I did hudreds of hours of research for my senior thesis. Should I put it under ECs?

[nolimits1]

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It wasn't published since it was a preliminary study, but it was relevant to medicine. It feels like I won't have any other opportunities to show it off if I don't put it under ECs. What should I do? Anyone in a similar boat?


Edit: It was FOR credit

 

[kelminak]

I sure would. I don't know where else you'd put it. 🙂 If they want clarification, they can ask you during the interview.

 

[Goro]

NO! That's part of your academics. ECs are the things you do outside of school.

It wasn't published since it was a preliminary study, but it was relevant to medicine. It feels like I won't have any other opportunities to show it off if I don't put it under ECs. What should I do? Anyone in a similar boat?

 

[nolimits1]

I sure would. I don't know where else you'd put it. 🙂 If they want clarification, they can ask you during the interview.

But it was a senior thesis for credit. So by definition, is it an EC?

 

[AlteredScale]

It wasn't published since it was a preliminary study, but it was relevant to medicine. It feels like I won't have any other opportunities to show it off if I don't put it under ECs. What should I do? Anyone in a similar boat?

I would put it it down. I Had a poster, conference presentation, and a thesis but no pubs for a senior honors thesis as well.

 

[nolimits1]

I would put it it down. I Had a poster, conference presentation, and a thesis but no pubs for a senior honors thesis as well.

Yours was for credit right? Ugh, I'm so confused 🙁

 

[amanda1029]

I put mine down as EC bc despite getting credit for it, I went way above and beyond the hours they required me to be in the lab (3 hours per week per credit, and I only did 3 credits at a time.). Doing research was such a huge part of my undergrad career, and I wanted to highlight it. And I also had posters, publications, etc.

 

[AlteredScale]

Yours was for credit right? Ugh, I'm so confused 🙁

Are you asking this question in the context of your primary or secondary app? I'm a bit confused now as well!

 

[nolimits1]

Are you asking this question in the context of your primary or secondary app? I'm a bit confused now as well!

Primary.

 

[nolimits1]

I put mine down as EC bc despite getting credit for it, I went way above and beyond the hours they required me to be in the lab (3 hours per week per credit, and I only did 3 credits at a time.). Doing research was such a huge part of my undergrad career, and I wanted to highlight it. And I also had posters, publications, etc.

It had a pretty big impact on me as well, so I guess I'll take your word for it.

 

[nolimits1]

NO! That's part of your academics. ECs are the things you do outside of school.

I suppose you know better than others when it comes to things like this. So is there no way around it other than discussing it in my interview (if i do make it that far)? Do you think if I were to squeeze it in, adcoms would look negatively at my app?

 

[UBC2014]

No.

Why do people think work for a course is an EC?

I also wrote a senior honours thesis, and no I did not include it in my ECs. It was a program requirement, not a volunteer act of research etc.

 

[Goro]

I've seen people try this before, and I do look down upon it. I think "do these people understand what "EC" means?

You can certainly mention what you got out of your research project in your essays.

But pay attention: ECs are the things you do voluntarily, and not for any sort of college credit.

I suppose you know better than others when it comes to things like this. So is there no way around it other than discussing it in my interview (if i do make it that far)? Do you think if I were to squeeze it in, adcoms would look negatively at my app?

 

[CUNYguy]

No.

Why do people think work for a course is an EC?

I also wrote a senior honours thesis, and no I did not include it in my ECs. It was a program requirement, not a volunteer act of research etc.

Exactly what I was going to say.

The word extracurricular explains it. Outside of the curriculum of your education.

I was looking up this same question because I did a year long research project but it was for credit.


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[Gundam00]

if you are getting a grade/credit for it you aren't doing it out of your own free will, therefore its not an EC

 

[AlteredScale]

The AACOMAS application lists the category as "EC, Volunteer, and Community Service". I chose to add my Honors Thesis because it did technically fit the mold of "volunteer" work. I was being given academic credit for I believe 12 hrs per week but I definitely put way more hours than that.

But now that this has been brought up, I'm considering removing it altogether from my primary application.

 

[UBC2014]

The AACOMAS application lists the category as "EC, Volunteer, and Community Service". I chose to add my Honors Thesis because it did technically fit the mold of "volunteer" work. I was being given academic credit for I believe 12 hrs per week but I definitely put way more hours than that.

But now that this has been brought up, I'm considering removing it altogether from my primary application.

You are not doing it voluntarily, you are getting credit for it.

Volunteer work generally helps someone else, doing research for your thesis helps no one.

 

[AlteredScale]

You are not doing it voluntarily, you are getting credit for it.

Volunteer work generally helps someone else, doing research for your thesis helps no one.

So you think I should delete it from my primary?

 

[CUNYguy]

So you think I should delete it from my primary?

If I was in your shoes, I would consider if it's distinct enough to be considered extracurricular? Was it above and beyond what the curriculum had requested of the student? Did you participate in any activity(ies) that would push it outside of your course agenda?

If you can find distinction, then by all means, keep it in ECs.

 

[AlteredScale]

If I was in your shoes, I would consider if it's distinct enough to be considered extracurricular? Was it above and beyond what the curriculum had requested of the student? Did you participate in any activity(ies) that would push it outside of your course agenda?

If you can find distinction, then by all means, keep it in ECs.

I would say so, the project usually necessitates a mentor. My mentoring post doc quit about 1 month Into my project so I had to learn the rest of the techniques on my own. Also the entire project's direction fell on me. I was putting about twice as much time the course was expecting. I also used my research as a stepping stool to become a presenter and somehow a mentor for transfer students seeking to get into research through the division.

Based on this, what do you think? I'd rather not have it be the kiss of death to gain acceptance!

 

[Gundam00]

The AACOMAS application lists the category as "EC, Volunteer, and Community Service". I chose to add my Honors Thesis because it did technically fit the mold of "volunteer" work. I was being given academic credit for I believe 12 hrs per week but I definitely put way more hours than that.

But now that this has been brought up, I'm considering removing it altogether from my primary application.

Was it a required course to graduate? I think you should actually put it in if you were the one to make your research project and if you worked with a PI. But if you needed the course to graduate then it shouldn't go in there

 

[nolimits1]

Was it a required course to graduate? I think you should actually put it in if you were the one to make your research project and if you worked with a PI. But if you needed the course to graduate then it shouldn't go in there

Hmmm, that actually brings up a point. My research was after graduation in a post-bacc year out of my own interest. Would that change things? It was still for credits, as I took other courses to complete a 5th year of university.

 

[AlteredScale]

Was it a required course to graduate? I think you should actually put it in if you were the one to make your research project and if you worked with a PI. But if you needed the course to graduate then it shouldn't go in there

My PI proposed it as the project was started by the post-doc but I continued the direction and made the experiments after the post-doc left.
I did not need any of these courses as it was an honors program for being at a certain GPA.