Hi guys, so I recently started my common app and I put that I helped with my mom’s clinic in another country while I was in the US. Basically I helped configure Office 365 and worked on setting up the technological aspect of it. The clinic is owned by mom and dad and we recently put it on hold due to the civil war in my home country. How would I verify this EC to college admissions because I think they might ask for proof. I can have my mom and dad attest to it or have my teachers write me LORs describing it. What are your thoughts?
I would be honest in describing what you did.
If there’s a request to verify and it’s highly unlikely, then you’ll have it verified.
Write the name of the clinic and describe what you did and move on.
The truth shall set you free as they say.
Good luck to you.
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I personally doubt they will ask for proof if you describe it concisely just like that. Meaning, if you say you helped configure Office 365 and set up additional office technology for your mom’s clinic in East Africa, I am pretty sure they will not bother actually contacting your mom to verify that. And of course if they did, your mom could verify it.
Incidentally, this reminds me of a very common, and valued, EC, which is working in a family business, like a family restaurant. To my knowledge they do not in fact typically try to verify such activities.
Well…you didn’t help at the clinic in Africa. If that was the implication in your application…it wasn’t true.
What exactly did you write. I hope it was the honest explanation of what you actually did.
Yes I wrote that I only helped with the technological aspect of the clinic.
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Then don’t worry because presumably if someone checked, what you wrote would be able to be verified.
Do you think it’s a unique EC?
Why do you care if it’s “unique”. It’s what you did.
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The clinic being in East Africa is unusual circumstances, but the activity itself–setting up office software and technology–is not.
That doesn’t mean it is bad to list. But realistically, the fact this clinic was in East Africa sounds like it says more about your parents than you. Which isn’t bad for you, but I would have realistic expectations about how good it could be for you.
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You don’t need unique ECs. You may not even need ECs at all depending on the colleges you apply to.
If ECs help strengthen an application, a few where you spent time making an impact is more than enough. Working at a grocery store, playing sports, walking shelter dogs, participating in a club, tutoring 5th graders - it’s all good.
It’s not a race to be unique. You helped a business. It’s great if you spent real time and can quantify the impact.
You are over thinking anything more.
Good luck.
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