Why Volunteering Matters For College Admissions

Colleges all across the country are very selective in who they admit on to their campuses. Admission officers look for community involvement: how students are using their free time to impact and benefit their society. Many think that requiring community service for high school graduation is a violation of a student’s civil rights, but this has only been a hyperbolic claim used to discredit the benefits of community service. By requiring high school students to complete community service in order to graduate, they will have a better chance of getting into college, develop skills needed for a career and be encouraged to network and build new relationships.

While colleges look at many components of an application, they especially look for community

He says that community service is important and it exemplifies positive traits in a student. In these statements, Cano confirms that volunteering is a vital part of an application and highly recommended when high school students are trying to get into college. Community service will benefit a student’s application. Other admissions officers share the same viewpoint. Stefanie Niles, Dickinson College Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing and Communications, spells out exactly how she feels when looking at student applications. Niles explains that admissions officers are “eager to see how [one has] contributed to [their] high-school community or the community in which [they] live” ("What College Admissions Officers Say They Want in a Candidate“). She states that admissions officers want to see community service on student applications. In this statement, Niles believes that an application that has community service is looked upon with more vigor than others and is more likely to be accepted. A high school student with community service experience will have a better chance of getting into college. While some may say community

The CNCS concluded that “volunteering is associated with a 27% increase in odds of finding employment.” By volunteering, one is more likely to be employed. As a result of growing their social network, a high school student can be involved with people and organizations that are connected to employment leads that will get high school students in the workforce a lot earlier than those without past community service experience. An expansive network will allow one to gain more knowledge and reap many rewards. High school students in 1996 who volunteered in government jobs said that they met government officials who gave them lessons and advice that would last a lifetime (Ryan, 87). They were able to meet with experienced individuals who could help progress their careers and virtues. When employers looked at the many prominent figures these students worked with when volunteering, they were eager to hire these students who had a large group of people who have helped them advance in their overall education. Community service will help students connect with a diverse range of people that will positively influence their lives and character. Others might