Non-Academic Personal Accomplishment

[Cobie]

I have been struggling with NYU's prompt:
The most meaningful achievements are often non-academic in nature. Describe the personal accomplishment that makes you most proud. Why is this important to you? (2500 characters)
Unfortunately, I am not sure I have a great answer for this prompt, and I was wondering if I could get some feedback on what I have been considering so far?

1. Overcoming and recovering from assault. There were no grade dips in this time period, but I did struggle emotionally quite a lot. I eventually moved on to sexual assault advocacy and have started a volunteer position at a domestic violence shelter.
2. As a head TA, leading and creating lectures and support material for students without a robust physics background to provide them with additional support in a core engineering course with a high fail rate, resulting in a significant decrease in students failing out. (I'm guessing this is academic)

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[Mr.Smile12]

Hobbies?

 

[Cobie]

Hobbies?

None that I’m particularly good at. I mainly just read a mildly obscene quantity of books and workout very non professionally.

 

[Goro]

I don't know why applicants think the MME prompt has to be about Medicine. Just answer the prompt truthfully. My own MME is getting married and becoming a dad. (OK, I cheated, two MMEs there).

 

[Cobie]

I don't know why applicants think the MME prompt has to be about Medicine. Just answer the prompt truthfully. My own MME is getting married and becoming a dad. (OK, I cheated, two MMEs there).

Alas I am 20 and have very few life accomplishments at this point but still helpful! Thank you for the insight

 

[Goro]

Alas I am 20 and have very few life accomplishments at this point but still helpful! Thank you for the insight

It's not about accomplishment per se, but your most memorable experience.

note the last line of my sig lines and take heed.

 

[Cobie]

It's not about accomplishment per se, but your most memorable experience.

note the last line of my sig lines and take heed.

This particular question did explicitly ask “accomplishment,” but thank you for your help!! I super appreciate

 

[Goro]

This particular question did explicitly ask “accomplishment,” but thank you for your help!! I super appreciate

Ahh, my apologies!

 

[LunaOri]

1 is good and 2 is not bad either.

 

[sarcasmrules]

1 is the best one but I don't quite like that you just did volunteering with domestic violence victims. If you took it one step further and used that experience to develop something to better advocate for DV victims, something that got widespread support, then 1 would definitely be the one to go with. I did something similar but I took it one step further with what I got from the experience and developed something, so I am a bit bias with this and may be critiquing a bit harshly.

Don't get me wrong, SA is a big issue, just volunteering and not using that to do more makes it seem like the least bad option than the best one. Anyone can say that really: I lose weight and started volunteering with a health club at school, I got diagnosed with ADHD late in life, so I volunteered with an ADHD advocacy organization.

By the way, if you want to broaden your horizons on DV, consider rushing to the Alpha Chi Omega sorority if your school has one. Their philanthropy is DV.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Another significant achievement milestone is external validation or recognition by an award. Did you ever receive any attention for your success in any of the four choices? To me, none of your choices really scream this.

I will agree your story of surviving assault is worthy, but remember that whatever you disclose becomes fair game in interviews. Are you really prepared to answer questions regarding your recovery, even if it may trigger an emotional response? I caution people that most people are careful with whom they safeguard such information. Make sure that you are comfortable knowing that a group of faculty and potentially students will learn something about you that is highly sensitive and could otherwise be used nefariously.

 

[Cobie]

Another significant achievement milestone is external validation or recognition by an award. Did you ever receive any attention for your success in any of the four choices? To me, none of your choices really scream this.

I will agree your story of surviving assault is worthy, but remember that whatever you disclose becomes fair game in interviews. Are you really prepared to answer questions regarding your recovery, even if it may trigger an emotional response? I caution people that most people are careful with whom they safeguard such information. Make sure that you are comfortable knowing that a group of faculty and potentially students will learn something about you that is highly sensitive and could otherwise be used nefariously.

I have received an award for my TA work, but I am still unsure if that counts as “non academic.”

Talking about assault I am pretty comfortable with! Part of the volunteer work I do is as a member of a Speakers Bureau where I share my own story, spread awareness, and connect people to volunteering with the organization.

Thank y’all again for your tremendous help and responses! Truly a lovely community :,)

 

[sarcasmrules]

I have received an award for my TA work, but I am still unsure if that counts as “non academic.”

Talking about assault I am pretty comfortable with! Part of the volunteer work I do is as a member of a Speakers Bureau where I share my own story, spread awareness, and connect people to volunteering with the organization.

Thank y’all again for your tremendous help and responses! Truly a lovely community :,)

Please tell me in your personal statement, you said your goal in medicine is to advocate for DV and SA survivors.

 

[Cobie]

Please tell me in your personal statement, you said your goal in medicine is to advocate for DV and SA survivors.

I did not...I think my personal statement is kind of weak, which is unfortunate since I have a lot of other decent things going for me. Tragically, I can't change it now, so I'm just focusing on getting these secondaries done.

 

[sarcasmrules]

I did not...I think my personal statement is kind of weak, which is unfortunate since I have a lot of other decent things going for me. Tragically, I can't change it now, so I'm just focusing on getting these secondaries done.

I recommend hiring a company to help with your essays if you reapply. MotivateMD is great for their prices. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but just an FYI. And you know what your application's theme will be too!

 

[Cobie]

I recommend hiring a company to help with your essays if you reapply. MotivateMD is great for their prices. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but just an FYI. And you know what your application's theme will be too!

Eh law…super helpful to know for future cycles if it comes to that!! Thank you lots. My undergrad gave me some feedback, but I’ve learned subsequently that premed committees aren’t all too helpful </3