Great tips for entering your "Work/Activities" for AMCAS

[wizenedone]

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A total of 26-28 hours per week? That's a lot!

If you will have 12 items or less by listing these individually, then I'd say split them. If you need to conserve space (you have >15 items), then lump them.

Yes but I will probably cut down once I take more classes. Right now, I've more free time so I can afford to volunteer that much. After the summer, I would probably only commit to ~12-14 hours/week and probably cut down on one which allows me to have least clinical experience.

 

[j127]

LizzyM, help me out please!

I interned at a company the summer before senior year, then came back to work there full time after graduation. For timing, should I list my internship start time, then when I left my job as end time - noting in my description that I worked full time as an intern over the summer, then full time as an employee after grad? Or should I list these as two separate experiences - one as an intern, the other as an employee?

Also, I know you've mentioned to be as brief and to the point as possible in the descriptions. So if I list Clerical Volunteer as an experence name, should I assume a descrption is self explanatory and not say much in the description?

Thanks!

 

[LizzyM]

LizzyM, help me out please!

I interned at a company the summer before senior year, then came back to work there full time after graduation. For timing, should I list my internship start time, then when I left my job as end time - noting in my description that I worked full time as an intern over the summer, then full time as an employee after grad? Or should I list these as two separate experiences - one as an intern, the other as an employee?

I'd call it "employment" and use graduation from college as the start date (this will push it up toward the top of the list which helps answer the question, "what has the applicant done since graduation". If you have slots available, list the internship separately. If you don't have room (and frankly, I'd make the major activity of an entire summer a priority & make room), then put it in the description e.g. "Also served an internship at the agency during Summer 2006".

Also, I know you've mentioned to be as brief and to the point as possible in the descriptions. So if I list Clerical Volunteer as an experence name, should I assume a descrption is self explanatory and not say much in the description?

Thanks!

Clerical volunteer seems pretty self-explanatory, you handled paperwork, maybe mail, stuff like that. If there was anything that would need explaining because it was exceptional/out of the ordinary then add it. Don't tire my eyeballs if it isn't necessary. 😉

 

[gujuDoc]

If you have the space, put the names. It could lead to a conversation at an interview if someone knows the particular hospital or clinic

Ok, will do. thanks again.

 

[Choicobo]

LizzyM thank you so much for all the work you did answering everyone's questions.



Reading these comments I seem to be in a bind as well. I work as a volunteer for National Motorcycle Patrol, which is a medical group that provides the first line of care for fallen motorcycle racers before even an ambulance. I work with real racers, and use my skills as an EMT, but I am still volunteering.

What I'm not sure is how I should put it in my application.
I do this event 6 weekends a year, working 20 hours each weekend. This is my fourth year doing it and I doesn't seem correct dispersing it out to hours per week. What is your opinion in what I should do?

Would this volunteering experience also count as clinical?


Thanks in advance

 

[LizzyM]

LizzyM thank you so much for all the work you did answering everyone's questions.



Reading these comments I seem to be in a bind as well. I work as a volunteer for National Motorcycle Patrol, which is a medical group that provides the first line of care for fallen motorcycle racers before even an ambulance. I work with real racers, and use my skills as an EMT, but I am still volunteering.

What I'm not sure is how I should put it in my application.
I do this event 6 weekends a year, working 20 hours each weekend. This is my fourth year doing it and I doesn't seem correct dispersing it out to hours per week. What is your opinion in what I should do?

Would this volunteering experience also count as clinical?


Thanks in advance

That looks like it works out to an average of 2 hrs per week for 4 years. That's mighty impressive. In the free text field you will explain that it is 20 hours per weekend and 6 weekends per year so that the adcom has the full picture. It is basically a first aid service so I'd call it "volunteer, clinical".

 

[BluePhoenix]

I have a question regarding TA/Lab Assistant/Grader. I was a grader and lab assistant for at least 1 physics course and 1 (nonrelated) physics lab course each semester for 3 years of undergrad, I also TA'd several courses in graduate school as well. Should I list undergrad and grad separately? Do I need to list the names and professors of all the courses (about 17 different courses) or is it ok to give a general range of courses I've TA'd?

 

[LizzyM]

I have a question regarding TA/Lab Assistant/Grader. I was a grader and lab assistant for at least 1 physics course and 1 (nonrelated) physics lab course each semester for 3 years of undergrad, I also TA'd several courses in graduate school as well. Should I list undergrad and grad separately? Do I need to list the names and professors of all the courses (about 17 different courses) or is it ok to give a general range of courses I've TA'd?

Put the dates and the hours per week. Classify it as whatever it was (Employment, non-military perhaps?) No need to list everything separately. If there is someone who could verify your employment, put that person as the contact, otherwise leave it blank. In the free text field you could describe what you did: "Grader and lab assistant for undergraduate and graduate physics classes." Most adcom members have taken college physics (there is the rare bird who has a doctorate in anthropology or something like that who may not have) and that very brief description is enough for everyone to have a pretty good idea of what you did.

 

[Choicobo]

Thank you LizzyM you information was very helpful 🙂

Just to follow up, If I did something even before high school and then still continued to do that during college, do I include it in my application?

(I have been doing martial arts since the age of 4 and continue to do so today not as consistently though as an undergraduate because of a few broken metatarsals and broken finger in the course of three years)

(and somewhat the same situation for vocal performance)

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you LizzyM you information was very helpful 🙂

Just to follow up, If I did something even before high school and then still continued to do that during college, do I include it in my application?

(I have been doing martial arts since the age of 4 and continue to do so today not as consistently though as an undergraduate because of a few broken metatarsals and broken finger in the course of three years)

(and somewhat the same situation for vocal performance)

Yes, as long as you engaged in the activity in college it is ok to put it on the list. Many musicians and dancers and athletes are in this boat.

 

[MiketheAnimal]

Lizzy/all others, a few questions....

1) I have been shooting pistols competitively for the past 2 1/2 years in a well known shooting association called USPSA. I have won a few local competitions and placed in several state matches, and it is definitely a passion of mine. I also enjoy restoring old WWII-era military rifles and pistols...are these things that sit well with ADCOM members? I know not everyone is pro-gun and I wouldn't want to stir up controversy or get into 2nd Ammendment issues, but it is a passion of mine? What is your opinion, and if you think they should be in my application, should they be separate or together, how would you organize them? Thanks Lizzy!!

2) Also, I know that this is pretty common, but I've been working out religiously for 8 years now followed a very strict, healthy diet. In that time I've acquired quite a bit of knowledge and experience with the human body, i.e. kinesiology, diet, metabolism, etc. and more importantly it has given me a great amount of discipline and perseverance. I have also recently started mixed martial arts (MMA), a combination of brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, muay thai...and it has become a passion of mine. Are these things worth mentioning/combining in a primary application??

3) I have seen a few questions regarding EMT, and I just wanted some clarification. I completed my EMT-Basic course September 2006, I took my certification exam and passed it in March 2007. Meanwhile I was volunteering at a local hospital in the ER for about 3 months, and as soon as I obtained my EMT-B license I was hired at that very same ER as an ER tech. I've been working there for the past 11 months now and I love it. How do you recommend organizing and classifying these things (the EMT-B course, the license, volunteering, and my employment)


Thanks in advance!
Michael

 

[gujuDoc]

Lizzy/all others, a few questions....

1) I have been shooting pistols competitively for the past 2 1/2 years in a well known shooting association called USPSA. I have won a few local competitions and placed in several state matches, and it is definitely a passion of mine. I also enjoy restoring old WWII-era military rifles and pistols...are these things that sit well with ADCOM members? I know not everyone is pro-gun and I wouldn't want to stir up controversy or get into 2nd Ammendment issues, but it is a passion of mine? What is your opinion, and if you think they should be in my application, should they be separate or together, how would you organize them? Thanks Lizzy!!

2) Also, I know that this is pretty common, but I've been working out religiously for 8 years now followed a very strict, healthy diet. In that time I've acquired quite a bit of knowledge and experience with the human body, i.e. kinesiology, diet, metabolism, etc. and more importantly it has given me a great amount of discipline and perseverance. I have also recently started mixed martial arts (MMA), a combination of brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, muay thai...and it has become a passion of mine. Are these things worth mentioning/combining in a primary application??

3) I have seen a few questions regarding EMT, and I just wanted some clarification. I completed my EMT-Basic course September 2006, I took my certification exam and passed it in March 2007. Meanwhile I was volunteering at a local hospital in the ER for about 3 months, and as soon as I obtained my EMT-B license I was hired at that very same ER as an ER tech. I've been working there for the past 11 months now and I love it. How do you recommend organizing and classifying these things (the EMT-B course, the license, volunteering, and my employment)

Thanks in advance!
Michael

I'm not LizzyM so you'll have to wait til she gets on here for final confirmation, but my take is you can mention the stuff about the work out and learning about the human body in your personal statement by saying that your workout learning experience gave you confidence and chance to learn about the human body.

For EMT-B, I'm sure that you don't put the course on the 15 things or the certification separately. If you've been working as an EMT-B it is assumed you took the course and are certified. So just mention when you got your certification in the description section and then go into whatever it is you want to say about your work as one.

List the volunteer experience separately from paid employment even if it was the same place.

Last but not least, I'm not sure about the Pistol thing. Youcould also ask this to the adcom members in the mentor forum thread about improving chances. Tildy is one of them as is REL. I also believe there are a few others on there that sit on an adcom. They could discuss that issue since I think you are right that it could be controversial but who is to say what they think.

 

[m_rivera84]

I was curious, should activities such as basketball, swimming, piano, etc, be listed in the Work and Activities section? I was thinking about lumping it all together in one section as a sort of "What I do outside of science related activities".

Although I may have done these activities in high school, I have not joined any clubs, teams, or continuous lessons for these activities. Would it be alright to just list these with a little explanation of my involvement in them over the course of my college years?

Thanks a lot!

 

[LizzyM]

I was curious, should activities such as basketball, swimming, piano, etc, be listed in the Work and Activities section? I was thinking about lumping it all together in one section as a sort of "What I do outside of science related activities".

Although I may have done these activities in high school, I have not joined any clubs, teams, or continuous lessons for these activities. Would it be alright to just list these with a little explanation of my involvement in them over the course of my college years?

Thanks a lot!

Unless you have 13 other things on the application already, I'd suggest giving b-ball, swimming and piano their own slots because they are different activities. It won't look like padding, it will look well rounded. You could list b-ball and swimming as athletics and say that you practice both as a way of staying physically fit and as a stress reliever (adcoms value stress relievers and physical fitness). Piano can also be a stress reliever or a way to relax or you might be the type who plays to entertain others at parties so it is a different bird than athletics (It can go under hobbies or under performing arts.) Depending on when you started on each activity (start from the date of your first lesson) these activities tend to land at the end of the list because AMCAS uses the start date to place experiences in reverse chronological order.

 

[MiketheAnimal]

Bumpppp

Lizzy what do you think of my situation?

 

[LizzyM]

Lizzy/all others, a few questions....

1) I have been shooting pistols competitively for the past 2 1/2 years in a well known shooting association called USPSA. I have won a few local competitions and placed in several state matches, and it is definitely a passion of mine. I also enjoy restoring old WWII-era military rifles and pistols...are these things that sit well with ADCOM members? I know not everyone is pro-gun and I wouldn't want to stir up controversy or get into 2nd Ammendment issues, but it is a passion of mine? What is your opinion, and if you think they should be in my application, should they be separate or together, how would you organize them? Thanks Lizzy!!

If this might be classified as a sport, then list it as such.

The restoration of old objects might be classified as a hobby and that is OK too. Shows an interest outside of medicine, makes you well rounded.

2) Also, I know that this is pretty common, but I've been working out religiously for 8 years now followed a very strict, healthy diet. In that time I've acquired quite a bit of knowledge and experience with the human body, i.e. kinesiology, diet, metabolism, etc. and more importantly it has given me a great amount of discipline and perseverance. I have also recently started mixed martial arts (MMA), a combination of brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, muay thai...and it has become a passion of mine. Are these things worth mentioning/combining in a primary application??

Learning about & taking care of your own body don't really belong on the application but martial arts etc could be classified as athletics or hobby and do show an interest in physical activity and mental discipline.

3) I have seen a few questions regarding EMT, and I just wanted some clarification. I completed my EMT-Basic course September 2006, I took my certification exam and passed it in March 2007. Meanwhile I was volunteering at a local hospital in the ER for about 3 months, and as soon as I obtained my EMT-B license I was hired at that very same ER as an ER tech. I've been working there for the past 11 months now and I love it. How do you recommend organizing and classifying these things (the EMT-B course, the license, volunteering, and my employment)

List 3 mos as Volunteer, clinical. List 11 mos of employment, non-military. In the text section of the ER tech job, mention that you were licensed in date/month and have used your skills in the ER (or ED if you want to be PC).

 

[MiketheAnimal]

Thank you very much, Lizzy.


When you say athletics...are you referring to the intercollegiate athletics category?

If I have won two university-wide awards given to only one student per academic year (FIU David Mauer Award for Excellence in Biology 2007 and South Florida Section – ACS Outstanding General Chemistry Student 2006-2007), are these worthy of being listed separately from everyday awards like Dean's List and President's/Provost's Honor Roll...or should they all be listed in one entry?

Another question...I am a non-traditional student and I worked as a mechanical engineer for a year. I learned a great deal, however it had nothing to do with healthcare of any kind. Do you think it would still be a good activity to list even though I quit that job 2 years ago to return to school?

If during my time at my EMT program I was appointed class leader, where basically I was responsible for preparing my classmates for exams, working with the EMS Coordinator to schedule hospital clinicals and rescue ride-alongs, and maintaining the classroom and its medical equipment. Would this be considered Leadership - not Listed Elsewhere? Or it is not really noteworthy?

Thanks,
Michael

 

[LizzyM]

Thank you very much, Lizzy.


When you say athletics...are you referring to the intercollegiate athletics category?

If I have won two university-wide awards given to only one student per academic year (FIU David Mauer Award for Excellence in Biology 2007 and South Florida Section – ACS Outstanding General Chemistry Student 2006-2007), are these worthy of being listed separately from everyday awards like Dean's List and President's/Provost's Honor Roll...or should they all be listed in one entry?

Another question...I am a non-traditional student and I worked as a mechanical engineer for a year. I learned a great deal, however it had nothing to do with healthcare of any kind. Do you think it would still be a good activity to list even though I quit that job 2 years ago to return to school?

If during my time at my EMT program I was appointed class leader, where basically I was responsible for .preparing my classmates for exams, working with the EMS Coordinator to schedule hospital clinicals and rescue ride-alongs, and maintaining the classroom and its medical equipment. Would this be considered Leadership - not Listed Elsewhere? Or it is not really noteworthy?.

Thanks,
Michael

I wouldn't bother with the honors but you should list the employment because you otherwise have a one year gap on your appie.

If you had an empty slot, you can put the leadership thing... it sounds like a leadership position.

 

[Fp02c]

Hello. I am new to this thread and have a few questions.

I did engineering undergrad. I did my senior thesis as part of a 3 credit hour class where students can opt to do research or complete a design. I chose the latter and under my professors advice entered into the state competition against other universities. It involved a written report along with files detailing the design and an oral presentation infront of an audience followed by a Q/A session with professional engineers and city officials. Somehow my design ( it was 3 of us) took 1st place so we went on to nationals and got 2nd place. My question is: If i got class credits for this can i put it in the extracurriculars? If I can should I designate it as research or design project.

My second question is: I did some non-paid research for a professor working with sustanability ( Im a tree hugger) that I wrote a paper on presented to my department. It was not published and was ultimatly used to suplement one of her graduate students research. Is it ok to put it under research if it was not published or formaly presented at a conference? I figured id put the time frame of when I worked on it and the average hours per week.

third and last question. I was a part of a few organizations that were premed, engineering, and neither. I held leadership positions for two years in an engineering one. Will adcoms look down on the fact that I was more involved with the engineering ones than the premed ones? I can more than defend my reasons for it if necessary. Alot of the things that my engineering club did were the same as the premed ones in terms of outreach andvolunteering. The engineering one was a bit smaller and it was easier to become involved and participate in events that intersted me as compared to the HUGE premed club at my university where I would have gotten stuck doing car washes.

Also if i didnt hold a leadership position in an organization should I not include it or can I lump all of those into one category where I explain what each club was about, why I joined and how many hours a week we met. I want to include these because they show some of my interests outside school like environmental policy or my colombian association where i spent time with people who had the same cultural background as me.

 

[LizzyM]

My question is: If i got class credits for this can i put it in the extracurriculars? If I can should I designate it as research or design project.

The section of the AMCAS is called "Experience" so you can put anything there, even if it is associated with a class.

I did some non-paid research for a professor working with sustanability ( Im a tree hugger) that I wrote a paper on & presented to my department. It was not published and was ultimatly used to suplement one of her graduate students research. Is it ok to put it under research if it was not published or formaly presented at a conference?

Yes, call it research.

third and last question. I was a part of a few organizations that were premed, engineering, and neither. I held leadership positions for two years in an engineering one. Will adcoms look down on the fact that I was more involved with the engineering ones than the premed ones?

No.

Also if i didnt hold a leadership position in an organization should I not include it or can I lump all of those into one category where I explain what each club was about, why I joined and how many hours a week we met. I want to include these because they show some of my interests outside school like environmental policy or my colombian association where i spent time with people who had the same cultural background as me.

A listing of the names of the club and the hours per week might be sufficient. You can lump them and name the clubs in the text section. Frankly, this should be the first to go if you needed to cut something out.
Adcoms will be more impressed with your local and national prizes for design.

 

[MiketheAnimal]

I wouldn't bother with the honors but you should list the employment because you otherwise have a one year gap on your appie.

If you had an empty slot, you can put the leadership thing... it sounds like a leadership position.

I was the treasurer for a couple engineering honor societies during my undergrad, but this is going back 3 or 4 years. I have no clue who would be the contact name(s), would you still consider this something worth putting in my AMCAS? If so, under what description, Leadership - not listed elsewhere? I'm not sure if a treasurer is considered a leadership position....

Thanks

 

[LizzyM]

I was the treasurer for a couple engineering honor societies during my undergrad, but this is going back 3 or 4 years. I have no clue who would be the contact name(s), would you still consider this something worth putting in my AMCAS? If so, under what description, Leadership - not listed elsewhere? I'm not sure if a treasurer is considered a leadership position....

Thanks

You can leave "contact person" blank. You could list it as leadership... or leave the whole thing off the list if it wasn't very important to you... I'm just surprised that there was more than one engineering honor society!

 

[CubaLibre]

"LizzyM's Spot: The one stop shop for all your application needs" would have been a more appropriate title for this thread. Thanks for all the great help.

 

[serikk85]

Hi everyone,
I've read the thread and noticed that everyone says to mention leadership positions in the description. I was a missionary in Sweden for two years. One of those years I was just a regular missionary, but the second I was in a leadership position. It was a full time job and a completely different experience than the first year. Should I still just list them as one activity? It seems weird putting two years of my life into one little box.....anyways, I'd appreciate anyone's input (especially LizzyM's 😉).

 

[LizzyM]

Hi everyone,
I've read the thread and noticed that everyone says to mention leadership positions in the description. I was a missionary in Sweden for two years. One of those years I was just a regular missionary, but the second I was in a leadership position. It was a full time job and a completely different experience than the first year. Should I still just list them as one activity? It seems weird putting two years of my life into one little box.....anyways, I'd appreciate anyone's input (especially LizzyM's 😉).

split it in 2: volunteer, non-clinical and then leadership.

 

[serikk85]

Thanks LizzyM!😀

 

[scarletgirl777]

Should we list the monetary amount of awards and scholarships on AMCAS, or is that just tacky?
​

 

[LizzyM]

Should we list the monetary amount of awards and scholarships on AMCAS, or is that just tacky?
​

If it is <$200 it is tacky. If it is sizable, it might be impressive.🙂

 

[scarletgirl777]

If it is <$200 it is tacky. If it is sizable, it might be impressive.🙂

Thanks! Also, should we list scholarships won in high school that paid for college education, perhaps all under one category. This is so confusing...

 

[bozz]

this doesn't exactly have to do with work/activities, but maybe others have been wondering the same thing (especially people who might have been interested in "SCIENCE" in general and then maybe narrowed in on the Biological Sciences)

in the personal statement

I talk about a physics-related science project I did in high school and say that it made me more intellectually curious blah blah....

Right after, in the next paragraph, I start talking about biochem research I conducted in college. Do I HAVE to have some sort of transition sentence explaining my decision to focus on bio-oriented research ... since my high school project was physics related? Do I have to defend/even go into why I had an interest in physics in high school... I feel like it'd be a waste of space. Would the adcoms be looking for this?

 

[gujuDoc]

this doesn't exactly have to do with work/activities, but maybe others have been wondering the same thing (especially people who might have been interested in "SCIENCE" in general and then maybe narrowed in on the Biological Sciences)

I talk about a physics-related science project I did in high school and say that it made me more intellectually curious blah blah....

Right after, in the next paragraph, I start talking about biochem research I conducted in college. Do I HAVE to have some sort of transition sentence explaining my decision to focus on bio-oriented research ... since my high school project was physics related? Do I have to defend/even go into why I had an interest in physics in high school... I feel like it'd be a waste of space. Would the adcoms be looking for this?

A. No one cares about what you did in HS unless it was continued under the same person in college.
B. Don't mention HS stuff unless it is to point an interest in science in your personal statement and essays.
C. Don't make it a story in your description sections. LizzyM a respected adcom member on here always says not to make a story. She says cut to the chase and describe it concisesly and directly.

 

[YanksFan02]

I just wanted to share my experience - not to confuse anyone or give conflicting advice, but just as something to think about.

I turned everyone of my entries in the activities section into a story. I explained what I did through discussing the significance of it and why the experience was important to me. I used most of the available characters to describe my clubs and volunteer experiences (I only kept awards concise).

I did this for two reasons:
1) It bought me lots of space in my AMCAS essay. I didn't have to spend time in my essay expanding on my activities or their importance to me. I figured that if they give me space to write a legit paragraph, I'd take advantage of it.
2) It enabled me to tell them much more about myself. Instead of picking some activities to dwell upon in my essay when demonstrating analytical skills, I developed ideas for all of them independently. I then had my essay to talk about things you would never be able to get from the rest of my application. I figured: Why spend the essay talking about a hospital volunteer position and how it encouraged me to become a doctor, when I can do that in the ample space the activities section gives me?

Just wanted to share my $0.02. To lend credibility to my story, I had lots of interviews and admits at top tier schools. Some places told me they appreciated the detail; other places said nothing regarding it, but no one said they would have preferred I included less material. Good luck all!

 

[bozz]

A. No one cares about what you did in HS unless it was continued under the same person in college.
B. Don't mention HS stuff unless it is to point an interest in science in your personal statement and essays.
C. Don't make it a story in your description sections. LizzyM a respected adcom member on here always says not to make a story. She says cut to the chase and describe it concisesly and directly.

whoops forgot to say that it was in my Personal Statement.

 

[altaalta]

So the general consensus is to make it a concise description for each activity? I would like to use my descriptions from my resume which are around 500 words. Is that too little?

Also, if I did a summer research program for two consecutive summers, should I list those separately under the different dates, or should I mention in the description area that I did the program for a second summer?

Thanks in advance!

 

[LizzyM]

So the general consensus is to make it a concise description for each activity? I would like to use my descriptions from my resume which are around 500 words. Is that too little?

Also, if I did a summer research program for two consecutive summers, should I list those separately under the different dates, or should I mention in the description area that I did the program for a second summer?

Thanks in advance!

IMHO 500 words sounds like a lot! What I generally see is about 50 words.

If you have the space to list each summer separately, do so. It will be easier on the adcom members and give you a chance to describe each summer so that one can see how the second built on the first or was completely different.

 

[gujuDoc]

whoops forgot to say that it was in my Personal Statement.

In that case, that is fine. Putting HS stuff in the PS to serve as a point of introduction to an interest is ok. Just not as a resume item in the work activities.

 

[Fp02c]

What about doctor shadowing. I have shadowed 3 doctors. It was nothing extreamly formal or anything. I have shadowed 2 family doctors, one in private setting and another a volunteer at a free clinic, each for about 15 hrs. Also a surgeon for 6 hrs. I dont want to put them each in seperate sections since it seems like too much. Can we lump them in together? Do adcoms not like to see shadowing unless it was 100+ kind of thing? Also.. if we can lump them in together who do we put as the contact person. Gracias

EDIT:

Nevermind I found my answer by seeing one of LizzyM's respose to a similar question gujudoc had. 🙂

 

[serikk85]

Ok, so I got an honorable mention for the Goldwater Scholarship. Is this an "honor" worth mentioning or does it just say, "an independent panel has already reviewed me and found me to be inferior"?

 

[gujuDoc]

Ok, so I got an honorable mention for the Goldwater Scholarship. Is this an "honor" worth mentioning or does it just say, "an independent panel has already reviewed me and found me to be inferior"?

I believe Goldwater scholarship is very prestigious so I'd mention it.

 

[LizzyM]

Ok, so I got an honorable mention for the Goldwater Scholarship. Is this an "honor" worth mentioning or does it just say, "an independent panel has already reviewed me and found me to be inferior"?

If you 've got 9 better things than that then I'd leave it out.

 

[bozz]

1) Been into Abstract computer graphic design for many many years. I mess around just for fun.

2) But started offering web design services for $$$ only a few years ago.

Should I include these as separate activities? 1) Artistic Involvement 2) Paid Employment ... or just group everything under Paid Employment?

Artistic Involvement sounds cooler for some reason... I was basically getting paid for having fun 😀

 

[LizzyM]

1) Been into Abstract computer graphic design for many many years. I mess around just for fun.

2) But started offering web design services for $$$ only a few years ago.

Should I include these as separate activities? 1) Artistic Involvement 2) Paid Employment ... or just group everything under Paid Employment?

Artistic Involvement sounds cooler for some reason... I was basically getting paid for having fun 😀

Artists sell their work. Call it artistic and use the free text to describe how long you've been doing it as a freelancer.

 

[Ella Shepherd]

• High school activities are important only to underline continuity during college at increased levels of participation, leadership or responsibility (e.g., you've played a musical instrument, participated in the high school orchestra and are now in the college orchestra, etc.)

• If you received any scholarship, fellowship or other honor that is not nationally recognizable, describe it briefly. Don't waste paper on scholarships that are awarded to half the population at the school.

I'm just wondering...

Do you actually mention in the AMCAS what high school activities you had?

What if you received a prestigious award/honor with a scholarship for college upon graduation in high school? You didn't accept the scholarship for some reason but are still part of the organization that offered the scholarship (because of the award/honor that comes with it). Can you mention that you were given that award/honor even if it happened during high school graduation? (Especially if you're joining some activities and projects that the organization carries out...)

Thank you. 🙂


Edit: I just read above that you can mention some HS stuff in the PS and essays...that's about it right? No other HS stuff in any "listing" part of the AMCAS?

 

[gujuDoc]

I'm just wondering...

Do you actually mention in the AMCAS what high school activities you had?

What if you received a prestigious award/honor with a scholarship for college upon graduation in high school? You didn't accept the scholarship for some reason but are still part of the organization that offered the scholarship (because of the award/honor that comes with it). Can you mention that you were given that award/honor even if it happened during high school graduation? (Especially if you're joining some activities and projects that the organization carries out...)

Thank you. 🙂


Edit: I just read above that you can mention some HS stuff in the PS and essays...that's about it right? No other HS stuff in any "listing" part of the AMCAS?

If you didn't take the scholarship then there is no point of mentioning it. If you took it, I still don't know if I'd mention it unless you have nothing better to put on there.

Example of continuance....

You volunteer at ABC shelter, hospital, organization, etc. and continue to do so in college.
You are involved with a form of arts and entertainment from HS and continue so in college.
You work somewhere in HS and continue so in college.
Etc.

 

[HumidBeing]

BUMP

This needs to get back to the first page.

 

[bozz]

Listing something you did for 2 summers (i feel) is a waste of space. Is it OK to list the first summer and in the description area to mention that I did it twice.

 

[LizzyM]

Listing something you did for 2 summers (i feel) is a waste of space. Is it OK to list the first summer and in the description area to mention that I did it twice.

Keep in mind that the activities are listed in reverse chronological order so that if you give the dates for the first summer but not the second, the activity will fall closer to the bottom of the list.

An adcom member wants to be able to read your application in 20-30 minutes and among other questions the reader may want to know how you account for your time during the academic year & in the summer. Digging for the information can make an adcom member a bit cranky and that can make the difference between interview and no interview (many application readers are expected to accept no more than half of all applications for interview, in some cases there are several layers with each layer cutting the pool by half, anything that gives you the slightest edge can help.) Even if you don't make the adcom member cranky, you could cause them to misunderstand your application and think that you did the activity for only one summer.

 

[serikk85]

Just found out I got a paper into Nature Genetics! I had included the manuscript in the desciption section of my research, but now that the paper is "in press" does it merit its own section?

 

[LizzyM]

Just found out I got a paper into Nature Genetics! I had included the manuscript in the desciption section of my research, but now that the paper is "in press" does it merit its own section?

YES! 👍

 

[HIVdoc2b]

Hi LizzyM and others,

I volunteer at a nursing home, as a driver and providing companionship for the residents and clients of the day health program. Is it a stretch to call that "medical/clinical" volunteering? My inclination would be yes it's a stretch, although I definitely smell patients!

I have two national conferences at which I presented data (1 from undergrad, 1 more recent, for different labs), which I list separately. But, I went to the second conference again just as an attendee (had to be selected for that) - can I throw that in with the presentation, since it's the same conference? Or leave it out? I don't have the extra spots to include it on its own (I'm 2 years post-bacc and my college activities are different than my activities since).

Thanks!