What looks the BEST on college apps?

Started by xnfs93hy
About the Ads
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

Browse articles Compare schools My application plan Read Interview Feedback
Practice for interviews Ask an Advisor
xnfs93hy

xnfs93hy

Full Member
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
In terms of volunteer work?

I have heard that volunteering is not good and if you want to look really good on a college app that you should shadow doctors. I understand that and plan on doing it but, are there any other things that look just as good or even better?

Anything...

Something interesting too.
 
jefgreen said:
I have heard that volunteering is not good and if you want to look really good on a college app that you should shadow doctors
Click to expand...

This is not true. Volunteering always looks good, and looks even better if you can commit to something early on (e.g. spend two hours a week volunteering somewhere for 2 years) Shadowing doctors might boost your app, but not in a "make or break you" kind of way. Between the two, however, I would go with volunteering.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Why would shadowing a doctor be better than volunteering? At least when you are volunteering you are being productive, and someone else is benefiting from your time. When you are shadowing, you dont do anything. You are exactly what the term implies...a shadow. Sure, its good to get exposure to the field of medicine, but you arent going to have any responsibilities and you really arent going to be doing much but watching and learning.



Just do whatever you enjoy. It really doesnt matter what it is. If you are an interesting person, schools will like you. If you like sports, play sports. If you like working at a certain job, then do it. As long as you are passionate about what you do, then you will be interesting and schools will like you.
 
ryserr21 said:
Why would shadowing a doctor be better than volunteering? At least when you are volunteering you are being productive, and someone else is benefiting from your time. When you are shadowing, you dont do anything. You are exactly what the term implies...a shadow. Sure, its good to get exposure to the field of medicine, but you arent going to have any responsibilities and you really arent going to be doing much but watching and learning.
Click to expand...
👍

jefgreen, have you considered volunteering at a hospital? It definitely won't be something unique to put on your app, but it would allow you to get exposure to the field at the same time as getting volunteer work done.
 
ryserr21 said:
Why would shadowing a doctor be better than volunteering? At least when you are volunteering you are being productive, and someone else is benefiting from your time. When you are shadowing, you dont do anything. You are exactly what the term implies...a shadow. Sure, its good to get exposure to the field of medicine, but you arent going to have any responsibilities and you really arent going to be doing much but watching and learning.



Just do whatever you enjoy. It really doesnt matter what it is. If you are an interesting person, schools will like you. If you like sports, play sports. If you like working at a certain job, then do it. As long as you are passionate about what you do, then you will be interesting and schools will like you.
Click to expand...

100% on point. Don't just do something because it looks good to colleges. Do something because it looks good to yourself, and something you enjoy doing.

But if we were talking about what looks "best" on college apps, i doubt volunteering would be on top of the list. Why? Because its too common. In the program i was in at my highschool, each student was required to volunteer at a hospital, specifically for 150 hours.
 
colleges are looking for commitment and leadership. Volunteering is a plus. Get involved with a club or group you are passionate about and get a leadership position. (or even better start your own organization!) For example, organize something you care about -- maybe something health related or a food drive for the homeless
 
DRLyss said:
colleges are looking for commitment and leadership. Volunteering is a plus. Get involved with a club or group you are passionate about and get a leadership position. (or even better start your own organization!) For example, organize something you care about -- maybe something health related or a food drive for the homeless
Click to expand...

Ok. I'm a junior, I hate my school and the last thing I want to do is join a stupid club. Believe me.

What do you mean by leadership?

Again, you say volunteering is a "plus". My question was what looks the BEST.
 
Read the rest of the thread. It's all the same. Do something you like, and do it for awhile to show you're not a flake. End of story.

Leadership is anything that requires you take take some sort of initiative or charge to make a program run.
 
I'm not sure who told you that shadowing > volunteering. Shadowing is usually passive. Volunteering is active. Besides, you're applying to college, not medical school. Colleges don't care about passive observation and medical schools don't care what you did in high school. So don't expect high school shadowing to be a big star on your application in either situation.

I'm not saying don't shadow as a high schooler - it's a good way to see if medicine might interest you. Just don't do it at the expense of a more active extracurricular. But if you have to pick between shadowing and volunteering, go find some interesting volunteer work and do that instead.
 
jefgreen said:
Ok. I'm a junior, I hate my school and the last thing I want to do is join a stupid club. Believe me.

What do you mean by leadership?

Again, you say volunteering is a "plus". My question was what looks the BEST.
Click to expand...
look, I know you are looking for a quick fix to make your app shine but it doesn't exist. If you are a junior and you haven't been involved at all then you need to get your butt moving. What looks BEST is getting involved (ie commitment, more than a few hours here and there) in something you are PASSIONATE about, not a resume booster. No one on here can tell you what you are passionate about. Shadowing doesnt count for anything really

Schools look for leadership as well. They want proactive students that are "do-ers" not just someone who passively joins things but doesn't really get involved. For example, you have two students. Student A is involved in 5 different extracurriculars but only does each every once and awhile & doesn't do anything particularly important in any of these activities. Student B is involved in only 2 ECs but in one of them he is the president and coordinates all the meetings and the other he does every week, has been doing it since sophomore year & really cares about it... Who do you think will look better to a school? Student B wins every time.

Hope that helps you
 
jefgreen said:
Ok. I'm a junior, I hate my school and the last thing I want to do is join a stupid club. Believe me.

What do you mean by leadership?

Again, you say volunteering is a "plus". My question was what looks the BEST.
Click to expand...

I think colleges pick candidates that join clubs in there school and do things for there school, because they want those students to do the same at there institution.

What have you done or can you do to make a difference from the application after yours and the application before yours?

I suppose you necessarily dont have to join a club in school but do something outside, like i know a "habitat for humanity" project always looks nice.


As for myself, i cant advise you that much because i was a member of Student Government in my school for 2 years, and that was a real prestigious position. From this we did many things inside and outside of school, like raise money and do walks for different organization and start canned food drives to help out elementary and middle schools in undeserved areas, but again these were many of the few things I did, so i dont have a doubt that i stood out in more ways than others when applying to colleges. It was also something great to talk about during my interviews, and personal statement.


You still have 1 year, take advantage.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
mmmcdowe said:
Do you play an instrument or sing or do some form of entertainment. Go do it for veterans at the VA hospital on a weekly basis. Adcoms will offer you their daughters in marriage.
Click to expand...

I used to play the violin in middle school.
 
MilkmanAl said:
True, especially not Harvard NYU University of Kentucky community college...Wait, where are you trying to go, again?
Click to expand...
University of Kentucky actually. If I can get a high score on the SAT's I doubt I will end up at a CC.
 
DoktorB said:
:eyebrow:

yea.....go out and participate in some of those....
Click to expand...

:laugh: Just make sure they're appropriate for medical school.

Honestly, Jeff, stop focusing on "getting into" places...such a male. Do what you enjoy, get good grades, and then decide for yourself once you gain wisdom and experience what path you'd like to take. It DOESN'T MATTER what "looks the BEST on college apps." Sometimes I want to pound that statement into people's heads with some high-impact solid. 😱

So, honestly? You sound like a guy who wants easy money, and that's really not putting you in the minority. Go get a job.
 
Algophiliac said:
:laugh: Just make sure they're appropriate for medical school.

Honestly, Jeff, stop focusing on "getting into" places...such a male. Do what you enjoy, get good grades, and then decide for yourself once you gain wisdom and experience what path you'd like to take. It DOESN'T MATTER what "looks the BEST on college apps." Sometimes I want to pound that statement into people's heads with some high-impact solid. 😱

So, honestly? You sound like a guy who wants easy money, and that's really not putting you in the minority. Go get a job.
Click to expand...

Uh...what? When did I ever mention money? I'm confused...seriously.
 
jefgreen said:
Statement, yeah sorry about that 😳.
Click to expand...


Haha it's quiet alright. I would say continue volunteering. Quality volunteering is better than a vast assortment of random activities.

And to you next line, most of your posts have been about money. I'm sure other people check before they post.
 
jefgreen said:
Uh...what? When did I ever mention money? I'm confused...seriously.
Click to expand...

🙄 You're the one with the high-paying specialty and jobs vs. volunteering questions. No offense meant.

Anyway, if you really want to volunteer, go do it. You don't need SDN or anyone else to tell you it's necessary. The way you asked the question seems to imply you're not at all interested in volunteering, only interested in looking good on college applications.
 
Algophiliac said:
🙄 You're the one with the high-paying specialty and jobs vs. volunteering questions. No offense meant.

Anyway, if you really want to volunteer, go do it. You don't need SDN or anyone else to tell you it's necessary. The way you asked the question seems to imply you're not at all interested in volunteering, only interested in looking good on college applications.
Click to expand...

-Well, you know, haha, yeah. I thought you were referring to this thready ONLY.

-I do and I am. I am interested in looking 😎 on apps as well.
 
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
ValeUC said:
Want undeniable leadership experience? Join the military. Eight years of military experience helped me out tremendously.
Click to expand...

I might join actually but for right now I just need some soft factors for the app.
 
jefgreen said:
-Well, you know, haha, yeah. I thought you were referring to this thready ONLY.

-I do and I am. I am interested in looking 😎 on apps as well.
Click to expand...

😀 No worries. You can probably handle a part-time job and volunteering on the weekends during high school and college, if you're up to it.

But if you're looking for something that will really stand out, find something you love. Find something you'll stick to. Find something that gets you through the day. If you truly want to excel, you have to give it your all, which is hard to do when something just isn't fun or interesting.
 
jefgreen said:
In terms of volunteer work?

I have heard that volunteering is not good and if you want to look really good on a college app that you should shadow doctors. I understand that and plan on doing it but, are there any other things that look just as good or even better?

Anything...

Something interesting too.
Click to expand...

Volunteering is not "not good." If you're applying to college it probably looks better than most other things and theres a wide variety of volunteering opportunities (i.e. you could do something that looks marginal or you could do something that is the best thing on your college app). What makes you think shadowing doctors will help one bit with college admissions? It may look marginally good on a medical school application depending on what your essays about it say that you got out of the experience, but a college admissions committe probably wont care at all if you shadow a doctor.
 
kdburton said:
Volunteering is not "not good." If you're applying to college it probably looks better than most other things and theres a wide variety of volunteering opportunities (i.e. you could do something that looks marginal or you could do something that is the best thing on your college app). What makes you think shadowing doctors will help one bit with college admissions? It may look marginally good on a medical school application depending on what your essays about it say that you got out of the experience, but a college admissions committe probably wont care at all if you shadow a doctor.
Click to expand...
That pretty much answered it right there. Call me crazy but I was actually under the impression that shadowing is supposed to help a hell of a whole lot and volunteering teaches you nothing.
 
jefgreen said:
That pretty much answered it right there. Call me crazy but I was actually under the impression that shadowing is supposed to help a hell of a whole lot and volunteering teaches you nothing.
Click to expand...
Which is baloney IMO because volunteering at the hospital especially in the ER actually teaches you a lot. I'm actually the only high school volunteer they have for like half the week, then some other kids do it. When I'm not doing anything one of the techs usually teach me something.

Now I know how to use one of those diabetes testing blood pricky things (sorry don't know the name).
 
I think the biggest difference between this thread and many others you see on these forums is that jefgreen is in HS and is applying to college (not in college and applying to med school). A college admissions committee probably won't care much at all about whether you've shadowed a doctor. They're not interested in whether or not you've been exposed to medicine and given much thought about your future career in medicine. A medical school admissions committee on the other hand wants to know that you've actually done some exploration and you have at least an idea of what you're getting yourself into, thus shadowing some docs looks good. As a volunteer you're showing everyone (college admissions, med school admissions in the future) that you can be a selfless person at times and you're sacrificing time that you could be making money, studying, hanging out with friends, etc in order to help others in whatever way that may be. So volunteering is good no matter what. If you can get yourself a volunteer gig in a hospital - which it sounds like you've done in the ER already - that is killing two birds with one stone essentially and thats good (and efficient on your part haha). I actually volunteered in an ER as well for a year. As someone pointed out earlier it looks good to have some sort of committment to whatever you're doing. So if you canfind something that you can maybe even continue into college for a couple hours/week, then by the time you apply to medical school a few years from now you'll have "a few years" of volunteer experience and exposure to medicine that you can put on your application. That will mean a lot in my opinion. I hope that clears it up a bit
 
Seriously Jeff it isn't very hard. Get a job, and become an assistant manager. I work at Quiznos, and im a closing manager. Colleges ask me about my leadership experience, and then i ask them if they've ever had to convince 3 lazy people every night to work. If you dont need a job then go volunteer at something for a few hours a week. If you dont want to help people then get majorly involved in a club. Becoming an officer of a club gives you something to do, looks great for college, its fun, and you get to hang out with friends. There is no best thing for a college application. The college application is a combination of basically your highschool life. Its having good grades, good scores, leadership skills, and showing that your not antisocial. They want to know you are going to some how give a positive contribution to their college.


2ndly for anyone who said you dont learn anything when you volunteer, that is complete nonsense. It depends where you volunteer at. Dont generalize volunteering based off one of your personal experiences where you didnt learn anything. Volunteer at a hospital, im sure you will learn something. You can volunteer at a homeless shelter, and im sure you'll learn something; you might learn somethign about yourself or just about other people, but you wont leave without some type of added knowledge.
 
2ndly for anyone who said you dont learn anything when you volunteer, that is complete nonsense. It depends where you volunteer at. Dont generalize volunteering based off one of your personal experiences where you didnt learn anything. Volunteer at a hospital, im sure you will learn something.
Click to expand...
You might learn something, but I can just about promise you it won't be applicable to your medical practice. I'm sure there are some volunteer gigs at which you can learn a lot of medical stuff, but the vast majority of them are just scut jobs.
 
local, i dunno how much power you have as a closing manager, but you need to tell the quizzno people to lower their prices and offer better sandwhiches!!!

Sorry to take that out on you, ive been wanting to tell someone that for a while, haha.
 
One time I was at Quizznos and as my sandwich came out the other end of that little conveyor belt thing ON FIRE. The guy behind the counter looks up at me and says "So... do you want another one?" I was like "Naw thats okay I'll take that one... Of course I want another one!" :laugh:
 
ryserr21 said:
local, i dunno how much power you have as a closing manager, but you need to tell the quizzno people to lower their prices and offer better sandwhiches!!!
Click to expand...

what?!? Agree to disagree I guess. quiznos is my favorite 🙄

kdburton said:
One time I was at Quizznos and as my sandwich came out the other end of that little conveyor belt thing ON FIRE. The guy behind the counter looks up at me and says "So... do you want another one?" I was like "Naw thats okay I'll take that one... Of course I want another one!" :laugh:
Click to expand...

classic
 
Lol. Quiznos is good. The food is free, and i make 9$ an hour. Not a bad deal. As for everyone else good dont come, less work for me 🙂
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

E
SDN Article: Academic Advising Best Practices for Student Success: Insights and Strategies from 2025 HPSA Advisor of the Year Graham Greer
Replies
0
Views
284
Emil Chuck, PhD
E
D
For Incoming College Students Interested in Premed, Service, or Education
Replies
0
Views
329
DarkTiger
D
S
  • Question Question
Aiming for a top 20 med school: is the difference in both colleges worth the extra money?
Replies
6
Views
956
chilly_md
chilly_md
N
College choice
Replies
6
Views
2K
Nordstream
N
JollyJreg
Boston College vs Case Western
Replies
1
Views
1K
deleted1192955
D