Hello! I’m finishing up my common app (not applying ED, just want to get it done early) and I’m a bit unsure about which extracurriculars I should include.
For reference: I have a 4.0 UW GPA and 2240 on the SAT (1500 just CR/M), a lot of APs. Top choice school is American University, close runner-ups are Brandeis and Northeastern. Planning on majoring in international studies or poli sci. I’m pretty concerned with presenting my ECs well. These are what I currently have on the app, in order:
School newspaper editor (past 2 years-- only years the class fit into my schedule, but I’m very involved in it and it’s my favorite EC.
Founder, school debate club (also 2 years, but I founded it and it’s very political, so relevant to my major?)
Tutoring (1 year, tutored a younger student in AP world history)
Volunteer at a refugee center (9th and 10th grade weekly; after that I had another commitment those nights so had to stop going, unfortunately)
Vice president and president of my Venture Crew (all 4 years. It’s a co-ed branch of Boy Scouts of America. We do a lot of high adventure activities and community service).
Member, Girl Scouts (all 4 years as well. community service. this one might be one of my weaker ones because my troop doesn’t do much anymore? but I’ve done it since age 6 so it seems significant)
Link Leader, school link crew (just senior year. it’s a program where upperclassmen mentor incoming freshmen and do leadership stuff).
Oboeist, school pit orchestras, wind ensemble, philharmonic orchestra, all-state band, and local school of music wind ensemble (all 4 years)
Work (summer and senior year, retail)
Volunteer at Vacation Bible School (3 years, basically taught 3 and 4 year olds one week each summer)
Activities that aren’t on the list that I feel would be very good to add:
Editor, school literary magazine (all 4 years)
Member, school international club (2 years-- might be good because I’m looking at international studies?)
If you’ve read this far, I’m impressed, and thank you! Are there any activities that I should take off the list, or ones that I should put closer to the beginning? Any that I should add? Should I include a resume to include the activities that didn’t fit?? I feel like that’s a bit excessive, but maybe not. Thank you!!!
You might want to find a way to roll all of your volunteer activities into one. It could look something like this.
Volunteering
Mytown Refugee Center (9, 10)/Tutoring APUSH (12)/Vacation Bible School (9-11) 37 wks/yr, 2 hours.
You’d check the boxes for grade years in which you performed community service and average the number of hours over the course of the time you did any community service. In my example it was a 9 month school year plus a week in the summer.
I would suggest combining #3, 4 and 10 to make your volunteer work look stronger-#3 was just one year and one student so kind of weak, #4 was 2 years ago, and #10 was just 1 week a year. Combining them under one community service heading will be more impactful and you can check off that you were involved all 4 years.
Move the oboe involvement way up the ladder as it shows a lot of depth and commitment to a single ec. All State is impressive and needs to highlighted. Plus it is a rarer instrument and schools need to fill their musical groups. I would suggest the top spot.
The literary magazine is important, especially since you were involved all 4 years-colleges seem to place a lot of value on editors.
International club is worth a mention since it is relevant to your major, but without leadership or awards it should be way at the bottom.
They don't know your Girl Scout troop is weak unless you tell them. Highlight it in a positive light since it is a long term involvement. Any awards?
@Sue22@planner03 Thank you for the quick responses! I believe I can consolidate bible school and the refugee center (can’t get anything else to fit in the description box other than those, though), but now I’m not sure what to list for hours a week and weeks per year for those? Should I list the info for one or the other?
small details like hours/activity are extremely minor and won’t be even noticed. What’s important is that you list them in order of importance to YOU. This alone tells the reader what you’re about. That’s why nos 7 or 8 or 9 really are meaningless to colleges.
I agree with T26! List them in order of how much they have meant to you.
P.S. I would definitely put editor of literary magazine for four years over tutoring for one year
With your stats American will give you great merit money, they have great DC internships you can pursue during term time. My son ended up at Tufts, but he loved American, and honestly he might have been better off there.
I think you can bundle both kinds of Scouting into one line. You also might combine tutoring and mentoring. Isn’t there a separate area for summer stuff vs school year stuff where you can put Vacation Bible School. The refugee thing might end up being part of some sort of why IR/American essay.
If you feel you are leaving out something important used the “is there anything else you want to tell us” section.
Also wouldn’t #9 go under work experience not EC?
You can probably put #3 and #10 together as “Teaching experiences - Tutor for APUSH (12)/Vacation Bible School (9-11)”
And certainly include being an editor of the literary magazine.
@soze Thank you, I suppose? What sort of schools are you thinking of as far as aiming higher? I really love American (combination of being in DC and the school’s political climate are very appealing to me), and I understand that my stats are above their standard acceptance, but it’s a good fit because I’m likely to get better merit aid if I’m above their average. And I really need that $$$. That’s why I’m a bit iffy about applying to more selective schools-- even if I could get in, I’d be less likely to get the merit aid I need.
Or even any of these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League
(none give merit aid, but they all have extensive need-based programs and I’ve not seen too many examples of admitted students not being able to attend due to $$).
If you really want to be in DC, Georgetown is clearly a better school and you have a shot at getting in.
Realistically, with a 4.0/2240 you are a viable candidate for any school in the country. HYPS included. American is an “ok” school but you don’t see too many kids with your stats there.
Our tour guide at American turned down Georgetown and U of Chicago for the merit and honors college at American.
Georgetown obviously has a great reputation, but its vibe is very different from that of American. My younger son loved American, hated George Washington and was somewhat uncomfortable with Georgetown. If he’d gotten into Georgetown he would have taken a closer look, but it really didn’t feel like him when we were there. (Many articles about drinking, a lot of talk about the students about sports, crosses in every classroom, many, many kids in button down shirts and chinos.)
If you need $$$ your best bet is to look at full need schools (if that’s enough to cover your costs) and schools like American that provide substantial aid. You might want to run the financial aid calculators at places like Harvard and Princeton, which provide aid even to middle class families. You can certainly study what you want to there and have access at least in the summer to good internships etc.
I’m not recommending that you sell yourself short, but sometimes the smart thing to do is to be the top student at a lesser institution and not go into debt.
Apply widely, you’ve got till April to figure this stuff out!
