<p>They usually ask for them in the same place they ask for extracurricular activities. One of choices under the “activities” tab of the Common App is community service/volunteer. ApplyTexas has a tab for “extracurricular and volunteer activities”. The National Merit Semifinalist application’s EC tab asks for “activity/volunteer service.” I could list more, but that’s how it is most places. It’s definitely a factor if so many scholarships and applications list community service right next to extracurricular activities.</p>
<p>I agree with the OP’s argument but my criticism of people who work long hours to pad an application is that a little bit of application padding isn’t nearly worth the long hours spent earning the right to claim it honestly.</p>
<p>I think that what he said is spot on. I mean, everyone who has 900+ he’s of community service in high school(or claims to) should also agree. Helping people is great and I do have alterior motives, but at least I’m doing something</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s necessarily bad to start doing community service with an ulterior motive (especially since a lot of times you don’t discover you like something until you do it), but hopefully after 900 hours you’d have a different perspective than you had when you started.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well, sure…community service is an extracurricular activity, but I think it’s just one of many possibilities. (Though I imagine some colleges emphasize altruism more than others.)
It seems to me that, if you’re only doing community service to impress colleges, you’d probably be better off spending that time preparing for prestigious competitions or something. I think it’s overrated in terms of how impressive it is.</p>