Need Help on a Special Circumstance?

College Confidential Community
1

Hi,

I live in Southern California and my Dad works in China while my mom and I live together. My mom can’t drive most of the time. Sometimes she feels well and can drive to the grocery store and other times she can’t.

I don’t want to make excuses, but I was basically confined to my school for volunteering opportunities. I tutored at the elementary school across the street from my house and tutor people after school (at my high school). Nothing extraordinary, did 0 volunteering freshman year (lived 5 miles from the elementary school and freshman weren’t eligible to tutor at the school) , 30 some hours sophomore year (moved to walking distance near the school) and probably 40-50 hours Junior year.

My EC’s are very plain and I was wondering how I would explain my circumstances to the colleges. I am getting a license soon after some delay, so maybe that will help a bit, but I feel like it may be too late to start something as during the summer, I might have to go back to China in order for my mom to get some kind of treatment.

During the summers, I had to go back to China with my mom so she could receive treatment, and in China we basically went to the hospital every day. She goes to a Chinese clinic where the doctor takes her pulse and prescribes herbs for her to drink.

I live in the suburbs, so getting around without a car is quite difficult. I often had to walk/bike 4 miles to buy groceries.

I know it is kind of my fault for not getting a license sooner (but my permit expired before I could take the license test: bad planning on my part, and the DMV is like 15 miles from my home so my mom has never been able to drive me there to retake the permit exam again) , so any advice on how to explain the situation to the colleges?

Sorry for writing so much, and thanks for reading all this!

2

First, colleges won’t ask about volunteer hours. Volunteering is just one kind of EC, and lots of people do other things.

What colleges are you looking at? In the grand scheme of things, most schools don’t care very much about ECs. Selective schools look at them because they need a way to distinguish among their applicants with high grades and test scores.

You could explain your situation in your essays (although your essays should focus on you, not just your circumstances), or the Additional Information section of the Common App. Alternatively, you could ask your guidance counselor to talk about them in their recommendation.

3

Well I guess I am looking at the selective schools since I want to go to UC’s.
My main goal are the UC’s, and I will probably be applying to other top tier schools just for fun. I have alright grades and test scores, but like you said, it’s going to be tough to distinguish myself. If I put my circumstances on the common app , how much will it help?

Thanks

4

“Just for fun”
Don’t waste your time.

5

Ok thanks for the advice.