Communities In Schools students and alumni on the 2011 National Day of Service.
Communities In Schools site coordinators encourage students to stay in school, study hard and work towards a post-secondary education. But as the college application process becomes more complicated and starts to look more like an academic triathlon, it’s become extremely obvious that it takes more than good grades to get into your first choice of schools.
Extra-curricular activities, sports and most importantly, volunteering, show college admission officers that a student is well-rounded and the perfect candidate for a spot in their institution. When a college or university admissions staff member is looking at applications, they’re not looking for good students; they’re looking for future leaders and people dedicated to making a positive change in society.
Communities In Schools is dedicated to providing students with numerous volunteer opportunities to allow them the chance to give back. And last week, the latest Community Service and College Admissions Survey from Do Something proved just how important volunteering is to a student’s resume: college admissions officers at more than half of the nation’s top 50 schools ranked community service as the fourth most important factor in an application – above reference letters, interviews and legacy status.
According to a review of the survey from GOOD, “Schools are looking for applicants to ‘get personal’ and explain their ‘motivations and inspirations’ for being involved in service, how the experience changed them, and the impact they’ve had on their community.”
So while students may fret and get stressed out about their SAT scores and AP classes, it’s really what they do outside the classroom and in their communities that’ll make them stand out from the thousands of other college applicants.
One of the things that Communities In Schools is most proud of about the students we serve is their dedication to making a difference, even when they no longer need volunteerism to boost a college application. In 2012, our Alumni Network and current students are going to volunteer in different communities across the country on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Here’s what Alumni Network Specialist Mordecai Scott has to say about this amazing endeavor:
Communities In Schools alumni have a burning desire to give back to their communities. On January 16th, join us by encouraging former Communities In Schools students in your area to team up with staff and current students to complete a service project in your local community. For helpful resources on how to complete your own project, visit this website. Once you’ve figured out what you’d like to participate in, let us know at scottm@cisnet.org.
