<p>I am going to be a senior in high school this August. Would volunteering help me in college admissions? Is it too late to even make a difference? Would it actually hurt me because colleges would think I'm just doing it for the resume?</p>
<p>if you ARE doing it for the resume, then don't bother. that's my position.</p>
<p>If you start doing it now and regardless of whether you're volunteering outta sincere care or college app boost, the adcom will inevitably think that you only volunteered for the application boost b/c you started soooo late into ur HS career. I suggest you not start now but concentrate on work/research or w/e keeps you occupied (you'd better have something like those--how else would you spend your summer??)</p>
<p>If I were a college admissions counselor, I'd rather see that you at least did some volunteer work (even if your only reason for volunteering is just for your resume) and learn something from it versus not even bothering to try. You still have a few months before most college apps are due and if you spend a couple hours a week volunteering regularly you can still have a decent number of hours. Find some place or thing where you would really enjoy volunteering. That way if you're asked to write a short answer question on volunteering you can actually give a good answer. You'll write better about something you enjoy so see if you can find some activity that you like and stick with it.</p>
<p>Huskey makes a good point, but I'd make it REALLY clear that you volunteered out of compassion (but that might be difficult, considering your impetus behind starting this thread)</p>
<p>Volunteer something you are passionate about!!! You will enjoy what you do, learn so much from it, contribute to the society. Volunteering is not all about putting it on the transcript. However I do think volunteering will better serve you on the transcript than some meaningless club activities.</p>
<p>How would I make colleges know that I'm doing it out of compassion?</p>
<p>just write like you would if u were compassionate about volunteering - force your brain to do it, humans are an animal that can easily choose what they want to believe</p>
<p>Where would I write that? My essay?</p>
<p>There is a difference between compassion and passion. You want colleges to feel your passion, and not only see your compassion. And yes, your essay would be the best place to write it. However, keep in mind that the strongest personal statements usually focus on a character changing experience. To write about something passionately, it would be like if you were telling someone who had never heard of your favorite sports team before and wanted to know why you support them. You'd probably use concrete examples like how they won their entire division, featured three All-Stars in their starting line-up, and came back from a large deficit to win their final game. Does that make sense? That's how you show passion--by using vivid examples that exude your enthusiasm for something but also exhibit a positive character change and growth at the same time. Now translate that to volunteering. Find an activity that you're passionate about and be creative in how you tell your story.</p>
<p>But could it actually hurt me? Since colleges will know I'm doing it for the resume?</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your replies.</p>
<p>i think so...it's pretty inevitable considering that you HAVE to write what your time commitment was</p>
<p>Only do it if you want to - that way it really doesn't matter what the admission dept thinks. </p>
<p>Many schools require volunteer hours from students in order for them to graduate, so the routine minimum hours that show up on many applications isn't likely to "impress" admission reps. A student who has been volunteering on a regular basis all thorough high school is a different story. There are many things that you can throw your energy into - choose something that you like and do that (whether or not it involves volunteering - at this point, I don't see that it would really matter one way or another.)</p>
<p>I agree with above. Even if you need hours to get into a college, I think it'd be a good idea to start now anyway, regardless of the adcom's reaction. That way, you'll find something you like and carry it into college,which maysomehow help you then</p>
<p>
[quote]
I am going to be a senior in high school this August. Would volunteering help me in college admissions?
[/quote]
No.</p>
<p>Most colleges admit based on scores and grades. At these, outside activities just don't matter. Counselors want kids to be involved and find it easier to threaten with "otherwise you won't get into college" then to attempt to persuade kids why its good for them to do so.</p>
<p>At the most selective colleges that care about ECs, just volunteering isn't going to cut it. They are looking for extensive involvement, achievement, and leadership. The kids they take didn't volunteer at the soup kitchen, they started the program and got it funded by soliciting local business.</p>
<p>If you want to see a list of what top colleges consider good ECs, look at the posts by Northstarmom (an ivy interviewer) in the thread at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/37h37y%5B/url%5D">http://tinyurl.com/37h37y</a> Then ask yourself how your 100 volunteer hours is going to look compared to that.</p>