<p>Hi guys. :) I'm a sophomore with a pretty good chance so far at some top colleges, and I'm really trying to build up my future application. However, I want what I do to actually mean something, not just doing it to look good on an application. So I'm hoping to be able to volunteer somewhere. However, I have two problems:
1. I have no idea where to even start looking for volunteer ideas. I would like to do something I'm interested in (tutoring, food pantry?) but I wouldn't know where to start.
2. I am already extremely busy with a job and 800 (seems like at least) ECs. Where do you guys find the time to volunteer and still maintain a 4.0?
Thanks for all your suggestions! I'm hoping to start sometime in May but I'll be gone most of the summer. :/ Also, anyone else taking the ACT Saturday? My last time! (Wish me luck haha) </p>
<p>1) look up “food pantry” or social services. Where do you think people in distress go? Or ask your friends.
2) You don’t need to volunteer whatsoever. You’re mistaken if you think otherwise</p>
<p>I suggest you ask your friends where they volunteer so you could volunteer with them. It can be a really fun thing to do. If you’re very busy, I suggest that you don’t overdo it and burn yourself out. If there’s an organization near you that you’ve heard of that has volunteer opportunities, call them and find out about what you can do to help. Helping at a food pantry is good, and so is habitat for humanity. You could join a club (maybe red cross club?) that does community service. Where I live, most people just have to do community service for church, and there aren’t many places to volunteer. I was able to start a tutoring club pretty easily so that could be a fun way to help. If I were you, I would only participate in something you think you’d enjoy.</p>
<p>First of all, just to do something that look good on your school application is not the right intention for volunteering.
Second, it is not essential to have volunteering experience. You just need to show a passion on something and how do you use your time after school.
Last, summer is usually the best time to volunteer.</p>
<p>I schedule in volunteering with my other ECs. I maintain pretty good grades as well as participate in quite a few ECs that require major time dedication so it’s possible. Look up ideas online. Habitat for Humanity, a Soup Kitchen, and any afterschool tutoring center are good places to volunteer at.</p>
<p>And I’m taking the ACT this Saturday as well! And since you’re a Sophomore, it shouldn’t be your last time unless you’re scoring really high. You’ll still have an entire other year of school that will help you prep for that before college.</p>
<p>“I’m really trying to build up my future application.”
“…not just doing it to look good on an application.”</p>
<p>Your thread seems a bit contradicting… 
Anyways, one of the vehicles I use for volunteering is clubs like Key Club and National Honor Society. You could also try volunteering at your library by simply cold calling. </p>
<p>Oh god, no. Don’t join Key Club and NHS just to volunteer. Also, don’t volunteer a million places to rack up hours. Lastly, don’t volunteer because you want to make yourself look good. Give your time to a cause you feel is worthy. It should be beneficial both for you and the organization. Beneficial for you in the sense of rewarding and self-fulfilling, not getting into Yale. </p>
<p>I assure you, with this this mentality, experience adcoms will see right through you. If you’d like advice on this, don’t hesitate to message me.</p>
<p>What way would you like to help the community? Poor people? Kids with special needs? Older people? Animals? Think first about what problems in your community most move you, then start looking for the groups that help solve the problems. </p>
<p>@peytonmg: May I suggest you start perusing your local newspaper? I would think that an intelligent 14-15 year old should know the existence of gaping holes in his/her community. Please become aware. People around you need willing and caring individuals.</p>
<p>Haha maybe I sounded a little contradicting, I suppose. First, thank you all for your ideas! Great idea to look around the newspaper. @t26e4 
</p>
<p>I don’t mean that I’m doing it just to look good on an application, but that I would like to do something valuable to others with my time that might round out an application down the road, but that is not near my primary concern. I’d rather be able to help others than just do it to look good, because then you’re really just helping yourself.</p>
<p>@noel597 That made me laugh out loud. I’m actually in NHS but I don’t volunteer through it much, I’m looking for something outside of school.</p>
<p>@xfirefirex I haven’t heard of after school tutoring centers, but that sounds like something that I could really help with. What are they like in your area? Also, I’ve already gotten the score I want but I’m just trying to bump it up a bit, so thankfully I will be done after Saturday. (You know, then comes the PSAT and the SAT…)</p>
<p>@peytonmg Why don’t you do this? You don’t need to “volunteer” in the conventional sense. Start an organization and a vehicle to impact your community, not just volunteering at the food bank stacking up cans. Yeah?</p>
<p>@noel597 That’s a great idea, but I’m not sure where to even start. I started a club at my school to help foreign exchange students, but that’s as far as I’ve gone out on my own. </p>
<p>If you want to message me to talk about it, I’d love to give you some advice :)</p>