Listing political activities?

Applying to College
1

I’m wondering whether I should list some political activism I’ve done as an activity on my common app. On the one hand, it’s something I care deeply about. On the other, it’s activism on behalf of one of the major US political parties, and the odds are about 50-50 (depending, of course, on the school) that the person reading my application will sympathize with the other party.

I’m sure very few people would consciously reject students for being affiliated with a political party they disapprove of (unless it’s the American Independent Party) but there’s always a few such cranks. Moreover, a number of studies have shown most people can be subconsciously biased even by information they believe they’re ignoring.

Should I list my political activities on my application? Or is there a significant chance that it’ll prejudice some readers against me?

Alternately, should I just put “activism on behalf of a major political party” and leave it at that, or will that seem too vague?

2

Include it, you’re overthinking this.

3

I agree that you should include it. Unless you are working on behalf of some fringe group doing something illegal or immoral (which I highly doubt) colleges won’t care what party you work for – they are looking for a diverse group of students. If there turns out to be one oddball school out there that holds your political affiliation against you in any way, then that wasn’t the right school for you.

4

@guineagirl96 @happy1 -I’m not volunteering for a present-day David Duke, if that’s what you’re asking. Some volunteering for the Democratic party.

I’m not really worried about schools, since I’m not applying to Bob Jones or Liberty University. What I’m more worried about is readers-I would hate to get the one reader in a group of 10 who takes offense at an applicant who’s volunteered for the Democratic party. And a few schools I’m applying to are, by reputation, pretty far right of center, so it’s likely their alumni and students (who make up a large contingent of readers) will be of a similar bent.

5

I think that volunteering for the Democratic party is a very mainstream activity – I would not hesitate to include it.

6

If I was rejected from a college for being Republican, I wouldn’t want to attend that college.

7

You don’t have to list the specific party affiliation. You can just say that you “volunteered as a staffer in
Congressional campaigns” or some similar statement, and list the types of tasks you did.