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Do community service hours affect your college resume?

I go to a virtual public school where, unlike public schools, there is no number of mandatory community service hours needed to graduate. However, it is still possible to have volunteer hours in your school record. I want to know if community service can improve my chances of getting accepted into a good college or if it won't change my image at all. #school #communityservice #collegeapplication #college

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Alice Foster’s Answer

Hi, Gabriela. Schools are generally looking for well-rounded applicants and community service can certainly add depth to your application. Especially for you as a virtual school student, it could be a great way to develop and demonstrate your commitment to your community. It does need to be a commitment, though, to something that makes sense for you personally for some reason. One-off afternoons volunteering at events will not be as meaningful as longer-term involvement with an organization or cause that you believe in. I would encourage you to explore volunteer opportunities that relate to your personal beliefs or interests--not just for your college application but for your own personal growth and the development of your interpersonal skills. You may discover interests that you didn't even realize that you had, and when you do include those experiences on your college application, you can speak about them sincerely. Community service can be a very positive experience. Enjoy!

Alice Foster recommends the following next steps:

Research and reach out to organizations that serve a client base or promote a cause that you feel connected to or have a special interest in. Those that relate in some way to a career you are considering offer a special bonus!
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Ken’s Answer

Career focus and andy and all experience and career exposure related opportunities will greatly help your application process for college, as it shows intentionality and direction and focus.


The process of getting to know how you relate to various career areas is very important to finding success in your education/career journey. Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
• It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Nick’s Answer

They can definitely help. I would look at the point of community service. Is it to get into college? If that is the reason, then go give it a try and see how volunteering makes you feel. If you think of the point of volunteering is to give back and make a difference in someone's life, than don't worry if it looks good on a college resume. The community needs you. The impact to the community will be much more than any college resume.

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Simeon’s Answer

They can give you a leg up comparatively, but only in very small amounts. If you don't support the causes you volunteer for, I don't think you should worry about racking up hours just for the sake of your applications. Once you're in college, all those metrics go away and, once you're in the career world, almost all of the college metrics go away too. Enjoy your free time and don't worry too much about optimizing your applications. Do the best you can in school and apply for the colleges that interest you. Add in groups if they appeal to you.
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