<p>This is what I heard from a friend, but is there any truth to the matter? In other words, is volunteering non-profit only?</p>
<p>No, though that is the most common form of volunteering. As long as you are not getting paid it is volunteering.</p>
<p>I think it’s volunteering if you do something without pay with the intention of benefiting someone else. You could volunteer in a for profit setting (e.g. playing with the kids in a for profit childcare center, or visiting sick people in a for profit hospital) or independently from any organization (e.g. taking meals to the nice elderly neighbor), but if you’re volunteering with a for profit organization for the purpose of developing your skills or resume or because you want to help someone make money, that’s not volunteering.</p>
<p>Also don’t over estimate the importance of voluntarism for college apps. Voluntarism is its own reward. Colleges really don’t care a lick unless it’s something WOW. Your 200 hours versus someone else’s 500 hours really is nothing to the college admissions officer. This is mostly a myth among hs students</p>