Help...no community service.

Applying to College
1

<p>I have not a single hour of community service in my repertoire.</p>

<p>I dunno, it's just not something I got around to. I focus much more on grades than community service.</p>

<p>Furthermore, I can't seem to find an activity to do. I'm bad with kids and the elderly; I have no stamina (I can't even stay up late at night, past, say ten o'clock), so long hours picking up trash wouldn't work; I'm really shy/have mediocre people skills, so I don't think I'd be too good at working the front window anywhere, either. I can't rely on religion, either...I have no connection to any Jewish youth groups and my relation to my temple is strained at best.</p>

<p>If I could write essays, crunch numbers, or do anything intellectual, that would be great. Why do I have to be paid for jobs like these?!?!</p>

<p>This all comes as a few of my friends just got into NHS, which I couldn't even qualify for because I have few EC's. So:</p>

<p>-Any suggestions on what I should volunteer as? I'm a junior, so time is running out...
-Will not being in NHS really hurt me?
-Can you stand a chance at top schools if you have no community service, but have everything else (4 yrs job experience, a possible hook/unique quality, a few clubs, good essays, great SAT's and grades, varsity sports)?</p>

2

<p>You don't need community service to get into college. Sure, it looks good, but if you have another activity that evokes as much or more passion than comm service does in most people, you're doing pretty solidly. </p>

<p>There's no point trying to rack up community service hours now just to feel like you're a more competitive applicant because it will just be glanced over and won't play a large factor.</p>

3

<p>I don't have -any- ECs except volunteering with the organization I went to Japan with. I'm hoping that shows commitment on my application.</p>

<p>You should find something you feel strongly about instead of compiling a laundry list of ECs. But I'm just repeating what the person above me said.</p>

4

<p>At most colleges, it doesn't really matter too much.</p>

5

<p>Wow! That's actually really comforting. I always thought that nowadays, with grades often so inflated/competitive, that "extra mile" of community service was the end-all-be-all.</p>

6

<p>community service is not required</p>

7

<p>It depends where you're applying whether it'll hurt or not.</p>