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Drawbacks of some hobbies/extracurricular activities


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Would it look bad if someone put dancing, and freestyling or rapping as a hobby/extracurricular activity on an application?

 

I don't want to put some activities because of fears that it may hinder my chances. Admissions may automatically discriminate my application. "your activities are similar to those who do not succeed in school. You should be a rapper/dancer/singer not a doctor."

 

Maybe I'm just over-thinking these things. I think that putting something like writing poems would be judged better than freestyling/rapping.

 

What are some activities that shouldn't be listed on an application?

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Well, we had a breakdancing group in medical school, so I wouldn't think so.

 

Obviously, don't put anything illegal or questionable - otherwise, you can't really predict what biases people have, but I would hope that if you were able to explain your activity in a mature manner, it would not adversely affect your application. For all you know, one of your interviewers could be a dancer who disliked writing commentaries on poems in English class.

 

Edit: check out this rapper MD:

http://zdoggmd.com/

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Great question! However I don't know what you mean by dancing and singing being perceived negatively. To me that is just a classical (no pun intended) EC/hobby and could never be perceived negatively. Now rapping is slightly more doubtful. Other activities that have a questionable effect on the adcoms are video gaming, online gaming and stereotypically 'geeky' things like that.

 

Ofcourse no adcom would explicitly state that they discriminate against such activities. It is the passive effect on the adcoms that we are speculating about. It is up to you whether you take the risk or not.:D

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Gaming, that's another activity I probably wont include. It would be funny if someone listed that as a hobby though.

 

Great question! However I don't know what you mean by dancing and singing being perceived negatively. To me that is just a classical (no pun intended) EC/hobby and could never be perceived negatively. Now rapping is slightly more doubtful. Other activities that have a questionable effect on the adcoms are video gaming, online gaming and stereotypically 'geeky' things like that.

 

Ofcourse no adcom would explicitly state that they discriminate against such activities. It is the passive effect on the adcoms that we are speculating about. It is up to you whether you take the risk or not.:D

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Gaming, that's another activity I probably wont include. It would be funny if someone listed that as a hobby though.

 

Game design, professional tournament gamer - that's okay as long as it's not just "I like COD in my spare time and I'm really good at it".

 

And no, a guy I knew - fantastic breaker, he's at queens med. Talked about breaking most of his interview.

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Game design, professional tournament gamer - that's okay as long as it's not just "I like COD in my spare time and I'm really good at it".

 

And no, a guy I knew - fantastic breaker, he's at queens med. Talked about breaking most of his interview.

 

He probably got in when Queens didn't use MMI. Lucky guy!

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I think anything that is not obviously socially unacceptable can be put down on your ABS. The important thing that the adcoms look for is passion and dedication in your commitments. I would not put down playing video games just because it is percieved (rightly or wrongly?) negetively.

 

Cheers,

ABS

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi guys,

 

I have a similar sort of question. I have 3 entries left for my autobio sketch and I am not sure what to put and could really use some advice.

 

My first option: Biology/Chemistry/Physics competitions in highschool, exercise (swimming and I'm just getting into running now), and learning to cook (embarrassingly enough I'm 21 and can't cook to save my life)

 

My second option: Swimming Instructor qualifications, National Lifeguard Service qualifications, First Aids qualifications...now keep in mind that I have already listed that I work as a lifeguard/swimming instructor and pool supervisor, so I feel like maybe this is redundant?

 

Any advice would be SOOOO helpful!

 

Thanks guys :)

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