I think that most people are wasting their time when they brag of 500+ volunteer hours…not to say that some people aren’t sincere, but I’m sure that many just do it so they can put it on their application. Aside from which, I don’t even think most colleges care that much about volunteer hours. What do you think?
<p>Yes they do matter. ALOT</p>
<p>I think the context matters more. Adcoms know who went out & made a difference & who signed up for 15hrs/wk @ the library.</p>
<p>I agree. The average 500 hours at the local nursing home doesn't matter much taken alone. If the applicant has done significant community service and made a real difference in his community, it matters.</p>
<p>from my experience:
for college admissions...yes.
for community service scholarships...no.
i have two bay area city rotary club scholarships with only 210 hrs of major community service.
what mattered to the committies was the significance of the service to the community and to myself as a person.</p>
<p>how can we convey that we made a difference, zagat?</p>
<p>I guess it boils down to really making a difference. Did you lobby for a bill that got passed? Stop needles from being reused in a major metropolitan area? Honestly, to stand out, you need to have majde a significant accomplishment.</p>
<p>What if i started my own charity organisation that donated money to third world countries? Does it matter HOW MUCH was donated?</p>
<p>They don't matter, unless you do something unique or raise a ****load of money, everyone I know know a days volunteers at a hospital, spca, or hospice...</p>
<p>How much money is impressive?</p>
<p>Yes, numbers matter. The thing is your oeganization would have to be significant among organizations like it. Raising $15K for tsunami victims is not likely to impress. Raising a half million for a little know genetic syndrome would.</p>
<p>zagat 15 K is a lot - and it is hard as hell trying to organize a fundraiser</p>
<p>-coming from a person who organized tsunami fundraising concert that made 6K
btw it was a success with like 350 ppl showing up that night for it.</p>
<p>might be biased because it was hard as hell for me but I dont think anyone can pull out a 6K fundraiser just out of their sleeve</p>
<p>I don't at all mean to make anything less of the huge effort I'm sure you put in. The question of what will really stand out to a college is a very different one than what did you work hard on. There are just so many hard working kids that do so many things, colleges end up having to quantify what they've done. I think the standard is, and will remain, that you do something unusual and exceptional whether it be the amount you raise ot the impact on your cause.</p>
<p>Now come on, i am just 17, earning half a million dollars is crazy!! I would even need to go to college if i earned that much money :)</p>
<p>primitive, when my career got going and I made over $100K while my husband was still in grad school, friend told him to quit, I'd make pleanty for all of us! Turmed out we needed his income too. </p>
<p>I my community, I know of 2 kids in the last few years who raised over a half millon dollars for causes they were dedicated to. One is at Princeton. The other at Chicago having turned down several lower ivies.</p>
<p>How long did it take them to do such a thing? I want to generate alot of money in just 5-6 months. But half a million wouldnt be possible in such a time, would it?</p>
<p>i think its one of those things colleges say they care about more than they do. it will aid your application to show you are well rounded and serve your community. But not to the extent to make up for lackluster grades or test scores.</p>
<p>Um...i didnt do too much community service (and almost none outside my church group...which i stopped after sophomore year) and I got a bunch of scholarships at USC and got into hopkins, vandy and emory...so, in my experience, community service wasnt really that important...</p>
<p>I don't really think so.</p>
<p>Why not volunteer? In my Opinoin, it makes people better people, less selfish and self involved, and you can learn things and meet interesting people. Volunteer to volunteer, jsut doing school stuff is too easy and shows little initiative.</p>