how to polish or display one's EC's

Applying to College
1

<p>OK. I have posted before but I need a little advice. (I'm a going to be a junior)</p>

<p>So far, my EC's are OK, but nothing impressive:</p>

<p>starting a program to lead youngsters in synagogue to group home for handicapped and I lead those youngsters: (1 hr/wk) (9th-10th)
winning an essay contest in southeast michigan (9th)
political activism conference (10th)
stock market competition (10th)
proposed tutor program in my school; got it accpeted; tried to intitiate it but failed after numerous tries (10th)
learn extra with english and math tutors (9th-10th)
learn art with art teacher (2hrs/wk) (10th)
natonial bible comeptition (got into nationals, but not world) (10 hrs/wk) (10th)
attend art programs both fresh and soph summers
entered my turn competition 9th and 10th grade but presumably didn't win either</p>

<p>Now. These llok pretty scattered, unpassionate, right? I know. Having an impressive list of EC's is hard when there are little to no resources in my high school (no clubs, no debate team, no science teams, no theater, no art program, no creative writing courses, no music program, one sports team: you get the point). </p>

<p>Anyways, I plan on trying even harder the next two years of high school to polish my EC's. My main focuses will be writing, art, and working as an advocate for autism (since my sibling is autistic). Anyhow here is what i have planned (for sure):</p>

<p>ART
-learning with art teacher
-local art contest
-scholastic
-doing photography in free time (taking a course in summer art program)
-freelancing photographer
-want to be a docent at local art museum senior year</p>

<p>WRITING
-writing fiction, poetry, essays
-continuing to enter contests
-scholastic
-freelancing writer
-starting a school newsletter (since tutor program failed)</p>

<p>AUTISM
-on committee to start an inaugural walk for autism research in michigan (anyone who is interested this please pm me!)
-visiting that group home
-interning (senior year) at autism group home organization
-want to do neuroscience research (where the hell do i start?) in summer of 07'</p>

<p>Now here are the ones that will seem "unpassionate" but that I am passionate about doing:</p>

<p>Working to establish connection between national Israeli-American alliance and my school
US Bio Competition (senior year)
Comm service projects in downtwon detroit this summer
NHD and history essay contest
National Bible Competition
Chapter board of religious organization (want to be on regional senior year)</p>

<p>BOTTOM LINE: WHAT WILL COLLEGES THINK? I THINK THAT I LOVE EVERYTHING THAT I AM DOING AND IF I WAS GIVEN EVEN MORE OPPORTUNITIES I WOULD JUMP ON THEM. HOW DO I SHOW THIS TO COLLEGES?</p>

2

<p>How are your ECs not impressive? You're only a incoming junior! My god, I swear CC brainwashes everyone into thinking you are nothing if you haven't cured cancer by senior year.</p>

<p>Sorry for the tangent, but just stay on track man and I'm sure you'll be fine... =]</p>

<p>Best wishes, Cardinal</p>

3

<p>thanks cardinal! any other input is welcome!</p>

4

<p>Also this matters a lot, what universities are you specifically looking at?</p>

5

<p>Lots of good info here: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=82799%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=82799&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

6

<p>thanks northstarmom. </p>

<p>cardinal: well, my top choice is princeton. but im looking at a bunch of other schools too (don't worry, I have safeties, though not sure of matches though).
They are (not in any particular order):</p>

<p>University of Maryland
University of Michigan
University of Pittsburgh
Princeton
Tufts
WUSTL
Johns Hopkins
Northwestern
Cornell
Brandeis
Yeshiva University</p>

7

<p>if znybody has any other input, id love to hear. if not, i will let this thread die.</p>

8

<p>When you apply to colleges, try making an activities list with a paragraph about each EC that emphasizes your passion for that activity. I had an extremely varied list of ECs, and it worke d well for me.</p>

9

<p>^ can you tell us how you organized it? just by going into word and doing a table of sorts? Or just listing everything... I once saw a "resume" this girl on CC sent to Harvard, and later got accepted - and her resume was CRAZY. She had at least ten different categories and so many awards and accomplishments under each, oh god haha.</p>

10

<p>I did it in a table in word using different categories and including a description of each EC. If you are interested in seeing the actual organization I used, PM me and I will email it to you.</p>

11

<p>This is probably a newbie question, but are colleges expecting an activities list with full paragraph descriptions? I've never seen a section for it on the app, do you submit it as one of the additional essays?</p>

12

<p>They don't expect it, no. It does help to make your list of activities seem more personal, as if you actually care about them and you aren't just doing it for colleges. You just make a seperate page of your own and you include it with your application</p>

13

<p>Thanks yankees,</p>

<p>I've read on some college apps that they do not want you to attach additional sheets of paper to your app, and only want you to fill out the information that they specifically ask (with the exception of the additional essay). For those colleges that don't want extra sheets of paper, would it still be reasonable to submit an activities list, which might even add an additional 4 pages?</p>

14

<p>4 pages?! What are you writing, ESSAYS per individual activity?</p>

<p>If the colleges flat-out say "no, do not attach another sheet or else we'll be forced to kill you", then no, I would not do it. However, even if they say that and you attach some extra thing, I don't think they'll mind some one sheet (maybe front + back) resume simply going into detail about your top ECs...</p>