<p>My D is going to apply either to OA or CA, but hadn't choose yet which one. Unfortunately, she still didn't get her mail with ID access and both programs' booklets.</p>
<p>Could anyone, please, tell in as many details as possible about CA? What kinds of projects the students do, where do they live and what they eat, what are the working hours, environment and conditions, what they usually do in evenings? Is the work mostly physically strenous or sedentiary? Indoors or outdoors? </p>
<p>Which of the two "actions" is more popular and fills up earlier? Which would any of you, personally, choose/recommend to the new freshmen and why? ;)</p>
<p>OA is quite a bit more popular. I did OA and had an amazing time, but my friends who did CA had equally positive experiences. If you don't have much experience with the outdoors, I would strongly recommend OA. It's something different and unique--you can always do community service once you're here.</p>
<p>My D has always done a lot of community service, so she thought she'd try OA last fall - I wasn't sure that she'd like it - but she loved it and will be a leader this year.</p>
<p>What kind of community service they do in CA? My D has had some limited experience both in outdoor activities (camping, some backpacking and some rockclimbing with family and friends) and community service (charitable music performances) and interested in both "actions" as well. My doubts about CA is that I can hardly imagine any meaningful work done and difference made in just 5 days. ;) What exactly they do there?</p>
<p>Yes, OA ranges from light exercise (the easier levels) to being VERY physically demanding.</p>
<p>CA is also a great experience. Most groups generally adopt a small project/place that they help/work for during the week. One of my friends' CA groups worked for a all-around charitable organization in Trenton destroying furniture, organizing a used furniture showroom, and hammered down sheetrock in several homes the organization built to sell at a below-market price to the low-income. I believe most of the projects are very targeted/small goals in which they accomplish something, though it may be a small piece of a larger picture.</p>
<p>For both activities there's a great deal of bonding. Some may argue that OA has more due to the shared physical toil, but CA groups sleep together on the floor of a generous church/gym/whatnot and are together all day, providing a pretty strong bond too.</p>