On the application, it gives you space to put some extracurriculars in small boxes. You can put the name, type, range of dates you did it from, etc. The ‘types’ include Extracurricular, Job, Varsity Sport, etc.
However, below that, they give you unlimited space to “list any extracurriculars/awards/honors that I would like to be considered with admission.” How do I list these? Do I summarize in a few sentences or should I be short and to the point, like
“4-H Club; Treasurer, 2013-2015” or “North County Fastpitch Association Softball Team; member, 2010-2016; Team Captain, 2013-2016”
Or, do colleges want you to sort of explain these ventures? Like
“I was in said 4-H Club for 4 years, one of which was during 9th grade. During that year I was Club Treasurer-- I was responsible for keeping track of money, managing the bank account, and deciding whether purchases were financially wise. During my 10th grade year, I joined another 4-H Club. Both of these clubs worked to improve the local community.”
(I’ll write it better, but just a general idea.)
In addition to this, if I was in a club in middle school and continued it through high school, should I let colleges know? Will it show more commitment? I’ve heard that they don’t care about middle school achievements (that’s not what I’m putting on there, anyways), but I would think that they’d like to see that I was in the club longer than just 9th & 10th grade to establish myself in it.
I agree with skieurope. See how colleges see it: how many 4H club members or group treasurers apply to them year after year? They don’t have to go very far to fill in the blanks if you say:
That’s completely sufficient. The level of detail (which is very important to you since it lists your accomplishments) is simply not that important for colleges. They don’t have time for that. Hope this helps
@skieurope awesome, thank you! I am also beginning to coach a younger girls’ softball team as an assistant coach this year (unpaid) and am giving pitching lessons to them. I have started this venture a little bit but a majority of it will be done through the fall, winter, and next summer. Should I list this even though not much has happened yet?
@T26E4 okay, you said to put it in terms of grades (9-10, etc.) Would putting it in terms of years be sufficient instead? Say, 2013-2014, or would they like to see the grades instead that I did them in?
I do alumni interviewing…I want to know what you have accomplished and what leadership you have shown.
I want to know how long you have been doing it and how much time it takes.
So you want something between your two examples.
"4-H Club; Treasurer, 2013-2015. 4 hours per week. Raised 2 calves on my own and showed at County fair where I won 2 blue ribbons. Elected Treasurer my second year where I kept track of money, managed the bank account, and decided if purchases were financially wise. and was instrumental in suggesting and implementing Candy Sale where we raised $500 for entry fees for the club.
Softball: North County Fastpitch Association Softball Team; member, 2010-2016; Team Captain, 2013-2016. 10 hours per week. Starting shortstop on competitive travel softball team. Named team captain 3 years in a row.
Assistant Coach, U7 Recreation Softball. 2016. 4 hours per week. Help run practices, and teach pitching to 3rd grade girls
4-H would show me that you can take on a long term project with responsibility and take it to completion and do a good job. You also work on helping others by being treasurer and showing leadership in raising money.
either the years or the grades are fine. Just be consistent.
I think the grades would be better as then the person doesn’t have to translate to years…
Okay, so perhaps I should go at least a little bit into detail? I also own, ride, and show a horse. This is a huge commitment and I would think that it would be an extracurricular, so I’d like to mention it. How would I go about doing that?
AO’s are quite skilled at reading between the lines and discerning information. Additionally, for the important EC’s, one or more of your recommendations may touch upon them as well. Time for a reality check - while you will put hours and hours into crafting the perfect application, AO’s will spend 12-15 minutes tops in reading them. They don’t need a book about your experiences in the Spanish Honor Society.
As I said earlier, some colleges will have a supplementary question asking you to elaborate on one of your EC’s or they may have a question asking you to discuss one thing that they should know about you. So there are avenues to discuss the EC’s in more depth. At least on the Common App, th small boxes on the EC page is not it.
