How should I organize my ECs on the Common App?

Applying to College
1

Hey, y’all.
I’m a senior currently in the process of filling out the Common App. As the Common App only has room for 10 activities, I’ve been trying to find ways to include all of them in my application. With character limits and whatnot, though, this has been difficult. Does anyone know of any good ways to include all of this information in my application?

Student Body Treasurer, Student Council
Editor, “Lingua Franca” (my school’s literary magazine)
Political Editor, The Sacred Heart Heartbeat (school publication)
Grassroots field organizer for a variety of state legislative campaigns (and, formerly, a presidential campaign)
Co-Captain, Math Team
Contributing Writer, The Pavlovic Today (an online indie publication)
Former intern, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
Captain, school debate team
Co-President, school drama club
State Director (Massachusetts), Unified Democracy PAC
Issues Director, Massachusetts High School Democrats
Deputy State Director, Youth for National Change
District Director (MA-09), Campaign for a Presidential Youth Council
Head Officer, Redefy

Thanks!

2

You start with the ones most meaningful to you. List your title, give a blurb about the club, any awards, and # of hours spent. You have to identify which ones are school, national or internationally based.

3

Easy – omit the least important ones. No one is going to care that you didn’t have 8+ so-called “prominent” roles. It’s likely that no human set of eyes is going to read past 4 or 5.

4

I say combine them into groups…and expand upon them.

For example,

Writing: Editor, “Lingua Franca” (my school’s literary magazine), Contributing Writer, The Pavlovic Today (an online indie publication),
Political Editor, The Sacred Heart Heartbeat (school publication)

Politics: Grassroots field organizer for a variety of state legislative campaigns (and, formerly, a presidential campaign), Former intern, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, State Director (Massachusetts), Unified Democracy PAC, Issues Director, Massachusetts High School Democrats

5

You could also list your most important to least important. I didn’t use the grouping method because I only have a few activities.

6

@bopper I thought that you had to choose a category of activity from a small list. Is it possible to write your own activity?

7

@bopper I was planning on doing that, but the character limit truly is an obstacle. :frowning:

8

I agree. The character limit really doesn’t allow much description for each activity, let alone grouping them into categories. How have students been able to describe each activity effectively?

9

Bopper has the right idea. Have an activity like “Politics”. In the description area, put “See Additional Information.” Then have header in Additional Info for Politics Activities, and concisely bullet out your activity info beneath it. So something like:

  • Summer after 11th grade: Internship with Senator Elizabeth Warren’s DC office. 40 hours/week.
    -10th-12th: Massachusetts High School
    Democrats member, Issue Director for organization in 11th grade, 4 hours/week.

etc.