I Know I Am Supposed to Do Community Service for My College Applications, But I Don’t Understand What to Do or How Many Hours to Spend.

Every student-- every human-- should serve the community. We all should be part of helping others, whether we are five or fifty-five years old. 

There isn’t any set number of hours or type of service you need to do for your college applications. What will be most impressive to a college will be consistent, long-term service. Even better is if you are using your talents and/or fulfilling a clear need in your community. 

High School Graduation Requirement

Some high schools require that you complete a certain number of service hours as a condition of graduation. If that is the case, anything you do for your school will certainly be sufficient hours for college applications. 

Key Club, National Honors Society, or Other Organization Requirements

Some high schools have specific service clubs that require a number of hours or types of service. These include organizations like Key Club or being a member of your high school’s chapter of the National Honor Society.  

But What Kind of Service Matters? 

The students I have known who got the most out of their service experiences chose to spend their time using their special talents for others or serving a need that spoke to them. 

Do you have a skill you can use to help others? Are you a programmer who can volunteer with Girls Who Code or a runner who can be an assistant coach for kids in Let Me Run? Or is there a specific need in your community that you can address, like an influx of political refugees or an underserved population? Think about the type of service you can give specially or the type of need your community would benefit from.

Can You Suggest Any Particular Service Activities for me?

You may not have a defined interest that you want to pursue, and that is okay too. Here are some ways you might serve:

• Organize a group of friends and volunteer monthly at a local food pantry.

• Use your sport/music/other talent and commit to teaching a younger student or group of students that skill. 

• Volunteer to tutor younger students in an academic subject.

• Serve through your own religious community, e.g. with childcare, help for those in the community, or during services. 

• Find an activity to do with your family on a regular basis, like cleaning up a local park or making meals for the elderly

To read more about which activities count for college applications, check out my blog post: Which High School Activities Really Matter for College Applications?