Leaving the answer as Undecided will show admissions officers that you have not put much thought into your interests or future career choices. Many students will have experienced disrupted testing dates and summer programs or other plansand thats okay to unpack those obstacles here if they were significant and unique issues. The Common Application is a streamlined application service. Make sure these do not overlap with the answers in your Activities section! You will have a chance to indicate the timing of the activity during school year, school break, or all year and colleges will take that into consideration when evaluating the activity. Individually nominated for AVCA All-American Awards and won Average HSs Spirit Award. One reason could be that you wanted to take advanced courses not offered at your high school. Think about topics to avoid. The Common Application will ask you to fill out 9 fields for each activity you choose to list. Within 250 words, you have the opportunity to inform colleges whether the Coronavirus outbreak and social distancing protocols affected your health, family life, and learning abilities. This section features many different moving parts; not only must you describe ten of the most significant extracurricular activities that have filled your free time in high school, but it also asks you to estimate your time commitment to these activities and forces you to describe . Many colleges value the perspective of first-generation students and look to see if you are coming from that background. Colleges want to see that youre committed to your activities because that indicates a passion for something outside of academics that you will bring to college and hopefully beyond. You will also want to jot down the years youve been involved in the activity in terms of grade levels. These are rare activities that show exceptional achievement or leadership. These are the most common activities and are seen most often by admissions committees. This example does not elaborate on what the student did, nor does it show what they learned from their time at the hospital. This means that art awards, publications, and athletic awards are all fair game. For example, if you are interested in the biomolecular sciences and cancer research and decide this will be your hook, you should be able to demonstrate that interest through activities like working as a professors research assistant at a medical school, taking related classes at a college or university, or writing about cancer research-related topics in your school newspaper. Her hook is conveyed through an impressive mix of in-school extracurriculars, out-of-school activities, summer activities, and hobbies. Legacy does not guarantee admission to a college, but it can give students an extra edge. When it comes to filling out this section, the last thing you want to be is humble! He then repeated it and continued: "Our nation's children are all our children.". . As you think about your response, remember that it is valuable to talk about how youve moved forward. Admission officers want to see your academic track record, and what classes you have taken at different levels. Lets take it one step further. These questions can include what major you want from their list of majors, and what activities you would partake in at the college. Common App will not support questions that are prohibited by federal or state law (e.g., marital status, disability) unless the member can provide a legal exemption to do so. The Common App COVID-19 question speaks for itself. Since the list is fairly broad, you will probably find that your activity fits into at least one of the sections available. From there, you can calculate how many weeks you participated in a sport or school-affiliated extracurricular activity. where you are able to choose which SAT and ACT scores to report. Instead, they could say something like: entertained children in the waiting room by sharing riddles and performing mathemagics; fully digitized the patient filing system. In the description itself, use strong verbs and be as specific as possible. Since 2008, he has worked at Colby College, Wesleyan University, University of Maine at Farmington, and Bates College. The prompt states: Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If it seems like you are choosing one category for everything, try to diversify a bit and think about how activities can be related without being exactly the same thing. Because this student also has an entrepreneurial streak, she could optionally indicate a secondary interest in business if a school offers dual degrees, majors, or minors in business administration for undergraduates. Some colleges, including MIT for example, sort and read applications by citizenship. Proofread and fact-checked over 30 pieces about environmental issues annually. If youre wondering where your extracurriculars fall within the tier system, check out our free Chancing Engine. While the honors section certainly wont make or break your application, it can really help you stand out if properly utilized. Of course, this isnt necessary for well-known awards like National Merit that are self-explanatory. This shows us that theyre almost as important as academics! Participated in multiple science-based events; 2nd place 2018 for Write It Do It, 3rd place 2019 for Meteorology. Therefore, do not write anything thats specific to any one of the schools. awards or achievements that you have earned starting from the ninth grade. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. The CommonSpirit Events app is you The satire in the fourth Voyage has been considered most distinctively Swiftian, The standard length of a residency personal statement is one page in ERAS, which equals anywhere from 500-800 words. Common App Activities List vs. UC Activities List. What prompted your thinking? Its important to craft your activities list descriptions in such a way that they relate to your hook, as well as to your academic and career goals. You will be able to expand in the description if needed. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. The prompt states: Do you wish to share anything on this topic? . This will allow you to demonstrate your values to the admission officers who review your application. I noticed the "school spirit" category, and I feel like this is a stupid question, but what activity could someone put in that falls in that category other than being a mascot or something? They include minor leadership positions for well-known clubs and organizations and smaller athletic/musical distinctions. Remember, each section is very important, not only individually, but how they work together to paint a more holistic picture of you as an applicant. All results will vary by individual and be affected by factors outside the control of Command Group Inc. dba Command Education. Since your list of activities should relate to the hook you are crafting throughout your application, it probably makes sense that many of the activities you currently participate in will be activities you want to participate in while youre in college. Our reviews and recommendations are based on extensive research, testing, and feedback. How Spirit can keep your community connected during the COVID-19 pandemic . When choosing your topic, it is very important to remember that the admissions officer will be reading thousands of applications. Theres a common misconception that only the most prestigious, well-known awards are worthy of listing on your application. the reader your personality and emotions instead of telling. Colleges may give your name to members of a club, organization, or activity in which you participate so they can follow up with you, but you are by no means bound to joining when you begin college (unless, of course, you are accepted on an athletic or other scholarship that requires your participation in a certain activity). Make sure you make it clear when clubs are in association with your school when applicable. If you completed an internship the summer between sophomore and junior years of high school, you would check off 10th, and so on and so forth. However, you should only do so if these activities are truly essential to the admissions committees, understanding of your extracurricular life. They include general club/sports/musical membership and general volunteering. The easiest way to calculate this is to first look at your schools calendar and count the number of weeks between the first week of school and the last week of school. Designed rooftop herb garden installation for restaurant. ! Admissions officers can count and will notice if your participation hours exceed the number of hours in a week! Timing of participation: all year, summer, school break, etc. Use active verbs and limit the use of adjectives and adverbs. Therefore, it will be necessary to abbreviate when possible and include only the most illuminating information. If you visited campus, write about what you enjoyed. With the hours, make sure you are being reasonable, even if it might be difficult to put down the exact hours if there is not a consistent number. The high costs of attending college doesn't start your first day of school. Colleges want to know this kind of information so that they can understand the factors affecting your performance and opportunities this past semester. So by answering yes to this question, you are merely indicating that you are interested in continuing the activity. Instead of dabbling in a little bit of everything, we encourage our students to delve deep into activities they are particularly passionate about. As for the actual writing, pay attention to your narrative structure. Hover over each hot spot to learn more about each field. You may not be sure about exactly how candid you should be in your response. Always be as specific as possible in these essays. Both categories indicate that you are a driven leader, but they present different facets of your personality. best to take full advantage of this section. , and can show colleges how you were involved specifically. The Honors section is for you to put in any academic. With so little space, you will not be able to write in full sentences. You can find out more about them here. The question thus sets a context for your entire application process. Letters of Recommendation - Your teachers, guidance counselors, and other recommenders can submit their letters of recommendation directly on the Common Appyou will invite them to contribute through the application platform. Commonly listed activities include participating in school clubs, playing an instrument, playing a sport, attending pre-college summer programs, volunteering, and many others. You can tailor your responses in the college-specific sections that come up once you have chosen a school, but the following will be sent to all of the schools on your list. Since this essay is read by many colleges, avoid mentioning any . The options include: Academic Art Athletics: Club Athletics: JV/Varsity Career-Oriented Community Service (Volunteer) Computer/Technology Cultural Dance Debate/Speech Environmental Family Responsibilities Foreign Exchange Journalism/Publication For example, if you played tennis all four years of high school and became captain of your school team senior year, that is an activity to include in this section. The Common Application offers a drop-down menu with the following activities from which to select: Academic Art Athletics: Club Athletics: JV/Varsity Career-Oriented Community Service (Volunteer) Computer/Technology Cultural Dance Debate/Speech Environmental Family Responsibilities Foreign Exchange Journalism/Publication Junior R.O.T.C.