<p>I really want to apply to Yale and Harvard, and I know the Community Service counts (as told by a Harvard attendee). I volunteer at an animal shelter because I really REALLY love animals. I suppose that's important, I mean, animals are my passion and that should count for something. I might love them more than humans o_o
Anyway, I'm not sure if this counts as community service and even if it does it doesn't seem to shine like the things others do (volunteering in soup kitchens, organizing major events to raise money for something or the other etc.). Should I switch and do something else? Should I devote to more than just the animals (I don't want o overwork myself)? If any Harvard or Yale attendees could please tell me what community service they did.</p>
<p>Neither Yale nor Harvard has a formal community service requirement, and racking up hours of community service is not the key to admission. What all selective colleges, including Yale, like to see is that an applicant has contributed to the broader community, engaged beyond the classroom in some meaningful way. There are many ways to do this without doing formal community service.</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply 
However I hope i did not give the impression that I’m “trying to rack up hours”. That’s not it at all. I truly enjoy doing what I do, and I believe that I am contributing to my community in a way. I see your point on the “formal community service” however (by the way I didn’t start volunteering because I was needed to, I started volunteering because I can’t have a pet due to an allergic father so I decided to do this last year and plan on continuing). I guess I’m just hoping universities will see volunteering at an animal shelter the way I do.</p>
<p>They will see your project the way you do if you can communicate it :p. Accomplishments are strictly categorized into boxes.</p>
<p>If its really something you are passionate about, you might want to write your essay about it.</p>
<p>^^Sorry, fruitarian, I didn’t mean to devalue your volunteer work. It sounds like you’re making a valuable contribution, one that you enjoy. By all means keep it up. Like any other EC, a major/sustained time commitment and, especially, a leadership role, will have the greatest impact when it comes to admissions. I just wanted to point out that community service is not a magic bullet or a formal requirement.</p>
<p>That’s a wonderful idea Midaji, thanks a lot
And I understand your point wjb no hard feelings.
Thanks for the replies C:</p>
<p>I think you should stick with the type of community service that you really are passionate about… working at the animal shelter. You really should avoid doing things that are “fake” (I mean things that you would do only to try to “impress” the admissions committee). They are most impressed when you can express your true passion for something, and will be able to see right through extra ECs you participated in just for the sake of making your application “well rounded”. Seriously, they will know…
I think its great that you truly enjoy working at the animal shelter, and I would strongly discourage you from taking time away from that in order to do other things that simply “look good”.</p>
<p>Take what you love and excel at it. Can you suggest and implement a signficant change or improvement at the animal shelter? Write a major portion of (or start if they don’t already have one) a quarterly publication for donors? Plan a spectacular fundraiser or plan a major portion of an existing fundraiser? Start an outreach program? Start a program teaching school children respect for animals? Take the cause you love and show leadership and initiative.</p>