Extracurricular Activities - Politically criticized ORG-

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I have a question about extracurricular activities that I would like to put on my resume. There are some famous NGOs, such as Greenpeace and Amnesty international. I am doing a volunteer on one of those NGOs concerning fair trade business for few years, in order to contribute for the society, expecially for those who are financially weak.

However, I am not sure how my activities are regarded by MBA admission, because those NGOs are sometimes criticized of their aggressiveness and their strong left-wing political position. I know that not every one agrees to those NGOs political mission. Some people may think that nuclear power plants are necessary for economic growth, and some people think that protecting whales are not necessary.

I think I am politically moderate. However, are there any possibility that I will be regarded negatively by attending on those NGOs?? I just wanted to know how generally these activities are regarded by US universities, and how applicants express their extracurricular activities effectively.

In Asia, generally even weak political belief or activity may be regarded as "dangerous" people by companies, because traditional companies usually dislike those kind of activities. They want employees to work cooperatively without strong opinions. If this is the same in US MBA admissions, I may not express my activities too much.

Thank you so much for your advice in advance!! :-D
Last edited by astori17 on Wed Sep 17, 2014 6:19 am, edited 2 times in total.

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by Melissa@Fortuna » Thu Apr 03, 2014 7:18 am
Hi there,

That is terrific you've been volunteering for both of these well known organizations. You will absolutely not be judged and disregarded in any way because of your engagement with them so not to worry about including them in your application. Of course there are exceptions if for example your roles and activities are unethical but I'm sure that's not the case. As long as you clearly state what you've been doing for them, you're all set. US schools will be happy to see that you've been engaged in other activities outside of work.

Regards,
-Melissa and the Fortuna Admissions Team

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by sultana199 » Sat Jul 19, 2014 8:17 am
Hi, I think,it is not a big problem. You can express your roles in those NGO's so that it can't be criticized by the admission authority. If you can't understand how you will write it, you can take help from the experts. They will write smartly in such a way, that you will be considered as eligible for the admission. I think,https://www.statementofpurposeformba.com ... s-with-us/ will solve your problem.

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by Kaneisha Grayson » Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:18 am
Hi Astori,

I completely understand your concern, and the short answer is that your potentially controversial extracurricular activities will not hurt your candidacy.

MBA Admissions Committees are looking to build a diverse class. While few of your classmates may not have been involved with these kinds of organizations, it doesn't mean that your involvement with these causes / organizations will be viewed with suspicion or disdain.

If you are quite worried about this as a potential problem, you can always use a few sentences of your optional essay (if the school has an optional essay) to explain to them:

- that you want to assuage any fears or doubts the AdCom may have about your open-mindedness
- what exactly your role was with each organization
- your enthusiasm to learn from and with people from a diversity of political beliefs and backgrounds
- how your involvement with Greenpeace and Amnesty International might help you contribute to classroom conversations and the campus community

Best of luck with your application process!
Kaneisha
Harvard Business School MBA 2010, Harvard Kennedy School MPA 2010
Founder, The Art of Applying
Admissions Consulting for MBA, MPP, Joint Degrees, and Fellowships
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