ABS - how far back?

[Ahimsa]

Hello,

 

I was wondering how far back we should go when putting things we've done in our autobiographical sketch. Are they looking for one's autobiography from a lifelong standpoint, in which case we should include things we did as children (e.g., piano lessons taken in childhood?) or are they only looking for more recent things?

 

Thanks!

[Kuantum]

I think from the age of 16.

[flying kumquat]

I included activities that I had started before the age of 16 and continued to do throughout high school. For me, these were things like "piano lessons, 1990-2001" and "general band geekery, 1993-2001" It was important for me to stress the length of these activities though, as they ended up being a major point of discussion for my eventually successful interview. I think activities of this length that you've continued past age 16 can be an important point on you application (but not an essential one!). Chances are that if you've been dedicated enough to continue an activity for a significant length of time, you've probably learned some important skills from it beyond the activity's main goal.

[Smurfette]

Agreed. I would not put down participating in your grade 7 soccer team, but I would put down something like, Playing piano since age of 8 (and continuing to do so).