Summer - Get a job or volunteer?

Applying to College
1

<p>So I'm trying to decide what would be the most effective thing to do with my summer. I was thinking of applying to a school for abused and mentally handicapped children where I would work as a volunteer all summer. The job would likely be 3 or 4 days a week working about 8 hours a day. This is really appealing to me because I can work around my busy schedule for the summer which includes going to music camps and touring colleges. </p>

<p>But would it look better to colleges to get an actual paid job? I don't really need the money so that's why I was leaning towards volunteering, but many colleges like to see jobs on the applications and I have never had a job. Getting a job during my senior year is absolutely not an option. The extracurricular activities I'm involved create a sporadic schedule and I don't think I would be able to maintain my grades while trying to juggle extracurrics and a job.</p>

2

<p>Every summer I volunteer at a similar school, except its 9 hours per day 5 days a week. At nights I usually hold a summer job. It is possible to do both :)</p>

3

<p>Since you are in the enviable position of not needing to work, select your summer activity based on what interests you the most. That also will be likely to be what will most impress colleges, because people do best in things that they are very interested in doing.</p>