EC listing strategy in common app

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do summer programs get included in the activities list or are they too much of a signal of privilege? Our college counselor is saying not to list the program, but my kid really wants to include it.

Depends on if they are the only thing to show alignment with major?

YCBK talks about a strategy for this.

Can you direct me to the episode number or at least a general idea of when it aired? Thanks! I can’t figure out how to search for this topic in the YCBK podcast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do summer programs get included in the activities list or are they too much of a signal of privilege? Our college counselor is saying not to list the program, but my kid really wants to include it.

Who's applying? Your kid or the counselor?

[Anonymous]

My kid included them only when the college being applied to is the college they did the program at.

Yes, they edited activities list for some colleges

[Anonymous]

My DDs activities:

Fall JV sport, 9th and 10th grade.
Another JV sport, winter 10th grade.
Some intermittent volunteer work (food pantry at church, MLK volunteer day, etc)
Part time job for 4 month last summer
Using the free pass at Planet Fitness 3-4/week

What she will not list, but should:
Going to Raising Canes w friends
Being an expert on Love Island and The Secret lives of Mormon Housewives
Loving true crime, especially the Karen Read trial

She is a wonderful person. I don’t know if she’s found her passion yet. I’m hoping she finds one or more of them in college or as a young adult.

The rat race feel of the admissions process and the ECs list makes me feel terrible as a parent, for not having her do more. But really, I didn’t want to force her to do things just to make her feel inadequate or add to an arbitrary list.

For her older sister, who had “more” activities, I don’t think they even mattered that much. But, I don’t want it to have an impact.