I’m hoping to major in chem and also planning on attending law school. Ultimately, my goal is to have a career in patent law. I am a horse rider, but I can’t find a connection between my prospective major and favourite sport.
Can someone give me ideas? I have absolutely no idea what extracurriculars I should pursue.
Find things you personally feel are interesting and meaningful and work to make a positive impact.
What @happy1 said. Also, don’t think about your ECs in the context of what you think colleges may want to see. Colleges want to see you through your ECs, not the other way around.
So, ask yourself what you’re passionate about. It doesn’t have to be earthshaking either. What’s fun? Where do you feel like you can do something meaningful, because it satisfies a need inside you (not for a prospective college)?
You don’t need any connection between your ECs and your major! Some paths lend themselves to obvious ECs (eg, IR → Model UN), others not so much. One of my collegekid’s ECs were almost the mirror opposite of her academic interests- which was part of the appeal: they used a completely different part of her brain.
I think that the point of ECs is to show the ability to focus and excel at whatever you do. Thus I don’t see it as “do something related to chemistry”, instead I see it as “do something that you care about”.
Many years ago my ECs had nothing at all to do with my intended major, but this did not seem to impact my university applications at all.
The answer depends in what tier of college you’ll aim at and what matters to them.
Remember, some colleges actively pick those who best match. Others are less holistic. No one answer fits all.
Even at colleges who look at applicants holistically there are many students admitted without having their ECs and academic interests perfectly aligned. My S19 was admitted to several top colleges and his ECs showed dedication and leadership but were not related to his intended major. Pursue what you enjoy and find interesting!
Also keep in mind that many different majors are compatible with your goal of being a patent attorney. For example, a friend’s son who is a patent attorney was an English major.
I am aware of that, but I read elsewhere that having a hard science background benefits patent attorneys. I decided on chemistry because it’s my favourite subject.
A good and firm knowledge in chemistry, or related sciences, such as genetics; biology; physics; statistics will serve one well in patent law. I was acquainted with two fellow students who received their Ph.Ds in chemistry, and then furthered their studies successfully in patent laws; at least one of them is a patent lawyer specializing in biotechnology and drug patents.
As for ECs, how about volunteering in a science lab, any science lab, does not have to be chemistry. You can develop your own EC tailored to your interest; for example, how about conducting a literature research on, say, the patent history of a commonly used drug for horses, document your work in a blog, to which you can refer in your college applications. I agree with comments above that alignment of your ECs and your intended major is not a must; it is more important to articulate in your applications your experience and the lessons that you can draw from these activities.
As aside, and if you do not already know, the American Chemical Society’s web site contains very useful information on career for chemists and with specific highlights on chemistry and patent laws. ‘pubmed.gov’ often have links to freely accessible scientific articles.