Hello there! I just moved to America and currently studying in a community college. I was wondering if having a part time job will give me a better college application then just doing volunteer work? I have no experience on both things so I am nervous. In my country, studying is our top priority so we just focus on our studies. Is it alright if I don’t do any of the two? Thanks for your time guys.
It is “alright,” as you say, to do neither. But considering that you want to apply to college, and colleges view extracurricular involvement important, I’d try to do both, or either. Not neither. Don’t just volunteer randomly, though: make your involvement focused in the area you want to pursue in college.
I have no real knowledge, but I think if you came from a family with financial need and worked to provide for your family that would outweigh volunteer work.
Otherwise, id say the big two would be volunteering for your major (volunteering at hospital if you wanna be a doctor) or major specific internships. Anything to show long term interest in something
Depending on the college, extracurricular activities weigh more. In general, the high you go up on the college rankings, the more they’ll expect of you to be well rounded, not just a 4.0/1600 SAT
@mohammadmohd18 @Jpgranier thanks guys! but what if I want to volunteer because I want to be able to help the community? not something that is related to what I want to pursue as a career.
Why not knock out two birds with one stone? Volunteer in something that is related to your career choice/tentative plan. By extension, you are “helping the community” by volunteering.
I don’t see a conflict of interest anywhere here. 