How do students get accepted into the best colleges? The checklist is lengthy, but for decades the top contenders have included SAT scores, AP classes, and perhaps, most important of all—good grades. Extracurricular activities such as sports, involvement in clubs, volunteering/community service, and special focus on arts and sciences also contribute. But how much? Do activities outside of academics really affect the college admissions process? Apparently so.
DoSomething.org, one of the largest U.S. organizations helping teens take action on causes they care about, just released a study tying volunteering to college admissions. Specifically, this year, the survey reports admission officers place a high value on a student’s long-term commitment to a cause or organization.
This year’s survey shows 72 percent of admissions officers prefer that students be consistently involved with one issue over a variety of causes versus last year’s reading of 50 percent. In addition, there was a notable increase in the percentage of admissions officers (52 percent) who believe it is possible to have too many community service hours. Last year, 33 percent felt this way.
“Admissions officers want well-rounded applicants who take their studies seriously, are engaged in a cause or two they are passionate about, and are involved in extracurricular activities like the school newspaper,” says James Elbaor, head of special projects at DoSomething.org. “They don’t want someone exclusively focused on community service just like they don’t want someone solely focused on the school newspaper.”
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