<p>Quick question:
I'm the eldest of three kids and with two parents that work a lot, the care of my two younger sibs is my duty as the oldest kid. Helping to take care of them isn't my whole entire life, but I play a significant part in looking after them so my mum and dad can work without interruptions. I do things like clean the house, sometimes cook dinners when my mom can't or is too tired to, or helping both my sibs with their homework etc.
My youngest sib also has a kind of high functioning autism so while he doesn't have to take medicine or anything making sure he sticks to his strict schedule and managing any outbursts he has is very important. I guess I'm trying to say is that for large part my family has always come first and I haven't been able to be involved in a million after school activities because of my responsibilities to my family. Now some of my peers in my school are telling me that this might hurt me, but I don't know what to believe. Is there a place I could put this in the Common app? Maybe as an EC? If so how much detail do I have to go into (for the sake of privacy)?</p>
<p>Could you incorporate this into your essay?</p>
<p>@jjmopp I guess I could, but I have so many other positive things that I want to write about. It would almost be like wasting an essay to me.</p>
<p>When my D applied the Common App had an additional information section…if it still has that you could write a paragraph about you time commitment to your family and how it impacted you. And I think you could put primary caregiver to younger siblings for X hours/week as an EC.</p>
<p>It can be listed as an activity - there is a designation there for family commitments</p>
<p>I agree to list as an EC and give an estimated of extra hours that someone else might not be doing. Don’t list normal family stuff or occasional stuff. And I like the idea to just briefly elaborate in the add’l info section, that due to family situation and an autistic sib and being the eldest you are are a key part of family support system. etc.</p>
<p>I recall hearing from a Tufts AO that situations like the OP’s are very much taken into consideration and can more than make up for ECs - much like working at the family business can. She told the story of the guy with decent stats who’s one EC was basketball - not a stellar athlete by any means, but every day after practice, he went and swept the shop floor for a couple of hours before doing his homework. Needless to say, they admitted him, with a big FA package, in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>How you explain your situation is a matter of strategy you should talk with your GC about, but don’t hesitate to explain everything - it can only make you look better in the eyes of admission.</p>
<p>@MrMom62 @happy1 I apologize for the late reply, but thank you for your advice. This whole process seems like a whirlwind sometimes. </p>
<p>Would it be fair to compare my family duties to a job of sorts? I can honestly say that after taking care of my sibs (and at one point mother) for 4+ years is pretty time consuming (almost 25-30 hours per week) Making dinner, helping with homework, planning meals, picking up people, watching them daily etc. And because one of my sibs is autistic those duties get doubled. Because I’m their primary caregiver until my mother comes home, there’s not a lot of time for an actual job until my second semester maybe. Now that I think about it, its a wonder I had time for anything outside of schoolwork hah.
@ BrownParent
Thank you for your advice. What do you mean by don’t list the usual family stuff? I mean don’t mention cooking dinner or helping with homework? Would it just be better to put the hours a week I take care of them and construct a short paragraph with my GC for the additional info section?</p>
<p>Yes, you could say it was similar to a job I think. If you have a good guidance counselor you can ask him/her the best way to word it. But you can maybe write something like: Sole after-school caregiver to siblings. If you choose you could probably write your essay on how these responsibilities (maybe particular your autistic sibling) have impacted not only your life but your viewpoint, your goals, etc.</p>
<p>Make sure you include something about what you learned from the experience. While you can be straightforward about your duties, including some perspective about your experience will also show admissions people some strong points about your character, which will be more important than participating in clubs or sports.</p>