Help with activities list + feedback

[ilovemangoes13]

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Hi! I just wanted some advice on my work and activities list and how feasible it is to apply this next cycle in 2026. I am trying to decide which activities I keep vs do not. I have some rough time estimates on each. Are there any big weaknesses in this list?

Rough overview of work + activities:

• Free Clinic and Needle Exchange volunteering (around 200 hours) - most meaningful, was able to help in the free clinic + educate on overdose prevention, hand out supplies
• Research Lab - biochem, nanomaterials (around 300-400 hours total, just joined this one last semester after the one I was in since freshman year ended badly)
• Women's cross country + track and field (2,000 ish hours) - most meaningful
• Kesem counselor (2 camps, non-clinical, around 155 hours total if around 72-80 hours for each camp??) - kesem is a non profit organization which supports children with parents who have cancer. There are chapters across the US and each is entirely student run
• Kesem outreach coordinator and director (probably around 500 hours total) - most meaningful, not sure if I should separate these. Director is a big leadership commitment
• ED Scribing (will be around 650-700 hours)
• Public health internship (only around 50 hours, unsure if I should keep, mostly making training slides for community health workers)
• Violin teacher (only for a year, around 150 hours, but really enjoyed it)
• Student leader (a part of a team that organizes a one day service event once per semester. Did it last semester but am planning to drop this next semester due to more time needed for MCAT studying. Around 40 - 50 hours, unsure if should include)
• Pediatric cardiology shadowing (40 hours, was right before starting college though, in august. I may try to go back a couple more times this year. I would really love to include, was a great experience)
• Chemistry Honors program (unsure if should include, how do these work?)
• A part of my university honors college (unsure if should include)

Hoping for (this next semester)

• Poster presentation a local research symposium

GPA = 3.98, planning to take my MCAT in May. Studying is a bit difficult due to my athletic and work schedule.

 

[Goro]

Firget the student leadef stuff. That's a trivial amount of hours

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If you want a rule of thumb, I generally view activities with fewer than 50 hours as valuable (unless it's shadowing). Longevity is important too, though 150 hours of 3 years count the same to my rubric as 150 hours in 1 year (and it's not the case for every school).

 

[Rabbsters]

I'm pretty sure you just check the "Honors" box when you input your courses for your Chemistry Honors program, and don't include it as a work/activity entry. Perhaps an entry about the totality of your participation in the Honors college cohort at your university.

I would consider combining your two Kesem activities. But if you're not hurting for entry spaces, it does give you more room to write.

Like Mr.Smile said, longevity is important too. I personally think longevity is the most important. I've done a lot of things for a semester or a year and they've all shaped me in some way, but it's the things that I've committed to long term, returned to, and invested a lot of time into that really help show the reader this is who I am, which is what I believe this section is for (which is why it's encouraged to include your hobbies and unique interests). Now if you don't enjoy or find personal meaning in something I would never recommend someone keeps doing it to check a box (minus shadowing, gotta check that box, but ~32-40 hrs is likely enough). Obviously as a college student it's somewhat limited to show much longevity, especially since a lot of folks are still discovering who they are for the first few years (and you only have 4-5).

Disclaimer. I'm a non-trad with lots of time post college and literally no insider knowledge on ADCOM decision processes. But I think your list is pretty solid taken into consideration you're still a college student and you should be able to apply confidently in 2026 (dependent upon your school goals, and MCAT obviously)