<p>This is a case where you have to somehow sort which need to be on the EC page. You could give each of the more signifcant music activities a line entry- based either on the level of selectivity or your role (eg, if you are principal or soloist,) and considering length of involvement and/or if some are particularly impressive/well known. At some point, refer to the resume- eg, “additional activities are listed in Addl Info.” Be sure the EC page itself shows some breadth.</p>
<p>Ok thank you for your reply. I feel since some of the festivals I’ve done (ie NEMFA, which is the New England Music Festival Association) are not known nationwide, it would e better to specify elsewhere on the common app where there’s more room. Would it be useful to list seat number too? (like 1st Vln, 9th chair at all-nationals)</p>
<p>@hypscm I would definitely recommend that you write your seat number, because the adcoms will be able to see that you only not played your instrument but also excelled at it.</p>
<p>@lookingforward and @HONORLIONS</p>
<p>Thank you for your advice. It really helped me a lot to reconsider attaching my resume. I will look through my activities list to really make sure if I need another document as a supplement.</p>
<p>Ok, thanks for you input. In that case, I will definitely need to attach a separate resume, right?</p>
<p>If you feel that you definitely need another page for your ECs then do so. Since I am the one who started this thread I am on the same track as you</p>
<p>But, be brief and take a hard look before releasing it. The CA is a series of “best judgment” decisions, wrapped into one whole. You want to show that judgment- at least, not raise flags. In some cases, kids should flex their self-editing skills. Find what’s right for you. Good luck.</p>
<ul>
<li>how good is 9th chair in a national group? Even in a professional symphony, usually only first and second are the leads, no? Or was yours ranked? If so, find a way other than “9th seat” to take some credit. This is a good example of where an adcom might assume about 9th. Even a little parenthetical note can do it: 9th chair (ranked 9th out of xx strings. )</li>
</ul>
<p>I’m guessing ours were ranked by audition scores… Though honestly I’m not sure. I know for a fact that that’s the way they do it in regionals and all-state though</p>
<p>I would like to add my 2 cents on this one. I read the admissions book by Katherine Cohen “The truth about getting in,” and she runs the website IvyWise. I don’t particularly care for her, as she caters to the wealthy (she goes on NBC a lot and charges $30K-40K for help, ridiculous - I’m not even sure if it is per year or for four years!) At any rate, if you look through her book, she’s got sample brag sheets on students (written like resumes) that are 4-5 pages long in the book. Where would anyone fit this kind of stuff in there on a common app? If you have a chance to look at the book, it is insane how much information she provides just for one candidate. Granted the book was written in 2002, but she talks about attaching an 8.5 x 11 sheet with a photo in the upper corner on an app to Brown and reads like a professional whose been in the workforce for several years. </p>
<p>Here is my d’s personal experience. She was part of a Global Scholars program at her hs. In 10th gr they went to a conference at Yale. it was run by underclassmen, and I guess they were getting extra credit for holding the conference. We were told a booth would be there for international internships (it was not there…the original flyer said it would be, and so the advisor who took the students up felt it was just a ploy to get people to come and she left). There were three speakers however, but these speakers droned on and on and the class was nearly asleep except for a front row of asian kids taking notes. </p>
<p>It was run by two asian students, and they said the parents and teachers could sit in on the conference. Needless to say, they did not allow it (when that happened another teacher took his group home, so they could make a sports event). </p>
<p>HOWEVER, the students were told to bring their resumes (remember it was 10th grade) with them to go over them and have them critiqued. My d happened to have one solely, because for us, it was an easy way to keep track of what she was doing. She did 98% of her activities outside of school. For every student that brought their resume, the gal reviewing it, would call them in the office then kept checking her emails, was texting and said to all of them “you need more sports” - take harder classes, etc. She didn’t even read the resumes! She gave canned response and could not give a fig about the students. Honestly. When my d saw that, she didn’t even bother wasting her time to go in and have hers reviewed. She did tell the students who did stay at the conference, that Yale loves resumes. This was two years ago. </p>
<p>With my d, a resume has worked well, and that is how she garnered a lot of unusual activities/internships outside of school, by submitting a resume. The feedback was always that she “distinguished herself” by including it. </p>
<p>I think it should be done on a college-by-college basis. That is what we are going to do. She could not possibly explain her unique activities on the lines of a common app,so she is going to call the colleges to ask if it is acceptable to submit one, and then respect their decision. She is not pretentious at all; in fact, her teachers tell her to step up and brag. She has a very difficult time doing that and even writing about herself. I think that is hard to do for most people. But if you don’t do it, someone else out there will - remember “the squeaky wheel makes the most noise,” and all the books and admin directors say “don’t be afraid to brag.”</p>
<p>I agree with one of the posters above - if it is an activity generic to all high schools, you don’t need a resume; however, if you have done something that the admin people would not understand, I would include the resume (if allowed). At one college meeting, an admin dir told us not to use acronyms (which you would think is common sense). He said they chuckle about some of the names of clubs that kids start or other organizations that might be commonplace to their localities, but the admin people would not know about (and don’t have the time to look up). They are not mind readers, and they do want an explanation. </p>
<p>This whole process, between apps, essays, fin aid, has really stressed us out - I can’t wait until it is all over. It is not fun! Good luck to all the kids applying this year!</p>
<p>Thank you so much medavinci, your advice helped me a lot!</p>
<p>Yes yes thanks for your post! Very useful info! :)</p>
<p>some of my activities are generic (math, badminton, debating) but I’ve done things in each that may set me apart? Things like tripling club turnouts over 4 years, bringing in and contacting guest speakers and professors, captaining the first regionals 1st place team finish in almost 10 years, finding and hiring the first ever debating competitive coach and transforming the club to competitive, etc. Are these things that deserve mention in an “additional information” section? The space that the common app is really little.</p>
<p>I also want to talk about why I didn’t have any job/work experience because I volunteered at the heart and stroke office (which was pretty much a job/volunteer internship) for personal reasons - grandfather and good friends father passed away from heart disease. Are these, again, worthy of including?</p>
<p>If so, how should I structure the supplement?</p>
<p>Just addressing your last concern, that of having no work experience: I wouldn’t stress about that. Many high schoolers consider school (academics and EC activities) their “full-time job”. We certainly consider that to be the case for my 12th grade son. He has never worked at a regular paying job, other than this past summer when he did a week as an RA in a camp for the gifted (he was a camper there when he was younger). School is his job, and I’m sure that most college adcoms understand that. They do respect kids who work, however, to help the family bring in needed income and still juggle school. However, they know that this scenario doesn’t fit everyone.</p>