<p>I'm a rising senior and I want to know what ECs I should list on my commonapp...I have a good amount of them and I want to know which ones I should list so it doesn't seem like I'm "laundry-listing" them. I'm planning on going into business or law and though places like HYPSM are on my list, my more realistic (but still high reaches) choices are UPenn Wharton(ED) and Cornell AEM (secondary choice ILR). Based on my interests which EC's should I put on commonapp that would boost my chances at these programs...and other schools?
stats: (just a brief overview, just to show how weak/strong I am academically)
GPA: 95/100 (school doesn't rank but I'm sure I'm at least in top 10%)
SAT I: cr.m.w: 710.770.800 SAT IIs: mathii.bio.us: 760.730.730</p>
<p>ECs: (length of participation in parentheses)
- DECA Business Club: Regional President, International Event Finalist, 3X NYS Winner (4 yrs)
- Varsity Tennis: Team Captain, 4 yrs. singles and sectionals player, Scholar Athlete (4 yrs)
-Interning at U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer's office (75+ hours) (one summer)
-Model UN: Club Officer, Committee Chair, Outstanding Delegate Award (4 years)
-Mock Trial: Team Captain, Leading lawyer (2 years)
-Alto Saxophone: Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, NYSSMA Level 6 Soloist (7 years)
-Sitar (Indian Instrument): 6 years, possibly sending in musical supplement, unique?
-Youth Court: a group that gives constructive sentences to delinquent youth (we have not had any cases yet but I have undergone training and am a court panelist)
-Interned at Law office of a family law attorney (75+ hours)
-Volunteering: (Is there a section for volunteering on commonapp?)
-Tae Kwon Do Camp Instructor (black belt)-130+ hrs
-Tutoring Club (30+ hrs)
-GILDAS Club of Rochester Camp Counselor (20+hrs)
-LPGA Golf Tournament Volunteer (20+hrs)
-Cerebral Palsy association (will be completed during senior year)</p>
<p>The way I would recommend you approach this is to take each of your ECs and write a paragraph describing what you achieved that mattered. The judgment of “mattered” is what someone who does not know the organization would understand.</p>
<p>So for varsity tennis – were you ranked, did you and your team win major matches.
For the senate intern assignment – did you (for example) research the impact of a proposed bill on some group. Did you make a recommendation that was followed?
For the Alto Saxophone did you do a recital (possibly solo) in (name the city), which was reviewed positively by the local press.
Etc.</p>
<p>Then take the 3 or 4 ECs that have the most compelling success stories (in terms of impact) and list those. Ask an impartial observer to read your list and successes. I expect that if you do this in a clear unbiased way you’ll get your answer.</p>
<p>A few things: I totally agree with fogcity.
Two: Why are you not applying to Dartmouth? they have an excellent business program
Three: What event did you compete in for DECA? I was at ICDC too, but I wasn’t a finalist. I was in SEM.</p>
<p>@fogcity…so for varsity tennis our team is #2 in our league but I don’t know about state rankings. At my internship at the Senator’s office I have researched bills, but making a formal recommendation to the Senator would be tough. Lastly I haven’t had a saxophone recital that was critiqued in any manner (I play Sitar and Saxophone for fun though they are important activities to me). Does this mean I shouldn’t include these EC’s, sinc they seem to be some of my stronger ones???</p>
<p>@wrightm I am applying to Dartmouth…I was just focused on undergrad business programs I was applying to. I don’t believe Dartmouth has an undergad business program, but I’m applying since they’re econ/social sciences are supposed to be really strong. </p>
<p>At ICDC, I was in the Marketing Management Series event.</p>
<p>My sense is that the EC you mention in post #4 are your strongest, or at least they are the ones most likely to resonate with someone reading your application. So for each of these 3 pick the “most” compelling personal achievement and include it alongside the EC. How did you contribute to the number 2 ranking – pick a particular match in which you made the most difference; how was the research that you did for senator used (and summarize the general area of the bill); the context in which you’ve played sitar (perhaps for a special visitor, etc.)</p>