<p>D1 is parsing the Common App as if she's doing literary analysis. Her latest query is for the check boxes on the EC lists which ask if you are planning on participating in college. What about ECs which were one-off summer programs? On the one hand, D1 would definitely participate in college if similar opportunities arose. On the other hand, she's not going to be able to participate in exactly that specific organization. I told D1 there was no wrong answer here. She doesn't believe me, and asked me to ask the collective wisdom here. So, I'm asking. :) Anyone want to give my D1 an exegesis on the hidden meanings of this question in the eyes of adcoms? Or, can I just tell her to listen to her parents, for heavens sakes?</p>
<p>I’m with you: if a similar opportunity arose while she’s in college, and she would probably opt to participate, check “yes.” I really doubt that adcoms are going to dissect the answers to those questions.</p>
<p>My D checked that she was going to continue volunteering at the hospital while she’s in college. Clearly it’s not going to be the SAME hospital (that would be quite the commute), and I’m sure the adcoms know that.</p>
<p>It’s simple. If the student would be interested in participating in a similar activity in college, the activity should be described in such a way that a “yes” answer makes sense. For example, the student could say “Played trumpet in a marching band,” rather than “Played trumpet in the high school marching band” or “Tutored elementary school children” rather than “Tutored children in a special summer program at X Elementary School.”</p>
<p>Tell her I said to check the yes box.</p>
<p>I agree - it does not have to be the exact same event, just a similar activity, to earn the “yes”.</p>
<p>Yep, another mom telling her to check the box. (I do love her consideration of the ethics here, and attention to detail!)</p>
<p>If it’s any consolation, my D had the exact same angst over that portion. There were similar glitches elsewhere for which the prescribed answer format simply did not work. I consider this to be a failing with the Common App. On a paper application, one could have written in a clarifying comment or an N/A notation.</p>
<p>Having said that, my D checked “no” for the summer program type of things because the nature of those programs was such that they wouldn’t be applicable to the college stage of her life, or else involved an interest she was no longer planning to pursue. For example, she had attended an engineering summer camp, and that helped her determine that engineering was not going to be her field of study.</p>
<p>My son said “yes” for summer math camps, thinking he might choose to be a counselor sometime. I vote with most of the other people, and applaud her for her desire to be honest, which my son (and I) share.</p>
<p>D1 says thanks. And momofsongbird, when she read “I do love her consideration of the ethics here, and attention to detail!”, she turned to me and said “see, someone LIKES me.” LOL.</p>