<p>“Yes, there are student volunteers because although colleges in general don’t care that much about volunteering (or about ECs in general either), students think colleges care. That’s why one sees so many students here on CC bragging about their service hours.”</p>
<p>While I would agree that students should not do things because they look good on an application (because it’s really obvious and ultimately meaningless), I would never say that colleges don’t care much about volunteering or ECs in general. When these activities rise from the level of minor league clubs to a major league passion then they speak very eloquently beyond stats about who someone is and what they’d bring to a campus. These things won’t get you in when you don’t have strong academic ability, but they do help tell a more compelling story about who you are and this definitely helps with admission prospects.</p>