<p>Hi all. </p>
<p>I plan to go to UNC at Chapel Hill and I need to know about solid vounteeer opportunities that are available. How much volunteer works should I do to get a decent shot at UNC?</p>
<p>I have 4.5 GPA and a rather low 154 PSAT, planning on taking the ACT.</p>
<p>umm maybe you should volunteer because you want to, not because you need "to get a decent shot at UNC". if you do an EC that you really love and are passionate about, it'll be a great topic to work into one of your essays that you can honestly write about</p>
<p>Ahah, since you're in state if you've got half a brain you can get in. You really shouldn't stress out too much. I have next to zero ECs and I got a likely letter.</p>
<p>I totally agree with swopes. Do volunteer work because you want to do volunteer work-- not because you want it to "look good" on your application. That can come through as insincere on your application and cause you more harm than good.</p>
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How much volunteer work should I do to get into UNC?
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<p>College admissions aren't based on volunteer work. For UNC, they want to see good grades. That is the most important thing to them. Do well on your SATs and have an excellent essay.</p>
<p>AS for volunteer work, If you're not doing it to help your community don't do it at all. People can tell when you're being insincere.</p>
<p>Three hundred hours as a bare minimum. Get to work at some soup kitchens, or you won't be getting into college.</p>
<p>I'll go ahead and cover this base, too: you need to start three clubs, and make sure one is made to spread awareness about Darfur.</p>
<p>don't forget attempting to find a cure for cancer</p>
<p>You can't just attempt to cure cancer. You MUST cure cancer.</p>
<p>Don't be so harsh on the kid. They just need to cajole their parents' friends from work into offering them an 'internship' over the summer where they twiddle their thumbs in a laboratory. For physics.</p>
<p>I realized last spring that I probably wouldn't be able to cure cancer or solve global warming over the summer (my friends were already busy doing those things), so instead I got a job which allowed me to work 12-hour days doing everything my employers told me to do, from teaching swimming lessons to learning how to rebuild regulators to repairing the roof of my boss' house. If you absolutely work yourself into the ground, you don't 'have' to volunteer.</p>
<p>Or you can find an activity that you are passionate about, or at least generally like, and help out, for free. Volunteering needs not to be a miserable experience.</p>
<p>Alternatively, you could pay to go to a South American and/or Central African village and help build houses, then structure your essay around how you learned people in developing nations were more similar to you than you thought and you now realize we are all part of a global community. I hear very few kids ever write about anything like that.</p>
<p>if you even have to ask that question, then perhaps you shouldn't volunteer at all.</p>
<p>Hi again,</p>
<p>I have been working at a restaurant as a host/cashier for about 3 years. Is that solid enough?</p>
<p>If there was a 'right' number of hours that you could volunteer/ work for which would ensure your admission to Chapel Hill... wouldn't everyone just work that hard and get in?</p>
<p>There is no magic formula, but I can give you a rough approximation: Good grades + Good SAT scores + Good extracurriculars (volunteering or otherwise) + Good recommendations + Good essays = Stronger chance at admission.</p>
<p>Do you feel comfortable having worked for 3 years at a restaurant? My optional personal statement talked about my job, because working where I do has actually had a profound influence on my life -- and I work so much during the summer I don't really have time for grand volunteer projects. Just take all that into consideration, but don't half-ass a few volunteer experiences (go to the Food Bank a whopping total of two times, collect a couple of cans for a school-wide food drive, etc.) -- go full-bore, and your actions will demonstrate your passion when it comes time to fill out the application.</p>