<p>I've done a lot of volunteer work that will look good on a resume, but most of my projects have been one-time things... I put a lot into them, but they're mostly 5 hour projects rather than extensive (and expensive) service trips to Africa or Central America that some of my classmates have done.</p>
<p>For example, would adcoms and scholarship foundations prefer those classmates' work, or would they prefer things I've done and can afford, such as taking dozens of underprivileged kids bowling, packing cabbage for a food bank distribution, coaching a tennis camp for no pay, or doing art projects with severely mentally handicapped patients?</p>
<p>My number of hours pales in comparison to that of lots of students I know, but I feel as if I've helped or affected just as many people as they have.</p>
<p>The important thing is that you are doing the kind of work that is meaningful for you. Don’t worry about this.</p>
<p>The few colleges that factor ECS and service into admission tend to be places like Harvard, which value more the activities’ impact on you, and your contribution (in terms of impact, ideas, etc.) to the activities more than those colleges value the hours that the activities took.</p>
<p>Those colleges also value more community service done at home for causes that a student personally cares about than service done through expensive trips abroad.</p>
<p>I would echo happymomof1 and add that if your ECs are consistent with your talents and desires it will help to create a cohesive application. For instance, if you are on the tennis team and volunteer to coach tennis, or if you love languages and volunteer to teach ESL classes.</p>