HOW COMMUNITY SERVICE IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PROCESS OF COLLEGE ADMISSION?

Many aspirants question if community service is that of importance when it comes to college applications to answer that question. A survey was done where it was stated how community service can be an important factor when deciding the admission of a student to a University. Many students study hard, get good grades in their high school, and even do SAT preparation to boost their marks but the entire admission process sometimes boils down to your community service background, therefore it can also be a deciding factor between two equally educated applicants.

So, in this article, we will be discussing how community service is considered for students’ applications and how students can pursue good community service to boost their application for University admission. Taking up a community service not only helps students to get admission to a good University, but it also benefits them on a personal level. We have discussed that further in the article of Eduquest.

Why is community service important?

When it comes to college applications a student must have a background in community service because the following reasons

• A background in community service shows how the student is active outside the classroom
• A student who has been active in community service is an asset to fulfill the university goals.
• It also portrays that both the student and the university have the same value that is to serve others.

Being a part of any kind of community service showcases your empathy towards others and how much aware you are regarding your surroundings therefore you need to have a good community service background as it portrays your true personality as an active individual and your actual accomplishments. Community service background is as important as grades. Hence, high grades aren’t sufficient to get admission to a good University.

How community service is valued by colleges?

Many students take up community service to merely impress their college administrators to get admission in a good college but to be honest community service not only helps you to get admission but also helps you to gain a new perspective regarding your local community and it goes a long way. It helps students to get to know about what they are passionate about deeply and how they can make a difference in a community through their actions.

Taking up SAT coaching can for sure improve students’ academic marks, but it cannot provide students with the qualities that they get while contributing to their community and working towards it. Colleges generally look up for students who have compassion leadership qualities with a unique perspective regarding their surroundings and a depth of understanding so that they can make a fulfilling and positive impact on their campus.

A student who has a community service background helps universities to fulfill their goal regarding their campus in a much more effective manner than a student who has just academic knowledge. Community service depicts how a student can be a good fit for certain colleges that are looking up for students who can make a difference in the community.

Period of your community service

It is not difficult for college admission administrators to find out which students have decided to take up a community service just to impress them. It is very important that the community service to decide to take on should come naturally to you and that benefits your interest as well. Generally, the period and the quantity of how much you have done the community service do not matter for universities.

But it is also very true that a person who has just done community service for a week will not be efficient as compared to a student who has done community service for over a month. So, it is advisable for students to at least take up a community service for a period of 4 to 5 weeks but also not to fall behind their school curriculum.

Students who are doing their SAT preparations can take SAT online coaching to manage their school studies and community service with it. It proves to be very beneficial for students to do something that they are passionate about for a longer period rather than trying to invest themselves in community services that they are just doing to fulfill some ambition and not for the learning purpose.

 In what you should invest yourself?

There are several community services that not only provide students with a new learning experience but also strengthen their interest and passion for a particular activity. It is very important for students to not take community service as a liability like some take SAT coaching but as a fun experience that will be beneficial for their future endeavors.

To find out community services that benefit your interest you can take the help of your school counselors, other tutors or you can also contact various community centers who can provide you with the information regarding services that you can take up.

Taking up an extracurricular activity as your community service can demonstrate a lot about you as a person, how you can benefit the university and that can give you a bonus point in your college application process. Below is one such example of a community service that students can take up:

If a student has an interest in cooking, he can take up a community service that provides food to local and poor people who cannot afford to buy food on their own, or if a student has an interest in singing or dancing they can serve the community service by teaching those activities for free to some disadvantaged groups.

 How do colleges evaluate community service on a student’s application?

 The major motive of colleges to give admissions to those students who have been involved in community service is to make sure that a particular student who has a piece of in-depth knowledge and a sense of gratitude is a responsible individual. Following are certain points on which universities generally analyze the community service background of a student.

• The community service for which a student has volunteered should be authentic and related to their interest rather than for a fake motive.
• Several reports state that universities favor students who have been involved in community engagement activities such as walking towards the environment. It is not that individual service is not of advantage for students but working in a community develops leadership qualities, problem-solving skills, and empathy towards each other.
• The volunteering of students should also reflect their understanding of the diversity of a community therefore students should work in groups involving students of different backgrounds to get a deeper understanding of the community.

Colleges don’t care about the period that you have spent volunteering for community service for how many community services you have been a part of but what the value more is how you have converted your passion towards a particular activity to serve the community for a better future and how it has molded your personality for good.

How to write about community service in your application for college admission?

In college applications, students tell administrators about the community service and the extracurricular activities they have been part of and how the experience has molded them, and what they have learned in a more personal way. Then know about your community service experience and your personality that has grown because of that through your statement for the essay therefore you must write about your community service background in a very compelling way to put a good first impression on your admission officers.

Community service essays are generally the same where students mention several reasons why they started the community service and what benefits they got from it. Majorly, they write, to get experience, a greater understanding of things, and serving the community. So, to make your statement impressive students must undertake a unique approach to make their application stand out. We have stated a few tips that students can keep in their mind while writing their essays on community service by submitting their application for University admission.

• Be very specific about your experience and avoid describing a bigger statement like how it has changed your life as a general manager. But to describe a particular incident that has changed you in the time of your community service, how it was important, and what you learned can help students a lot.
• Make sure you are reflective in your application and share your personal experience with them like you are telling them a story rather than just stating vague points.
• Students learn a lot during their community service time and sharing your experience honestly is very important for college admission.
• Students can share a story that is related to the qualities of commitment, responsibility, leadership diversity, time management, community engagement, emotional and physical awareness that can prove to be beneficial for students who aspire to take admission in a prestigious University.

Not every University asks for a community service essay so in case you don’t have a very valuable experience to share there is no need to write a community service essay but if you have an experience that has impacted you positively and honestly then an essay on community service can provide you with a major advantage for your college admission.

Conclusion

Community service can be a decisive factor during a type between two students and it is also important for the personal growth of a student and as well as for the society’s development. The growing competition has made community service a very important component during the admission process for prestigious universities. Hence, students must develop their experience by taking up community service that is related to their passion and interests.

They can also be involved in just one community project that is valuable and authentic rather than running behind several projects in a lesser time. For students who are volunteering to get a community service experience community engagement is very important so they should focus on learning about the diversity of people as well. Interestingly, to impress colleges with your community service background you must not try to impress them deliberately but to choose projects that not only boost application but also give you an enlightening experience of your life that colleges give importance to.

More Relevant Blogs:-

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HOW STUDENTS CAN MAKE IMPACT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE WORLD OF CLASSROOM?

HOW TO FIND A COMMUNITY SERVICE THAT ALIGNS WITH YOUR INTERESTS