that as one of your ECs, there’s really no reason to put this too unless you really have nothing else to write.
And even then I’d advise against it because you’re doing something you’re not really qualified to do that affects others. They have no way of knowing if your criticisms are any good or not. If they’re bad, you could be hurting people.</p>
<p>Think of it like this If a woman walks into a room and says “I’m beautiful”, what would you think? Most people would immediately begin to scrutinize her appearance from head to toe. Any little minor thing that may be the teensiest bit off would be the subject of negative conversation. If the same woman walks confidently into a room and says nothing about her appearance, what would you think? More than likely people would notice her beauty and simply say “wow she’s really pretty”.</p>
<p>My point is when you stand up and tell someone something wonderful about yourself their immediate instinct is to tear you down. Right or wrong that is what most people instinctively do. Let the wonderful characteristics of your writing speak for themselves.</p>
<p>I just don’t see posting on a message board as a hobby worth mentioning, and that’s what I see this activity amounting to. It sounds like you are really reaching, meaning you have nothing else you want them to focus on and are grasping at straws.</p>
<p>I’m impressed. I agree with emilieland. Instead of saying college essays, say you freely edit the works (don’t say essays, works sounds more impressive) of anyone who asks, and it takes up 5 hours per week of your time.</p>
<p>OP, if you were to list it as a hobby and not an activity, I really wouldn’t have an argument. Hobby - Assisting students in editing their college application essays on CC. Remember you asked if it was silly. Let me make an analogy. A psychologist gives counseling advice on an Internet site. Do you think they would put that on their resume.</p>
<p>I really think you have the activity covered with “coach at writing center”. Actually, it is an excellent activity and signals your competence to help others with their writing.</p>