Volunteer Opportunities

• Students are responsible for researching volunteer opportunities, with parent permission. While a list of helpful links is provided above to get you started, there are many other opportunities that can be found through independent research.

• Please note that volunteer hours are not a graduation requirement.

• It is the student's responsibility to organize and track their volunteer hours. We recommend creating a dedicated Google Sheet to track hours and the organizations where you volunteer.

Colleges view volunteer hours as an important part of a student's application, as they can demonstrate qualities like commitment, empathy, leadership, and a strong sense of social responsibility. The way colleges evaluate volunteer hours can vary, but generally, they consider the following:

1. Consistency and Commitment: Colleges value students who have consistently volunteered over time, as this shows dedication and a genuine interest in helping others. Volunteer work that spans over a year or more can carry more weight than short-term or one-time efforts.
   
   

2. Quality Over Quantity: While the number of hours is important, colleges tend to value the impact and the nature of the work more. For example, leadership roles in a volunteer organization or projects that make a tangible difference in the community are highly regarded.
   
   

3. Relevance to Career Goals: If the volunteer work aligns with a student's future aspirations, such as healthcare-related volunteering for someone applying to a health science program, it may be viewed more favorably as it demonstrates a clear interest in the field.
   
   

4. Diversity of Experiences: Colleges appreciate students who engage in a variety of volunteer opportunities, as this shows versatility, open-mindedness, and the ability to interact with different groups of people.
   
   

5. Reflection and Personal Growth: Some colleges ask for reflections on volunteer experiences, where students can explain what they learned or how the work influenced them. This allows students to connect their volunteer efforts to their personal development, which can help admissions officers understand the depth of the experience.
   
   

6. Leadership and Initiative: Volunteering in a leadership role or starting a volunteer project can stand out. It showcases initiative, the ability to work with others, and problem-solving skills.
   
   

In summary, while the number of hours is one factor, the quality, consistency, and leadership involved in volunteer work are what really make an impact on a college application.