<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>This is my first post on this forum so don't butcher me.....I don't think you will have a chance to......</p>
<p>Anyway, I got a chance to go volunteer over the summer at a hospital in Pakistan.</p>
<p>Do you think that will look especially good on my college applications?</p>
<p>Very good!And if your going to college to study something research orientated maybe you could make project on your visit and included case studies,profiles and issues that could relate to your subjects.Thats a really good thing your doing I must say...well done and have fun.When are you going?</p>
<p>Well, I just got back a week ago and am now preparing for my junior year in high school.</p>
<p>Excellent!</p>
<p>Where in Pakistan did you volunteer and how was the experience?</p>
<p>It looks good, but to really make it matter, you should write an essay about it to further describe the experience and how it affected you.</p>
<p>I second that!</p>
<p>If you paid to volunteer, then I don't think it would be look that good on your application.</p>
<p>Do you have to mention that part...?
I don't think the OP said anything about money being involved.</p>
<p>I volunteered at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi. It was really not at all what I expected (antediluvian machines, problems with language etc etc). On the contrary, the entire experiance was just awesome!!</p>
<p>There was no money involved at all.......it was volunteering afterall.</p>
<p>Do you still keep in touch with the hospital in Karachi?</p>
<p>Yah, but if the OP spent several thousands of dollars just to volunteer in a third world country, it reveals more about her wealth than her social activism. It's just like those kids who attend those expensive Leaderships conferences or college summer programs. Sure, they are great experiences, but they're nothing special when anyone with a few thousands of dollars to spare can participate. </p>
<p>But, if the OP traveled with a church group or some school club, such Amnesty International, that's another story because it takes initiative to do these types of activities with small independent groups. It's not just some resume padding. </p>
<p>P.S. I don't mean the OP getting paid for her services, but she paying for her services.</p>
<p>It's my fault I didnt explain the situation correctly. </p>
<p>My parents are originally from Pakistan and every once in a while, they go back to visit. This summer, I took advantage of that oppurtunity to volunteer at the hospital.</p>
<p>Private_Joker, I know what you're talking about. There are programs for community service in third world country where you basically pay to stay with a family and do service half the time and vacation for the other half. But as this is not what the OP was talking about...I guess it doesn't matter</p>
<p>Whatever you do don't write a stereotypical "eye-opening" third-world country essay aka "I went to this place that was so different and yet so intriguing and helped do primitive things relative to how I normally live and I realized that despite our differences, the people there and the people I know and love are the same" etc etc. Just a warning :P</p>
<p>Is that similar to Camp America?My friend took part in that last year and she helped children with learning difficulities to paint and she helped organise art classes and displays for the children.She brought photos back and they looked brill!I'd love to get involved in something like that.</p>
<p>If this is something that you did because you paid for the opportunity or because your parents are from Pakistan and you volunteered there while visiting relatives who lined up that opportunity for you so you have something to put on your resume, it will not be that impressive. In both cases, the volunteer opportunity would look like something that dropped into your lap because you're privileged, not something that you did out of your own interests.</p>
<p>The most impressive volunter opportunities are the ones that students create for themselves (including in their local communities) while following their passions and interests in making the world a better place. In addition, colleges also want to see evidence that the student made a difference by volunteering -- whether that difference was in the life of an individual (such as if the student had tutored a disadvantaged child and the child's parent or teacher wrote a recommendation stating how the student had inspired the child) or impacted the organization such as if the student started a new program or raised a significant amount of money.</p>
<p>In your situation, the fact that you volunteered in Pakistan while your family visited there will not in itself be impressive. Lots of students from immigrant families do things like that, and to them not out of interest in service, but in order to look good when they apply to college. Their being able to travel abroad also reflects their family's affluence (and even if you don't consider yourself rich, most people in the US can't afford to travel to Pakistan).</p>
<p>If, though, you did something there that impacted the organization in a special way or if afteward you are doing something in the US that relates to insights you got while volunteering abroad, these are the kind of actions that would impress colleges.</p>
<p>I don't know...I think it's still something great that he did, even if his family is from Pakistan. he could easily have relaxed and vacationed, but he did volunteer, so I wouldn't just dismiss it like that.</p>
<p>Sure, it's nice that he did that -- just like it's nice if anyone volunteers during summer vacation. Colleges, though, aren't going to give him extra points for volunteering in a developing country that he happened to be visititing when his family went to see relatives. </p>
<p>This doesn't take away from the fact that he may have learned a lot from his volunteering experience, and he also may have helped many other people.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, you are certainly right.</p>
<p>Although, I didn't have relatives "line up any oppurtunity". This was something I wanted to do myself.</p>