I am a senior, interested in applying to a few reaches like Amherst, Cornell, Northwestern, etc. These are my EC’s:
A few service clubs, NHS, about 175 hours of volunteering as a camp counselor in training at the circus I perform in, performing in a local youth circus the public pays to see - I juggle, ride a unicycle, and walk high wire - I’ve been in it since middle school. Biweekly guitar lessons since sophomore year, and I played in a local youth band organized by this music organization, just for one year. Took film classes in school freshman and sophomore year, left junior year, but won multiple local and placed in one national film competition after leaving. Worked a summer job as a paid camp counselor at the circus.
Those are great ECs. Your problem is that you present them fairly anemically. You perform in a circus, and have been doing so since middle school, AND you have tried your hand at film (fairly successfully), and at music. So you have multiple ECs, which show wider interests, and a long term EC in which you put a lot of hours, which demonstrates perseverance. Oh, and you also preformed in a circus since middle school.
You don’t have mediocre ECS at all. Some majors like seeing that you have been interested in that major for a long time, which usually includes ECs related to the major. Engineering, physics, and math are the ones that usually look for that interest, as well as a few others. However, you are generally not expected to know what you want to do from elementary school age, or even high school, so for the other few hundred majors out there, you’re good.
The advantage is that you have a very interesting set of experiences - you are the type of applicant which colleges like mentioning when discussing their incoming class “we also have one student who has been performing in a circus since middle school”.
I’m almost tempted to think that you’re humble-bragging
What major are you thinking of, and what does the rest of your profile look like (Stats, course work, etc)
PS. My brutally honest opinion is that you needed validation for your choice of ECs, which I was very happy to provide.
That’s really reassuring!
No, I actually copy and pasted that description of my EC’s out of a chance me post in which I was told I had mediocre EC’s, which, I’ll be honest, did surprise me. Thanks!
By far, your circus activities are the most interesting thing you’ve mentioned. That goes at the top of your list. If performances are different from the volunteering aspect of it, (Seems they are) you can list them separately, and probably should. I’d probably start with which ever one takes the most hours or the aspect which is most important to you.
NHS and service clubs are not interesting. The film thing is interesting, so I’d put that next. The other stuff is pretty routine, but it all helps create a picture of you.
I agree with the above that your ECs are good, but if you are a senior…not much to about it now in terms of impacting admission decisions.
I don’t see a chance me post…in addition to the reach schools, have you applied to a handful of target/matches, and at least one affordable safety as well?
@Publisher I did not say these are my target schools, I said they are my reach schools. I have been accepted to FSU and feel very good about UF. I am just talking about elite schools in this thread because they generally care the most about EC’s.
@Mwfan1921 I posted the chance me thread on another website. And yes, I have already been accepted to FSU, and I feel very confident in my UF and Tulane applications, among other match schools.
@Publisher Oh, got it. I thought you were using it like “match schools.” In any case, I am secure when it comes to safeties and matches, so I am now focusing on reaches
I didn’t realize you are a senior. So you’ve already applied and it’s misleading to say you are interested in applying, unless you are taking a gap year, which it seems you aren’t. The chips will fall where they may.
