<p>alot of kids talk about how they do like 1000+ hours in africa helping AIDS patients out but how can colleges be really sure that your telling the truth.</p>
<p>Becasue i really went to Pakistan for the last 4 years and to the medical wards to help out the less fortunate but how should i explain this in my app so the colleges know i'm telling the truth, unlike others????????????</p>
<p>I don't understand how you can lie about something like that??? Don't colleges require some sort of proof such as a letter of recommendation for volunteer work?</p>
<p>BTW, that's awesome about the volunteer work in Pakistan...was it during summer?</p>
<p>I did volunteer work last summer in Israel. I certainly have proof that I did. It'll look good, and I had an awesome time.</p>
<p>anyone else</p>
<p>THe colleges will assume that you're telling the truth unless other aspects of your application don't add up. However, don't expect the fact that you did volunteer work abroad to add extra weight to your application unless you did something extraordinary like earn the money to travel abroad to volunteer.</p>
<p>Colleges also know that most of the abroad service experience occur because parents have the money to send students on expensive service trips or because the parents line up the students to do service with friends and relatives in the parents' home countries.</p>
<p>As a result, it can be far more impressive when students create and organize service projects in their own hometowns. More than likely, they'll have to do far more work setting those up, and they'll have to solve far more challenges than do the students whose parents pay for service experiences for them. </p>
<p>I have found it very typical for immigrant students as well as Jewish students who apply to Harvard to have done some kind of service abroad. The Jewish students often have done service in Israel. The immigrant students or offspring of immigrants have done it in their parents' home countries.
'</p>
<p>People are supposed to tell the truth. Explain it like you're supposed to explain it, truthfully. </p>
<p>I personally dislike volunteering in foreign countries because it's a sign that someone has parents with deep pockets. These volunteer programs charge thousands of dollars to bring someone to a third world country, so people "pay" them for hours when they could be easily accessible for free at someone's own township. Most of the money probably goes towards the student's airfare, food, and living quarters while they're there anyway.</p>
<p>Hey thats not always the case that the parents are paying for their kid to go volunteering in some remote place. I myself am going on a mission trip to mexico next summer and plan on getting it paid for through fundraising with the youth group and stuff.</p>
<p>My grandparents are missionaries in Mexico, and I have been down there quite a bit. Im always helping when I'm down there, as is everyone else, but does that count as volunteering?</p>
<p>colleges will think that youre privileged and spoiled. Why can't you work at your own community instead of traveling thousand of miles to go to any country? You can just send 3rd world countries money instead of wasting money to travel there.</p>
<p>Or it could be that you work hard at Radioshack all year to save up money to go. :)</p>
<p>Some of you guys are complete douchebags. So? My parents had the money to send me to Israel. Big deal. Plenty of people (including my cousin) couldnt afford to go, and had to obtain scholarships in order to go, not to mention how many people go free through birthright.
I'm not applying to Harvard, nor would I. I'm not using this as some major hook, because it's not. It looks good, but at the same time I had a great experience.</p>
<p>Some of you peoples' opinions are way off, and unfair to others. It comes off as stupid jealousy. Maybe you should travel more? I enjoy doing it, so I'll do it. Dont try to misconstrue the reasons I did service...</p>
<p>
[quote]
colleges will think that youre privileged and spoiled. Why can't you work at your own community instead of traveling thousand of miles to go to any country? You can just send 3rd world countries money instead of wasting money to travel there.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>There is no monopoly on suffering in the world, and it's not the spoiled brats who go out to volunteer, whether in their own country or abroad. A love of travel and culture shows a lot more character than a narrow-minded and unilateral approach, very much like the one you seem to portray. Get out there in the world and learn something. Yes, people are suffering here. That doesn't mean we can't help people abroad, especially when they suffer a lot more. We can see an entire continent of people trying to deal with corrupt government, HIV/AIDS, poverty, disease, famine, and a lack of real aid and infrastructure building (because of people like you who think you can throw money at a problem to make it go away). Excuse us for trying to help!</p>
<p>Alright, sorry for coming off negative. But I meant to say, it'll help more to just send money to red cross instead of spending thousands to travel there and teach the native english or do manual work. Sending money is more effective since their labor is cheaper and you won't have to spend the money to travel there.</p>
<p>Quote:
colleges will think that youre privileged and spoiled. Why can't you work at your own community instead of traveling thousand of miles to go to any country? You can just send 3rd world countries money instead of wasting money to travel there.</p>
<p>There is no monopoly on suffering in the world, and it's not the spoiled brats who go out to volunteer, whether in their own country or abroad. A love of travel and culture shows a lot more character than a narrow-minded and unilateral approach, very much like the one you seem to portray. Get out there in the world and learn something. Yes, people are suffering here. That doesn't mean we can't help people abroad, especially when they suffer a lot more. We can see an entire continent of people trying to deal with corrupt government, HIV/AIDS, poverty, disease, famine, and a lack of real aid and infrastructure building (because of people like you who think you can throw money at a problem to make it go away). Excuse us for trying to help!
cowgirlatheart is online now </p>
<p>Well said! God, canucks are so smart!</p>
<p>Alright, sorry for coming off negative. But I meant to say, it'll help more to just send money to red cross instead of spending thousands to travel there and teach the native english or do manual work. Sending money is more effective since their labor is cheaper and you won't have to spend the money to travel there.</p>
<p>Believe me, my family donates more than most people make in a year to charity, most of which being international. I think we've done more than enough. Personally being able to go visit and help out is much more fulfilling.</p>
<p>So would colleges like to see you go aboard and teach english or raise a few thousand and sent it over? I know what you mean jpod, it is more fulfilling, but that doesn't mean its more helpful.</p>
<p>Teaching English isn't the only thing you can do abroad. I'm actually planning a trip to Tanzania and Kenya (and possibly Rwanda... I wrote a 4000 word paper on the genocide and want to see the country) next summer with my aunt. She went as part of an NGO conference this year to help them organize a legal aid system. She met some women who run a domestic violence clinic and we are going to go help.</p>
<p>Besides, if I want to work at the UN (which I do), travelling abroad and volunteering in as many different places as possible will only help me. And that's not to say I don't volunteer at home. I founded my school's Amnesty Club and am part of the Mayor's Youth Council as well as the Youth Volunteer Corps in my city. It's all relative. :)</p>
<p>Sending money does not always work. The Red Cross and other NGO's have had to pull out of places like Iraq and Darfur because they were being attacked. Convoys also frequently get attacked by guerilla troops who steal food and supplies. Sending money to corrupt governments is also a bad idea (google Mugabe + Zimbabwe). Seriously, education and infrastructure building (physical things like hospitals, schools, and roads as well as financial and social systems) are the most important elements to helping these countries step out of poverty. You should look into microfinance in developping countries. The results are amazing, but they need people to set these institutions up before anything can be done. </p>
<p>Travelling is amazing. If I am going to travel anyways (the goal is to get to every continent except antarctica before I am 25), I might as well volunteer while doing it. Good philosophy, no?</p>
<p>P.S. To jPoD: [ quote ] without spaces [ /quote ]. Share the love... now you can enjoy the quote function! (I only learned how to use it a month ago... lol).</p>
<p>Yeah, I thought that's how you do it. Most sites have something you click.</p>
<p>
[quote]
So would colleges like to see you go aboard and teach english or raise a few thousand and sent it over? I know what you mean jpod, it is more fulfilling, but that doesn't mean its more helpful.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'd much rather do something culturally, like helping kids in that environment. Raising money is great and all, but seeing the final product so to speak is the best part.</p>
<p>I don't think volunteer work in foreign countries will hurt anyone, it may help slightly, but not that much...</p>
<p>I do think taking care of your brother and sisters at home over the summer is much more impressive than traveling to Mexico to help "build houses" when you build for one day and then spend the rest of the week hanging out on beaches.</p>
<p>cowgirl...what kind of help are you expecting to give in the domestic violence place in Africa? What kind of preparation are you getting to provide help there?</p>
<p>Based on our activities starting an Amnesty Club, I think it's clear that you're seriously interested in helping abroad, and your work in Africa connects with your desire to eventually work for the UN. I am wondering if there are any skills and training that you can get in the U.S. before your trip that will help you offer a higher level of help abroad than most teens or adults in this country would be capable of doing.</p>
<p>For instance, where I live, before one can volunteer at a domestic violence shelter, one has to undergo many hours of training. I would think that because of cultural differences and other things, it may be hard to offer direct help to victims without having more training and knowledge about their culture.</p>
<p>I can't afford to go to special summer college programs or "volunteer" trips to eat at the Hilton. I go to the local community college and just do volunteering to wherever I can bike/run to since I don't have a porsche like you people.</p>