Judge my ECs. I'll Judge Yours!

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey there,</p>

<p>I am setting my marks aside for a while and concentrating on my ECs. I always hear how people's ECs do not show passion and how that can make or break you. For the ones i put grade 12... that means i will continue to be part of that specific club/organization. By the way, i am interested in Pre Med. Please Judge my ECs on a scale of 1 to 10.</p>

<p>1-Worst ever!
2.5-Really Bad
5-Meh.. OK
7.5-Good
10-One of the Best!</p>

<p>Or you give a number anywhere in between.</p>

<p>Extra Curriculars:
-President of the VRA Health Society(11,12)
-Secretary of Asian Culture Club(10,11,12)
-Empowered Student Partnership Member(9,10,11,12)
-Peer Tutor Instructor(11,12)
-Head Member of Tech. Crew(10,11,12)
-Sophomore Grade Rep. to Student Council(10)
-Self Taught Guitar Player(10,11)</p>

<p>Volunteering Activities:
(~350 Hours)
-Bridgepoint Hospital (~130 Hours)
-Canadian Red Cross (~50 Hours)
-Muscular Dystrophy Canada (~60 Hours)
-Senior's Care (~30 Hours)
-Peer Tutoring in School(~40 Hours)</p>

<p>Awards:
-Euclid Math Contest-Bronze Medal
-Some Waterloo Math Certificates: top 5%, top 10% in the nation
-Art Silver Medal(Art Average was 55.. i got 80 meaning A in Canada)
-One of five people chosen from Grade to rep. school in math comps.
-Honour Roll for all four years almost certainly
-Projected Ontario Scholar(All As on Report Card)</p>

<p>Sports:
I am decent at sports but i do try to be as active as possible
-School Ping pong Semifinalist two years in a row
-Ice skating is big for me.. which is kind of different.</p>

<p>So with that being said, please judge my extra curriculars. Do you think my passion for medicine shines through my volunteering and clubs and such? Any suggestions? Post your ECs if you want me to judge. Thanks!</p>

2

<p>id' say a 6.5242</p>

3

<p>Thanks az1689 for your insanely accurate response. but only? I need to get that 6.5 to a 7.5</p>

4

<p>7
there's a lot, but it seems to lack focus???
and also, you started late for a lot of those things... But lots of awards!!!</p>

5

<p>8.5. Range: 7.5-9.5. But my standards seem to be different from many CCers'. can you look at mine?</p>

<p>Violin
taking lessons (9-12)
Youth symphony (9-12) concertmaster (12)
Suzuki violin group (9-12)
Quartet (9,10,12)</p>

<p>Volunteer
Key club (10,11)
Office volunteer at foreign exchange program (11)</p>

<p>Other
Ocean Science Bowl Team(10-12) 3rd place in state: (11)
Winner of an Essay Contest about learning foreign languages (11)</p>

<p>(if you don't mind giving your opinion on mine)
i think your ecs show dedication to medicine, mostly in the volunteering. keep it up!</p>

6

<p>Too unfocused, but good overall. Perhaps 7.</p>

7

<p>What's the point of these kinds of threads all the time?</p>

<p>I'd give you a 6.6.3.14159265358979323846264338327 to answer the question though.</p>

8

<p>I'd say a 7, only because your EC's lack focus a little, but your volunteer activities are more focused and pretty impressive. Here's mine:</p>

<p>Extra Curriculars:
President and Founder of the Young Democrat's Club (11, 12)
Member of the Diversity Club (9,10,11,12)
Literary magazine editor (12) and contributor (10,11,12)
School Newspaper columnist (9,10,11,12)
Varsity tennis player (9,10,11)
heavily involved in the Barack Obama campaign (i suppose that counts as an EC :D)
Misericordia College Diversity Camp (10)</p>

<p>Awards (this is were I think I'm weak)
AP Scholar (self studied for 2/3 of the tests)
National Honor Society
High Honor Roll (9,10)
Principal's Honor Roll (11)
Ambassador for Change award</p>

<p>Volunteer Work:
volunteer at my church (200+ hours at least)
volunteer at the library this past summer (50 hours)
I take care of my grandfather... so I'm planning on mentioning that on my app. It's a pretty big responsibility.</p>

9

<p>thanks to all the people that replied. Its appreciated!</p>

<p>Yunhai:5... sorry if i am being harsh but you may need to get some more volunteering. If you are applying to top schools, those ECs may be a bit of a problem. Your violin group... is it a well recognized one.. anyway yea... just join a few more things that you care about. Your passion for music shows though!</p>

<p>NY Democrat: I see, thanks! I'll see what to do about that.</p>

<p>Invoyable: Umm, to get people's opinions. lol i guess that is basically the point. Anyway, thanks</p>

<p>Claire1016: Thanks a lot..I would probably say a 6 because our EC activities may be a bit comparable except i have volunteered a bit more. However, since you take care of your father, i am sure that will be looked upon positively. Also, if you have time try to grab up some school awards. They never hurt.</p>

<p>Keep Judging!</p>

10

<p>Here is a list of my extracurriculars:</p>

<p>Quiz Bowl (9-12, have been doing Quiz Bowl since third grade)
Girl Scouts (9-12, have been a Girl Scout for eleven years)
Amnesty International (school chapter - 9-12, president 12)
Young Democrats (9-12, president 11-12)
Gay/Straight Alliance (10-12)
Beta Club (10-12, second place winner at state convention in creative writing, first place in Quiz Bowl)</p>

<p>Volunteer Work/Employment:</p>

<p>~350 Girl Scout volunteer and leadership hours</p>

<p>I work as a counselor at a Girl Scout camp.</p>

<p>I go to a performing arts school so I won't list my choir stuff. It would take awhile and probably isn't considered an EC.</p>

11

<p>Err. I didn't list any of my awards or anything. Just judge my ECs, please. :)</p>

12

<p>Georgeanne: 6 -7 It looks like you do a lot of work, but nothing seems to stand out. If you continue with girl scouts, it will look good. </p>

<p>Me:</p>

<p>-Advisor to the Board of Non-profit (9,10)
-Advisory member of Art Club (9, 10?)
-Founding Captain Varsity Science Olympiad Team (9,10)
-Mayor's Youth Council School Representative (9,10) Parliamentarian (10), and executive board member (10)
-Church Handbell Choir ringer (9,10)
-Church Youth Group member (9,10)
- Christian Fellowship Club member (9,10)
-Think Tank member (9,10)
-Strategic Boards Club Member (9,10)
-Teen Court Attorney (10)
Sports: Tae Kwon Do (Black belt) (6-10), Varsity Golf (9,10?)</p>

<p>I'm not sure whether I'll drop art club and Varsity Golf or not.</p>

<p>Here's what's in the works:</p>

<p>-Appointed to represent students at next state agency meeting (I'm hoping to make this permanent)
-In the running for a 2nd state advisory position
-Should be school ambassador
-Talking with online provider about starting an online math club</p>

<p>-I'm thinking about taking the test to become a member of either the National Association of Parliamentarians or the American Association of Parliamentarians (Adult organizations)
-Applied to be a county junior historian</p>

<p>Should be founding:
-Math club and Spanish club</p>

<p>Seeking Employment </p>

<p>Awards (Weakness)
1. 1st place County Science fair: Technology
2. Science Olympiad 3rd place Regional Varsity Astronomy
3. School student of the month March 2008
4. 1st Place Tae Kwon Do Poomsae: 2008 State Games</p>

<p>Will be at least AP Scholar this year. Hopefully with honor/distinction.</p>

<p>Volunteering </p>

<p>Altogether I've probably done <40 of volunteer work. :( </p>

<p>County Public Library don't have the numbers on me, Volunteering with Mayor's Youth Council, (Unpaid) Intern with Community Affairs Department of my city</p>

13

<p>Shad I'd give you a 7-7.5, a lot of good work, the volunteer activities are very oriented towards pre-med, and good overall.</p>

<p>aig...I'd give a 8, it's a lot of things, but as far as being oriented towards a certain thing other than your faith, I don't see a big direction. Certainly shows a dedication towards public service and a great spirit in that area.</p>

<p>For anyone to judge:</p>

<p>9-12th FIRST Robotics: (Vice President, President) Team has won a few awards
9-12th Tempus (Design futuristic space settlement and write 40 pg proposal for it) /Vice President of Engineering, President - Top 8 proposal in the world for two years
10-12th Model UN/ Vice President of Conferences, First place at state
10-12th EdgeMUN (essentially we put on our own Model UN conference at our school)/ Director of Conference Services, Director-General
10th - MATE (Underwater Robotics) ROV Competition - Team placed 2nd/20 at Florida Regional, Electrical Team Leader
Creator of Insane Robotics which is essentially my own robotics team that has built combat robots and autonomous robots.
- am designing a robot on CAD (which I am highly proficient with) and then building it as a test platform for research into new techs
Then all the good stuff: NHS, Spanish HS, AMCE, TEAMS (Engineering Test)</p>

<p>230 Total Volunteer Hours between volunteering at local science center, and working with a local brass band.</p>

<p>By the time I submit my apps I will have written a research paper on "Evolutionary Robotics using Dynamic Modeling and Simulation"
and possibly have written one or two articles for a respected robotics magazine.</p>

14

<p>Shad, I'd give you a a 7.0-7.5 as well. Your EC's seem pretty well balanced and you seem genuinely interested in medicine, as apparent by your stellar volunteer work in the hospital and other medical fields. As said earlier, I don't see much committment in 9th grade for some reason. </p>

<p>Pesky, I'd give you a 7.5-8 range because it seems you are very passionate about robotics and it shows an interest in a specific thing, not just a laundry list.</p>

<p>My whole life has revolved around medicine because I was born with a congenital medical disability and both parents are doctors so I am intimately connected with the medical field in my opinion. My EC's reflect this passion of medicine and the sciences. But my major non-career passion is music since I have been singing since the age of two so a lot of my EC's reflect that as well. Just a little background info.</p>

<p>EC's:
-On the board for school non-profit organization (11,12)
-Math Team (9-12): 3 people from each grade selected; compete regionally
-Quick Recall (9-12): 10th: JV Captain/Varsity, 11-12: Varsity Captain (won some awards)
-Governor's Cup (9-12): Statewide subject written assessment and quick recall competition (won some awards)
-Beta Club (11,12)
-Music
-Varsity Chorale (9-12): President
-Vocal Training (<9, 9-12): Performed at several recitals and school concerts</p>

15

<p>Thank you all for all the amazing responses. Its good to see people are interested in getting feedback on the ECs.</p>

<p>Georgeanne:6.5 .. you have a lot of scout hours which shows passion. A Yale adcom once said something to this effect, ' I don't care if your passion is shoe-shopping, its still much better than not showing any passion at all'</p>

<p>Aigaiqnf:8.5... very good ECs ... certainly much better than mine.. your ECs are very balanced and even your 'weakness' is pretty strong. I would say up to par for good schools. I think if you are over a 6.5 or so, you can aim for top schools.</p>

<p>Pesky:7.5... very very focused as well as balanced... over all very nice complimentary list of ECs. Write about your passion on your Essays. Its all about showing passion to adcoms.</p>

<p>Shwincity:7.0-8.0 ... depending on how recognized the awards are that you got. It seems to me that you have won a lot of awards.. pick a few good ones and highlight those...I think your list 'short, sweet and to the point.' </p>

<p>Thanks all! if you want your ECs judged, keep posting!</p>

16

<p>I'd say a 6.5-7.5, because you do show focus, but there doesn't seem to be anything amazing that stands out. I don't really see the medical bent. Did you forget to list something? Do you volunteer at the hospital?</p>

<p>Shad- I'd say a 6.5-7.5 too, because even though you seem accomplished, again, it doesn't seem to be a focus.. except perhaps math. Otherwise, great job. :)</p>

<p>ECs: Everything for 4 years unless otherwise noted.
Piano (15hrs/wk)
- Classical Piano (State and a few National awards. Performed in major halls.)
- School Orchestra and Choir Accompanist
- Regional Preprofessional Organization President
- Summer Programs
Math&Science (5hrs/wk)
- School Teams (Sci Oly&League, Math League, TEAMS, TechXplore- State awards)
- AIME Qualifier/AMC Winner
- Other math contest awards
- Math Research
- 4 Post-BC math courses
- 2 very selective summer programs
Creative Writing (4hrs/wk)
- Scholastic Gold Key
- State Awards
- Summer programs
- Literary Magazine Editor-in-Chief
Student Leadership (5hrs/wk)
- Class President (one year)
- Board of Education Student Rep (11-12)
- School Service Organization President
- School Tutoring Organization member (11-12)
Varsity Tennis (17hrs/wk)
- Previous JV Captain
Chinese (5hrs/wk)
- Volunteer teacher for adopted children (~450 hours)
Politics (2hrs/wk)
- JSA Vice President, State Assembly Rep
- Phonebank and canvassing work (one year)</p>

17

<p>Sounds like a great thread.
pianista: those are very strong ECs, you don't seem to be lacking in any one area, so the ECs are very well rounded, I'd say 8-9.5</p>

<p>As for me:</p>

<p>Table Tennis!!been playing competitively for 5 years, also member of a local club for 5 years
9-14 hours a week, 48-50 weeks a year
also play in USA Table Tennis sanctioned tournaments, as well as local tournaments; I've won numerous awards, but the ones that stand out are getting 1st or 2nd place at various events
2 awards for 'best sportsmanship' - both were given by the local club, one was decided on a vote that involved every member, one was decided by the club's head coach
Hopefully, I'll be able to start a club at school for this, this year (senior).
Basically, I looove table tennis.</p>

<p>Varsity Masterminds Team - sophomore - present, I love this, similar to Quizbowl, we play against other schools/districts, I'm the top scorer on my school's Varsity team, there's no official team captain, but I'm usually chosen as a 'captain' for a match, gonna be trying to get our team to meet more for more practice</p>

<p>Tutoring - freshman - present, eh, I do do this, and I like it, but it doesn't seem that great, is this even worth mentioning?</p>

<p>volunteering, about 80 hours total</p>

<p>-helping a friend's mother, who is a special ed teacher, set up and prepare various projects and educational activities for special ed students.</p>

<p>-helping a friend who organizes table tennis tournaments set up tables, nets, barriers, coaching and refereeing youth events</p>

<p>-Working with other students in a group to create podcasts and timelines as review materials for our AP US History course throughout junior year. The podcasts covered the entire course, and were available on a website for our classmates to use. A lot of other students found them really helpful for studying for both the midterm and the AP exam.</p>

<p>employment - summer 2007 - present, part time, small company that makes/distributes specialty greases/oils/lubricants for the vacuum pump industry, i do stuff like market research, data analysis, office maintenance, product packaging/labeling</p>

18

<p>swamp: I'd say like a 8-9, the table tennis thing seems really cool! Also have nice volunteering, and interesting job.
Here's mine:
National History Club: 9-12, Pres 10
Young Democrats: 11-12, VP 12
Speech and Debate: Founder/Pres 11, Pres 12
Beta Club: 10-12, treasurer 11
NHS: member. just thought it might look suspicious if i didnt have it.</p>

<p>Awards:
NMSF
Questbridge CPS
Amherst Telementee
Elk's teen of the year(local chapter)
A couple student of the month's at my school and that type of thing. I know I'm sorely lacking in volunteering.</p>

19

<p>Hey Don't Forget About Me !! :/</p>

20

<p>sorry pianista i didnt see your post there! id prolly say about an 8.5-9.5, cause you have a lot of stuff, and you seem very well rounded. I must say I'm very impressed by your piano awards. I've become nostalgic for piano :/</p>