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Academic Decathlon - CommonApp Extracurricular Short Answer


Mariam93 2 / 4  
Dec 21, 2010   #1
Hello, I'm looking for feedback on my CommonApp short answer to the following prompt:
Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences (150 words or fewer).
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A few months ago, my Academic Decathlon class took a practice test over the assigned novel, The Grapes of Wrath. One of the test questions concerned the ingredients of a character's sandwich. We all laughed at the question's ridiculous specificity afterwards, and it became one of many Decathlon inside jokes. But what astonished me more than the quiz's attention to detail was that as I read the book, I had chosen to memorize these ingredients - white bread, Spam, pickles, and cheese - in anticipation of a related test question. I had developed a detail-oriented mindset from poring over thick information packets about many different subjects including economics and music. I recognized that no piece of knowledge was inconsequential, that even the tiniest details were worth understanding. The end result was a sizable collection of medals, an appreciation of all academic disciplines, and a more thorough way of observing the world.

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Thanks!
Jonika 4 / 11  
Dec 21, 2010   #2
Really great. I can't really think of much to add. The sandwich anecdote is actually pretty funny. The Grapes of Wrath should be underlined but that's a nitpick that might not even matter ( it may already be underlined in the original copy).
OP Mariam93 2 / 4  
Dec 21, 2010   #3
Yes, it was underlined in the original. Thank you!
EF_Kevin 8 / 13,321 129  
Jan 1, 2011   #4
Don't underline titles; italicize. Underlining is a method from prehistoric times prior to word processing.

Hey, maybe you know a word that I do not know, but... I think it is pouring, right?

poring over thick information packets about many different subjects including economics and music. I recognized that no piece of knowledge was inconsequential, that even the tiniest details were worth understanding. The end result was a sizable collection of medals, an appreciation of all academic disciplines, and a more thorough way of observing the world.
OP Mariam93 2 / 4  
Jan 9, 2011   #5
Pore (verb):
1. to read or study with steady attention or application: a scholar poring over a rare old manuscript.
2. to gaze earnestly or steadily: to pore over a painting.
3. to meditate or ponder intently (usually fol. by over, on, or upon ): He pored over the strange events of the preceding evening.

From Dictionary.com.
EF_Kevin 8 / 13,321 129  
Jan 15, 2011   #6
Nice! Good call... :-)
Thanks for making me a little smarter.


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