Question regarding high school activities

[Oceaner]

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Sorry I got the answer to my prev. question...

another one, can we use VERY prestigious activities that we took part in in high school on our forms? (and sort of continued in university but w/o the same recognition... e.g. international science competitions etc./papers)

 

[BillyWitchDoctr]

You still fill out the FAFSA in med school (at least I have to)

 

[Oceaner]

You still fill out the FAFSA in med school (at least I have to)

sorry I realized there was another forum with the same question which I just found. 😎

 

[bluesTank]

No you can't talk about high school activities. You would have to put that you started the activity at the beginning of the summer prior to college (thats the earliest you can go). How would you define VERY prestigious anyways?

However, it is fair game at your interviews if you want to bring it up.

 

[Oceaner]

No you can't talk about high school activities. You would have to put that you started the activity at the beginning of the summer prior to college (thats the earliest you can go). How would you define VERY prestigious anyways?

However, it is fair game at your interviews if you want to bring it up.

okay Gotcha, at least the prev. summer is good!

(by VERY prestigious may be over the top, haha, but I mean stuff like you were a semi-finalist on [SIZE=-1]Intel Science Talent[/SIZE]? I imagine they don't carry much weight like they did when applying for UG, but there doesn't seem to be similar competitive opportunities for UGs unfortunately... eh, oh well)

 

[coralfangs]

see if you still continue doing those activities, why not
i started painting and photography back in 95, now i'm doing those professionally, so i mentioned that i started back in 95
i did a summer studentship back in gr 11 at a prestigious university, although i haven't worked in that lab ever since, but i still use the techniques and skills i learned in the lab i'm workin in today, hence i also mentioned that

you just don't become an artist, an athlete, a writer, suddenly out of the blues when you entered college

 

[drizzt3117]

I think service awards in activities that you continue in college would be an example of a high school honor that you could put on your AMCAS.

 

[Medicine929]

Med schools don't care about highschool activitys, possibly because they were ment to appeal to your undergrad, not their school.

 

[premedathon]

If it is big enough I say put it on there. But, ou should have plenty of stuff in college to put on there as well.

 

[xrevision]

If I was a national class athlete back in high school, and I still compete every once in a while now, but at a state level... is that worth mentioning?

 

[xrevision]

Oh, and I was the captain of the team and lead our team to an undefeated season. Does that show any leadership qualities that med schools are interested in?

 

[shevie]

just an idea- I had the same "problem" - presigious scholarship, AND graduted #1 in my hs class (we didnt have valedictorian etc - it was a private school and they had interesting "philosophies" and stuff). So, the things that I felt REALLY were important, and really showed how i shine, I either touched upon them in my personal statement (not "dragging" them in - but they really connected with the theme), or mentioned them in secondary essays asking about past experiences that were meaningful, youre proud of, etc etc. THose are more open ended (i think), and so you can tie these things in over there if you want; i certainly did.

 

[Oceaner]

see if you still continue doing those activities, why not
i started painting and photography back in 95, now i'm doing those professionally, so i mentioned that i started back in 95
i did a summer studentship back in gr 11 at a prestigious university, although i haven't worked in that lab ever since, but i still use the techniques and skills i learned in the lab i'm workin in today, hence i also mentioned that

you just don't become an artist, an athlete, a writer, suddenly out of the blues when you entered college

thanks, I did a lot of research back in high-school, three years in a lab worked my way up from cleaning glasses, to doing other people's experiments to my own--- although I didn't get any published papers out of them (I was shortchanged) but I did go to two major conferences (one during university) and won competitions etc. Unfortunately, I did not continue in the same field once I came to university and so much of the knowledge is not applicable to the type of research I am now interested in. But still, the hours were -a lot- (I haven't been able to put the same # of hours in undergrad). Is stuff like this worth mentioning?

 

[BigRedPremed]

thanks, I did a lot of research back in high-school, three years in a lab worked my way up from cleaning glasses, to doing other people's experiments to my own--- although I didn't get any published papers out of them (I was shortchanged) but I did go to two major conferences (one during university) and won competitions etc. Unfortunately, I did not continue in the same field once I came to university and so much of the knowledge is not applicable to the type of research I am now interested in. But still, the hours were -a lot- (I haven't been able to put the same # of hours in undergrad). Is stuff like this worth mentioning?

No. As has been explained, med school adcoms don't care about your HS achievements. AMCAS specifically states that you should be putting down only college activities. You can't put down a HS activity just because you had "a lot of hours" and want to get credit for them. Put those hours on your college app.

 

[LadyLightning20]

No. As has been explained, med school adcoms don't care about your HS achievements. AMCAS specifically states that you should be putting down only college activities. You can't put down a HS activity just because you had "a lot of hours" and want to get credit for them. Put those hours on your college app.

I disagree. I think that if you did research in HS that should totally still count. The thing is that most HS stuff like debate team or whatever isn't at all related to your application to med school. But if you spent three years in a research lab then those skills are transferable and you probably used them in your college lab. I think it's totally OK to include that (but as a side note to all the other stuff you did in college - don't really talk it up) but the final word should probably go to your advisor.

 

[146233]

The final word should go to the OP. Sure, get advice from everywhere, but it's your application, not your advisor's and not ours. That said, I am of the opinion that high school activities should not be on the AMCAS application, regardless of prestige, unless they are substantively continued during undergrad.

 

[greg1184]

The only thing I mentioned specifically from high school is that I graduated Summa Cum laude, to show consistancy of academic performance from high school to college to (hopefully) medical school.

Stuff like NHS, Mu Alpha theta, and other stuff are irrelevent unless you are asked specifically in an interview.

 

[146233]

The only thing I mentioned specifically from high school is that I graduated Summa Cum laude, to show consistancy of academic performance from high school to college to (hopefully) medical school.

That's not going to hurt you at all, but I think it's a little much.

 

[greg1184]

That's not going to hurt you at all, but I think it's a little much.

Yeah, thats why I simply listed it and the name of the school and not put a whole paragraph on my description. It is towards the end of my list too. I am glad AMCAS lists stuff in chronological order backwards. That way this is simply an afterthought as they browse through my application.

 

[BigRedPremed]

I disagree. I think that if you did research in HS that should totally still count. The thing is that most HS stuff like debate team or whatever isn't at all related to your application to med school. But if you spent three years in a research lab then those skills are transferable and you probably used them in your college lab. I think it's totally OK to include that (but as a side note to all the other stuff you did in college - don't really talk it up) but the final word should probably go to your advisor.

If the skills are transferable, then use them or talk about them on your essays/interview! But, you don't need to get credit for those research hours by putting them on the AMCAS, esp. when it specifically says not to put HS activities.

 

[146233]

If the skills are transferable, then use them or talk about them on your essays/interview! But, you don't need to get credit for those research hours by putting them on the AMCAS, esp. when it specifically says not to put HS activities.

👍

 

[shadowclaws]

You can put what scholarships you got in HS for attending college.

 

[Deucedano]

I spoke to an ADCOM at Penn State and she told me to put the volunteer activities from throughout my life because they all contributed to my decision to go into medicine. She also said to emphasize it because it is unique and shows a life long dedication to volunteer work. I put these activities on my application and passed the screen at Wake Forest with a 3.65 and 31.

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

For me international work has always been something I enjoyed...In my actual college years I will have done 2 study abroad programs but I did go to 2 other continents in HS. I am planing on discussing my travel from both when I write the essay on "how can you contribute to the diversity on campus"