Community Service
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Mahatma Gandhi
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Mahatma Gandhi
LCC does not require community service hours for graduation.
Do Colleges Care About Community Service or Extracurriculars? Yes! However, they do not recommend that any applicant participate in an activity simply because "it looks good" on an application. For a successful experience, LCC recommends that students participate in extracurricular activities based on personal interests and abilities. Students should participate in an activity because they want to and enjoy the time spent doing it. Although a college may describe what it seeks in terms of extracurricular activities, there is a recurring theme.
Students are encouraged to keep track of any community service experience. If you would like to keep track of your hours for college applications or any other reason here is a template. It is *not* required to get a supervisor signature. However, if you participate in an activity for a substantial amount of time you may prefer to do so. Reporting activities to colleges is on a self-report basis.
Here are some links to use to find out about community service opportunities?
Make sure to see this page regarding internships, volunteer and summer programs.
Read some of the excerpts below:
University of California:
UC does not have a community service requirement. However, experience that demonstrate unusual promise for leadership, such as significant community service, may be considered by the campuses in the comprehensive review of a student's application.
Special talents, achievements and awards in a particular field, such as visual and performing arts, communication or athletic endeavors; special skills, such as demonstrated written and oral proficiency in other languages; special interests, such as intensive study and exploration of other cultures; experiences that demonstrate unusual promise for leadership, such as significant community service or significant participation in student government; or other significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus.
Stanford: "In addition to academic excellence and intellectual vitality, we are interested in students who have made significant contributions to the life of their school or community. We do not favor one type of activity over another; nor is it necessary to participate in a large number of activities. An exceptional experience in one or two activities demonstrates your passion more than minimal participation in five or six clubs. We want to see the impact your participation has had on that club, in your school, or in the larger community. With extracurricular activities, a sustained depth of commitment is more important than a long list of clubs you have joined. Learning about your extracurricular activities and nonacademic interests helps us to discover your potential contributions to Stanford's residential community. Students often assume that our primary concern is the number of activities in which you participate. In some cases, exceptional abilities in athletics or the fine arts may influence our decision if the applicant is otherwise well qualified, but such abilities never, by themselves, ensure admission to Stanford."
Princeton: "In addition to academic qualifications, we are interested in the talents and interests you would bring to Princeton outside the classroom. We don't value one type of activity over another. Rather, we appreciate sustained commitment to the interests you have chosen to pursue. Some of the students we admit have one well-honed talent; others have participated in a range of activities. We take particular note of leadership and exceptional talents or accomplishments."
Yale: "Keep in mind that for purposes of college admissions, "more" isn't necessarily "better." Students who present extremely long resumes without an indication of what is really important to them run the risk of diluting their activities. Focus on those activities that are most significant to you."