Community Activities

[remi4301]

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What kinds of things should we list under community activities? Obviously things like sports and stuff, but should I put things that I like to do in my spare time (ha! spare time... that's funny), like read, and paint? Seems cheesy but if it helps my app I'll put it. 🙂

 

[Jess Monster]

As long as you're honest about your activities and your skill level, why not?

I say honest because I know a pre-dent who put "piano" as one of her hobbies but she hadn't touched a piano since she was seven and taking lessons. She got into dental school, but how embarrassing would it be if someone asked for a demonstration?

Clearly they list hobbies as something to include, so if you paint enough to call it a hobby, go for it.

I put a more general "Arts and Crafts" listing on mine because every week I try to complete a small creative project- whether that's painting, sewing, making jewelry, refurbishing furniture, etc.

Also, I put "Insect Collecting" and explained how I learned to properly collect and preserve entomological specimens in class but how I continue to collect them on an amateur basis... to decorate my home. (Basically, I've been robbing campus of its pollinators the last few springs.)

Of course any club you're part of should go there. Also any volunteer activities that are "non-animal" in nature. Honestly, that section is really just a hodge-podge of left-over activities.

 

[WildZoo]

Related to this, I'm a writer (my second major is Fiction Writing) and I've been published before. Would that be something that would go in community activities, or is there somewhere else that would be more appropriate?

I continue to worry about these things a year before I need to. 🙄

 

[Jess Monster]

Related to this, I'm a writer (my second major is Fiction Writing) and I've been published before. Would that be something that would go in community activities, or is there somewhere else that would be more appropriate?

I continue to worry about these things a year before I need to. 🙄

Even if you weren't published, I would still put it down. You have an educational background and physical published proof of your life outside of pre-vet. It won't hurt you. Technically, you could put published works in "Honors/Awards" as well, but you should definitely include it in the application.

I would start making a list now of all those little extra activities. VMCAS wants general dates for everything, including hobbies. Collecting all that information before you start the process of applying will speed things up quite a bit.

 

[LetItSnow]

Related to this, I'm a writer (my second major is Fiction Writing) and I've been published before. Would that be something that would go in community activities, or is there somewhere else that would be more appropriate?

I continue to worry about these things a year before I need to. 🙄

Worrying about it now isn't a bad thing. Every time you think of something put it on a list so that when you go to apply it's just a matter of copying it all in.

For the first month after I applied, I kept kicking myself because I'd think of one thing after another I should have included.

I saw Jess Monster's reply about writing, and I agree, but I think it could go in Community Activities, whatever they're calling the hobby section, or even Employment if you were paid for it.

The very best advice, though, would be to call VMCAS when the time comes and ask them where to put it. It definitely should be in your application somewhere.