In this time of increasing competition, a stellar transcript and strong test scores are necessary, but not sufficient, for admission to selective colleges. Admissions officers are looking beyond academic qualifications to a student’s interests, values and character. One way to explore your interests as well as demonstrate concern for others is by doing community service.
Ideally, your service expresses a genuine passion. A student who loves art might do art projects with sick kids in a hospital, or start an art therapy program for nursing home residents.
If you’re involved in student government, or in a youth group at your church or temple, take advantage of the opportunity to initiate and complete a project that will demonstrate your leadership. It could be getting your class involved in a project to paint houses for low-income families, or recruiting students to serve as mentors to underprivileged elementary school children.
You don’t have to be class president to take the initiative. One computer whiz solicits used computers from corporations and refurbishes them before donating them to foster kids. Another student collected children’s books, built bookcases and installed them at a shelter for battered women and their children. Then, the next spring, he organized a “read to children” program at the shelter. One student on vacation in Mexico saw children walking the streets of a small town without shoes and started a charity to deliver donated clothing and other goods to them.
These are some of the creative ways students have made a contribution to their communities, developed their own skills, increased their self-esteem, and ended up with impressive examples of leadership. It starts with identifying a need and knowing your skills, so you can find a way to meet that need.
Think about what you believe in, what you’d like to see changed in the world, and find a way to make an impact. What are you good at? Use your skills to make a difference. If you’re a great cook, volunteer at a soup kitchen. A strong writer could help senior citizens get their life stories written.
Although it’s great to start a project, not everyone has to be a leader. Reading to children in a hospital every week for three years demonstrates commitment and compassion. One student who’s an avid equestrian volunteers at a therapeutic riding program, where she helps people with developmental and physical handicaps to enjoy riding horses.
There’s no single “best” community service activity. The key is to find something you love doing. When you’re involved in an activity that makes you feel alive, you’ll be able to communicate that excitement in your college applications.
Pursuing your genuine interests also makes it easier to stay involved in these service activities year after year. That kind of long-term commitment not only impresses admissions officers, but also helps you to develop a sense of competence and self-esteem. That’s a good thing, wherever you choose to go to college.
