listing hobbies on apps

[sux2bu09]

so amcas allows 15 activites, would you post hobbies on there like intramural sports or playing some occasional piano, etc. I have my 15 activities filled up with med. related stuff like volunteering and i feel like they are pretty strong....do you think it would be smart to add hobbies at the risk of taking something else more relevant away?

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[ChubbyChaser]

so amcas allows 15 activites, would you post hobbies on there like intramural sports or playing some occasional piano, etc. I have my 15 activities filled up with med. related stuff like volunteering and i feel like they are pretty strong....do you think it would be smart to add hobbies at the risk of taking something else more relevant away?

hmmm...i listed my involvement with music, basketball, and triathlons..so yes you can list them.

 

[pntgrd]

Hobbies are good, and actually came up in several of my interviews.

 

[iduwanna]

You can list any little thing you want.

The question is "should you"

 

[Mobius1985]

You could group all of them in one "Activities" slot. Anything you list though is fair game to be brought up at your interviews. An argument for going ahead and listing nonrelevant activities is that it makes you look well-rounded and interesting.

 

[sux2bu09]

yea thats what i was thinking that it would show that i am more rounded but the thing is i would have to delete one of my other activities to add it, which are probably more relevant to med schoools

 

[LizzyM]

Some of the questions the adcom may have:

is the applicant intellectually curious

has the applicant demonstrated a commitment of service to others

does the applicant have interests outside of academics and science

what does the applicant do for fun

how did the applicant spend time off from school (summers, etc)

how has the applicant tested an interest in a career in medicine

has the applicant developed leadership skills
?

 

[copingmethods]

does the applicant have interests outside of academics and science

what does the applicant do for fun

?

Lizzy: Is it okay to leave these questions unanswered until the interview? I don't have any hobbies or outside interests that would be impressive enough to put on the primary application (E.g. - I like to exercise, but it just consists of going to the gym, and I've never done anything really significant like running a marathon).

 

[sux2bu09]

Lizzy: Is it okay to leave these questions unanswered until the interview? I don't have any hobbies or outside interests that would be impressive enough to put on the primary application (E.g. - I like to exercise, but it just consists of going to the gym, and I've never done anything really significant like running a marathon).

yea same here i played some intramural sports and i play some piano/guitar but nothing extensive...i was thinking along the same lines that hobbies would be more interview related questions.

 

[LizzyM]

You need to be interesting enough that you seem worth inviting for an interview. Frankly, I'd drop any honors less impressive than Phi Beta Kappa and put in recreational activities like fitness or music. Don't have an application that paints you as "all work and no play".

 

[slipstream]

You need to be interesting enough that you seem worth inviting for an interview. Frankly, I'd drop any honors less impressive than Phi Beta Kappa and put in recreational activities like fitness or music. Don't have an application that paints you as "all work and no play".

How would you list something fitness on AMCAS?

 

[LizzyM]

How would you list something fitness on AMCAS?

Athletics or Hobby:

I've seen yoga, weightlifting, pick up games of basketball, running (without preparing for marathons), biking, hiking, rock climbing. Just put what you do and how may hours per week you do it.

 

[scarletgirl777]

You need to be interesting enough that you seem worth inviting for an interview. Frankly, I'd drop any honors less impressive than Phi Beta Kappa and put in recreational activities like fitness or music. Don't have an application that paints you as "all work and no play".

I have no special musical talents or special athletic skills. For fun, I hang out with my friends/go dancing on the weekends, but I don't have any special abilities in salsa or anything in that, so I'm pretty sure it would look weird to put "goes clubbing" on an application. Does this mean that adcoms will most definitely see me as a boring person who they are not excited to interview? I mean, not everyone engages in structured, regular "fun" activities outside of ECs...

 

[sux2bu09]

yea i'm confused as what to do. I have 15 activites but it sounds as if I should re-organize or delete something to add hobies like playing bball, working out.

 

[Bradstein]

After reading LizzyM's comments, I am a big advocate of putting lots of activities under one heading if it makes sense. If you've done lots of different tutoring gigs, don't list them as separate activities, because it makes sense that they're all the same "job description."

Don't be afraid to have "only" 9 activities, or, God forbid, 7!