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mariposas905 said:
No, I wasn't basing my decision on that at all. I want to do Americorps, it's not that I'm applying because it will pad my application...I already have tons of non-clinical service experience (I rly don't need any more lol)

I was just asking because I heard that some schools view Americorps as an easy way to pass the gap year (as in, they don't consider it to be prestigious, so they feel that an applicant either couldn't get better opportunities or is checking off a box for service). I also read on SDN where one interviewer commented on an applicant's Americorps year, saying that she wasted her time and should have just applied a year earlier.

And I heard that it is very difficult to apply simultaneously during an Americorps year and wanted some more insight on this. These are the reasons why I was wondering if it is worth it.
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You heard wrong.
 
mariposas905 said:
Lol see my message above. These are some of the reasons that confused me. I am in my second gap year, and my pre-health advisor said I should be doing something more prestigious instead of scribing (like I did my first year off) and Americorps (which I am planning during my second year). I didn't think it would be negative, but she said it can be a disadvantage for someone like me, who is taking two years off and doing an "easy gig" like City Year while others are doing Fulbright or Peace Corps during their gap years. she says I should look for CRC positions at big name institutions.

not sure what to follow, so I'm asking here 🤔
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You seem a little lost. Best of luck to you.
 
mariposas905 said:
Lol see my message above. These are some of the reasons that confused me. I am in my second gap year, and my pre-health advisor said I should be doing something more prestigious instead of scribing (like I did my first year off) and Americorps (which I am planning during my second year). I didn't think it would be negative, but she said it can be a disadvantage for someone like me, who is taking two years off and doing an "easy gig" like City Year while others are doing Fulbright or Peace Corps during their gap years. she says I should look for CRC positions at big name institutions.

not sure what to follow, so I'm asking here 🤔
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Very, very few applicants end up doing activities like Peace Corps or Fulbright during their gap years. Also, I really don't think committing a full year of your twenties working toward bettering your community while essentially making barely enough to survive is "checking off a box for service". As someone who spent my first gap year in a fairly prestigious clinical research coordinator position and who is now doing Americorps, Americorps is NOT an easy gig, depending on where you get placed. I have had no difficulty applying while completing my Americorps year and will be matriculating at an MD school in August so I'm not quite sure where that rumor came from.
 
mariposas905 said:
Okay, well that's good then, thanks for the reply! I'd rather do Americorps than working in another research lab anyway 🙂

@gyngyn when you say missionary work, do you also mean internships abroad? For example, I'd like to do a 2-month volunteer internship working in healthcare in a developing country. Is that also less respected? It's not something I have to pay for, I'd just go there and volunteer a bit.
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These service trips often have the effect of displacing local workers in addition to questionable supervision. This has caused them to viewed with a jaundiced eye by many. AmeriCorps is not tainted in this way.
 
gyngyn said:
These service trips often have the effect of displacing local workers in addition to questionable supervision. This has caused them to viewed with a jaundiced eye by many. AmeriCorps is not tainted in this way.
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Can Americorps service mitigate a more average MCAT like a 510 for top tier schools?
 
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