<p>:D I'm volunteering and finding another part time job for the summer, yay.</p>
<p>I want to keep volunteering and working when school starts again. I'll be a senior. To do that I'd have to take maybe 5-6 classes per semester, since maybe one will be non-AP. </p>
<p>My main concern is what the colleges will see. Is it safe to take fewer classes if you're volunteering/working after school, or are they gonna think you're slacking off? Should I just discontinue working/volunteering and go full academics, or what?~</p>
<p>Also, which one do colleges prefer, volunteering or working? </p>
<p>Thanks for your time. :D</p>
<p>( btw, planning on applying into the UCs, if that matters. :) )</p>
<p>It’s more important to have harder classes than to have more classes. If you are taking lesser classes that are still difficult (which does not always have to be AP) because you have a job/are volunteering as opposed to taking a bunch of easy classes because you have a job/are volunteering, colleges will look upon this much more favorably. I hope that didn’t confuse you haha, but in short, quality trumps quantity. If you are taking lesser, but just as challenging classes not because you are out partying in your free time, but because you are doing something meaningful and productive, then the UC admission officers will be just as pleased 
5-6 classes is still pretty good, and if it’s just one non-AP class you’re taking, it should be fine. You’re probably reporting that you’re volunteering/working, so the colleges will take notice of this instead of questioning your coursework.</p>
<p>Good luck with senior year and all that dreadfully stressful but sadly necessary business! I’m looking into a couple of UCs, but no serious decisions yet because I’m only a juinor :P</p>
<p>Also, I think colleges love both volunteering and working. I think volunteering is more important because it helps build up experience that can lead you to land a job AND also because it shows that you are willing to give back to the community and what not. Being all-around is always good. I don’t know, but that’s my take.</p>
!!!</p>