Consider Community Service for Extra Punch on College and Scholarship Applications

By Kaci Scott, TTU K-12 College & Career Readiness

Throughout their educational career, a student is expected to meet certain criteria and requirements to gain admission into college:  achieve good grades, earn high scores on standardized tests, submit strong recommendation letters, write stellar and impressive application essays and complete community service projects, to name a few. Yes, you read that correctly—community service projects.

The Facts

One wouldn’t think the simple act of helping others would affect their chances of getting into college, but it does play a role. According to www.ivywise.com, a recent survey of college admissions officers found that community service can be a tipping factor when making college admissions decisions.  In fact, 53% of those surveyed said that community service often is a tiebreaker between applicants who are equally qualified.

Why does it matter?

Colleges care about what students are doing outside of the classroom just as much as what is being accomplished inside the classroom. When colleges are reviewing a student’s admissions application, they are trying to get a comprehensive look at how he or she will positively impact their community.  Not only are they looking for well-rounded students, but they are searching for those students with a history of serving others in order to build prestige for the college as a student and eventually as an alumnus.

Start before high school.

Now, you might be saying to yourself, “My student isn’t in high school yet, so we don’t need to worry about doing anything now.”  My advice would be to start early.  Community service should not be viewed as something to be checked off a to-do list, but rather to create a feeling of accomplishment, instilling a culture of personal responsibility, and making it meaningful and purposeful. The main goal is to positively impact people in your community and make your world a better place. Start laying the foundation for your child early so that the older they get, community service becomes a natural part of their lives. Not only will that help them on college and scholarship applications, but it gives them a sense of belonging, a connection to their community, and a sense of accomplishment. Children of all ages should be learning to give back!

What can we do?

There are a multitude of opportunities out there to help others. Community service projects are effective when done individually but can also be very fulfilling to do as a family, too. Look for variety or find a niche and make that a main focus.

Your communities are full of resources to find community service opportunities: churches, youth organizations, food banks, shelters, donation centers, etc.  Look at notices in your local newspaper or other news outlets as well.

Some ideas of community service projects are:

• Clean a vacant lot, a park or other shared space in your community by picking up trash, raking leaves, etc.
• Prepare treats for the residents of your local nursing home.
• Deliver Meals on Wheels (or other similar programs).
• Make homemade placemats for an upcoming holiday to donate to the local senior citizen center or nursing home.
• Pack treat boxes for the shut-in and elderly (doesn’t always have to be at Christmas).
• Collect clothes for the community clothing bank (or if your community doesn’t have one, start one).
• Send get well cards or care packages to the sick.
• Work with a local librarian to provide story hours for young children.
• Organize a clean-up day at your local cemetery.
• Host a bicycle rodeo for youth in your community.
• Promote local elections by hanging posters or encouraging others to register to vote.
• Conduct a community or neighborhood electrical safety check, looking for hazards in the community and in individual homes.
• Write an informational or promotional article for your local newsletter or neighborhood newsletter.
• Assist the elderly or shut-in with winterizing their homes.
• Sponsor a children’s book drive for a local day care or church.
• Write thank you notes to first responders in your community thanking them for their protection.
• The possibilities are endless, and the reward is great.

Keep a journal!

So, if we are going to use these projects for college applications, how do we track them?  It is important for you to develop a recording system that is easy and convenient for you and your family. It could be just a simple calendar where you log your activity or a spreadsheet on the family computer. The best method is the one that you will actually use. Be sure you record the activity, how many people you impacted, what you did and how much time or money you spent. It might be a good idea to write a couple of sentences on how the project affected you, so that you can include real-world examples in your college essays and applications.

Go change the world!

Community service can benefit you just as much as the people or organization you are helping. You will be building friendships, boosting your social and professional skills, expanding your network, and improving your quality of life.  The importance of helping others is greater now more than ever after a pandemic that has upended the lives of so many people worldwide. I challenge you to go out there and change the world!