Summer activity on primary?

[cwtreloar]

This summer I am going to Russia for eight weeks (mid-June to mid-August) and volunteering as a camp counselor.
I plan on filling out and submitting my primaries before I leave so that I can do my secondaries when I return before school starts. I would like to be able to put this on my primary, but if I submit my primary before I leave, it wouldn't have officially taken place yet. Can/should I do this? If not, is there a place on secondary applications for ECs not on the primary?

What should I do?

Thanks!

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[cubssox2000]

AMCAS will not allow you to put in "Future Dates". This means that if it hasn't happened yet, you can't put it on the AMCAS. You can use the experience in your secondary essays.

Also, coming back mid-August means that you will probably not be complete at all your schools until October at the earliest. Most people on SDN would consider this to me late in the cycle. Just be forewarned.

 

[Mobius1985]

You can't write down a planned/not-yet-started activity in the experiences section. If you can't find a way to include something about being a camp counslor in a secondary essay for each school, you could write an update letter to the adcomm and include it there.

If you are committed to this overseas experience, consider downloading copies of SDN's secondary essays for each school you apply to, and work on them while you're out of the country, so you can send them in immediately on return. You may not have computer access where you're going, so bring paper.

 

[CourageKid]

I spent last summer working at a camp with very little free time and spotty internet access. Under these conditions, I managed to write one essay for one secondary. So depdending on your working arrangement, there might not be a lot of time to do secondaries. And if you're in Russia, you should enjoy the free time you do have.
I returned from my job mid-August and submitted 17 secondaries in three weeks. It's not as awful as it sounds; you write like 3-5 essays and adapt them to each school's questions. I know it's not part the OP's origninal question, but that's my two cents on the situation after having been in a simialr experience.

 

[cwtreloar]

Well my plan, regardless of whether I listed this experience, was to submit all of the secondaries within a few weeks.

At this point, I guess a better question is:
Is stating this experience on the primary important for my application (Assuming I can incorporate this experience into my secondary essays and/or submit an update letter)?

 

[Jolie South]

Could you submit it the day you leave?

That sounds weird, but it would get around the future activities restrictions. I'd probably send an update letter later to prove that you actually continued on with the activity.

Submitting mid June as opposed to the first day AMCAS opens won't really affect your application. For all intents and purposes, you'll still be "early."

 

[Mobius1985]

Is stating this experience on the primary important for my application (Assuming I can incorporate this experience into my secondary essays and/or submit an update letter)?

Assuming the experience won't provide you with substantial medical experience, I'd say no. It's certainly an interesting unique experience, but it won't make or break your application.