<p>The fall is quickly arriving and the college application process will be upon us. Personally, I don't have great standardized test scores at all, both the SAT (1420) and ACT (20). In September I plan to retake the ACT as well as October, but I also would like to accumulate more community service hours. Starting this year I will be a senior and we will be dismissed a period earlier (1:49) and I was wondering whether I should go straight home to study and do homework or try to volunteer for a few hours. The purpose of me completing more hours is primarily because of scholarships, but I think that studying is way more important. My schedule isn't too busy this year except on Mondays and Wednesdays I will be taking a college course, Thursdays I run the music club at school and Saturdays I may enroll in a scholar/community service-based program in my neighborhood. The only days I would be available is Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Any ideas?</p>
<p>bump bump bump</p>
<p>I would concentrate all your spare time on studying for the ACT, rather than doing community service.</p>
<p>You need to raise that score. Otherwise, I don’t think the good schools will even care about your community service.</p>
<p>My son raised his ACT from a 31 to a 34 with zero studying, so mere familiarity with the exam should help you. I would work really hard on studying for the ACT. Every spare moment.</p>
<p>After you take the ACT twice more, then you can do more community service, later in the year. </p>
<p>I would take the SAT again also. Since most schools superscore, there is little to lose.</p>
<p>At this stage in your life, if you have a free hour, I would say using it to study for the ACT is easily the best use of your time.</p>
<p>Community service is of no direct use for your eventual college. Only the top schools consider ECs or voluntarism for evaluation and it’s not likely you’ll be applying to those. Listen to post #3. Anyone who would tell you differently is trying to sabotage you.</p>
<p>Studying it is! I appreciate the advice from both of you. As I mentioned on my original post, I would like to accumulate more hours for the sake of non-merit based scholarships such as Gates Millennium, etc. The application isn’t due until January so I can easily volunteer once testing is over. Personally I think that studying is more important, I just wanted a second opinion. As for the schools I’m applying to, none of them are necessarily top such as an ivy, but they include UVA, UMiami, PSU, Purdue and even test optional schools such as Wake Forest, Bowdoin, Middlebury and Bates.</p>