Personal hobbies on AMCAS?

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

I took up a musical instrument and learned by myself using books and online videos. I've been practicing for about 3 years but there is no contact because it was a personal hobby. Do they ask for a contact for hobbies or should I just not put it on my app?

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[CowboyNiceguy]

You can list yourself as the contact.

 

[Catalystik]

I took up a musical instrument and learned by myself using books and online videos. I've been practicing for about 3 years but there is no contact because it was a personal hobby. Do they ask for a contact for hobbies or should I just not put it on my app?

For a Hobbies entry, you don't need a Contact.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

For a Hobbies entry, you don't need a Contact.

Thank you! What about total hours? I haven't been keeping track.

 

[Catalystik]

What about total hours? I haven't been keeping track.

Make a best-faith estimate. IMO, Total Hours has little meaning for an entry like Hobbies. Fill in whatever you like, from 99 to 999 or 9999 (which to me makes it clear you aren't sure). Personally, I'd like to see you include (in the narrative) rough average hours per week during college in which you regularly engaged in these activities.

 

[Froggy25]

I put a hobbies entry on my application, because it's something I've been doing since I was a little kid and I really enjoy it. I also think it helps to provide a balanced picture of me as an applicant - I mean, who really wants to read 15 entries that are all on volunteering, work experiences and awards, right? I entered 1 hour because I have no idea as I've been doing it for 25-30 years. How can one possibly quantify that? Either way, total time commitment wasn't what I was going for. Just my 2.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I put a hobbies entry on my application, because it's something I've been doing since I was a little kid and I really enjoy it. I also think it helps to provide a balanced picture of me as an applicant - I mean, who really wants to read 15 entries that are all on volunteering, work experiences and awards, right? I entered 1 hour because I have no idea as I've been doing it for 25-30 years. How can one possibly quantify that? Either way, total time commitment wasn't what I was going for. Just my 2.

Yeah, I've been playing music for 23 years. No way to quantify that.

 

[LizzyM]

Yeah, I've been playing music for 23 years. No way to quantify that.

23 years x 400 hours (I was going to say 365 hours but rounded up to do the math in my head). That's 9200 hours. That might be a reasonable estimate. You also have the start date of 1992 so someone will get the idea.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

23 years x 400 hours (I was going to say 365 hours but rounded up to do the math in my head). That's 9200 hours. That might be a reasonable estimate. You also have the start date of 1992 so someone will get the idea.

Yeah. I mean I played music professionally for 2 years, so it gets a little complicated. No big deal though.

 

[LizzyM]

Yeah. I mean I played music professionally for 2 years, so it gets a little complicated. No big deal though.

Well, if you were playing professionally for 2 years you should list it as employment and that's going to run 40+ hrs X 100 weeks or whatever to account for the work week including rehearsals and practice. That's different from listing it as a hobby for a period of time when you were a kid.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Well, if you were playing professionally for 2 years you should list it as employment and that's going to run 40+ hrs X 100 weeks or whatever to account for the work week including rehearsals and practice. That's different from listing it as a hobby for a period of time when you were a kid.

Yeah, I just mean that I can list it twice. I played as a hobby for 21 years and for money for two. Some weeks it was 80+ hours, others 20. It's not that hard to figure out. Thanks for the numbers estimate though. 🙂

 

[TaupePremed]

You actually CANNOT enter a contact on the AMCAS for a "Hobby", which is annoying to me. As soon as you select "Hobby", the contact inputs will vanish.