I’m currently applying as a transfer to various colleges, including some elite ones. A good number of them are asking for a short blurb on my most meaningful or significant extracurricular. Problem is I can’t decide which one it is! Here are my choices:
Teaching Assistant for Programming - During class I helped students troubleshoot problems, answered questions, clarified concepts and did the same through email. I also taught a lesson under the supervision of my instructor. It was very meaningful for me, because I took the same class the year before and I struggled a lot because I was the ONLY girl in my class and also one of the youngest students. During my time as the TA, my professor commented on how I was able to not only help the students academically, but also motivate many of them through my mannerism and encouragement. In particular, to the few girls in the class, I served as a role model for them because of lack of female representation in Computer Science. (I’m majoring in Computer Science btw).
College Mentor for Low-Income/Minority Students- I went to a very financially stricken school district in which most of the students are low-income/minority. Basically, if you wanted to talk to you counselor, you had to sneak in through the back exit to be able to. The counselors also gave wrong information, were overworked and were very unhelpful in general. Because I’m first generation, college applications didn’t work out as well the first time because it was so confusing, even though I had the credentials (I didn’t exactly apply to all the right schools and I couldn’t afford the schools I got into). Because of this, after enrolling in community college, I reached out to my high school teacher. I didn’t want others to go through the same trouble and she recommended a few high achieving seniors to me. I’ve helped guide them through the college application process.
Muslim Student Association- I’m the founder/President. We’re just starting this club up, but it means a lot to me. There were some mishaps at school and after all the negative press and discrimination going on, this was something that needed to start. We’re working on providing a social club/safe haven for Muslim students but we’re also opening the club to those who aren’t Muslims so they can learn. One of our big focuses is addressing the misconceptions of Islam.
What do you guys think would be best for me to write about? I’d really appreciate the help.
Thanks kind of my problem All three are equally meaningful to me for very different reasons.
I started working on the groundwork for MSA last semester, and this semester we will be an official club. We’ve been putting a lot of work in creating the club from the work up including interviewing potential advisers, creating our mission statement, and activation. We’ve also been working on create a hangout room for students that’s opening shortly (the other major religious faiths already have rooms like this in place). As for stuff that we’ve done beyond that, we’re having a few speakers coming.
I agree that you sound the most passionate about the first one. There is also very little negativity towards others in that one, giving me an overall positive impression of you. In reading it I envision you as a very approachable person who is willing to be a mentor.
Next year I will be applying to various amounts of school as a transfer student.
I have actually done 2/3 of your extracurriculars in my own community as a college
and high school student. In my essays I wrote and plan on writing about teaching low-income
students the programming language swift and mobile web development. This being noted my close
friends who attended Stanford noted that they give points depending on how passionate you are about your
academic interest. The term recruitment officers use are intellectual vitality hence, I would highly recommend
writing about the subject you are most passionate about.
To clarify, are you suggesting I write about the first one because of it’s linkage to my major? Because I’m equally passionate about all three of the above activities.
You can combine the two top ones into one using a name like Mentoring/assisting other (come up with a better name) which incorporates helping others. You did this in two ways.
Hm, I could potentially do that… but I think that would be kind of difficult to smoosh everything together in about 150 words. While they have a common theme of mentoring, I think they’re still very distinct in what I accomplished.
Also just checked over some of the college prompts and some ask to elaborate on a “single activity” listed in my extracurricular section of app. So I don’t think that could be done
I like the first one as well. There is nothing negative in your description, it explains how you overcame a difficulty and used your success to help others. The mentoring young women in computer science I think is a good hook.
What my son did for things like this was write all three essays. It was clear in the end which made the best essay even though it wasn’t the obvious favorite EC.
@ASJackson923 Thanks, I’m leaning towards the first and last one now too. I think I have put in a substantial amount of work/effort to the MSA one as viable option, but what you say does make sense.
@mathmom That’s actually a good idea! I might try a rendition of that.
You asked if your second and third activities gave off a negative vibe. I would say not much, but they do give off a slightly negative vibe.
In the second one you sound somewhat like you are placing blame on others for you not going to a 4 year college. It’s better not to blame others but to accept responsibility. It’s okay to simply state that you weren’t given much guidance during the application process and explain what you have done to educate yourself on the process this time around. You can discuss how you have reached out to help others and what help you have given them. BTW, what did you mean you would have to sneak in the back door to talk to a counselor? I’m not sure how to interpret that comment, it’s cryptic to me.
The third activity doesn’t have much substance to it at this point. The club is a good idea of course, but you need to provide more details about how you are achieving your goals.
Definitely would not put all that info in my extracurricular blurb, that was more of an informal background I wrote to demonstrate the importance I felt for helping others not have to go through that. How you described the activity is exactly how I would phrase it. Did not want to mean to give off the impression that I’m blaming anyone for anything because that is definitely not the case! I apologize if it came off that way.
All three are equally meaningful to me for very different reasons.
Thanks.
I didn’t mean to if that’s the case.