Weird EC's?

[Mellow Pharaoh]

• Premier Sniper League          2014-2015         Player base of 300                                                                                                                                                    

   Online Call of Duty based community for competitive e-sniping, Moderator,  Lead GFX Artist, Administrator.

- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Managing Tournaments & rankings, spectate matches and review match results (esp. when dilemma's between teams arise), designing logos and banners, creating update videos, reviewing & uploading content, managing staff, upholding bans on hackers (not joking with this as it got to such a bad point that a ban list was needed lol), and managing the website.                                                                                                                                                                                 

• Competitive Sniping League              2017-2018                 Player base of about 1,000                                                                                                                           

    Online Call of Duty based community for competitive e-sniping, Moderator, Lead GFX Artist         

- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Managing Tournaments & rankings, spectate matches and review match results (esp. when dilemma's between teams arise), designing logos and banners.                                                                                                                                                               

I feel like both of these experiences really introduced me to new people, exposed me to unique experiences, and taught me a whole lot about leadership & responsibility. Not to mention the skills you pick up are something that I'll have forever (design and familiarity with C4D/Photoshop is something that was expanded upon after I was introduced to it back in 2011 by a fellow competitive player). They also taught me a lot in terms of dealing with people and being able to decipher problematic situations. Not to mention you have to grow a thick skin in order to take on the heat from some people that can be a pain to deal with (*shudders* remembering some horrific Skype calls I've gotten).

 

• Hockeybuzz.com  2013 - Present                   Member base of 10,000

    Hockey Forums website to discuss, blog about, and read everything about hockey, Moderator, Blogger

- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Moderating posts and posters, as well as writing up blogs.

This experience has led me to create bonds and ties with people that have a common interest in Hockey, as well as upholding responsibility in creating a good environment to discuss hockey-related matters. It has given me a platform to develop and get better at argumentation, as well as develop my passion for Hockey.

The question remains though. Do you think these EC's are too weird to include or exactly what a unique EC would consist of?

Any input would be appreciated!

Disclaimer: The descriptions are rough, rough drafts of thoughts from the top of my to just get the ball rolling. Please be merciful.  

[Butterfly_]

I find your EC’s hella interesting and awesome. They also allowed you to build important skills.

Most importantly, the ECs make you standout :)! I’d totally put them on there.

I had weird ECs too: pigeon farming, travel agent. Worked out just fine

Good luck on your application!

[Meridian]

You could include them as ECs but I would not include the name "sniper" or maybe even "Call of duty."   I would also combine the first 2 as it is too similar.

So something like:

Online game community - administrator,  GFX artist, moderator

Hockeybuzz.com - moderator, blogger - member base 10,000

 

 

 

 

[Mellow Pharaoh]

1 hour ago, Butterfly_ said:

I find your EC’s hella interesting and awesome. They also allowed you to build important skills.

 Most importantly, the ECs make you standout :)! I’d totally put them on there.

I had weird ECs too: pigeon farming, travel agent. Worked out just fine

Good luck on your application!

Glad to hear this! Was kind of worried about how it would look to an adcom for a moment there!

Pigeon farming definitely sounds unique. What exactly did that pertain to (or is it exactly what it would suggest)?

[mohammad]

3 hours ago, Mellow Pharaoh said:

• Premier Sniper League          2014-2015         Player base of 300                                                                                                                                                    

   Online Call of Duty based community for competitive e-sniping, Moderator,  Lead GFX Artist, Administrator.

- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Managing Tournaments & rankings, spectate matches and review match results (esp. when dilemma's between teams arise), designing logos and banners, creating update videos, reviewing & uploading content, managing staff, upholding bans on hackers (not joking with this as it got to such a bad point that a ban list was needed lol), and managing the website.                                                                                                                                                                                 

• Competitive Sniping League              2017-2018                 Player base of about 1,000                                                                                                                           

    Online Call of Duty based community for competitive e-sniping, Moderator, Lead GFX Artist         

- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Managing Tournaments & rankings, spectate matches and review match results (esp. when dilemma's between teams arise), designing logos and banners.                                                                                                                                                               

I feel like both of these experiences really introduced me to new people, exposed me to unique experiences, and taught me a whole lot about leadership & responsibility. Not to mention the skills you pick up are something that I'll have forever (design and familiarity with C4D/Photoshop is something that was expanded upon after I was introduced to it back in 2011 by a fellow competitive player). They also taught me a lot in terms of dealing with people and being able to decipher problematic situations. Not to mention you have to grow a thick skin in order to take on the heat from some people that can be a pain to deal with (*shudders* remembering some horrific Skype calls I've gotten).

 

• Hockeybuzz.com  2013 - Present                   Member base of 10,000

    Hockey Forums website to discuss, blog about, and read everything about hockey, Moderator, Blogger

- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Moderating posts and posters, as well as writing up blogs.

This experience has led me to create bonds and ties with people that have a common interest in Hockey, as well as upholding responsibility in creating a good environment to discuss hockey-related matters. It has given me a platform to develop and get better at argumentation, as well as develop my passion for Hockey.

The question remains though. Do you think these EC's are too weird to include or exactly what a unique EC would consist of?

Any input would be appreciated!

The opinions of the people here will be different from the opinions of the admissions committee. Be aware that your hobbies are in a realm that few have any expertise in and so they will judge it based on their personal experiences and knowledge. That being said, I'd imagine the public and academics do not hold a positive image of gamers. I know how awesome and legitimate eSports can be but I am not the admissions committee. 

This is about you so highlighting your accomplishments is important and it will be up to admissions to decide if gaming is more impressive than the traditional premed items. 

[Mellow Pharaoh]

1 hour ago, Meridian said:

You could include them as ECs but I would not include the name "sniper" or maybe even "Call of duty."   I would also combine the first 2 as it is too similar.

So something like:

Online game community - administrator,  GFX artist, moderator

Hockeybuzz.com - moderator, blogger - member base 10,000

 

 

 

 

I like that format. Makes it look a bit more professional too. Should I add in the names to the communities though, but as abbreviations (CSL/PSL)?

[Mellow Pharaoh]

5 minutes ago, mohammad said:

The opinions of the people here will be different from the opinions of the admissions committee. Be aware that your hobbies are in a realm that few have any expertise in and so they will judge it based on their personal experiences and knowledge. That being said, I'd imagine the public and academics do not hold a positive image of gamers. I know how awesome and legitimate eSports can be but I am not the admissions committee. 

 This is about you so highlighting your accomplishments is important and it will be up to admissions to decide if gaming is more impressive than the traditional premed items. 

That's true. That definitely is something to consider. Kind of risky I assume then (high risk, high reward?)?

However, I feel like including these specific EC's gave me leadership experience, as well as introduced me to new skills and people that I would have never met before. A few people I met online are also pre-med and we have ties that go for years. We all still talk to each other from time to time as well.

[mohammad]

Just now, Mellow Pharaoh said:

That's true. That definitely is something to consider. Kind of risky I assume then (high risk, high reward?)?

However, I feel like including these specific EC's gave me leadership experience, as well as introduced me to new skills and people that I would have never met before. A few people I met online are also pre-med and we have ties that go for years. We all still talk to each other from time to time as well.

Yes. I'm not discouraging you from using them. They are genuine and unique but don't overwhelm your application with them. It's unfortunate but the standard premed applicant and activities still works and that's what gets them in. Your activities seem interesting and make you human. 

[Butterfly_]

36 minutes ago, Mellow Pharaoh said:

Glad to hear this! Was kind of worried about how it would look to an adcom for a moment there!

Pigeon farming definitely sounds unique. What exactly did that pertain to (or is it exactly what it would suggest)?

Exactly what it would suggest. But I do agree with @Meridianon changing your descriptors. Makes it more palpable to the adcoms. 
I never did any typical premed stuff (I didn't even know what "premed" was when I was applying) except volunteering at the hospital.
I was an extensive gamer as a kid/teenager so I understand the magnitude of your ECs--it's amazing. 

Everyone is unique and you should be proud of your accomplishments. You're non-trad. Own it :)!

[struggling2getin]

1 hour ago, mohammad said:

The opinions of the people here will be different from the opinions of the admissions committee. Be aware that your hobbies are in a realm that few have any expertise in and so they will judge it based on their personal experiences and knowledge. That being said, I'd imagine the public and academics do not hold a positive image of gamers. I know how awesome and legitimate eSports can be but I am not the admissions committee. 

This is about you so highlighting your accomplishments is important and it will be up to admissions to decide if gaming is more impressive than the traditional premed items. 

I was waiting for someone to mention this so I could share my experiences with including gaming in my applications. I wrote about competitive gaming back in 2017 on my ABS for Ontario schools and had the guts to list them in my top 10 for Calgary (OOP). This year was the same with UBC and OMSAS. Got interviews at these places regardless. I dont think speaking of gaming is something that will necessarily harm your application- that being said it is somewhat risky, I can agree. If you have 29 items and need something to fill the space or if you played at a high level (I talked about being part of 95 percentile + of the player base/competitive) AND can give good written justifications/learning from the experience, then it might be worth adding.  

[Mellow Pharaoh]

1 hour ago, mohammad said:

Yes. I'm not discouraging you from using them. They are genuine and unique but don't overwhelm your application with them. It's unfortunate but the standard premed applicant and activities still works and that's what gets them in. Your activities seem interesting and make you human. 

That's totally understandable. I get what you're saying. I'll definitely consider this when I'm constructing my application! Thanks for playing the counter perspective though. It definitely makes me more aware of the flip side of things.  

[Mellow Pharaoh]

1 hour ago, Butterfly_ said:

Exactly what it would suggest. But I do agree with @Meridianon changing your descriptors. Makes it more palpable to the adcoms. 
 I never did any typical premed stuff (I didn't even know what "premed" was when I was applying) except volunteering at the hospital.
I was an extensive gamer as a kid/teenager so I understand the magnitude of your ECs--it's amazing. 

Everyone is unique and you should be proud of your accomplishments. You're non-trad. Own it :)!

I thought it would be exactly what it suggests.

Thanks for the advice, compliments, and your perspective! @Meridian definitely brings up a good point with regards to the structure of how I represent things.

[Mellow Pharaoh]

58 minutes ago, struggling2getin said:

I was waiting for someone to mention this so I could share my experiences with including gaming in my applications. I wrote about competitive gaming back in 2017 on my ABS for Ontario schools and had the guts to list them in my top 10 for Calgary (OOP). This year was the same with UBC and OMSAS. Got interviews at these places regardless. I dont think speaking of gaming is something that will necessarily harm your application- that being said it is somewhat risky, I can agree. If you have 29 items and need something to fill the space or if you played at a high level (I talked about being part of 95 percentile + of the player base/competitive) AND can give good written justifications/learning from the experience, then it might be worth adding.  

Understandable. Thank you for your perspective. That gives me a wee bit more confidence in including them on my app. I can definitely give good written justifications based on my experiences.  

[frenchpress]

4 hours ago, Meridian said:

You could include them as ECs but I would not include the name "sniper" or maybe even "Call of duty."   I would also combine the first 2 as it is too similar.

So something like:

Online game community - administrator,  GFX artist, moderator

Hockeybuzz.com - moderator, blogger - member base 10,000

 

 

 

 

Agree with this as well. I would avoid using any terminology that could be associated with violence, especially words like ‘sniper’ or ‘shooter’. And I don’t think it’s necessary to use abbreviations or acronyms - you shouldn’t include any that you don’t define. The general terms like Meridian suggested are probably fine and specific enough.

I really don’t think it’s that risky to include these kinds of activities, and it’s probably a good differentiator. I had some weird game hobbies on my ECs as well. I think the only time it might be an issue is if it comes across as your only hobby or work - and overly narrow experiences are an issue for any application, not just one that includes gaming experiences.

[Mellow Pharaoh]

38 minutes ago, frenchpress said:

Agree with this as well. I would avoid using any terminology that could be associated with violence, especially words like ‘sniper’ or ‘shooter’. And I don’t think it’s necessary to use abbreviations or acronyms - you shouldn’t include any that you don’t define. The general terms like Meridian suggested are probably fine and specific enough.

I really don’t think it’s that risky to include these kinds of activities, and it’s probably a good differentiator. I had some weird game hobbies on my ECs as well. I think the only time it might be an issue is if it comes across as your only hobby or work - and overly narrow experiences are an issue for any application, not just one that includes gaming experiences.

What if they ask for the name of the organization in the application?

PSL refers to PremierSniperLeague and CSL refers to Competitive Sniping League. Should I list them like that (like mention both in the same title box)? Or should I still put Online Gaming Community?

Thanks for your perspective btw. I definitely agree that if this is all you have, that isn't a good thing and there are other things that need to be prioritized. Thankfully, this isn't my case.

[frenchpress]

1 hour ago, Mellow Pharaoh said:

What if they ask for the name of the organization in the application?

PSL refers to PremierSniperLeague and CSL refers to Competitive Sniping League. Should I list them like that (like mention both in the same title box)? Or should I still put Online Gaming Community?

You’ll have to use your best judgement here. Its risky to be too vague they have a specific organization, because to an extent admins need to be able to verify your claim or see that the organization exists if they wanted to. 

Is there an umbrella organization or website address you can refer to instead (assuming it’s more generic and doesn’t have the same wording issues)? For example, you can describe yourself as an adminstrator, etc. for 2 competitive leagues in a call of duty gaming community on <<website name>>?

[robclem21]

You have to be very careful with items like this on an application. While they are unique and no doubt things you are passionate about, poor descriptions with the wrong focus can certainly cause you a lot of trouble. I have reviewed files and interviewed applicants for medical school and I can honestly tell you that based on your entries above, you would receive a low score from me. Now others will have their own opinion and it may differ from mine, but there are also many that will likely share my opinion and that is what makes it risky to apply with an ABS like this without refining it. I don't want you to think of my feedback here as "don't include these things, they are stupid" (they are part of what make your story unique), but to encourage you to spend some time reflecting on them.

I'm gonna start by agreeing with others that using terms like "shooting" and "sniper" have a very negative connotation to them. Avoid using them. Second, comments like "spectate matches and review match results", to me is just fancy for "I watched online gaming". You won't confuse or impress the admission committees with fancy words and prose. Mentioning how you learned "C4D/Photoshop" is also great, but doesn't tell me much about how you will be as a doctor. Did you self teach yourself a new skill? Does this make you self-directed...? etc... You mention leadership and responsibility. Those ARE important qualities for a physician and you hardly mention or elaborate on them at all in your descriptions.

Nobody cares about what your responsibilities were unless they somehow directly relate to what you learned and how it will make you a strong medical student. "Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Moderating posts and posters, as well as writing up blogs." This sounds like a job description post for job applicants and tells me nothing about the activity or about you as a person. I get that you have an interest in hockey. That is great, so do I... but the focus here should not be hockey or your interest in it. It is how you used something you were interested in to enhance your personal qualities... communication, leadership, etc. Anyone reading it will see that you like hockey and think thats cool, but they also need to learn something else important about you.

Lastly, the way you describe your roles and talk about each activity has a very juvenile and immature tone to it, completely independent of the actual activities. These types of activities are good to include, but you really really really need to work on conveying why they are important and worth talking about. As it stands right now, you would be better off to omit them.

[GH0ST]

8 hours ago, Mellow Pharaoh said:

• Premier Sniper League          2014-2015         Player base of 300                                                                                                                                                    

   Online Call of Duty based community for competitive e-sniping, Moderator,  Lead GFX Artist, Administrator.

- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Managing Tournaments & rankings, spectate matches and review match results (esp. when dilemma's between teams arise), designing logos and banners, creating update videos, reviewing & uploading content, managing staff, upholding bans on hackers (not joking with this as it got to such a bad point that a ban list was needed lol), and managing the website.                                                                                                                                                                                 

• Competitive Sniping League              2017-2018                 Player base of about 1,000                                                                                                                           

    Online Call of Duty based community for competitive e-sniping, Moderator, Lead GFX Artist         

- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Managing Tournaments & rankings, spectate matches and review match results (esp. when dilemma's between teams arise), designing logos and banners.                                                                                                                                                               

I feel like both of these experiences really introduced me to new people, exposed me to unique experiences, and taught me a whole lot about leadership & responsibility. Not to mention the skills you pick up are something that I'll have forever (design and familiarity with C4D/Photoshop is something that was expanded upon after I was introduced to it back in 2011 by a fellow competitive player). They also taught me a lot in terms of dealing with people and being able to decipher problematic situations. Not to mention you have to grow a thick skin in order to take on the heat from some people that can be a pain to deal with (*shudders* remembering some horrific Skype calls I've gotten).

 

• Hockeybuzz.com  2013 - Present                   Member base of 10,000

    Hockey Forums website to discuss, blog about, and read everything about hockey, Moderator, Blogger

- Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Moderating posts and posters, as well as writing up blogs.

This experience has led me to create bonds and ties with people that have a common interest in Hockey, as well as upholding responsibility in creating a good environment to discuss hockey-related matters. It has given me a platform to develop and get better at argumentation, as well as develop my passion for Hockey.

The question remains though. Do you think these EC's are too weird to include or exactly what a unique EC would consist of?

Any input would be appreciated!

Unfortunately the reviewing committees for most places are still not as progressive as you would like them to be...

I played professional Starcraft Brood War and Starcraft 2 WoL in it's early days for local and national tournaments while managing the roster of players, but even then I didn't write that in my application because people still unfortunately consider gamers to be antisocial nerds who can't speak to a pet rock to save their lives. (total BS) 

- G 

[Mellow Pharaoh]

1 hour ago, frenchpress said:

You’ll have to use your best judgement here. Its risky to be too vague they have a specific organization, because to an extent admins need to be able to verify your claim or see that the organization exists if they wanted to. 

Is there an umbrella organization or website address you can refer to instead (assuming it’s more generic and doesn’t have the same wording issues)? For example, you can describe yourself as an adminstrator, etc. for 2 competitive leagues in a call of duty gaming community on <<website name>>?

Understood. I see where you're getting at. I think I'm able to carve out something going that route.

[Mellow Pharaoh]

45 minutes ago, robclem21 said:

You have to be very careful with items like this on an application. While they are unique and no doubt things you are passionate about, poor descriptions with the wrong focus can certainly cause you a lot of trouble. I have reviewed files and interviewed applicants for medical school and I can honestly tell you that based on your entries above, you would receive a low score from me. Now others will have their own opinion and it may differ from mine, but there are also many that will likely share my opinion and that is what makes it risky to apply with an ABS like this without refining it. I don't want you to think of my feedback here as "don't include these things, they are stupid" (they are part of what make your story unique), but to encourage you to spend some time reflecting on them.

 I'm gonna start by agreeing with others that using terms like "shooting" and "sniper" have a very negative connotation to them. Avoid using them. Second, comments like "spectate matches and review match results", to me is just fancy for "I watched online gaming". You won't confuse or impress the admission committees with fancy words and prose. Mentioning how you learned "C4D/Photoshop" is also great, but doesn't tell me much about how you will be as a doctor. Did you self teach yourself a new skill? Does this make you self-directed...? etc... You mention leadership and responsibility. Those ARE important qualities for a physician and you hardly mention or elaborate on them at all in your descriptions.

 Nobody cares about what your responsibilities were unless they somehow directly relate to what you learned and how it will make you a strong medical student. "Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Moderating posts and posters, as well as writing up blogs." This sounds like a job description post for job applicants and tells me nothing about the activity or about you as a person. I get that you have an interest in hockey. That is great, so do I... but the focus here should not be hockey or your interest in it. It is how you used something you were interested in to enhance your personal qualities... communication, leadership, etc. Anyone reading it will see that you like hockey and think thats cool, but they also need to learn something else important about you.

 Lastly, the way you describe your roles and talk about each activity has a very juvenile and immature tone to it, completely independent of the actual activities. These types of activities are good to include, but you really really really need to work on conveying why they are important and worth talking about. As it stands right now, you would be better off to omit them.

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to write that and providing your perspective.

As for the descriptions provided here, they are nowhere near complete. I'm still debating on whether or not I should include these EC's and how to do so (mostly leaning on including them at this point). As a result, I'm still in the development phase and the descriptions here are pretty much just a from the top of my head culmination of things that pertain to this extracurricular activity. In fact, I'll change my initial post just to make sure nobody else gets a false conception that those descriptions are my final drafts. Sorry if you got the wrong perception that these were the finals drafts or anything close to it (pretty sure a lol in an EC description would be good grounds for rejection xD)

With that being said, I like what you mentioned when it comes to looking at the sentence structure, the utilization of specific words, and what you should go further into detail. My only issue with that is the amount of space given. But you may counter this by saying that condensation and reflection upon the activities will help with this aspect (just thinking out loud here). Even then, I will be applying to some American schools and for the description of EC's for some apps, you only have a 100 character limit. But then again, probably will have to do my best with regards to condensation.

Overall, thank you for the constructive criticism. I'll be taking in all of the information provided here and input it into how I construct my perspective with regards to how these EC's can be representative of my capabilities and character, along with how that can be reflective upon what I can contribute when it comes to medicine.

I'll try to create finalized versions of how I would input these EC's as soon as I can so that I may be able to get some even more feedback so that I don't end up with the situation you mentioned in your second sentence.  

For now, thanks once again.

 

 

[Mellow Pharaoh]

52 minutes ago, GH0ST said:

Unfortunately the reviewing committees for most places are still not as progressive as you would like them to be...

I played professional Starcraft Brood War and Starcraft 2 WoL in it's early days for local and national tournaments while managing the roster of players, but even then I didn't write that in my application because people still unfortunately consider gamers to be antisocial nerds who can't speak to a pet rock to save their lives. (total BS) 

- G 

It seems like there are mixed perspectives and mixed results with regards to involving gaming as an EC. 

I'm on the verge of taking the leap and risking it. At this point, the odds are nowhere near being in our favour, so you might as well throw in a wild card and hope for the best.

Hopefully, I end up with a hipster and a committee that incorporates students into the process. xD Here's hoping!

Realistically, I'm planning on using these EC's, but I do want to gauge the experiences of others and what they did a little bit more before I'm 100% committed to including them. Not to mention I have to work on the formatting with regards to how I want to voice these EC's.

A shame about that stigma associated with gaming though. It is nowhere near a general truth. As mentioned earlier, I've met a lot of different people during my time gaming. From engineers, medical students, pre-med students, longshoremen off-duty, and even a Ph.D. student! The list goes on.

Nonetheless, your perspective is an important one to consider. You are right about gauging the progressiveness when it comes to such a topic. I'd imagine such a topic would be better accepted at schools that incorporate students into the admissions process. There is another thing that I could probably look into. 

Thank you for voicing your perspective!

[Lactic Folly]

Although students may be more likely to be gamers themselves and not stigmatize them, how they'd feel about your judgment in choosing to highlight it as an EC is really a separate question. Most schools do incorporate students into the admissions process. And although I'd conjecture that it would be rare to have a student who hasn't played online games at all, it is still uncommon to highlight as a major leadership EC, rather than as one of several outside hobbies. I think there have been discussions in the past about including contributions on premed101 on one's application - see if you can find those threads.