Upper School Summer of Service

Pick a Project, Put in the Time


What issues concern you? Do you have a skill that you want to improve or share with others? What do you like to do? What do you want to do in the future?

The answers to these questions could lead you to find an organization with which you can volunteer.

Colleges and universities are interested in where you serve, how much time you commit to your service work and how your service experience impacted you. So be sure to keep track of your service hours and do some journaling as well. Service experiences are great material for college essays, so keep track.

I recommend that ninth and tenth graders volunteer at least 8-10 hours over the summer. Juniors and seniors need to commit minimally 15-20 hours to an organization (this can be in the summer or throughout the year). Admissions officers can tell the difference between a commitment and “resume padding,” so pick a project or organization and put in some time.

How Does Community Service Affect College Admissions?

by Peggy O'Crowley and Carrie Stetler/The Star-Ledger

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

What does it take to get into college? What role does community service play in your application?

Do Something, a nonprofit organization that encourages teens to get involved in community service, surveyed college admissions officers to find out what they value in potential students:

* Passion and consistency are important. When asked which activity would be valued most, spending four years helping at a community shelter or spending a month in an impoverished African nation, all of the admissions officers said the four-year local commitment would be more important.

* Time spent on an activity is more important than the amount of money raised. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they placed more value on spending a summer working at a homeless shelter over raising $100,000 for the shelter.

* Community service doesn't rank first in criteria. More than one-third of admissions officers said GPAs and SATs come first, while community service ranks higher than legacy or reference letters.

* Belonging to organizations doesn't count so much. Doing service as a Boy Scout, for example, doesn't rank higher than doing service in any other capacity, more than three-quarters said.

* Tell your story well. When asked to list the three words admissions officers most like to see, the most cited words were "commitment," "passionate" and "dedication."

Check out the full report at www.dosomething.org.

 

 



  • VOLUNTEER CHECKLIST

    Consider the following when looking for the right project for you:

    1. What time commitment can you make (days of week and times of day)?

    2. With what population or issue in the community would you like to work?

    3. What kind of work would you like to do?

    4. What skills do you have that might help an agency?

    5. What kind of work do you not want to do? Be sure to tell volunteer coordinators what you don’t wish to do.


    Questions to ask when you call a volunteer coordinator:

    Whom do I ask for when I arrive for my first shift?

    Who will train me and be my supervisor?

    What is appropriate attire for this volunteer position?

    Can I bring snacks or a drink for myself?

    Where do I park?

    Is it easy to find the entrance to the organization and if not, how do I find it?


    Reminders:

    Always arrive a little early to your volunteer shift.

    If you are unable to keep your commitment, let the organization and your supervisor know ahead of time.

    Keep track of the time you spend working with an organization and keep a journal of your experiences.

    Be sure to tell the volunteer coordinator that you are not doing court ordered service (unless you are doing court-ordered service) as the job they give you might be different than those who must do service as part of a court sentence.

Service Learning