Hey guys,
So I have been looking through some results threads here on CC for several colleges and noticed something strange. So I understand that for the Common App, you are only allowed to submit up to 10 ECs, but when you look at the results threads most people list way more than 10 ECs. If these people are listing them on CC but not on the Common App, wouldn’t that be unhelpful, if not harmful, to us. Or are people somehow fitting in more ECs on their app?
I think that people commonly either lump similar ECs together and elaborate in the little description section, write about extra ECs in their essays, and/or attach a resume to their application
Ok, but I feel like if an EC is worthy of putting in your essay, then you should put it on the Common App. No?
Yeah, you use the extra spaces if you want. But for schools like Princeton and Stanford they ask in an essay what you did over the summer. I added things that didn’t make the common app.
hmmmm ok. I guess that makes sense. But I actually have new question now. If you make it into a prestigious summer program or something, do you put it in your ECs or just in your essays?
It really depends what else you have/if you have space. If you do then do it. If you don’t then prioritize school year things. If you can write an interesting essay–and I mean interesting then go for it.
FYI, many highly- and most-selective undergraduate schools would prefer fewer ECs – but with participation in-depth, with long-term involvement, and with LEADERSHIP – to “Tons of ECs,” to use your term. You are not required to list evverything.
FWIW, not only leadership but what did you do with the leadership role? Declaring yourself founder and president of a club that meets once or twice a month isn’t really that impressive.
What if you have many related EC’s for something you were interested in rather than just a few with depth? For example, someone interested in business may have many different EC’s all related to business, and spent some decent time on each one, rather than just having one or two with extreme depth?
^ It doesn’t have to be like you put in the hours of a full-time job for a particular EC. Maybe you do three related ECs for a few hours/week each, but you’ve done them all for more than one year. That’s still depth. Depth can also be, like SlackerMomMD said, even if you don’t spend a lot of time in these ECs, have you moved them forward in any way?
They’re just putting as much as they can to glorify themselves but it’s rare that I find real impressive EC’s respectively on here.
Well, to be fair, it’s hard to expect a lot of HS Juniors and Seniors to have much perspective on what makes a good EC. They think if they signed up for a club and went a few times it’s a big deal. I ask kids all the time what their passion is and they simply can’t come up with something.
ETA: And, then, there are others who seem to like lots of things and there just isn’t enough time in a schedule to do them all, particularly if they start getting into some depth in any of them.
I agree 100% with @JustOneDad - does this make you a bad person/candidate though? Absolutely not. But those people who are truly passionate about something are the ones who end up having a greater chance at a top-tier University.