ECs vs. volunteering, what's the difference?

[LOSAR]

Sorry for the noob question but what is the difference between ECs and Volunteer activities? How would you classify one activity as EC or volunteer?

I ask this because I'm goingt o apply this year and looking at the application, i realized that i have lots of volunteer experience but 0 ECs (according to my definition that they need to be done on campus). Would my application be seen as lacking if I have 0 ECs but lots of volunteer, some employment/research, and some personal activites?.

[unknown user 7]

I don't think there are that many differences, but I were to try and differentiate between the two, I would say volunteering=volunteering and EC=more activity stuff where ur not really volunteering your service, i.e., sports. I dunno if that was helpful.

 

Maybe if you could let us know wut activities u did, would help.

[avenir001]

i think EC's can be anything you do outside of academics...it can include volunteering...but it also includes your other hobbies, interests, and activities...playing sports or musical instruments, membership in various clubs, painting, etc are all EC's but not necessarily volunteering...your application should be good with lots of volunteer/employment/research activities, but it's also a good idea to include some of your hobbies or stuff you do only for you in your free time...these are your EC's...they don't have to be done on campus...

[LOSAR]

i think EC's can be anything you do outside of academics...it can include volunteering...but it also includes your other hobbies, interests, and activities...playing sports or musical instruments, membership in various clubs, painting, etc are all EC's but not necessarily volunteering...your application should be good with lots of volunteer/employment/research activities, but it's also a good idea to include some of your hobbies or stuff you do only for you in your free time...these are your EC's...they don't have to be done on campus...

 

Thanks avenir, i was under the impression that everything you do personally, (i.e. recreational sports, musical instruments etc) were supposed to go under 'other'. I guess I was confused.

[LOSAR]

another Q:

i'm freaking out because i can come up with only about 14 things for the 48 items list. Is that too low to be a competitive app? There are about 5 activities that I have spent lots of time on, which is probably why I don't have too many of them to list, but i'm still freaking out right now.

[Charlatan]

another Q:

i'm freaking out because i can come up with only about 14 things for the 48 items list. Is that too low to be a competitive app? There are about 5 activities that I have spent lots of time on, which is probably why I don't have too many of them to list, but i'm still freaking out right now.

 

Hi,

 

May I ask what is this 48 itmes list that you are referring to?

[avenir001]

Hi,

 

May I ask what is this 48 itmes list that you are referring to?

 

the list is part of the omsas application

http://www.ouac.on.ca/omsas/

[toffeetree]

should we weight university activities more than high school activities?

 

and should we talk about high school academic contests (for example, some of you may remember CHEM13 News, the chemistry exam run by Waterloo university...in this contest, I ranked in the top 20 of the 4000+ contestants)? it it ok to have a high awards:activities ratio?

[Kyleh]

Any activities from the age of 16 can be used. Also, activities such as "piano for 15 years since the age of 8" could also be used.

[JOy]

for the 48 items...do you have to give like a contact number to someone that can prove you were part of an activity..such as a fundraiser or or something??

[AMmd]

for the 48 items...do you have to give like a contact number to someone that can prove you were part of an activity..such as a fundraiser or or something??

 

yes......

[charmin]

another Q:

i'm freaking out because i can come up with only about 14 things for the 48 items list. Is that too low to be a competitive app? There are about 5 activities that I have spent lots of time on, which is probably why I don't have too many of them to list, but i'm still freaking out right now.

 

I personally have a hard time believing so many applicants are able to fill out the entire sketch. 48 separate items!?? Do these people change activities/volunteering/employers on a frequent basis??

 

I'll give you an example: if you play a varsity sport AND work a part-time job (part-time is defined as under 40 hours but over 20 hours in this example), you will probably devote as much if not more hours than these premeds with 48+ items on their sketch. And let's say you play the same sport and work at the same job over your 4 years of undergrad. You will only have 2 items on your sketch . . . but I would consider that "higher quality" than someone with 48 different items of minimal commitment. However, my opinion doesn't really matter, after all I'm not the one evaluating your sketches

[bane]

I personally have a hard time believing so many applicants are able to fill out the entire sketch. 48 separate items!?? Do these people change activities/volunteering/employers on a frequent basis??

 

I'll give you an example: if you play a varsity sport AND work a part-time job (part-time is defined as under 40 hours but over 20 hours in this example), you will probably devote as much if not more hours than these premeds with 48+ items on their sketch. And let's say you play the same sport and work at the same job over your 4 years of undergrad. You will only have 2 items on your sketch . . . but I would consider that "higher quality" than someone with 48 different items of minimal commitment. However, my opinion doesn't really matter, after all I'm not the one evaluating your sketches

 

Dont stress it out.

 

The school that ultimately cares most about the sketch is UOttawa, and they look for quality, not quantity. So be at peace.

 

Just to be complete, lets look at the other schools...

 

Mac: has its own 5 q's, 48 items out the window (but...blah...blah..blah)

Queens: mini-essays + MCAT (but...blah...blah..blah)

Western: mini essay + MCAT (but...blah...blah..blah)

UT: essay+GPA+MCAT (but...blah...blah..blah)

 

The other Ontario schools have their own primary hurdles, so uO is really the one that cares about the sketch the most. Like I said, if you have quality, dont worry so much bout quantity.

 

GLuck

[Julie]

I personally have a hard time believing so many applicants are able to fill out the entire sketch. 48 separate items!?? Do these people change activities/volunteering/employers on a frequent basis??

 

I'll give you an example: if you play a varsity sport AND work a part-time job (part-time is defined as under 40 hours but over 20 hours in this example), you will probably devote as much if not more hours than these premeds with 48+ items on their sketch. And let's say you play the same sport and work at the same job over your 4 years of undergrad. You will only have 2 items on your sketch . . . but I would consider that "higher quality" than someone with 48 different items of minimal commitment. However, my opinion doesn't really matter, after all I'm not the one evaluating your sketches

 

Well, I had 48 items... I don't think it's necessarily favored one way or the other, though, and I don't think one way of doing things is better, either. You have to do what matches with your personal style. I guess I had a bunch of different little things, as well as a few longer commitment ones... I don't know, I think it also depends on your age, since it's everything since you were 16... for me, that goes back quite a way!

 

I had a bunch of research projects under the research section, but I applied in grad school, so that's why. I also had a bunch of student club involvements (ie student council, envio committee, etc., etc.) where I only devoted about 2-5 hrs a week, but I don't think it's of lower quality or anything. Someone has to do those little jobs too. I also had a bunch of different TAs and RAs, which I listed seperately when they were for different profs, otherwise one veryfier couldn't have covered all of them... And then I had little, one time involvments, such as giving a talk on stress managment, or volunteering for a one-day event. I listed those too, why not?

 

I guess what I'm saying is that it depends on the type of person you are. If you're more the type to totally devote yourself to one or two activities, that's fine, and the commitees will certainly appreciate that quite a bit too. If you're more the type to be involved in a bunch of varied little things, I think that's ok too. I didn't do all those little things just to pad my sketch, I wasn't even thinking of applying to med school when I got involved in them! I'm just the type who likes to stick my nose everywhere, I guess!

 

I think commitees just want to know you've been leading a balanced lifestyle during those years, not just studying 24/7!

[Smurfette]

LOSAR,

 

If you were heavily involved in a few major activities, think about activities within those major activities. Suppose you were heavily involved in volunteering for St. John's Ambulance. You could separate that into teaching CPR courses, volunteering as a first-aid attendant at events, training new volunteers, etc. That would increase the number of activities and also give the admissions committee a little bit more information about what you did specifically.

[patiently waiting]

LOSAR,

 

If you were heavily involved in a few major activities, think about activities within those major activities. Suppose you were heavily involved in volunteering for St. John's Ambulance. You could separate that into teaching CPR courses, volunteering as a first-aid attendant at events, training new volunteers, etc. That would increase the number of activities and also give the admissions committee a little bit more information about what you did specifically.

 

Hmm, I'm not sure if I would do that. That sounds like padding to me. I'd say if you put down something like volunteering at St. John Ambulance you could expand on that during an interview, or for the U of Ottawa application you could expand in the detailed autobiographical sketch. Personally, I wouldn't split up that kind of thing in the 48 item sketch. But that's just my opinion.

[daryn]

Hmm, I'm not sure if I would do that. That sounds like padding to me. I'd say if you put down something like volunteering at St. John Ambulance you could expand on that during an interview, or for the U of Ottawa application you could expand in the detailed autobiographical sketch. Personally, I wouldn't split up that kind of thing in the 48 item sketch. But that's just my opinion.

 

See, I have a few items like that as well, and I will split them up. Reason being that the job title itself isn't very descriptive of the amount and depth of the project/tasks s I was responsible for. I think as long as you don't do this too much (once or twice), it's okay.