<p>wait so if i do too many different things it looks fake? well i actively participate in a club where every week we do community service and the things we do vary depending on who's in need. so will it look like i'm just trying to bs my com. service hours just to make it look good?</p>
<p>roy, if the community service is part of a club, you don't break out the community service separately. You list the club & your hours with the club, put it in as a "service organization" and then in Additional Information you explain what it is that the club does.</p>
<p>As a high school freshman, I have already observed the vast difference between students who volunteer just "to put in hours" and those who actually care about what they are doing. I'm thrilled to hear that colleges are now on the lookout for the kids who rack up hours doing meaningless activities. I am already an active volunteer, but I was rather disappointed by my school's Key Club, which seems to exist for the sole purpose of helping students "put in time." Why not allow students to integrate their own talents when they volunteer, as opposed to signing them up to go goof off in a soup kitchen? (Ex. I am bilingual, and I plan on teaching my language to elementary school students.)</p>
<p>What kind of advice would you have for someone who is just about to start their volunteer service career in high school?</p>
<p>Good thing I've been a loyal volunteer to the senior community since freshman year. I like going there too. Its close to school and its fun to hear old people talk about their lives.</p>
<p>I'm so happy colleges are catching on. I spent my high school career wishing that I could go to Africa or Southern Asia, but could never afford to go. I also never understood the idea that one has to pay for community service, because you know none of that money is going to help the community more than what the students do. Seeing this post made me feel a lot better about my commitments.</p>
<p>it's pretty annoying that we have to volunteer just to get into a good college. I tutored for four years, got into college, and immediately quit tutoring.
It doesn't make me like to volunteer. It makes me resent it.</p>
<p>hopefully my 20hrs in one place will suffice <_<</p>
<p>No one has to volunteer in order to gain acceptance to a good college. The very top colleges want students to have at least one strong activity in addition to having excellent grades and scores. The activity doesn't have to be volunteering, however.</p>
<p>I haven't read the entire thread. But I'd just like to point out... is this a problem with the student or with the admissions process? I'm applying to UTexas, and ApplyTexas wants to know my extracurricular activities, which level (local/regional/state/national/international) I reached, my position, whether I was elected, how many hours per week and weeks per year I spent on that activity from 9th to 12th grade... and then repeat this for community service. </p>
<p>It frustrates me because: #1 I have no idea how much time I spent. Officially, the school records me as having spent 6 hours a week, 30+ weeks a year, from 7th to 10th grade in IT Club, for instance, but I know it's much more than that - time spent preparing for competitions, committee meetings, things like going to the DIY store to assemble a club toolbox - how do you count that? I feel shortchanged by this strict categorisation, especially when I look at the "example" they provide on the form that says 15 hours a week, god knows how many weeks a year on the school basketball team. How am I supposed to know what admissions officials expect on that form? Do I add those hours in, too? I got elected to the committee in 8th grade. That can't go on the form, either.</p>
<h1>2 is, I took a gap year to work on independent film projects. For six months of this year, I did nothing but film. For a good part of my last year in school, I was working on independent film projects. In fact, I quit the air rifle club to focus on film and theatre. But because I was working on my own initiative, I again have no way of keeping track. Then I get penalised because I can't reflect the fact that the bulk of the work was done after I graduated. That has to go in my additional essay. But who knows they'll see it there and understand what it means in the context of my extracurricular record?</h1>
<h1>3 is, I spent a lot of time, over 100 hours in total, as a front-of-house volunteer for four different local theatre companies (and interned at one of them, as well). These 100 hours represent, I reckon, nearly 50% of the front-of-house volunteer opportunities available, because you only get the chance to do this when a show is running (that 50% number decreases if you volunteer for <em>every</em> show on <em>every</em> production - I'm basing my number of how much I could realistically volunteer given a limited amount of time and energy). When I hear of students who rack up 200 hours with a 30 hour hunger camp, couple of hours selling drinks at a community event, that kind of thing... okay, the admissions officials say they're being more discerning about this kind of volunteer record. At the same time, they want the numbers on my application. As an applicant, what am I supposed to think? Surely I would think that a higher number would make me look better, and if I refuse to jack up the numbers by not including the 3 hours I spent as a volunteer at my school's Humanities Quiz, how am I to know that it won't disadvantage me anyway?</h1>
<p>Sorry if I come off as whiny and looking for sympathy - I assure you I'm not. I'm just very frustrated at how quantified and blind the admissions process can be. The only consolation I have is that I know that my efforts are sincere, even if it doesn't make for as impressive an application (numbers-wise) as I'd like.</p>
<p>
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Maybe college admissions officials should look at the role they play in creating the problem in the first place.
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<p>Couldn't agree with this more. College adcoms should really get a grip. Do they really expect applicants to be gifted wunderkinds, generous philanthropists, and extraordinary atheletes - all-in-one? Yeah, right, and then you woke up.</p>
<p>If you're really committed to volunteering and community service - sorry to burst your bubble - but you will lack in academics & athletics. If taken seriously, each of those activities takes enormous amount of time. If you really want to excel academically, you have to study at least 4 or 5 hour every day. The same goes for competitive atheltics or honest community service commitment. There will simply be no time left for other things.</p>
<p>Adcoms are getting precisely what they wished for. They want people who excel at everything? They are getting them - on paper.</p>
<p>I know lots of kids who excel academically and don't study "4 or 5 hours every day." In fact, I don't know any kids who put in that many hours. My S probably has 2 hours of homework a night, except for when he's writing a research paper or doing a special project. He doesn't have to study much--if he pays attention in class and reads the material once, he knows it. </p>
<p>His volunteer hours are mostly Sunday afternoons at the local museum of natural history. He doesn't play an instrument (well, he took piano for a while) but with the time he wastes on playing video games, he very well could practice piano. Or play a sport, if he were so inclined.</p>
<p>For some kids, it's a combination of being a quick study and using their available time wisely. And being interested in a lot of things.</p>
<p>i HATE HATE HATE when people say "i have 200 hours of community service" like it's something they had to do because they got in trouble with the law..why not just make a real commitment and refrain from quantifying it and thus diminishing its meaning?</p>
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I know lots of kids who excel academically and don't study "4 or 5 hours every day."
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<p>Sorry to burst your bubble, but there is a big difference between getting A's, for which you have to be just reasonably competent, and excelling academically, for which you have to seriously study.</p>
<p>I think it's a good thing colleges have wised up to the EC/service racket. Yes, tons of ECs and service activities put some kids over the top at elite schools in years past. And once word got around, a lot of kids got the idea that if they just racked up enough impressive-sounding ECs and service hours, it might get THEM over the top. It all became just a resume-padding game. At that point, some of the better schools said, "Wait a minute, we're just being gamed by all these HS kids who don't really give a hoot about all these ECs and service hours, but who are doing it just because they think it's what we want to hear. Well, it's not what we want to hear."</p>
<p>An admissions officer at Bowdoin explained it best when he told the info session my D & I were attending, "We want to know who you are as a person---as a whole person. We learn that mainly by looking at your ECs, your essays, and your interviews. We're not looking for someone who has a ton of ECs and service hours just because they think it will look good on their resume, because those kids are a dime a dozen. We get plenty of qualified applicants here, and our job is to put together a balanced and interesting class. And frankly, if everyone who came here was class president and had put in 300 service hours in 40 different organizations, it just wouldn't be a very interesting or balanced class." Or something ot that effect. Anyway, you get the picture. They're on high alert for phonies, and by now they're probably pretty good at spotting them (though of course there might be a few false positives, as well as a certain number of false negatives). Anyway, the point is, if you're doing the EC or service activity not because it's something you genuinely care about but only becuase you think it's something the adcoms will want to see on your application, then you probably shouldn't bother, because there's a fair likelihood they'll be able to tell, it probably won't work for you, and it may even work against you.</p>
<p>l84ad8--well, what about getting As in all accelerated or AP classes? And getting 5s on the AP tests? Would that meet your standards?</p>
<p>Cause that's what I meant.</p>
<p>i will get 9 hours a week during the school year of volunteering for my whole high school career. will this be looked upon favorably or suspiciously? the hours come from only 2 consistent sources.</p>
<p>He must be pretty good if he's getting As in accelerated & AP classes and 5s on the AP tests with just 2 hours of out-of-classroom time. Hopefully, this correctly reflects the knowledge and the skills received. I tutor "good" students from T20, and all they know is how to plug numbers into formulas. It goes without saying that calc, linear algebra, & quantum physics are difficult but one would expect more just just plugging the numbers from people who were and are getting good grades. So, As are given out way too easily.</p>
<p>184ad8, Yeah I apparently have another "sharp as a tack" kid. It's a rare night that she has to put in more than a couple of hours of homework. However, I know she's an excellent time manager. If she's bored in class, she's doing homework from that class or another class. Many time she'll have the AP calc done before the teacher has finished explaining. But that's her ... the whole package that's her: high IQ, uncanny memorization ability, tremendous discipline and study skills, and a desire to be the best at what she does. So, that whole 5-6 hour/night thing doesn't pertain to her, either. Also her A's all carry into the AP exams which she gets 4's and 5's without studying any more than the bit of class review they do. Same with the standardized test results; no prep there other than acquainting herself with the test book. So she has plenty of times to participate in the activities which she wants to, which happen to mostly be through her youth ministry, tutoring, and other service stuff that she enjoys. These were things she did though before she realized she should be and could be couting hours for them. Oh well ... if they can't see her for the great kid she is, that school's not for her ... whomever they are. :)</p>
<p>1481d4: count me as another parent of a kid with 8 AP classes, all 5's 4.0, 2380 SAT's, 35 ACT....he has a photographic memory and doesn't need tons of time studying. He excels in all subjects and is very well regarded by his teachers. Just was accepted ED to Amherst. Not all students need tons of random EC's and to be trying to prove that the work like crazy. How did I get a kid slike this? Who knows....DNA, the luck of the draw, genetics?</p>
<p>I spent a month volunteering my time (that totaled to 180 hours) organizing a day camp for homeless children in Hawaii. I spent my time on the poorest island, in the poorest city. I lived in a roach filled room, and loved every minute of it. I was lucky enough (thanks to my parents) to be able to do this. Since returning all of my community service has been focused on children. I volunteer at my temple with kids on a weekly basis (two years straight). I collected over 200 stuffed animals to give to kids of convicted drug parents, for kids in distress. I am currently organizing an NHS service project to collect items to aide pregnant teenagers and teens who have had children. There is a public high school for these kids that provide day care along with an education for the teens. It is a one-of-a-kind program. I also organized a walk to help buy them items. I have over 500+ service hours, but all directed in helping the same kind of kids. What does everyone think of this? Beneficial or not so much? Hinder college or aide it?</p>