Please help me order my ECs for the CommonApp activities list? Answered
Wondering if someone could help me order my ECs--watched so many YT videos and posts here that have conflicting advice and I'm so stressed and confused now bc all of my ECs are important to me, but apparently AOs only read the first 5? :(
I'm applying as an environmental science/nutrition major at all of my schools, if that's relevant. Here are my activities:
Community Service Club: Member (9-12); Student Council Rep for the Club (11-12)
School Newspaper: Writer (9-12); Editor-in-Chief (11-12)
Animal Shelter: Volunteer (10-12) + Foster Parent (11)
Summer Class/Program abt Nutrition/Culinary Science at local college (11)
Local Hospital: Graphic Design Intern (11-12)
Self-Published Cookbook Author (11)
Local Middle School: Teaching a summer class on nutrition, cooking, math, and chemistry (12)
thank you!
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1 answer
Hi!
From personal experience, speaking to family friends, and school counselor, I basically came to the same conclusion.
Your EC's should be ordered in a way that shows 1) your commitment and 2) relation to your passion. When I say your commitment, I mean how long you've been doing a certain EC, for example something that you've been doing for all of high school would have more priority than something that you just started. Colleges like seeing that you've stuck with something for a long time and didn't just start it for the sake of an acceptance. And relation to your passion, would be how it would benefit you based on whichever major you're selecting or how it adds to something you enjoy doing.
If this were me, this is how I would order it: Community Service Club, Animal Shelter, School Newspaper, Local Hospital, Self-Published Author, and Summer Class
There are a couple reasons I would do this. For starters, I think it's important to highlight more unique roles (such as being a foster parent as a junior). As prestigious as it is to take a summer class and an extended program, I don't think AOs would prefer it over all the other things that you've done.
Lastly, I wanted to say that it isn't 100% true that AOs only look at the first 5 ECs. But, they definitely are in a rush, so they tend to look at things that stand out. Putting your strongest ones in the beginning is a strategy, but not a make or break deal in my opinion.
I hope this helped! Good luck on your application process :)
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hi! thanks for clarifying everything and explaining your reasons for ordering my ECs that way in detail — appreciate it so much :)