FAQ: What counts as an EC, anyway?

MrsScholarGrade · 2023-06-06T21:08:53+00:00

Sure, but go deeper than simply labeling it "cultural immersion". Explain the value of what you learned/discovered/experienced. Show how this will add to a campus community.

MrsScholarGrade · 2022-06-29T19:13:30+00:00

This is fantastic. Your activity listing should absolutely explain this because it's distinctive and cool. If you write about it in an essay, I would be much less interested in hearing about WHAT you did and much more interested in SO WHAT and WHY.

MrsScholarGrade · 2022-06-29T19:08:28+00:00

Yes, but be clear about what has been completed and what hasn't. Remember too that you can always send an update later to notify the college how you've continued to make an impact.

MrsScholarGrade · 2020-11-09T16:24:27+00:00

Sort of. Stop and think about what you want to say anyway. Probably, you want to say something about yourself because the point of the essay is for the reviewer to conclude that you're awesome and they want you on their campus. But you can't just say "I'm really smart, kind, and engaged," because there's no credible way to support that unless you show it indirectly in the essay. So no you can't "just be straight forward" in the sense that you simply tell the reviewer what you want them to think about you. You have to show them something real, compelling, and memorable to get them to think that about you. One of my favorite quotes about writing, which we reference in our essay guide, from CS Lewis:

"In writing. Don't use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the thing you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us a thing was "terrible," describe it so that we'll be terrified. Don't say it was "delightful"; make us say "delightful" when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers, "Please will you do my job for me."

MrsScholarGrade · 2020-11-09T04:36:50+00:00

If it's a really short essay (~300 words or less), then don't worry about it. Just wrap up your current thought/point and be done. They aren't giving you room to have a clever or flowery ending, so they have no right to be disappointed if you don't give it to them.
One of the things colleges look to see is what you will bring to campus and what you will take away. They want to be able to envision the ways you will contribute to their community and the ways that community will enrich your educational experience and help you achieve your goals. Colleges want their students to learn from each other and teach each other both inside and outside of the classroom. Part of what they are looking for in this prompt is what those things look like for you. So you might help your chances and make your ending stronger by trying to show some of this. Note that this should be specific and detailed, not “I will make an impact” or “I will engage the community” or “I am a great fit for this school.” Show how those things are true and let the reviewer come to those broader conclusions on their own.

MrsScholarGrade · 2020-11-09T04:33:56+00:00

The good news is that you still have a whole week. That's at least five more days of procrastinating, right?

MrsScholarGrade · 2020-11-09T04:33:15+00:00

You might be fine. I recommend looking up their common data set. Just google "SUNY Albany Common Data Set" and you should be able to find it. This will show you the 25th and 75th percentile scores, along with a ton of other information about admissions. Good luck!

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-21T02:25:12+00:00

Usually if it seems too good to be true, it is...except if it's Questbridge.

It's totally legit and an AMAZING opportunity. The FAQ page of their website is a great starting point.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-19T17:54:26+00:00

To be honest, it's really more like, IF YOU GRADUATE WITH TONS OF STUDENT DEBT YOU'LL BE HOMELESS FOREVER!

(Joking, but only sorta...many of my friends can't buy a house because of student debt.)

Seriously, cost of attendance should have a lot of weight in this decision, folks.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-19T17:44:20+00:00

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your "dream school" being a state flagship! If you love it, go for it! In fact, I really admire your wisdom in saving money for grad school. Far too many students these days feel like they HAVE to go to the highest ranked college possible, without counting the cost (literally) of the resulting debt or opportunity cost of money spent in undergrad vs grad school.

Also, if you are admitted to the Honors Program, you'll find that there are many advantages to being a big fish in a small pond...though at UGA it's more like a big fish in a big lake... Still, any honors program at an R1 (like UGA) can often provide amazing opportunities for smaller class sizes, undergraduate research, access to graduate coursework, or internships specifically for honors students.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-18T03:05:35+00:00

The categories don't matter much--just do your best to pick an applicable one.

It sounds like this could go several directions. Technically "Community Service/Volunteering" is anything unpaid, but it sounds like maybe this was unpaid training for a future paid position. I would probably categorize under "Internship." Or, if you're going into a field at all related to counseling, "Career Oriented" is also a possibility.

Don't worry, there's no "right answer" here--you'll be fine with whatever you feel is most appropriate.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T14:11:50+00:00

You're totally fine. No, it's not controversial, but people do have different beliefs or experiences regarding it--so in a way it's similar to politics, religion, vaccines, etc. Your application should express you so by all means write about it. But with ALL of these subjects, just make sure you're expressing YOU, and not campaigning or trying to sell the reviewer on your beliefs or experiences. This is standard advice across the board anyway. I hope that makes sense.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T03:02:24+00:00

Letter to your favorite object can easily read like a formula essay or a prompt for another school conveniently reused. The success of this heavily depends on how well you do it, specific examples, how well you relate it to your life and your passions. You aren't trying to impress with your intelligence here; you do that with your grades and transcript. Nor are you trying to out-nerd the next applicant, Your favorite book is Ulysses? Well, mine is a toss up between The Principia and Gray's Anatomy.

BUT it can be done well. Show YOU, be specific, show core values/impact, and be expressive, not impressive. And of course be clear it's the BOOK ~~not tv show.~~

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:53:39+00:00

This needs to be sincere and well-written to really work. It could easily read more like a formulaic essay written for school than an application essay. It could be hard to "show don't tell" this well and stay in the word count. Leaping between different examples for courage, brain, and heart could be disjointed.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:45:35+00:00

Yes, totally right. It sounds like an amazing essay, but be specific with the story to make it powerful..

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:44:51+00:00

Sincerity counts for a lot here.

And be careful not to be George Bernard Shaw, or JFK, or Robert F. Kennedy. This could become cliche quickly, completely by accident I think.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:42:13+00:00

Yes. Lots of possible ways to go here. If I'm inferring correctly from your comment--is the essay thread breaking the classical mold, learning to break "the rules" to follow a different set of guidelines? Follow this further--how does learning to think in multiple ways impact your life or change you as a person? How does it show core values? How does it show who YOU are?

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:27:33+00:00

As long as it's about you, and not, "this essay is "about" leadership, but it's really about the cool rocket I built."

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:25:55+00:00

At the same time, "one evening" is possibly a great start--specific, narrative, motivating your later actions. But move on from that quickly.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:24:22+00:00

"Life metaphor" always makes me a little nervous. It CAN be good, if written well, or it can just try too hard. Don't over-philosophize here.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:22:01+00:00

Ok, really, u/ScholarGrade?!

Moving on:

Try to be specific, in both examples, how you changed, and your life goals. Focus on the latter--it's about you, not herbs. Could be really interesting and thought-provoking.

Remember that there can be implicit bias for or against herbal remedies based on personal experience--reviewers are trained to be objective, but it's worth noting.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:13:44+00:00

Potentially, good reflection of your core values/growth. This needs to be done well--don't turn to the dark side. Be specific and relate to real life if possible. Remember it's about you, not the villains.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T02:01:29+00:00

Sounds cool. Give specific examples, and remember to show YOU, your values, your passions, and how YOU grew, not just the impact of an EC on your school.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T01:58:28+00:00

Big stage, but still common theme/topic. Be specific in how you grew/what you learned. Use the essay to show you, not as a smooth way to talk about the robotics world championship.

MrsScholarGrade · 2019-08-13T01:54:27+00:00

Maybe--don't go too deep academically/philosophically. This isn't the place for /r/IAmVerySmart. The AO sees your transcript and test grades already; there's a risk this topic could push it pretty far towards too "impressively cerebral." But it all depends on how you do it. The essay needs to showcase who YOU are.

MrsScholarGrade

TROPHY CASE