Universities Weblog

So you're planning your college admissions strategy, trying to package yourself the best way possible. Good grades? Check. Decent SATs? Check. Recommendations? Yup. Community service? Uh….

Well, don't sweat it. It seems volunteer activities don't rank high among admissions officials' priorities, and they tend to ignore those who "dabble" in it, anyway.

Here's an excerpt from a New York Times article:

About 7 percent of colleges place considerable importance on extracurricular activities, including volunteer work, a 2003 report by the National association for College Admission Counseling says. In contrast, 23 percent place a high value on the written essay and 18 percent on a teacher's recommendation letter.

"At one point, it was a trend to acquire as many extra activities as you could get," said David Hawkins, the association's director of public policy. "The attitude was just go ahead and throw them in there. That has come and gone."

That does not mean that counselors are advising students to ditch volunteer activities, but many say they are warning them not to bother if their goal is strictly to appear well rounded on applications.It's probably better, then, to spend that time studying or (heaven forbid) not doing anything. Relaxation has its place too.

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