High School Activity(Event) in AMCAS activities list

[Zumab]

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Hello,
I am trying to think of things that I've done for the activities list. I have some leadership experience from Ugrad school but I have something from my high school senior yr (five years ago) where I organized and led a public really, collected petitions for local congressman etc for a non-medical cause (it was related to public policy). It was also covered in the news.
Would it be looked down upon if I included this as one of the 15 things? All of my other things are strictly post-HS activities.

Thanks!!!

 

[El-Rami]

I didn't list anything in AMCAS that was prior to college. If it is something transformative, maybe put it in your PS. Other than that, I wouldn't list it.

 

[piii]

From what I've read by adcoms on SDN, the will care 0% about it unless it is something you've continued dedication towards all throughout college

 

[LizzyM]

There is no rule against it, even if you didn't continue past HS, but it usually looks like padding unless it was something really unusual like you won a national championship in an athletic event or were an Eagle Scout (that seems to be the exception to the rule).

 

[mordac21]

It really annoys me that my grades from high school *must* go on AMCAS (community college), but HS activities are seen as "padding." /sorryfortherant

But yeah, if it's a big enough deal it can go on your AMCAS.

 

[Slave to the Game]

I'd put it down. Unless if you've really worked up a list of EC's in your four years, I don't think many people will fill up their 15 slots with meaningful activities. It sounds like it was a meaningful event for you, and you should feel comfortable putting it in your application.

 

[hythoom]

I received a letter of recognition for my services overseas at a hospital in the Gaza Strip (third-world, poverty stricken-nation) during the Summer before my junior year of high school. Is my volunteering there and the letter I received an event/activity worth putting on my AMCAS list? I also took part in a shadowing program hosted by my school district where I received about 200 hours of shadowing over a year over a WIDE range of health professions. Is this something I should list?

 

[OpieFromMayberry]

There is no rule against it, even if you didn't continue past HS, but it usually looks like padding unless it was something really unusual like you won a national championship in an athletic event or were an Eagle Scout (that seems to be the exception to the rule).

How about a National Merit Scholar?


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[LizzyM]

How about a National Merit Scholar?

This means you were one of 15,000 National Merit Scholars the year you graduated from HS. That makes it much more rare than Eagle Scout (>50K, out of a smaller pool, given that girls are not eligible), but not really distinctive.... it is a good bet that there are dozens if not hundreds of med school applicants (out of 45,000 applicants not all having graduated from HS the same year you did) with the same credential.

It isn't the same as being one of 230 Americans who participated in the 2014 Winter Olympics. Not sure how many of those had not yet started college....