Should I put caring for my brother in "activities," "additional information (writing)", or not at all?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
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Hey, first post! I am currently applying to college and filling out the Common Application.

I have been taking care of my brother since I was capable. I have looked after him through middle and high school, especially in high school when I could do more things on my own. I do this because my parents are very busy with work and it is easier on them if I help take care of him. One parent commutes early and late hours and the other is just generally very busy.

I wake up in the mornings to cook breakfast and prepare lunch for him. I cook dinner for him. I prepare these meals for the both of us. This isn’t an every-meal thing. My parents will cook sometimes or buy premade meals but I take care of at least over 50% of his meals.

I am responsible for “tutoring” him. I help him with mathematics, english, and other school work almost every night during the school year. I have spent the summer break studying with him every day to prepare him for the incoming school year.

I used to pick up and drop him off at the bus stop when our hours overlapped. Now, if he has an event, I will walk him there (such as at the school) because I can not drive and our parents are often unwilling/unable to drive.

When I go out with friends, I bring him along (I know… I am that person) because I can’t leave him at home alone. I don’t mind but I see this as a significant time commitment.

In “additional information,” there are two sections.

Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. For more information, check out our COVID-19 FAQ.

and

Do you wish to provide details of circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application?

I would much prefer to put caring for my sibling in additional information because I would be able to put in another extracurricular in activities. Can I list this activity in one of the text boxes listed above?

Where should I list this activity, if at all?

My brother is a normal kid. He isn’t special-needs or that of the like and I know people that caring for special-needs individuals is more time intensive. I still think that taking care of him has taken a significant portion of my time. Will college admissions officers see this the same way, or am I just being “dramatic?”

(I don’t mind taking care of him. For reference, I am going into my senior year and he just started middle school in the last school year.)

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Whoops, realized I can’t edit my posts. I forgot to finish my thought: I don’t mind caring for him. I like cooking and spending time with him! I might even write about cooking for him in one of my essays. I just feel that this has been a significant time commitment college admissions officers should know.

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Definitely include it. I think it would be appropriate to put it in the portion about circumstances or qualifications not reflected in the application.

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I would list it as an activity, that is generally where home/family responsibilities go…are you saying you already have 10 activities that are more important than caring for your brother? If so, I might rethink that. Activities should be the 10 that are most important to you and also be listed in order of their importance to you, with #1 being the most important. The most important activities may not be the ones you necessarily spend the most time on.

You can write about caring for your brother in the additional info section too, but I would still recommend including it as an activity.

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I see, thank you for the insight!

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This is a good point I did not consider. Thank you for the insight!

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Have your counselor put it in their report. It’s an important part of who you are. Agree with above also.

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Also ps you pretty much have your essay written in your original post. I thought it was great. Definitely leave in “I am that person”.

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I think you can list it as an EC and I think you should also write about it in an additional info section (unless you cover it in another essay). Your family is lucky to have you! This responsibility and sacrifices you make (you don’t use that word but I will) would impress any college, I would think.

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We have a form to fill for our counselor recommendation (about our lives, our passions… extenuating family circumstances.) I completely forgot about this option, thank you so much!

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How many years younger than you is your brother? If he is relatively close in age to you, this may not be something you want to emphasize. If he is significantly younger than you, and your after school and summer care is keeping him safe and on the right track in a neighborhood where boys can get into serious trouble, it might be the subject of your main essay.

My point is that the circumstances and particulars of the situation should influence how much you should emphasize this in your application.

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It doesn’t have to be the main essay, of course. It will fit well in a supplementary/additional info essay and can be matter of fact and short, with the same info posted here.

I am not sure your GC should be the one to write about it.

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