Recs+app questions

Applying to College
1

<p>So I wasn't able to be involved in anything in 9th or 10th grade EC-wise since I had to take care of my brother and the house from the time I got home until 1 am which is when my mom would get home. I very briefly mentioned this in my common app essay since it helped in explaining my relationship with my brother and will mention it in the other info section of my common app. Which leads me to...</p>

<p>Q#1: How blunt should I be on the other info section in explaining this? Just come out and say it, lead up to it, or just let my counselor mention it to them. --></p>

<p>Q#2: I also thought about having my teachers mention it in their recs, how many teachers should I ask to do this? I can't possibly ask all of them b/c then that'll look like I'm totally making excuses and then definitely be in excess, I was thinking 1 or 2 would be a good number out of 3 recs?</p>

<p>Q#3: I want to go into poli sci/IR and have started a political blog. It was something I could do at home that also helped me learn more about politics and forming my own opinion on them and whatnot. Could I add this as an EC? I was thinking about maybe doing my EC essay on this. And if not...</p>

<p>Q#4: I attended Girls State (mock government program). Two girls were picked as delegates to go form our HS after two interview processes and whatnot. Would this go under awards/honors or would it count as an EC? Idk about EC b/c it was a one time thing for a week or would it go under summer programs attended? Could I do my EC essay about this?</p>

<p>Q#4: For the EC essay, should I elaborate on something related to what I want to do like Girls State or the blog to show passion or something non-related like orchestra to show well roundedness? </p>

<p>Opinions? Thanks ahead of time!</p>

2

<p>Pretty much anything can count as an EC so long as you devoted time and energy into it. Political blogging counts. The Girls State you could put under either EC or awards or summer programs, it wouldn’t matter. The EC blurb should be on the thing you want your reader to remember the most about you. So, unless you’re writing your main essay on one of your ECs, use it on your favorite/most important EC. And you can do your blurb (barely counts as an essay due to its tiny length) on whatever you want, including Girls State. Though if you were going to do that, I’d recommend putting Girls State in your ECs.</p>

<p>As to having teachers mention it in your recs: if it’s on the line of “my student had a busy life, taking care of family, and still was a great student” I don’t know how that could hurt you.</p>

3

<p>^Thanks! You answered all my questions, very helpful and thorough! Should I have just one teacher say it then? I was thinking two would be good but idk.</p>

4

<p>New question! So I’ve asked my teachers to write me a rec and one of them asked me if she should be school specific. I will be apply Cornell ED so should I have my teachers mention Cornell in their recs?</p>