Best ECs to help admission

[riceman04]

That's fair. I am content to say that we can agree to disagree. Honestly, at this point it's pretty much splitting hairs. The broad scope is that we both agree that it's good to help people.



I think taht you're riight on with the spring break trips. Those are far to short ot understand the scope of what you're doing. I coordinated the pre-medical trip my sophomore year, but it was the month long immersion in Africa that i think truly changed me.





I find it interseting that you mention the idea of "empowering," because part of the HIV/AIDS education was to teach otehr educators how to educate their students. Same idea as teaching a man to fish vs. giving him a fish. But i think that i was able to have a long-lasting impact on the children there by offering immunizations to curable disease that far to many children die from each year.

*crap, I'm late to class*

Uh oh what class?
Congrats, you are almost finished...I might be at graduation this year again.

cya!

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[gdbaby]

When a reader starts asking those questions they become fascinated and think that the applicant ought to be invited to interview because what they've done seems so interesting (actually, it has just generated a lot of questions of the curious kind).

thank you for the insight.

 

[Uncle_Tbag]

If you view simply going on such a trip as an achievement, then I agree with you. Those are the types of people for whom the trips don't add much to their applications.

If that is not the case and the trip becomes a profound learning experience that few have the opportunity to experience, then it definitely is worthwhile.

...
Perhapse a better approach would not have been to take potshots at the source of funding for any particular activity, but to examine the motivations and lessons learned by those who participate in them.

Or perhaps realize that these experiences are a dime a dozen and usually exist to pad an app and have some fun. It's not necessarily a bad thing by any means, but I don't think it can compare to a long term commitment to service.

And I think the funding does matter in some cases. What is more impressive to you: someone who had to work full time all through school and somehow managed to save the money for their medical tour? Or someone who takes off during the summer on their parents dime? Which shows more dedication to you. I'm not saying that having parents pay for it automatically invalidates the experience, but this is about the best ECs and trust-fund trip around the third world to feed the starving isn't that impressive. It takes no dedication.

Who wouldn't do it? That is the question. Anyone would do it given the chance. That is why it's not so special IMO.

 

[Uncle_Tbag]

Actually, after working two years in a Philadelphia emergency room with victims of violent injuries (a childrens hospital, no less.. scary), almost nothing prepared me for standing around emergency rooms in South Africa, doing essentially nothing helpful (as a totally underqualified premed), on a trip financed entirely by father. It was a trip that changed me, and the entire future of my career. Don't knock it until you try it.

Did it make you want to "help people" more?

 

[Uncle_Tbag]

Right. So instead, for adcoms we are required to shamelessly pander to them in different, more useless ways- MCATs we dont want to take, research we dont want to do...

No, there are people with actual relevant and impressive ECs.

And, no one ever said these were useless experiences. Just not as impressive as some others.

 

[unfrozencaveman]

Or perhaps realize that these experiences are a dime a dozen and usually exist to pad an app and have some fun. It's not necessarily a bad thing by any means, but I don't think it can compare to a long term commitment to service.

And I think the funding does matter in some cases. What is more impressive to you: someone who had to work full time all through school and somehow managed to save the money for their medical tour? Or someone who takes off during the summer on their parents dime? Which shows more dedication to you. I'm not saying that having parents pay for it automatically invalidates the experience, but this is about the best ECs and trust-fund trip around the third world to feed the starving isn't that impressive. It takes no dedication.

Who wouldn't do it? That is the question. Anyone would do it given the chance. That is why it's not so special IMO.

ok, I don't want to go down here as the martyr for trust fund kids here (and no, I don't have a trust fund, but I wish I did), but why should you be faulted if you can pay for the exact same experience?

The idea that kids with trust funds run rampant, yachting around to pretend to save the world, pulling strings in admissions, getting straight A's because they bought their way into Harvard... It's all over SDN, and it's very weird.

 

[Uncle_Tbag]

I don't really think arriving in Africa is the achievement. You actually do work over there remember. Just because someone paid to get you there, doesn't mean you didnt do anything.

You just said you were standing around doing nothing helpful in that African hospital. It was still an intense experience I'm sure.

 

[unfrozencaveman]

Did it make you want to "help people" more?

The trip to Africa? Or working in Philadelphia? Yeah, yes to both.

 

[unfrozencaveman]

You just said you were standing around doing nothing helpful in that African hospital. It was still an intense experience I'm sure.

Yeah, I was pretty much. It was a great disappointment, but I dont know anything about medicine. (this is an overstatement- I did a lot, for what I was capable of doing)

It still changed how I'll practice medicine forever, so it was a pretty worthwhile experience, even if I had done nothing for anyone at all.

 

[Uncle_Tbag]

Bitc$ if I felt like I was holier than thou I would not wast my time cussing at your sorry ass!
Yall mother father's act like you know exactly how the person was able to fund the trip when in all actualilty you probably dont even know the person...as far as I am concered you and Lizzy M are showing nothing but your ability to hate (you guys have definitely earned your PhD....ummmmm Playa hate'N Degree)....all that hateration and holleration is not necessary is this dancerie (hahaha taken from Barbershop....comical....oh but wait you are from Utah....Mormon country....the thought of watching a movie with a majority afr. amer. cast is probably too much for you)

No really, I do not think I am holier than though...and never have...I just dont think it is right for anyone to assume that anyone helped him fund his experiences.

If this is a reflection of your real attitude, I think you're going to run into some problems as a doctor. You may want to seek out counseling or at least some sensitivty training to get over your bigotry.

BTW, I'm from Riverside, Ca. I live in Utah because I have a kick-ass job in medicine here.

 

[Uncle_Tbag]

ok, I don't want to go down here as the martyr for trust fund kids here (and no, I don't have a trust fund, but I wish I did), but why should you be faulted if you can pay for the exact same experience?

The idea that kids with trust funds run rampant, yachting around to pretend to save the world, pulling strings in admissions, getting straight A's because they bought their way into Harvard... It's all over SDN, and it's very weird.

How many straw-man arguments are in here? At least three.

On the subject of wealth and legacies in the application process: I personally don't think it matters much in the app process. I could be wrong, but I don't think nepotism or pulling strings helps except to maybe get you an extra interview or two. I have no problem with that.

What does bug me are the wealthy kids who have no idea what it's like to go through this process on your own with no financial help, acting like they have it just as tough and have to work as hard as "the poor kids." It's simply not true.

I never said you should be faulted for having rich parents pay for a trip, only that it's not as impressive as someone who had to work for it. There is a huge difference. Saving every dime to do something like this when you're poor shows a greater comittment.

 

[riceman04]

If this is a reflection of your real attitude, I think you're going to run into some problems as a doctor. You may want to seek out counseling or at least some sensitivty training to get over your bigotry.

BTW, I'm from Riverside, Ca. I live in Utah because I have a kick-ass job in medicine here.

Riverside.....hmn hick country...rednecks....farming....not much more than that out there

My real attitude is the complete opposite of what you witnessed...I am a little worried about your reasoning abilities though...kinda scary!!!!!

 

[45408]

Bitc$ if I felt like I was holier than thou I would not wast my time cussing at your sorry ass!
Yall mother father's act like you know exactly how the person was able to fund the trip when in all actualilty you probably dont even know the person...as far as I am concered you and Lizzy M are showing nothing but your ability to hate (you guys have definitely earned your PhD....ummmmm Playa hate'N Degree)....all that hateration and holleration is not necessary is this dancerie (hahaha taken from Barbershop....comical....oh but wait you are from Utah....Mormon country....the thought of watching a movie with a majority afr. amer. cast is probably too much for you)

No really, I do not think I am holier than though...and never have...I just dont think it is right for anyone to assume that anyone helped him fund his experiences.

tryingtoreadyourpostisliketryingtoreadthoughtswithoutanyspacesandlotsofrand!om stuffin1023987sertedinthere

 

[unfrozencaveman]

How many straw-man arguments are in here? At least three.

On the subject of wealth and legacies in the application process: I personally don't think it matters much in the app process. I could be wrong, but I don't think nepotism or pulling strings helps except to maybe get you an extra interview or two. I have no problem with that.

What does bug me are the wealthy kids who have no idea what it's like to go through this process on your own with no financial help, acting like they have it just as tough and have to work as hard as "the poor kids." It's simply not true.

I never said you should be faulted for having rich parents pay for a trip, only that it's not as impressive as someone who had to work for it. There is a huge difference. Saving every dime to do something like this when you're poor shows a greater comittment.

That was more of an aside than an affront. Fair enough.

 

[jammin06]

Uh oh what class?
Congrats, you are almost finished...I might be at graduation this year again.

cya!

BIOE 420: Biosystems Transport and Reaction Phenomena.

 

[tank you]

i havent read through the entire thread, but one EC that i have been asked about by all my interviewers was my trip to a foreign country working with disadvantaged people, they seemed very impressed

 

[45408]

i havent read through the entire thread, but one EC that i have been asked about by all my interviewers was my trip to a foreign country working with disadvantaged people, they seemed very impressed

funny you should mention that.....

 

[gdbaby]

Yes, here we go again!

 

[tank you]

funny you should mention that.....

what...what did i do?

 

[gdbaby]

what...what did i do?

This whole thread has turned into a discussion on socioeconomic status and the ability to go abroad to help others--Varying comments and lashes at opinions from our resident adcom members on this forum.

 

[jammin06]

what...what did i do?

pretend this discussion is a computer, u just click "reboot"

 

[SailCrazy]

None SailCrazy, it was all my own. Worked full-time through grad school and got a national grant to do my research. Seeing as how Daddy abandoned this applicant, you may want to start thinking before you comment.

Whoa there cowboy.

My comment was sarcastic and made in reference to LizzyM's earlier comment about "daddy's money." *It had nothing to do with you or your situation.* I'm sorry for your situation, and that it has left you so sensitive and aggressive.

 

[tank you]

This whole thread has turned into a discussion on socioeconomic status and the ability to go abroad to help others--Varying comments and lashes at opinions from our resident adcom members on this forum.

 

[EvoDevo]

Bitc$ if I felt like I was holier than thou I would not wast my time cussing at your sorry ass!
Yall mother father's act like you know exactly how the person was able to fund the trip when in all actualilty you probably dont even know the person...as far as I am concered you and Lizzy M are showing nothing but your ability to hate (you guys have definitely earned your PhD....ummmmm Playa hate'N Degree)....all that hateration and holleration is not necessary is this dancerie (hahaha taken from Barbershop....comical....oh but wait you are from Utah....Mormon country....the thought of watching a movie with a majority afr. amer. cast is probably too much for you)

No really, I do not think I am holier than though...and never have...I just dont think it is right for anyone to assume that anyone helped him fund his experiences.

You need to watch the harassment, name calling, and flaming. If you can't disagree in a mature manner then perhaps we need to put you into "time out"????

Consider this a warning.

 

[EvoDevo]

Since this has turned into a hate war I'm closing the thread.