i have almost no volunteer experience. a tiny bit–helping out at goodwill and with tire collections (removing old tires from the woods), but those were basically one-time things. i don’t even know how to credit them on the common application, because it asks for hours per week and those things were one-time events, not weekly ones.
so my question is, is it pointless to begin volunteering my senior year? obviously this is a huge weakness for my applications, but i foolishly spent 9-11th grade doing the activities i enjoyed (things like academic competitions, music, and writing) not planning for college. what i’m wondering is, should i even bother starting now–will it help at all? or will it just look desperate?
<p>if you're volunteering to pad you application, not worth it. If you're volunteering out of a sense of obligation to your community or a moral desire to help others, its never too late.</p>
<p>my senior year I had actullay very little volunteering experience, so I decided to join a club that promotes a different types of volunteering. </p>
<p>Helped out nursing homes, festivals, and patient care - mainly cleaning, anyway I tried to show commitment on my volunteering and began going to these places once or twice a week. </p>
<p>I think it depends on which schools you are going to be applying to.</p>
<p>I agree with mikemac. You should do it because you want to, not for college. And don't sacrifice another activity that you've been dedicated to.</p>
<p>A girl in my school started to volunteer in her senior year AFTER she got accepted to Harvard EA.</p>
<p>It would be for both of those reasons I guess, but college would be the main one. It is for a lot of people, it's not like I'm shallow. I'm sure no matter why you start volunteering ends up being a valuable experience.
But this whole question is irrelevant. Just from writing one sentence and number of hours per week on the Common Application, colleges are not going to know why I or anyone else volunteered. My question is will that be beneficial.</p>
<p>It just sounds like you don't want to volunteer. And I don't think it's foolish to have focused on the activities that you loved and done well academically. </p>
<p>I think your question is whether colleges will see through your effort and think that you're only doing it for college. And you know, nobody knows what the adcom will think. If you can find time to voluntter, I can't see how it would hurt!</p>
<p>Also, you might write down your previous volunteering experiences in the additional information box if the format of hours/week doesn't work for you. One-time things still count.</p>
<p>Some of this depends on the type of colleges you are applying to. For example, large public universities are more numbers driven.</p>
<p>Go ahead....just start some non-profit or seomthing....because apparently this is for college, so thinking on that basis, go and start some organization.</p>
<p>"i foolishly spent 9-11th grade doing the activities i enjoyed (things like academic competitions, music, and writing)"</p>
<p>Could you find a volunteer activity that involves your love of academic competitions, music, and writing, i.e. an after school/out of school music program or GATE program activity at a local elementary school? </p>
<p>Volunteer at an elementary or middle school science fair or other activity?</p>
<p>Does your local library have any volunteer opportunities that involve academics, music, or writing?</p>
<p>"i foolishly spent 9-11th grade doing the activities i enjoyed (things like academic competitions, music, and writing)"</p>
<p>What you did wasn't foolish: It was exactly what top colleges want you to do: Follow your passions.</p>
<p>Just because a college application asks a question doesn't mean that you have to answer it to get in. For instance, colleges ask about work experience, but students who don't have any aren't automatically eliminated.</p>
<p>Not too late. It's definitely worth the time too (well, most things).</p>
<p>thank you.............</p>
<p>
[quote]
Just from writing one sentence and number of hours per week on the Common Application, colleges are not going to know why I or anyone else volunteered.
[/quote]
That's where your wrong. Adcoms aren't running off a "checklist" where hours volunteered is just another hurdle to cross. They are trying to get a sense of the applicant, at least at the better colleges. </p>
<p>Don't you think that if someone is really passionate about volunteer work it will come across in other ways? Mentioned how much it means or a challenge they've faced in an essay, for example? Mentioned in a counselor or teacher rec? Be the source of a third rec? Be mentioned in leadership positions? There's many ways something you're really involved will leave its mark on you and your app.</p>