AMCAS and TMDSAS: How to list informal activities

[LadyJubilee8_18]

I don't know if informal activities should be listed at all, but I feel I've been fairly involved with a few and I would like to list them on AMCAS and TMDSAS.

My sophomore year, I got a small group of people together in order to inform people about the war in Iraq and to make signs for protests (etc) we never gave our group a name but we were very involved with protesting and other such political activities. Should this go on AMCAS?

Also, my junior year in the dorms, there was a guy living on our floor who was just a dangerous person in general. He would beat his girlfriend in the halls and tried to physically and sexually assault a few women living in the building. When I told the Residential hall coordinator about it, he refused to remove the guy saying, "If we kick him out, he will just beat his girlfriend elsewhere, and then no one wins." I ended up organizing a group of women from our dorms and starting petitions so that we could get this guy kicked out. Eventually, it worked and we no longer had to live in fear. I think this shows leadership on my part, but I'm not sure if it is appropriate for an AMCAS app and even if it was, how would I list it?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DrBowtie]

The first activity you could formalize and put into an AMCAS box but do you really feel that A) it is a quality activity B) your willing to put your political views right out there to be scrutinized.

The second activity, this seems like an anecdote that you could use in an interview or PS. Not really an activity. I think that would be strecthing it a bit too far.

 

[Prophecies]

I don't believe those topics are appropriate to list as activities: perhaps, as the last poster stated, they would fit into your personal statement. The activities you need to list are major, dedicated, "time-consuming" activities...things you are passionate about, that are organized, and that occur on a regular basis (when appropriate).

 

[LizzyM]

The activities you need to list are major, dedicated, "time-consuming" activities...things you are passionate about, that are organized, and that occur on a regular basis (when appropriate).

I think that serious artists, musicians and writers might be the exception to the organized "rule".

Sometimes I'll see someone put travel on the AMCAS (usually if it is the kind of travel that involves 14 countries on 2 continents over a period of 6 months).