AMCAS: Listing activities from a while ago...

[Gauss44]

If you graduated a long time ago AND used AMCAS's classifications to define freshman (0-35 credits), sophomore (36-60 credits est.), junior, senior,...

How would you list your activities?

Most people list them with the activity followed by length of time: ex. Choir (2010-2012), Biking Club (2010 and 2011)... But if you graduated a long time ago and don't want to draw attention, then what would be an alternative way of listing activities?

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[Eccesignum]

If you graduated a long time ago, your application will already have the dates beside your 'freshman', 'sophomore' etc beside them. So...you're already visible.

ECs ask for start and end dates in the application fields, there is no way around this. If the rest of your application is strong, nobody will care anyway. I listed a job from back in 2002 and several interviewers brought it up not because it was old, but because it was interesting and they wanted to know how I got into that field.

 

[Gauss44]

If you graduated a long time ago, your application will already have the dates beside your 'freshman', 'sophomore' etc beside them. So...you're already visible.

ECs ask for start and end dates in the application fields, there is no way around this. If the rest of your application is strong, nobody will care anyway. I listed a job from back in 2002 and several interviewers brought it up not because it was old, but because it was interesting and they wanted to know how I got into that field.

I was thinking that if you make a list of activities for every entry, the start and end dates could apply to all of the events. For example, sports might be a category and if I started playing baseball as my only sport in 2005 and stopped in 2007, then started playing tennis from 2007 to 2015, I was thinking that start and end dates could be, "Sports: 2005-2015" played baseball and tennis.. or something like that. I guess that still has an early beginning date, but maybe it's less emphasized this way.

Sounds like this is not like a resume where one can hide, or significantly de-emphasize, dates to prevent age bias or similar.

 

[hipsnontrad]

Some schools require that some or most or all ECs come from the past 4 years. You'll want to check your main schools requirements. I'm listing work history for the past many years when I get around to that, because it does give insight. I have been keeping up on new ECs since returning to school because of the 4 year thing. I guess my previous service is expired and no longer valid.


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[Eccesignum]

I was thinking that if you make a list of activities for every entry, the start and end dates could apply to all of the events. For example, sports might be a category and if I started playing baseball as my only sport in 2005 and stopped in 2007, then started playing tennis from 2007 to 2015, I was thinking that start and end dates could be, "Sports: 2005-2015" played baseball and tennis.. or something like that. I guess that still has an early beginning date, but maybe it's less emphasized this way.

Sounds like this is not like a resume where one can hide, or significantly de-emphasize, dates to prevent age bias or similar.

You know that your application literally has your birthday on it, right?

Your interviewer may or may not have that specific information depending what the school provides them from your file. But by the time you've gotten to interview stage multiple people will have seen and assessed your complete application. Considering your birthday and the exact dates of all classes you ever took are already sitting right there, it doesn't make much sense to try and be coy about dates in your ECs.

Some schools require that some or most or all ECs come from the past 4 years. You'll want to check your main schools requirements. I'm listing work history for the past many years when I get around to that, because it does give insight. I have been keeping up on new ECs since returning to school because of the 4 year thing. I guess my previous service is expired and no longer valid.

Interesting. Ones that directly apply to moving down a path towards medicine (i.e. clinical volunteering and shadowing) I can kind of understand, maybe. Anyway, I don't know which schools those are, but of 29 I applied to none had this policy where ECs were concerned. If you have significant past ECs you might want to consider broadening your school list.