<p>how much do colleges consider volunteering? do i need a long list to impress colleges?</p>
<p>If the decision is close, good volunteering experience can give you an edge, but it’s not hugely significant.</p>
<p>Adcoms have stated again and again that it’s not how many activities you do, it’s how you get involved in them. An applicant who simply volunteered at a bunch of random events would probably be less competitive than a similar applicant who was president of the school’s Key Club and organized a fundraiser to provide Haitians with clean food and water.</p>
<p>Volunteering is not a requirement or even ‘preferred’ for getting into a good college. It’s just an EC like any other. If you enjoy doing it, that’s great - go for impact rather than just accumulating hours. If you enjoy other things more, then do those. The primary advantage volunteering has over other ECs is that it can give you get exposure to people who are outside of your own social group or community and that perspective can be valuable. That said, other ECs offer opportunities that volunteering may not. Do what you enjoy most.</p>