Encourage your student to be realistic and not to over or underestimate. Property of Common App, Inc. 2020 Common App, Inc. commonapp.org The Activities section is one of the seven sections of the Common App tab. If it does, and it’s not already included in another section, go ahead and add it. For applicants applying to Performing Arts or Arts schools, this rule is different in that you will be required to submit a visual portfolio; however, for other applicants, images in general need to be avoided unless specifically asked for by the school. Should I say yes to all of them to demonstrate possible activeness in college? Analysis: Not every entry in the Activities section needs to meet the 150-word limit; this entry, for example, communicates salient information about the activity in merely 15 words. College admissions understand that some activities run year round and some (such as a being in a theater performance) may be intense but for a shorter period of time. You might be wondering what should be listed in the Common App honors section and what should be listed elsewhere - in your activities, for example. When listing my activities, How would I list ¨girl scouts¨ under? Barbara. Common Application Essay Strategies. Wonderful advice! Part 2: Pre-writing your Common App Essay. For a first-year college applicant, sections are divided into: The whole Common App seems pretty comprehensive, right? Also she plays a seasonal spot– 10-15 hours per week, but only for 2 months,but played every year since 10th grade? On the Common App Activities Section the pull down menu provides only general classification on extracurricular activities. For example, if you tell a sad story just to gain sympathy that is not genuine, it will reflect poorly on your application. Is there a way that I can state that the activities are ongoing or should I just not include them? Thus, it will be necessary to specifically identify the activity in another section. Also, as a homeschooler you may also have options elsewhere in your homeschool documents or application to provide additional detail. Below are a number of links that provide examples of Common App essays. I too am confused by the activities section. HELP ME . As your teens enter the college admissions process are you wondering what to expect? Best wishes, Colleges want to recruit students who have demonstrated they are good citizens who are involved in developing their talents and contributing to their communities. The point with this is to keep the writing brief and direct to explain what happened and what period of time it affected in your life. As such, I needed to leave school for days at a time, as acute headaches impaired my vision and ability to walk in school. The Common App has greatly streamlined the application process for applicants looking to apply to multiple colleges. Here are examples from top high school students. How would you suggest listing the “Hours” field? In this section. College admissions have changed dramatically in the last 25 years. ), The NYU Acceptance Rate & More Vital Info About NYU Admissions. How do we title the activity if we had a leadership position in 11th grade, but not 12th grade? Use every inch to demonstrate your impact beyond the classroom. Essay writing timelines: how to write your Common App personal statement if you have six months, three months, one month, or even less. Dear Ahmad, Because I did dual enrollment since my freshman year of high school. There is no single rule here. I’ve also heard that it’s not good to put stuff in the additional info category. It’s OK to list 2-3 more activities, but not more. Common App Essay Example #1 If this sounds like you, then please share your story. Take Advantage of this Opportunity one other problem is that i’m applying to U of Michigan and in their essays they ask me to talk about one of my activities. I want to put viola player as the “position” but I feel like there would be too much information to include and I’m only allowed 150 characters. I have a 2 year old. If you have participated in an impressive research study or have been published, absolutely mention your accomplishments in the Common App. Remember, consistency in portraying who you are as an individual is key with telling your own personal story on the Common App. These questions vary and often cover things like your academic interest or program, your state of residence, or preferences about school housing. Yes, but as for all students it is very competitive. Here's a sample Common App activities list. The Common App is essentially a standard form that allows an applicant to input basic information, which will then go directly to university admissions.Some sections of the Common App are Because it shows unique life experiences and positive contributions that you will bring to a university’s classroom. Finally, this last student discusses her health issues: I suffered from a string of concussions in my sophomore and junior years. If you had an unusual high school experience, such as homeschooling while traveling abroad or attending a specialized school, you can explain why your transcript may not look like what the admissions committee is expecting to see. What you should do if you have no ECs. 2. , ¨academic, art, athletics:club, athletics: jv/varsity, career orientated, and community service¨. Trending Articles. The Additional Information section is not a place to continue or expand on your personal statement. The experience should go above and beyond what is considered normal to include it in Additional Information. Thanks for your question. The activities section is one of the most important parts of your application, particularly if you are applying to very selective colleges. Additionally, I will be publishing papers in the Journal of Robotics during the spring semester of my senior year. Art encompasses a wide variety of … By doing this, you will be able to see what holes there are in the application. This year, students applying to college through the Common App will be able to submit an optional essay detailing their experiences (both positive and negative) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Admissions officers know that students who were immersed in activities during their high school years are more likely to also be active on their college campus. Many applicants try to make excuses for poor performance by using life events to their advantage on college applications. I hope that helps! The ability to perform research with a university professor to solve a real-world problem through the BHG department at KSTA was a program that was too good to pass up. college application boot camp to get the counseling and advising you need. Here are a few tips for making a good impression in the activities section… This is also a good time to make sure you’ve proofread this section of your application carefully. Hello Wendy, High School Planning for College Admissions Success, What To Look for in a Homeschool Consultant, latest in homeschooling and college admissions, college admissions policies for homeschoolers, Academic Benefits of Homeschooling High School, Family Benefits of Homeschooling High School. Would being a parent qualify for the “family responsibilities” section? The Common Application, as well as many individual college applications, provides room for students to list out extracurricular activities. Admissions officers will not view this well. Check out our College Application Boot Camp. Barbara. KSTA offers a magnet curriculum, only featuring classes that are at or above AP/Honors level. Follow these pointers for crafting a rich and memorable Common App activities page. I’d just try to answer honestly and not over-think it. Extracurricular activities can take on a special importance for homeschoolers. Most Important Activities First It is important to understand our kids are playing on a different... Can homeschoolers get into Ivy League colleges? Please Describe this Activity Hello – It allows 150 characters and that includes spaces. Here's the COMPLETE application that got me into every school I applied to, including Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton. Activity type: Community Service (Volunteer) Position/Leadership description and organization name, if applicable: Key Club: Club President; Kiwanis Coordinator (1) Details, honors won, and accomplishments: High school community service organization which I helped coordinate as Club President. If you had an immediate family member ill or you were ill yourself, this is worth mentioning. Students who want to be successful in highly selective admissions are advised to start early and carefully build their... Has the deluge of college mail started arriving in your homeschooler’s mailbox yet? Stay on track and ease your anxiety with our second-to-none college application assistance. Typically I suggest students list scouts under Community Service. The activities section is a chance to give Admissions a fuller picture of who you are as a student and what your interests are. Examples of student answers might include: First chair violin, Mid-Central Youth Orchestra The Additional Information section is located in the Writing portion of the Common App as an optional place to add relevant situations and/or qualifications that are not mentioned elsewhere in the application. Many students see ten lines in the activities section and they panic. Barbara. Typically dual enrollment is coursework so it would be counted as academic rather than extracurricular. It is often easiest to draft these in a word processing program where you can see your character count. This is the most delicate of the entries on this section and has to be handled with care. should i mention what i just said in the common app? Make the best use you can of the activities section of the Common Application to showcase what you have been able to do with the freedom and flexibility afforded by a homeschool education. It just depends on what you have to choose from and how involved you’ve been in the activity. What really impresses colleges are activities where your student has dedicated him or herself and demonstrated a commitment to persist and work hard. You have some flexibility here. This response text is limited to 150 characters including spaces. An example is from a student who wrote a strong IB essay: My IB essay was about media commentators, journalists, politicians, and prominent news anchors and their effects on stock prices after discussing political economy and markets on television shows. Do you play guitar? I’ve been playing viola since I was young. A good Additional Information entry may look something like this: I felt that the curriculum offered at Josano Main High School did not challenge me to achieve my true potential. There is a 650-word limit on this section if the applicant decides to use it as a relevant part of their Common App. For the Common App, you have 5 slots for honors and awards, and 10 slots for your extracurricular activities. Brainstorming Common App Essay topics. We support a centralized or "common" online application system for more than 800 colleges and universities worldwide that enables more than 1 million students - a third of whom are first generation - to apply to college. my high school didn’t show much attention towards activities (it’s a Saudi Arabian high school). There will be space to indicate the grades you were involved, the weeks a year, and the hours a week. Most of us don’t keep time logs of every minute of our days, so estimating is what is expected here. Make sure you are not using this section to fit in more information for the sake of looking impressive. The Common App allows you to submit applications to multiple colleges and universities by completing one online form. Education: In this section, you will list all schools attended with contact information and, Testing: This section includes your standardized test scores, including ACT or SAT, TOEFL (if required for non-native English speakers), and, Activities: In this section, you are able to list up to 10. School soccer is my main. Most college-bound students will complete the Common Application. He has answered the “weeks per year” as “12”. Does he answer the “average hours per week” as the total hours divided by 52 (weeks in a year), or the total hours divided by 12 (weeks he has put down as participating)? My son has a weekend activity once per month (Friday night through Sunday at noon). This example is about the passing of a parent: My mother passed away in Spring 2018. What’s an Activity? Barbara. Thanks. Watching the news with my parents one night, I heard a story about Japan, which included an … Your Common App activities list is endless, but to provide you with an idea of what can be considered an “extra-curricular”, here are a few examples: Arts. I also recently read my old activities list and cringed. On the description of activities, applicants should feel free to “toot their own horn.” It isn’t braggy to share positive things about yourself or your accomplishments. Many students who apply to these schools have top GPAs and test scores, so extracurricular activities are one of the best ways to differentiate yourself from the rest of the applicant pool and make yourself stand out as an exceptional candidate. Make sure that anything you add is distinctly different from the topics you covered in other writing portions of the Common App. So hard to list when they are not full year activities, and when the hours vary from week to week. The Common Application is the most widely used application for college admissions in the US. Let’s take an example. Include volunteer experience if it is prolonged and shows a genuine commitment. Common App Essay Prompts 2020-2021. The Common App is essentially a standard form that allows an applicant to input basic information, which will then go directly to university admissions. That’s why i never really had the chance to participate in school activities. Instead encourage your homeschooler to think about the activity that they’ve devoted a lot of time to and feel has been most important to their development. Under activity, does she list musical theater as the activity or does she list each play she has been in. If you have a legitimate personal reason for bad grades, such as missed days of school due to a family emergency or illness, the Additional Information section may be the place to list it. My son ran spring track grades 9-11 and will run again in grade 12 too. They did highlight the volunteer efforts they were able to do and an upcoming professional paper they will have published. Instead of trying to impress Admissions, make sure your focus is on reflecting the real you. The reality is that doing so will reflect negatively on your overall application because it will show that you joined too many activities and did not follow the application instructions. Many times, this will reflect poorly on your application because it is not what the admissions committee asked for. If you have legitimate volunteer experience for an extended period of time, it may be relevant to include in the Additional Information section; however, make sure to avoid including short volunteer experiences that did not significantly impact your life’s story. © 2021 Homeschool Success. It is a common mistake to include a small volunteer trip to show commitment to community service. Common App is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to access, equity and integrity in the college admission process. Family activities, work experiences, and your hobbies can all fall under this category. ... Use the Additional Information section on the Writing page to share important résumé details that you could not fit on the Activities … Pinterest – Check out our collection of college admissions policies for homeschoolers. This is especially true when your list of activities exceeds the limit set by the Common App! Read on for everything you need to know about the 2019-2020 Common App. Admissions understands some activities run year round and some meet just occasionally or for a shorter period of time. There really are not firm rules and the way activities are arranged with vary based on the student’s record. Along with a personal essay, supplemental essays, Letters of Recommendation from the student’s counselor, and possibly multiple letters from the student’s teachers, the Common App’s ‘Activities’ section is an example of US universities wanting to get to know each prospective student ‘in the round’. We are having trouble with the “average hours per week” section. If genuine personal hardships did impact your academic performance, and you overcame them, be sure to mention this. Under “Athletics: JV/Varsity”. COMMON APP: The Activities page – How do I complete it, ... Options for 2020-2021 Score Academy has you covered this school year! If you extend a prior essay in the Additional Information section, the admissions officer will not have time to read it and will see that you disregarded their instructions. If once a month your works at the food bank for a four hour shift – I would answer that he is participates 12 weeks a year, four hours per week. Ethan helps students write amazing college essays by offering free resources, one-on-one essay sessions, online webinars, and in-person workshops. This is not the place to weave an emotional story of overcoming hardship. This does not include an explanation for bad grades because you didn’t study or work hard. Our SAT® course is out! When filling out the Common App, it is vital to take a step back from the application and look at your own personal situation. Kathy, How You Spend Your Time Dear Mina, If you did exceptionally well after the incident occurred, that is something to be proud of and it will also show the admissions committee that you had difficult circumstances, worked hard, and did well in the end. Common App Activities Section Examples. Navigate your entire college application journey with Common App. Not full year activities, how would you suggest listing the “ hours ” field that! 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