<p>Hey! I am a rising sophomore but haven't really done much volunteer work outside of extracurriculars... are my chances for Ivies shot?</p>
<p>no… why do you think so? Vol hours are only one slim aspect. Some kids never get a chance to do any.</p>
<p>ok thanks. thought so because everyone seems to be focusing on volunteer hours. but now that I live in NoVA I’ll have more chances to do some.</p>
<p>There’s a lot of stuff about college admissions that isn’t quite as true as people seem to believe it is.</p>
<p>One such thing is that volunteer hours are as valuable as gold.</p>
<p>Another is that an “upward trend” in your grades has magical properties. To hear some people talk, you’d think an upward trend is so potent that it’s worth tanking your freshman year of high school just so you can have one.</p>
<p>Some humor for you re: vol hours</p>
<p>[Closing</a> Of Homeless Shelter Leaves College-Application-Padding Students With Nowhere To Turn](<a href=“http://www.theonion.com/articles/closing-of-homeless-shelter-leaves-collegeapplicat,2461/]Closing”>Closing Of Homeless Shelter Leaves College-Application-Padding Students With Nowhere To Turn)</p>
<p>[Soup-Kitchen</a> Volunteers Hate College-Application-Padding Brat](<a href=“http://www.theonion.com/articles/soupkitchen-volunteers-hate-collegeapplicationpadd,1422/]Soup-Kitchen”>Soup-Kitchen Volunteers Hate College-Application-Padding Brat)</p>