Hey! I am about to sound like a horrible person but here goes:
I have not volunteered much at all in high school. I have a 4.0 GPA with 5 AP classes this year and 1 each year before now, a 35 on my ACT, and although national merit semifinalists haven’t been officially announced, my PSAT score was considerably higher than my state’s cutoff score for national merit semifinalists ever has been. I should have been volunteering more in high school. Obviously, I should have been doing that to give back to my community and because I want to. But, there is also a part of me that wants to do it for college because it seems to be a huge part of admissions. I’ve been trying since last year to start a program to give free music lessons to elementary school-age students who can’t afford it, but it’s been stopped because of logistical issues every time I’ve tried. I should get involved in regular volunteering with something, but I am so busy with school, piano, my huge family, and Church. I know this sounds horrible because I should be viewing volunteering as something I just do because it’s the right thing to do, but also how much will this hurt my college admissions chances?
You don’t need to volunteer to get into any college. Do the activites you care about. In addition volunteering doesn’t need to be in a school activity so your church may be a good outlet (if you don’t volunteer there already).
So lets take a step back and if you want to volunteer find something that works for you. My musician S24 participates in online concerts for homebound seniors once a month. He is doing something he loves and they appreciate it. He tutors a local kid on his instrument, if you want to help tutor kids on piano find one from church who wants to learn and do it. Volunteering should be to volunteering, there are so many ways to do it in a micro way.
You don’t need to do anything to get into a great college with your stats and you can go for free.
Now if you want a top tier college, you likely would need some ECs - but that doesn’t mean volunteering. You have piano and your church - so that’s likely ECs. Maybe you can get a part time job - or help at the church or join a club.
But you should do things for yourself - and not for a college application.
And you might be doing stuff already.
I’d say that’s one of the biggest misconceptions about college admissions. I agree with the other posters above. You don’t have to volunteer at all. I always see students include as part of their background that they did a zillion hours of volunteering. Not gonna get you into college.
If you’re a HS junior, starting to volunteer now won’t make one iota of difference in your college applications.
You may have volunteered more than you think. Did your church group pick up trash after an event, collect coats for a drive, serve meals? Any clubs at school that did a one day project? Have you helped anyone in your family with rides or health care? Have you played piano at an event?
Volunteering doesn’t have to be long term or done every week.
Do you give back through church at all? Do you play for services? Do service projects? That would be something… My daughter listed that on her app (among other things of course) and did well at T15s. Also, I think it is better to volunteer with existing organizations than to start your own. It is less likely to be construed as exaggerated and is more verifiable by AOs. Good luck!
If you’ve benefited from a successful career, it would seem a good trait to find ways to “give back to society”. But might barely be 18 and you’re not at all expected to already “give back to my community”.
Your “job” all along has been school, and being a good peer along the way. And if you have talents of any kind, and the family can afford you the opportunity, then pursue and develop those. Being committed to these things, while being a decent, compassionate person is what’s important, not chasing volunteer engagement for resume’s sake.
Yes, some people have long lists of volunteer activities, or the boilerplate club leadership positions - but one sometimes wonders how “committed” they could have possibly been to any single one of them? I’d be more impressed if due to household circumstances someone had to take on a mediocre part-time/holiday job, or cared for a family member while the earners of the family were at their jobs.
So, there is absolutely nothing wrong for having spent many nights and weekends at home, keeping up with your studies, prepping for exams, practicing piano, being engaged in your church - and it’s very healthy to still find some time to just wind down with friends.
Colleges value a “well-rounded” person, who sometimes might be more successful integrating into a complete new environment, has coping skills do deal with challenges that might bring, actively engaging with their fellow students.
Here’s the true question - what kind of college are you looking for / at?
At most, this won’t impact.
At selective schools, it could/will.
So you might be worrying for nothing. Many a school will pay someone like you to come - just based on your GPA and ACT and nothing else.
If finances are a concern you should consider a large state school that will pay up for a high stats kid such as yourself. Alabama comes to mind. They have more NMF then any other school that markets such data and their merit is formulaic so you know what you are getting into.