NMF extracurricular activity question

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I am trying to complete the National Merit Finalist application:</p>

<p>I am not in very many extracurricular activities, but I have joined two more in my senior year. Should I include the Debate Team and Future Business Leaders of America, the two clubs I just joined?</p>

<p>Also, I have been working as a library volunteer for 2 1/2 years with 241 hours, but there is no place to include community service. Should I write my library work as an Activity or would it be acceptable under the Employment category?</p>

<p>What I have to list so far for activities:
1. Marching Band - 4 years
2. Concert Band - 4 years (Marching & Concert Band are quite different)
3. Jazz Band - 2 years
4. National Honors Society - 1 year</p>

2

<p>Congratulations! I think volunteering is more of an activity than employment, but a fair argument could be made either way. If you have nothing else to put under Employment, then I suggest putting your library service there, so your application has one less blank spot, giving the impression of greater breadth.</p>

3

<p>I wouldn’t make it a bigger deal than it is :)</p>

<p>I wouldn’t put library under employment as it wasn’t a paid job but include it in your activities.</p>

<p>If you don’t have enough lines for all you want to include, consider putting “band” all on one line. You could write “Band - marching 4 yrs, concert 4 yrs, jazz 2 yrs.” or something similar.</p>