<p>I'm a rising senior. The summer of 2011 I volunteered 2 hours/ day almost every day at a local nursing home. Last summer I had an internship at a local hospital so I hardly had time to volunteer. During the school year I was so darn busy with classes and standardized testing that I couldn't volunteer much except tutor a friend in Math.
All I have for volunteer is about 100 hrs I did that summer before sophomore year...can I still put them on my college resume even if they're not recent? Or should I rack up my volunteer hours this summer?
I think I have pretty good stats. Top of the class, part time job since 2011, good SAT and ACT scores, some leadership positions, English is not my first language, plan to apply to Ivy Leagues and top private schools. Please give me some advice!</p>
<p>You shouldn’t be sending a “resume” to any college. </p>
<p>If there’s spot on an application for extracurriculars/volunteering that you haven’t filled up with more significant/recent things, it’s definitely acceptable to include activities from your sophomore year.</p>
<p>It is acceptable to send a ‘resume’ with your activities. That’s up to you. But you should only do it if it really add something meaningful to your application, not just adding bits and pieces or laundry lists of random things you didn’t spend that much time on.</p>
<p>Sure, put your hours on your application, it was an EC you did in HS. Why wouldn’t you?</p>
<p>does volunteer or work look better?</p>
<p>^I’m pretty sure giving back to the community sounds better than providing for yourself so I would say volunteering.</p>
<p>They are viewed as basically equal unless you clearly don’t need the money…</p>
<p>well in my case I have to work to earn personal expenses since my family has low income (I’m on free or reduced lunch). Because of work and school, I have no time to volunteer and am just afraid it’ll hurt if I put no volunteer hours on my college application - except for the ones that I did 2 years ago before I had a job.</p>
<p>A Q&A with an admissions guys from Tufts said he and the admissions team absolutely despise resumes, and said there is practically never a reason to send one.</p>
<p>I won’t be sending in a resume. Sorry if my question wasn’t clear…I was just wondering if I should put not-so-recent volunteer experience on my college application.</p>
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<p>I have never heard a college representative say such a thing. In fact, I’ve heard them voice nothing but respect for the idea of students’ working for pay. Particularly in cases where students need to earn their own spending money, or to help the family with living expenses.</p>
<p>Destiny, I think you’re way overthinking this. As Pancaked said, if you fill up all the space on your Common Application with more important stuff before you get to listing the volunteering, then great. If you don’t, nobody is going to think you’re some kind of slacker, or a self-serving narcissist, if you had to cut back on your volunteer activities so that you could have enough time to make good grades and earn your own spending money.</p>
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<p>Just checking: you plan to apply to an appropriate range of match and safety schools, too?</p>
<p>Your sophomore year is part of your high school experience and there is nothing wrong with putting volunteering, or any activity that you did that year, on your application.
In your case, I would definitely put the volunteering at a nursing home. I think it shows something about you, and 100 hours is a decent amount for a single year.
I also agree that colleges like to see work experience. Include both your volunteering and your work experience. Both help form a picture of who you are.</p>