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Why Volunteerism Matters on a College Admission Application
Each year, thousands of high school seniors complete college admission applications in hopes of being offered admission to their college or university of choice. The number of admission applications received by colleges and universities is often significantly more than the number of students they are able to admit. With the large number of applications submitted, you may ask, "How can I make my application stand out?" Because many applicants have similar academic achievements, admissions officials often look beyond the academic background of the applicant to determine whether or not to extend an offer of admission. One aspect that can set you apart from the crowd is volunteerism during high school.
Each year, thousands of high school seniors complete college admission applications in hopes of being offered admission to their college or university of choice. The number of admission applications received by colleges and universities is often significantly more than the number of students they are able to admit. With the large number of applications submitted, you may ask, "How can I make my application stand out?" Because many applicants have similar academic achievements, admissions officials often look beyond the academic background of the applicant to determine whether or not to extend an offer of admission. One aspect that can set you apart from the crowd is volunteerism during high school.
Why Volunteerism?
For high school students, volunteering is a great way to give back to and improve their communities. However, volunteerism counts as more than just “giving back” to the community when viewed during the college admissions process. It shows an admission counselor that you can maintain a high level of academic achievement while giving back to the community by balancing your time to meet the demands of school work, activity involvement, and volunteerism commitments. Consider supporting a cause that has special meaning to you and that you can continue to support over time. This can convey your dedication and ability to commit to something important to you. The 2011 College Service and College Admissions Survey conducted by DoSomething.org, a social change organization for young adults, found that the majority of admissions officers prefer students to be consistently involved with one issue rather than a variety of causes.
Record Your Activities
I Have A Plan Iowa™ is a great place to keep track of your volunteerism. While you might think you will be able to remember the date you started working at the local food bank, a few years from now that date may be a bit fuzzy. By recording information about each volunteer experience as it happens, you won’t have to spend a lot of time compiling and researching your efforts when it comes time to file your college application. Making an electronic record is easy; just sign into your I Have A Plan Iowa™ account at www.IHaveAPlanIowa.gov and access the Your Profile page. Note: In addition to community service activities, you can record your awards, leadership experiences and extracurricular activities in you profile.
Balance is Key
It is important to keep in mind that academic achievement should be your first priority. You should not be over-committed to volunteerism and under-committed to academics. The right balance between academic work, extracurricular activities and volunteerism is unique to each individual. Make sure to evaluate your existing time commitments before adding volunteer activities to ensure your academic performance doesn’t suffer.
For high school students, volunteering is a great way to give back to and improve their communities. However, volunteerism counts as more than just “giving back” to the community when viewed during the college admissions process. It shows an admission counselor that you can maintain a high level of academic achievement while giving back to the community by balancing your time to meet the demands of school work, activity involvement, and volunteerism commitments. Consider supporting a cause that has special meaning to you and that you can continue to support over time. This can convey your dedication and ability to commit to something important to you. The 2011 College Service and College Admissions Survey conducted by DoSomething.org, a social change organization for young adults, found that the majority of admissions officers prefer students to be consistently involved with one issue rather than a variety of causes.
Record Your Activities
I Have A Plan Iowa™ is a great place to keep track of your volunteerism. While you might think you will be able to remember the date you started working at the local food bank, a few years from now that date may be a bit fuzzy. By recording information about each volunteer experience as it happens, you won’t have to spend a lot of time compiling and researching your efforts when it comes time to file your college application. Making an electronic record is easy; just sign into your I Have A Plan Iowa™ account at www.IHaveAPlanIowa.gov and access the Your Profile page. Note: In addition to community service activities, you can record your awards, leadership experiences and extracurricular activities in you profile.
Balance is Key
It is important to keep in mind that academic achievement should be your first priority. You should not be over-committed to volunteerism and under-committed to academics. The right balance between academic work, extracurricular activities and volunteerism is unique to each individual. Make sure to evaluate your existing time commitments before adding volunteer activities to ensure your academic performance doesn’t suffer.
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