What's considered volunteering? I have a question...

[Conflagration]

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Hello everybody!

I tutor a family who is considered low-income for free in math and other subjects- would that be considered volunteering? I tutor other college students for free as well, so if they all count, that would be a sizeable 75 hours.

I've done a volunteering experience too, for the Science Olympiad, although that's not as many hours since it's a yearly thing.

I still need shadowing experience, so if the tutoring's not considered volunteer work, it's not the end of the world. I just need to know.

Thanks in advance for your responses!

 

[Aubrey Graham]

Helping without pay.


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[Conflagration]

Alright, awesome!

Thanks, @Aubrey Graham.

 

[Aubrey Graham]

Alright, awesome!

Thanks, @Aubrey Graham.

Anytime.


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[Garurumon]

I'm not sure if this applies to your school, but at mine, TAs don't get paid nor do they receive academic credit, so that can be considered volunteering activity. I consider my TA hours in freshman biology to be non-clinical volunteering.

 

[Conflagration]

I'm not sure if this applies to your school, but at mine, TAs don't get paid nor do they receive academic credit, so that can be considered volunteering activity. I consider my TA hours in freshman biology to be non-clinical volunteering.

I will be a TA in the Spring, but I'll be paid.

I was tutoring others on my own time, without pay.

Here's a question- what if I got a tip?

 

[Aubrey Graham]

I will be a TA in the Spring, but I'll be paid.

I was tutoring others on my own time, without pay.

Here's a question- what if I got a tip?

What happens while tutoring stays in tutoring.


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[Conflagration]

What happens while tutoring stays in tutoring.


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Thanks! :3

 

[tima]

Thanks! :3

Plus volunteering is when you do it for a longer time period and without pay. Volunteering for a week or two isn't that impressive. Adcoms like to see commitment.

 

[Conflagration]

Plus volunteering is when you do it for a longer time period and without pay. Volunteering for a week or two isn't that impressive. Adcoms like to see commitment.

I've been working with this low income family since September, at least once a week.. I've been tutoring on and off since freshman year, for around four weeks per person.

 

[tima]

I've been working with this low income family since September, at least once a week.. I've been tutoring on and off since freshman year, for around four weeks per person.

Sounds good. Try to do some shadowing and clinical/basic research if you have some extra time.

 

[Conflagration]

Sounds good. Try to do some shadowing and clinical/basic research if you have some extra time.

I have two year's research in math... I'm not sure how that'll count, though. It's not clinical or anything.

My GPA's are meh, 3.303 cGPA/3.33 sGPA. I sort of need my research and my club memberships to keep me competitive. I'm shooting for straight A's so I can get into the 3.4/3.48 bracket when I apply in June.

 

[Catalystik]

I have two year's research in math... I'm not sure how that'll count, though. Tis not clinical or anything.

If it is hypothesis-based research with potentially-publishable results that will add to generalizable knowledge, it will add appeal to your med school application. And isn't math considered the purest science, anyway?

 

[Conflagration]

If Tis hypothesis-based research with potentially-publishable results that will add to generalizable knowledge, it will add appeal to your med school application. And isn't math considered the purest science, anyway?

Well, it's more of a "collecting information together" sort of thing.

I'm researching the history of statistics, and I'm grouping together mathematical greats and their achievements. This will be my second year, and I could try to write something but it wouldn't necessarily be hypothesis-based. It's sort of like a "the more you know" project.

 

[Catalystik]

Well, Tis more of a "collecting information together" sort of thing.

I'm researching the history of statistics, and I'm grouping together mathematical greats and their achievements. This will be my second year, and I could try to write something but it wouldn't necessarily be hypothesis-based. Tis sort of like a "the more you know" project.

So it doesn't include original work, but is more of an overview of what has already happened? It could still be considered a thesis project equivalent. If you wish, you can include it on your application under the "Other" category.

 

[Conflagration]

So it doesn't include original work, but is more of an overview of what has already happened? It could still be considered a thesis project equivalent. If you wish, you can include it on your application under the "Other" category.

Pretty much. So, I would put that as "Other"?

I'm probably going to apply this June coming (2015), so I'm just curious.

 

[Catalystik]

Pretty much. So, I would put that as "Other"?

I'm probably going to apply this June coming (2015), so I'm just curious.

"Other" is a category selectable from an AMCAS pull-down menu of Experience types that covers any activity not otherwise identified that you feel will add to your candidacy.

 

[Conflagration]

"Other" is a category selectable from an AMCAS pull-down menu of Experience types that covers any activity not otherwise identified that you feel will add to your candidacy.

Awesome! Thanks. 🙂

My GPAs leave a little to be desired... So, yeah, I like putting anything on there that can help. 🙂

 

[ridethecliche]

Research will not 'make up' for a low gpa. There are many candidates with both. It might serve you well to take a few more classes after graduating with a gpa higher than a 3.5 to be more competitive.

What you're doing sounds like a history of science project more so than research.

 

[Conflagration]

Research will not 'make up' for a low gpa. There are many candidates with both. It might serve you well to take a few more classes after graduating with a gpa higher than a 3.5 to be more competitive.

What you're doing sounds like a history of science project more so than research.

Well, I would graduate with a GPA higher than that, I'm a junior and I want to apply traditionally. (Mostly because my Stafford loans only have a 6 month grace period before they require payments, and given the turmoil of the economy, I don't think I could find a job that would sustain myself + loan payments...)

I could take another science next semester and, if things work out, I could bump my science GPA to a 3.5 when I apply. Would that be better?

I got research credit for it from my faculty advisor... @Catalystik said that it sounds like an honor's thesis more than anything, so I'll put it down in the Other section like he (she?) recommended.