How important are activities?

[irish80122]

One thing I have been thinking about lately is how important are activities? Do grad schools really look at them, or not really. The reason I ask is that I don't have all that many activities, and those that I have are conservative in nature (College Republicans/Right to Life/working political campaigns). I realize that this may not be the best thing to put on an application given who will be reading my application, so I was planning on just leaving these activities off. Would this be a mistake? Do the applications even ask for activities, I don't even know? Thanks!

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[dakwegmo]

Most of the applications I filled out last year didn't ask anything about extra curricular activities. In the instances where I did mention activities, it was in three areas: research experience, clinical experience, and teaching experience. If you want to include these, the most likely places to put them would be your personal statement or your CV.

I would advise against including anything that might prejudice a prospective graduate advisor. Although the professors try to be fair, they are still human, and if the activities you include portray a mindset that is fundamentally different from theirs, that's going to color their decision.

 

[havesomefaith]

I agree with darkwegmo.
None of the applications I've seen so far ask for activities other than research/clinical related ones. Unlike undergrad applications, I think you need to show that you are focused and committed to the field, not that you are a well-rounded student. Not that it would necessarily be a minus, of course.

 

[joetro]

I'd recommend really not including those things unless they are relevant. And, in face, the conservative stuff might hurt you. One professor point blank asked at interview: "So I've heard you are a Republican." The interview went downhill from there, and I think we both realized the match wouldn't work out.

 

[irish80122]

It seems amazing that that professor would know that first of all, but even more amazing that they would ask you that point blank. I guess if politics are that important with them, I wouldn't want to work with them anyways as I would rather work with people who care more about research or teaching.

I definitely won't mention it and literally have tried to hide it over the years just because it really doesn't matter in my mind. I am still compassionate, I just have a different political stance and I hope it won't bite me in the butt.

 

[colincorgi]

From what I understand, schools really don't care very much for other activities, unless they're related in at least some tangential way to what you're doing. I applied last year, and 3 of the schools I interviewed at made no mention at all of what I filled in. The 4th school (where I am now) seemed to be impressed with the fact that I have paramedic training, and I played it up as "clinical experience". Still, just from speaking to other people, extra-curricular stuff being useful seems to be the exception rather than the norm.