How "essayish" on AMCAS

[Beast11]

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Greetings:

Other than the PS-how many "essays" should one put on AMCAS. Specifically, I was thinking about the 15 "extracurricular" activities. Should one try to have 15 very general headers (volunteering, honors, etc.) followed by bullet points (shadowed for xxx hours, volunteered at yyy hospital doing zzz jobs). I figure most ADCOMS would be able to quickly parse lists and see that the "right boxes are checked." However, if I were to try to write small paragraphs that could flesh out a PS, would that necessarily be a bad thing?

Also, for those more experienced (as would be expected in a non trad forum)-did you try to give a full picture by adding your CV (in whatever format) into the AMCAS?

Thanks! Two more weeks until I hit the dreaded send button!

 

[RxnMan]

Greetings:

Other than the PS-how many "essays" should one put on AMCAS. Specifically, I was thinking about the 15 "extracurricular" activities. Should one try to have 15 very general headers (volunteering, honors, etc.) followed by bullet points (shadowed for xxx hours, volunteered at yyy hospital doing zzz jobs). I figure most ADCOMS would be able to quickly parse lists and see that the "right boxes are checked." However, if I were to try to write small paragraphs that could flesh out a PS, would that necessarily be a bad thing?

Also, for those more experienced (as would be expected in a non trad forum)-did you try to give a full picture by adding your CV (in whatever format) into the AMCAS?

Thanks! Two more weeks until I hit the dreaded send button!

I don't remember adding in my CV - in many respects, that's a repeat of information given in the essays. I used up all of the space available for every essay. I felt that the more information the ADCOMs had about me, the better. (Besides, I paid for it, why not use it?)

Here's my take on assigning ECs: I think they're looking for people who are well-rounded. To that end, they want to see a spread of ECs. A person with 5 research ECs doesn't look as balanced as one with one research, one volunteering, one clinical, and one job. I'd say start out with things that are pretty cut-and-dry (working as an engineer) and assign those first. Then fill in the gaps with things that cover more categories, with the overall strategy of presenting youself as a balanced person with diverse interests.

 

[QofQuimica]

Yeah, I agree with RxnMan. Also, I wrote my ECs as paragraphs. I know some people say that it's bad to write too much, but basically I explained not only what I did for each one, but also why this activity was important to me and what I learned from it. Good luck w/ your app, OP.

 

[chrisjohn]

I summarized all those bastards in paragraph form too. Personally, it doesn’t matter, just that the box is filled with something apropos. “I spend the last three years treating HIV positive TB suffers in Ukraine.”

Yes, I know the person who did this.

Yes, she matriculated at WAY TOO MANY schools.

Yes, she is just a bit Machiavellian.

People tread a thin line with ECs. ADCOMS care about grades/scores. Yep ECs help but when I get a chance to interview perspective students they better have an outstanding reason why the spent their “summer” hanging out in an exotic 3rd world locale.