Iffy EC's

[HSUReddie]

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I plan on submitting an update letter to a school in December or January (the majority of their acceptances don't go out until February).

I don't know about you guys, but I think there's some EC's that just come across iffy. I think some are probably iffy regardless... and others it might depend on where you are from and where you're applying.

This is my personal situation... I recently moved to New Orleans for grad school. One of my best friends is a float captain for an up-and-coming Mardi Gras krewe. I've been attending a lot of their events, including service activities. Today, I finally decided to go through with it and pay membership dues. I mean you only live once and chances are I'll only be in New Orleans for this year - when am I going to get another opportunity to ride in a Mardi Gras parade? It's a great krewe really focused on giving back to the community, especially a particular newly "revitalized" sort of area of the city.

I'm really wanting to include this in my update letter. However, the main school I plan on submitting the update letter to is back home - Arkansas. Arkansas is a pretty conservative state. My concern is that people have a sort of warped, touristy sense of what Mardi Gras is all about... if you catch my drift. I think I might be able to swing including it if explained correctly - emphasizing that I'm excited about getting involved in my new community while I'm here - and Mardi Gras is an essential part of that. Is it a risk worth taking?

I was curious to see if anyone else had similar circumstances and if there were any thoughts or opinions about my situation in particular.

 

[cheechootrain]

I plan on submitting an update letter to a school in December or January (the majority of their acceptances don't go out until February).

I don't know about you guys, but I think there's some EC's that just come across iffy. I think some are probably iffy regardless... and others it might depend on where you are from and where you're applying.

This is my personal situation... I recently moved to New Orleans for grad school. One of my best friends is a float captain for an up-and-coming Mardi Gras krewe. I've been attending a lot of their events, including service activities. Today, I finally decided to go through with it and pay membership dues. I mean you only live once and chances are I'll only be in New Orleans for this year - when am I going to get another opportunity to ride in a Mardi Gras parade? It's a great krewe really focused on giving back to the community, especially a particular newly "revitalized" sort of area of the city.

I'm really wanting to include this in my update letter. However, the main school I plan on submitting the update letter to is back home - Arkansas. Arkansas is a pretty conservative state. My concern is that people have a sort of warped, touristy sense of what Mardi Gras is all about... if you catch my drift. I think I might be able to swing including it if explained correctly - emphasizing that I'm excited about getting involved in my new community while I'm here - and Mardi Gras is an essential part of that. Is it a risk worth taking?

I was curious to see if anyone else had similar circumstances and if there were any thoughts or opinions about my situation in particular.

Just saw these two words, "Mardi Gras" and I would not put that as an EC if you're going to a conservative place like Arkansas. In addition, doctors, for the most part, have to be conservative in their image. Even though you might "swing" how this makes you a better applicant, it might back fire and send your train off the rails and into the dirt.

However, if you wrote this to a New Orleans school, one that knows the tradition and the importance of this parade, then go for it. But since you're sending an update letter to Arkansas, I would, in my opinion, not mention it. Rather, make a letter of intent rather an update letter. Also, if you got a job, you can use that in your update. Other than that, that's what I think. Good luck and party on.

 

[ljpm8224]

? It's a great krewe really focused on giving back to the community, especially a particular newly "revitalized" sort of area of the city.

Do you have to call it or spell it like "krewe?" I know nothing about Mardi Gras but to me the first thing that runs through my free association word of seeing that is something along the lines of ICP Juggalos 🙄 😀 or Kardashian-esque.

Maybe rephrase as generic Community Outreach 😉 Alternatively... get more specific and just drill down and hype up your particular task. Be it wardrobe design or dance choreography or music production (whatever you are doing)... a sanitized bland generic version of the specific thing you are working on for them?

 

[HSUReddie]

Just saw these two words, "Mardi Gras" and I would not put that as an EC if you're going to a conservative place like Arkansas. In addition, doctors, for the most part, have to be conservative in their image. Even though you might "swing" how this makes you a better applicant, it might back fire and send your train off the rails and into the dirt.

However, if you wrote this to a New Orleans school, one that knows the tradition and the importance of this parade, then go for it. But since you're sending an update letter to Arkansas, I would, in my opinion, not mention it. Rather, make a letter of intent rather an update letter. Also, if you got a job, you can use that in your update. Other than that, that's what I think. Good luck and party on.

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'm kind of concerned that I really might be being overly concerned about it. In my mind, it's like the sorority I was never a member of in undergrad... But I know that there is a slight possibility that others may judge it more harshly.

Do you have to call it or spell it like "krewe?" I know nothing about Mardi Gras but to me the first thing that runs through my free association word of seeing that is something along the lines of ICP Juggalos 🙄 😀 or Kardashian-esque.

Maybe rephrase as generic Community Outreach 😉 Alternatively... get more specific and just drill down and hype up your particular task. Be it wardrobe design or dance choreography or music production (whatever you are doing)... a sanitized bland generic version of the specific thing you are working on for them?

I think all Mardi Gras krewes are spelt like that.... 😕 It's just a traditional thing.

http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/schedule/parade-info/parades.html

Anyway - that's sort of what I'm worried about - the people that know close to nothing about Mardi Gras. Since I've been here, I'm realizing the bad rep comes from mainly the tourists.

Uhm, I don't have a job per say besides riding in the parade. I indicated on my application I was interested in being on the philanthropic committee. And that's the thing, the things you listed, I will probably have nothing to do with. That's a common misconception I think. When I say volunteering with the organization, I actually mean like we're doing Habitat for Humanity builds, garbage clean-ups, etc. As well as having most of our social events in this newly "revitalized" area that I mentioned - so supporting and raising awareness for local businesses and such.