<p>Hello all!
I am a High School SOPHOMORE. I have just started volunteering at John Muir Medical Center ( major hospital in the Bay Area). I have calculated that by the first semester of Senior year, I will have 200+ volunteer hours there. I really want to pursue becoming a Doctor (plastic surgeon). Will this make me stand out on paper? Or is this just another EC that every applicant has?</p>
<p>P.S. I am going to write about my experience there and how it affected me personally in my essay. </p>
<p>-----Courses-----------------------------
Algebra II/Trig
English II- Pre-Honors
Spanish II
Orchestra (I’ve been doing it since 5th grade)
Chemistry I
World History AP</p>
<p>Class Rank: As of freshman year: 54/594. (OUCH!)</p>
<p>------Extracurricular Activities-------------
Orchestra (planning on doing it for all of high school which is 4 years)</p>
<li><p>Volunteer at hospital ( 200+ hours)</p></li>
<li><p>President of the Asian Club</p></li>
<li><p>CSF/HOSA</p></li>
</ol>
<p>----------Expected course load for junior year----------------------
Honors Pre-Calculus
Honors English III
AP Biology
AP US History
AP Phychology
Orchestra</p>
<h2>Possible GPA for Junior year: 4.86 (Considering I study)</h2>
<p>I am also doing the Princeton Review over the summer to get a great SAT score to compensate for my HORRIBLE GPA. Where did I mess up? What can I do to improve?</p>
<p>yeah 200 hours seems like a bit less to me.</p>
<p>People to People (student ambassadors)? Its when you go to places like ( Europe, Africa, Fiji etc etc.) And build houses, learn to live with the natives and learn about new cultures.
Is that better?
I plan on participating in People to People over the summer of Junior year.</p>
<p>Anywhere in the top 10% isn't exactly horrible. But year, 200 isn't that much. I have about 400 hours logged at a Veteran's Hospital and I don't think that's enough. I really hope colleges notice it because it is the focus of my common app essay...</p>
<p>The great news for you is that in 10th grade you still have plenty of time to pursue your interests and really stand out. There are a pair articles about ECs that stand out and how to get them (same author, different examples) at How</a> Could We Save This Ridiculously Overloaded Grind? and at How</a> to Be Impressive Without an Impressive Amount of Work I could think of a hundred things you can do with your interest in volunteering at the hospital to turn it from ho-hum to "wow, you did that?!!"</p>
<p>Admissions people like to see progress in ECs, so if you can go from a volunteer to some sort of hospital teen representative that'd be great. Also, just curious, how come Honors English III? Do you have AP English Lang or Lit offered as a junior? Most Honors classes don't even count with an extra grade point if UC Doorways does not put a star next to them, so please doublecheck.</p>
<p>Oh and its just Honors English III; we do not have AP English III unfortunately.
On my course catalog it says: UC and CSU certified: English (FUlfills UC/CSU "b" requirement</p>
<p>just out of curiosity, may I ask how this looks Asian? =]</p>
<p>It's kind of annoying with the progression thing, though. Where I volunteer, there is no possible way to ever move up unless you were payed or had college experience. I wish there was some way to let colleges know that.</p>
<p>That's unfortunate D: In our local hospital, we have a "Medical Explorers" group where teenagers act as...something? I don't volunteer at the hospital, but I do know that exists. Maybe you could start it up?</p>
<p>When I mean "Asian, I mean somewhat basic. I know that between sophomore and junior year, there's usually a huge individualistic growth which will result in ECs that become more about you than what's required to get into college, resulting in a more expanded app. But really, for UCs, just get the best GPA and SAT you can, and you can rest easy.</p>
<p>Edit: Also, that means it only qualifies as an a-g requirement, but not for an extra grade point. Sorry D:</p>
<p>This seems very cliche so in that way you won't stand out. Volunteer work hours - everyone does them. Hospitals- extremely so. </p>
<p>Doing cliche volunteer work AND tracking and posting your hours AND writing about it too, makes you look like a grind who is just trying to game the selection system. Someone really committed to a cause, who is doing it for reasons such as authentic passion, isn't logging and expecting credit for hours put in.</p>
<p>Hahaha, I remember back when I did things "just for apps" ... naive days.</p>
<p>Anyway, it'll just be "one more thing" on your apps. Nowhere near outstanding. I volunteer at the ValleyCare hospital and I know a few volunteering at Kaiser and John Muir. I heard you guys had an interning program and def a closer relationships to the nurses and doctors there. Take advantage of that and try to form connections over the next few years to make your hospital volunteering experiences "more than just volunteering." It will definitely open up your eyes to the hospital life and will provide bulk to this EC</p>
<p>And lol. One more thing. Don't presume you're gonna write about this in your essay -- after having finished apps, the majority of my experiences were of my Junior summer (when I interned at UC Berkeley) and really random experiences that I really never thought I would have written about (my APUSH paper, a minor writing competition). As for the med programs, I wrote about my dad's hospital experience, my experience in the Stanford YLC for Asian Health (highly recommend this if you want to enter medical), and briefly about my hospital volunteering (as a last para to conclude how much I want to become a doctor).</p>
<p>Check out Johns Hopkins. Their premed program is terrific, top ranked medical school, world renown hospital, it has a lot of premed students like myself there :D</p>
<p>
[quote]
Where I volunteer, there is no possible way to ever move up unless you were payed or had college experience.
[/quote]
Read thru the pair of links I posted earlier and you'll get some ideas. It sounds like you're waiting for someone to provide a path, at which point you'll apply and hopefully be selected. The best ECs are ones where YOU take the initiative to create something, to do something new.</p>
<p>hahahaha so asian
people to people you pay for right? yeah colleges dont want to know that your parents can pay your way to other countries.
and i don't know what your school does but 3.86 is not a "horrible" gpa.</p>