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@julylilys
5 answers, 68 votes
 • 4 years ago •
Admissions Advice
[edited]

What amount of community service hours is impressive?

Hello! During this quarantine, I've gathered around 50+ hours in virtual volunteering! I've been volunteering as a graphic designer, marketing director and tutor. It's been so much fun and I absolutely love doing it. However, I'm actually close to gathering 100 hours of volunteering which is insane but I'm really proud of myself! Is this impressive or normal for ivy leagues?

Also, what is the presidential volunteer award and how can I get it?

tutor
computerscience
junior
accepted
0
12

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2 answers

-1
@DebaterMAX
899 answers, 740 votes
 • 4 years ago[edited]

So volunteering isn’t impressive unless it’s is for an extended period with a single organization or it is major related. Also there is no hard number for hours as such achievements are more impressive than hours.

A volunteer with 10k hours isn’t as impressive as one with 200 hours at a bio lab where he worked on a paper published in high profile magizines who wants to be a bio major in my opinion and from my knowledge that holds true for admissions as well. So it is very very subjective.

Hope this helps and comment if you need clarification.

-1
[🎤 AUTHOR]@julylilys4 years ago [edited]

wow this made me discouraged but thanks for the feedback. Also, how about volunteering for an organization that received national exposure? The organization I'm volunteering with has been on the news like 3 times including Good Morning America. If it isn't impressive, how can I make my volunteering experience more impressive?

@DebaterMAX4 years ago

So the research example is fictional but the premise hold true (the research if true might be a near garuntee enterence to the ivies) but the volunteer really depends on a: is it competitive such as only a few are accepted b: significant accomplishments. Also to make it more impressive quantify it and “sugarcoat” it.

@DebaterMAX4 years ago

My teacher told me an example “ The cat crossed the road” becomes “ the cat approached the curb and tentatively stepped into the street and then dodged a car and then Bob raced to the other side.” So sugarcoat can work but don’t lie

[🎤 AUTHOR]@julylilys4 years ago

mhmm can you be more specific? The organization is sort of competitive, I got chosen from a group of 180+ applicants. However, right now since tutors are in high demand they have only 100 volunteers including me.

-2
@T
4 answers, -4 votes
 • 4 years ago

As the other poster said, community service is not worth your time if it is not your passion and not major-related. Now, community service can be a passion, for example if your passion is, maybe human rights, but community service is still a little too normal in that case. If your passion truly is human rights or something related, you should do something above and beyond, like forming a club, or advocating in the White House. That would make admissions officers more impressed than simply spending hundreds of hours doing community service.

-2
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