Ask Stacy Blackman

Hi Stacy/Amy,

I have decided to apply to schools in the top 10 range, and have a specific question on extra-carricular activities.

I have 8 years of work experience that can demonstrate leadership/management, but during that time I had very little time for organized extra-carricular activities.

How would I address the apparent lack of extra-cariculars in my application? Should I mention informal activities in my essays? I am hesitant to substitue a weaker experience in a "non-work" role for a stronger employment related one, but at the same time, I know it's important to provide evidence of another dimension as well.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Hi paradox,

I usually advise people to avoid writing all of their essays about work. The admissions process strives to gain insight into your personal qualities and interests as well, and it's important to demonstrate those.

When you say you have little extracurricular experience, does that mean only a few activities (like a day at a soup kitchen or one volunteer event) or none at all? It's important to have something, and the candidates with strong extracurriculars generally have a theme - an interest in the arts, charity, education, etc. - and have demonstrated real service or participation in these interests with depth and time.

To me, strong volunteer or extracurricular involvement demonstrates that you are well-rounded and have a variety of social networks, and that you care about the community and are willing to commit your time without financial benefit. If you can demonstrate such qualities outside traditional volunteering/extracurriculars I would definitely advise doing it.

Good luck!

Amy

Hi Amy,

Thanks for your advice - it is very helpful.

I have volunteered and participated in some charities on a one-time basis. I have also helped organize extra carricular social activities (ski trips, regular weekly hikes etc.), but not as part of any formally recognized organization.

Basically, I could not commit on a regular basis to work regularly for any (extra-carricular) organization due to long and unpredictable work schedules. For example, I did support a local Toastmasters club and attended events as a guest, but I did not join officially since I could not commit to the weekly meetings at a certain time.

So I do have extra-carricular experiences I can talk about, but I am concerned that they will come across as weak without official organization backing....sort of like saying you have foreign experience because you went on vacation somewhere (as you say, it needs to show depth and time). Do you still think it would be better to include those in some of the essays rather than a work-related experience? I could talk about a challenging management experience (ex. I manage a group of tenants for our common landlord) or a challenging personal experience (ex. physical challenge like hiking or skiing).

Thanks again for your help!

Hi paradox,

I think it's a judgment call on the quality of the story you can tell. If your non-work experiences don't lead you to significant insight, etc. it may not be worth spending essay time on them. You do want to demonstrate your interests outside of work, and there may be a question that asks about hobbies, interests or what you would do on a day off, etc. Those are good questions to answer.

Good luck!

Amy