Common App EC Descriptions

[Anonymous]

Post the activity and we'll give you suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Our counselor has been helpful with keeping DD organized and on track, projecting a calm and realistic outlook, and providing minimal editing on essays (very minor grammar and punctuation edits). I also appreciate her willingness to say "This essay doesn't work, here's why, go back to drawing board." But she doesn't seem able to support DD much with brainstorming and generating ideas for content. DD is used to pounding out analytical writing and getting high marks, and careful self-reflection is unfamiliar and uncomfortable for her. Since her "one-and-done" attempts are getting rejected by the counselor, she's open to brainstorming support. We've found that I'm the best-positioned person to help with this because 1) I know her so well and am one of her biggest fans and 2) I remember so many anecdotes of moments she's experienced or reflected on and shared with me over the past couple of years and can jog her memory about those a little. The brainstorming can take a while, but then the writing flows for her and is purely her voice.

[Anonymous]

PP here - sorry, wrong thread!

[Anonymous]

Get on Instagram reels and search this. You’ll start getting a million people offering tips and tricks. Before long you’ll understand how it works.
DS swears Instagram reels was the key to his near perfect SATs (he loved all the people who do test prep videos) and incredible common app. He used to send me reels all the time and I admit they’re are some golden nuggets out there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question - What do you do with an EC that also shows up on the kid's transcript?

Will the AO catch it during transcript review and acknowledge it as an EC? Or should it be included as on of the 10 ECs if you want to be sure it doesn't get overlooked?

Here's the specific: DC is a (not recruited) three-sport athlete who also plays an instrument in the school band. They've continued with band all four years because they really like it - the music, the social part, the opportunity to relax their mind at music lessons and at band practice (together a 1.0 credit ungraded class that meets during the school day.)

It's both important to them (they hope to continue with their instrument in some light, casual way in college) and a good counterpoint to their athletics.

So, should they include as one of their 10 ECs (instead of their 3rd varsity sport) even though it's also on the transcript? Or no because that's repeating something found elsewhere? (We understand no AO will care about a third sport. It's the least important to DC but happens to be the one where they're a team captain.)

If band itself is only during the school day (other than a couple of concerts a year), it's a class, not an extracurricular. Does the student take lessons outside school? Practice at home? Participate in outside ensembles? Perform for nursing homes? Those are the sorts of things that could be included on the activities list (with school band listed as well), because the question about time spent only includes time outside the school day.

Technically, it is not extracurricular unless they do something outside of school -- county band, marching band, pep band, etc. Is there something the kid can join THIS year to justify getting it into the extracurricular list (since it sounds like you'd like to emphasize it). For instance, can they join the pit for drama productions? Or is there a pep band that's volunteer/not the full concert band? Or maybe something outside of school entirely? That would give you an excuse to write Band/Pit Orchestra on the extra curricular list and then in the description, you could explain that part is class and part is extra. (I don't know if they ding for not following instructions if you list course-stuff as ECs or not.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question - What do you do with an EC that also shows up on the kid's transcript?

Will the AO catch it during transcript review and acknowledge it as an EC? Or should it be included as on of the 10 ECs if you want to be sure it doesn't get overlooked?

Here's the specific: DC is a (not recruited) three-sport athlete who also plays an instrument in the school band. They've continued with band all four years because they really like it - the music, the social part, the opportunity to relax their mind at music lessons and at band practice (together a 1.0 credit ungraded class that meets during the school day.)

It's both important to them (they hope to continue with their instrument in some light, casual way in college) and a good counterpoint to their athletics.

So, should they include as one of their 10 ECs (instead of their 3rd varsity sport) even though it's also on the transcript? Or no because that's repeating something found elsewhere? (We understand no AO will care about a third sport. It's the least important to DC but happens to be the one where they're a team captain.)

Note that you can still make this an important part of the application via the essays, even if it's listed as a class rather than EC.
If band itself is only during the school day (other than a couple of concerts a year), it's a class, not an extracurricular. Does the student take lessons outside school? Practice at home? Participate in outside ensembles? Perform for nursing homes? Those are the sorts of things that could be included on the activities list (with school band listed as well), because the question about time spent only includes time outside the school day.

Technically, it is not extracurricular unless they do something outside of school -- county band, marching band, pep band, etc. Is there something the kid can join THIS year to justify getting it into the extracurricular list (since it sounds like you'd like to emphasize it). For instance, can they join the pit for drama productions? Or is there a pep band that's volunteer/not the full concert band? Or maybe something outside of school entirely? That would give you an excuse to write Band/Pit Orchestra on the extra curricular list and then in the description, you could explain that part is class and part is extra. (I don't know if they ding for not following instructions if you list course-stuff as ECs or not.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor has been helpful with keeping DD organized and on track, projecting a calm and realistic outlook, and providing minimal editing on essays (very minor grammar and punctuation edits). I also appreciate her willingness to say "This essay doesn't work, here's why, go back to drawing board." But she doesn't seem able to support DD much with brainstorming and generating ideas for content. DD is used to pounding out analytical writing and getting high marks, and careful self-reflection is unfamiliar and uncomfortable for her. Since her "one-and-done" attempts are getting rejected by the counselor, she's open to brainstorming support. We've found that I'm the best-positioned person to help with this because 1) I know her so well and am one of her biggest fans and 2) I remember so many anecdotes of moments she's experienced or reflected on and shared with me over the past couple of years and can jog her memory about those a little. The brainstorming can take a while, but then the writing flows for her and is purely her voice.

Lol. I think I know which thread you meant this for - I’m the OP for that thread. Anyway this is helpful and pretty much our experience as well. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did check AI and also college essay guy has a page listing verbs to use categorized by which skill or value you are trying to emphasize throughout the app. Also, he gives examples for some common activities.

Even so, my kid's still sound v boring. We can't seem to fit anything interesting/compelling in 150 characters so the focus is on one "accomplishment" and that results in fewer than 150 characters. And I suppose the goal is to be clever enough to come close to the limit?

You definitely don’t want boring. If it’s a common club, don’t focus on the actual activity focused on the impact. No one needs to know that they lead the student government meetings. What did they accomplish. What were the hot topics or hot issues that year?

Let's be honest. Most of these clubs accomplish nothing and have zero impact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did check AI and also college essay guy has a page listing verbs to use categorized by which skill or value you are trying to emphasize throughout the app. Also, he gives examples for some common activities.

Even so, my kid's still sound v boring. We can't seem to fit anything interesting/compelling in 150 characters so the focus is on one "accomplishment" and that results in fewer than 150 characters. And I suppose the goal is to be clever enough to come close to the limit?

You definitely don’t want boring. If it’s a common club, don’t focus on the actual activity focused on the impact. No one needs to know that they lead the student government meetings. What did they accomplish. What were the hot topics or hot issues that year?

Let's be honest. Most of these clubs accomplish nothing and have zero impact.

And apparently doing the same stuff
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1233143.page