Volunteering vs. Academic Courses During Summer?

Applying to College
1

<p>I can either take an academic class (not for school or credit, just to spend summer productively) or volunteer during the summer. Which looks better for selective colleges?</p>

2

<p>Do whichever you prefer to do.</p>

<p>Completely apart from the fact that it’s probably pointless (and certainly mercenary) to do things just because they “look good” to colleges, neither one of these choices is particularly better than the other.</p>

3

<p>Do what will make you happy in the end.</p>

4

<p>What kind of volunteering opportunity is it?</p>

5

<p>I would ask yourself, which of these opportunities shows the most intellectual curiosity? If you’re interested in Spanish, for example, and the class summer class is about literature and the volunteering opportunity is with Spanish-speakers, then capitalize on that specific interest and volunteer. As a college applicant you want to show admissions that you have 1) clear and unique interests and 2) that you’re not afraid to follow curiosity and explore them as much as you can. </p>

<p>A question you might ask is, “what does this activity say about me and how will I frame it as part of a larger picture?” Continuing with language study as an example, here’s a post about the framing part: <a href=“http://mmla.middlebury.edu/blog/post.php?id=371[/url]”>http://mmla.middlebury.edu/blog/post.php?id=371&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>It depends on how the volunteering or summer course relates to your goal.</p>

<p>If you want to be a surgeon and you volunteer in something medical, that looks great.</p>

<p>It’s about relationships (what you do and how it relates to the big picture). Focus on doing something that would help you reach your ultimate goal and that will be something that will also help you get accepted.
Craig</p>

7

<p>Is there a reason you cannot do both? Does the academic choice take up every hour of a 7 day week?</p>

8

<p>

</p>

<p>I’m not sure it really does. For one thing, a lot of teenagers do this. It’s just not particularly distinctive. And for another thing, colleges are looking to admit undergraduates, not medical students. They know that a significant fraction of students who enter college thinking of themselves as pre-med will be something else by the time they leave.</p>

<p>Don’t get me wrong. Volunteering is a good thing. So is educational enrichment. But I am not persuaded that one is any better than the other for the purposes of college admission.</p>

9

<p>Why don’t you just get a job? That would look at least as good as the other options that you’ve suggested here, and has the added advantage of leaving you with some money to put toward your college expenses.</p>