For the past four years of high school, I had been volunteering at the local museum and dedicating at least four hours every week to help the less privileged kids to learn about science for free and participate as a docent for the different exhibits of the museum. Not until college application I realized I have around 460 hours just by working at that same museum. I am not sure if it is impressive or not because when I checked out Notre Dame, Mudd, and the UCs info sessions, they are all saying it is about spending like 10 to 15 hours per week.
Applicants (and their parents) need to eliminate the words “impressive,” “like,” “best,” or similar words from their vocabulary until after decisions are made. It is the rare application/course schedule/EC that will “impress” admissions. Perhaps the AO that read Malala’s application was “impressed” by her ECs, but she set the bar high. Students should do things that are right for them
If someone here tells you it is or is not “impressive”, what difference would it make?
It is what you spent on what sounds like a valuable and rewarding external activity. Put it on your application and move on.
The number of volunteer hours is not going to move the needle much; it’s what you actually do during those hours that is important.
I know at my kids high school, they have a minimum of 15 hours of volunteer time you need to complete each school year. My D did the minimum volunteer hours needed to meet that requirement but she had all kinds of additional “hours” for her ECs like 500+ hours of academic decathlon prep and studying; hundreds of hours practicing her Varsity sport, worked a part-time job, and had significant hours being a school district board representative.
The bottom line is volunteer your time because its something that you want to do to help others, not as a means to “looking good” in a college application.
I agree that it isn’t the number of hours so much as the impact you made.
400 hours of volunteer work is likely well above the average number of volunteer hours for high schoolers. However, it is fairly common to spend 400+ hours on a sport, if one participates in it for all four years. Did you spend those 400 hours bench-warming for a losing team, or did you become captain and take your team to state? World of difference between simply putting in the hours and making a positive, impactful contribution.