<p>Doing applications now, I realize just how little community service I've done. During high school, I've probably done about 10 hours a year on a very sporadic basis. However, I run XC/Track three seasons a year (I was captain of XC this year), play alto and bari sax and clarinet, and still go to Hebrew School. </p>
<p>I was wondering how much community service top colleges are expecting to see, and how they look at it compared to other EC's.</p>
<p>Community service is big. They want to see that you contribute to the community... give something back. The way they hope you would to their school. Unless you're a potential recruit for XC, then I'd say a big community service EC is bigger than any of the ones you have...</p>
<p>Colleges do not weigh community service more than other ECs. First, most colleges don't factor ECs into admissions decisions. You can verify this by paying the $15 to register for full access to the US News Premium College website that gives you access to info -- including admissions info -- for thousands of colleges.</p>
<p>Most colleges base admissions decisions on your stats and high school courses (plus-- for public colleges -- what state you live in). At most, most colleges factor ECs for merit aid.</p>
<p>The colleges for which ECs count heavily are the ones like HPYS that have such an overabundance of high stat students applying that the colleges can afford to select students in a way that creates a diverse (in all meanings of the word) class that is active in a variety of activities on campus and in the local community.</p>
<p>What counts for such colleges is your skills, demonstrated passions and leadership -- in something, which can be community service, athletics, music, research, entrepreneurship, art, etc. When it comes to ECs, being a recruitable athlete (particularly for something like football, which needs lots of players) probably is one of the strongest ECs one can have -- if one also has the stats to indicate one could graduate from such a college. After all, Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheeks was rejected EA by Harvard (though accepted at another Ivy later).</p>
<p>those 40 hours of community service are better than nothing...trust me. many people don't do any at all.</p>