LIS CAREER & MENTORING

Community Service
[Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLJCHWn2yAs

Volunteering/Community Service (used interchangeably) as it relates to the college admissions

process is very similar to extracurricular activities; they are not the end-all, be-all of the review
process when your application comes up for review. But, as an applicant, they can only help you.

Volunteering demonstrates your time management skills!

Keep in mind to always maintain a healthy balance between all of the different activities you
participate in. In other words, don’t go running to sign up for every possible community service
opportunity. Don’t sacrifice your academics in order to do them. This demonstrates that you have
time management skills. It also shows that you can engage in multiple activities without becoming
overwhelmed or losing focus.You want to show colleges and universities that you can indeed manage
your time well, doing these great things in your community while also striving for excellence in the
classroom.

Volunteering is the right thing to do!

You are doing something you should be doing (helping your community) and, at the same time,
improving your resume in a way that will make you a more appealing college applicant. Sounds like a
win-win to me. At the end of the day, the admissions process should always be a win-win for both
the student and the institution.

These are some of the common benefits of participating in a community service program:

1. Psychological benefits: Volunteering increases overall life satisfaction and helps you feel good
about yourself because you are helping others. It can also help to decreases stress and ease
depression.

2. Social benefits: Volunteering engages students with the community, creates special bonds with
the population being served, and increases social awareness and responsibility.

3. Cognitive benefits: Volunteering helps students enhance their personal knowledge, grow from
new experiences, and develop better interpersonal communication skills.

Questions

Why is Community Service Important? (min 250 words)

LIS CAREER & MENTORING

Why Volunteering Matters for College Admissions? (min 250 words)

More Sources for Essay

[Article] https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2018/04/05/new-survey-shows-value-of-
community-service-in-college-admissions/#574d866a3d3a

[List of Services] https://blog.prepscholar.com/129-examples-of-community-service-projects

[Harvard- What We Look For] https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/what-we-look

[Community Service Scholarships] https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/merit-based/community-

service-scholarships