How to write work and activities section for clubs?

[thefloatingpanda]

Hi everyone! I started drafting my work and activities section but am getting conflicting opinions about how to do this. I am using Dr. Gray's book to help with my storytelling narrative, but if I write it as a story, I won't have any space to list all the other stuff I did for this club. It feels weird to focus only on one thing, so what do you suggest? I'm trying to ask around and see what people think.

For context, I am the club president and established more than three new things (events, website, & etc.) I was involved with this club since freshman year and am now a senior.

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[Mr.Smile12]

I fully disagree with writing a story for the description. It is a resume form and what my faculty look for are one's responsibilities and impact, not stories.

 

[a_distant_dream]

I agree with @Mr.Smile12. Fun / interesting storytelling sometimes just doesn't fit with what you want to accomplish in an activity description and may be more suited to secondaries. When I wrote my activity descriptions, I found a list to be more effective for publications / awards / shadowing. On the other hand, you should be viewing every activity description from the perspective of a reviewer on adcom and sometimes the characteristics that make a good story (engaging to read, straightforward, concise, descriptive, logical order of events) make for a good activity description. Many of my activity descriptions turned out more story-like over time, not by changing the content but by improving the presentation.

 

[Catalystik]

I fully disagree with writing a story for the description. It is a resume form and what my faculty look for are one's responsibilities and impact, not stories.

I fully agree with this. Save the (succinct) anecdote for a Personal Statement, Secondary, or maybe a Most Meaningful space. But don't skimp on the meat of the activity when you have limited space.

As you have so many impactful initiatives to tell us about related to your Leadership role, don't dilute them with fluff.

 

[Med Ed]

You're total application should tell a story. That doesn't mean each individual component has to tell a story. That sounds as exhausting to read as it would be to write. A compelling application conveys all useful information in a clean and concise manner.

Remember your audience: some beleaguered individual in an admissions office who has read a thousand apps before yours, and will read a thousand more after. Throw that poor soul a bone.

 

[thefloatingpanda]

You're total application should tell a story. That doesn't mean each individual component has to tell a story. That sounds as exhausting to read as it would be to write. A compelling application conveys all useful information in a clean and concise manner.

Remember your audience: some beleaguered individual in an admissions office who has read a thousand apps before yours, and will read a thousand more after. Throw that poor soul a bone.

Thank you. I'm really happy to read the responses on this thread because drafting my activities section has been an absolute chore when trying to focus on storytelling.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Thank you. I'm really happy to read the responses on this thread because drafting my activities section has been an absolute chore when trying to focus on storytelling.

As one of the many beleaguered readers, storytelling must be used for the right reasons. Use it too much, and I can start to think you are hiding something because you are too invested in spinning your story over answering my question. Sure "tell me about a time when..." is an invitation to tell me a story. But you have other communications skills when it comes to self-promotion that good candidates are adept with. This is the problem i see when too many people take Dr. Gray's advice too far. And many of us are fully aware of the advice given... we gave it to them after all.

Many of us screeners downgrade applications that don't answer the question or address our expectations. This includes W/A.