The Importance of Community Service

Phillip Nguyen
Aug 12, 2020
4 min read

If you plan to attend a four-year university, you should keep in mind that colleges focus on many things beyond grades and academic performance. Colleges are increasingly seeking well-rounded applicants who balance extracurricular activities, academics, community service, and more. Community service is one important factor in your college applications because universities want to admit students who are dedicated to assisting their communities. Furthermore, community service can unlock opportunities for professional development, scholarships, and much more.

Before You Look For Options

When you are doing community service, you should choose the position that best suits your schedule, location, and interests. You do not want to perform too much community service as that can interfere with your schoolwork. The following questions will help you figure out the volunteer opportunity that will suit you best. These questions were taken from the Scholarships.com article “Top 10 Questions to Ask Before You Volunteer”:

What are my interests?
What are my skills?
What do I most want to learn from the experience?
What will I gain from volunteer work?
Will my volunteering affect my other commitments?
How flexible am I?
How much time do I have?
Do I want an ongoing assignment, a short-term assignment, or a one-time assignment?
Do I want to work alone, or with a group?
Are there any associated expenses, and if so, will I be reimbursed?

Interests and Skills (Questions 1-2)

What are your interests? This question is very important because it can help you find community service opportunities that you will enjoy. For example, you might want to volunteer at a zoo or animal shelter if you enjoy working with animals. If you are interested in disaster relief operations, you might want to volunteer with the American Red Cross or a similar organization, as they aid communities during disasters. There are endless numbers of opportunities to choose from, and identifying your interests will allow you to find the volunteer positions that you will actually enjoy. Furthermore, volunteering in a field that you are interested in will boost your college application. For instance, if you volunteered at a zoo and selected zoology as your major, college admissions officers will be able to see that you have a passion for helping animals. If you don’t have any interests yet, that’s okay! Choosing a volunteer position will help expose you to certain fields that you might or might not enjoy.

Skills are also an important factor in your decision. Some volunteer positions require that you have certain skills or that you are experienced in a specific thing. For example, you may be required to have experience in Excel or Google Sheets if you volunteer at an office. However, you shouldn’t be worried about that! Many volunteer opportunities include on-the-job training to help you succeed in your new position.

Benefits of Volunteering (Questions 3-4)

By volunteering, you will certainly learn new things. As mentioned before, many volunteer opportunities train their volunteers to do their jobs, so you will likely learn a lot during your volunteer shifts. You will learn more about your passions as you perform your volunteer duties. You will gain unique experiences that will help you grow and develop as a person.

Although volunteering is primarily meant to be unpaid, your dedication and service to the community come with many benefits. You might receive academic credit for volunteering (check with your school). If you work hard and follow the rules, you may be able to get a letter of recommendation to help you get scholarships or to boost your chances of getting into college. If you don’t get a letter of recommendation, the fact that you took some time to give back to your community will boost your college application and potentially give you something to write about on your scholarship essay. You might even get scholarships for volunteering at a particular organization, and some organizations might even give you a paid job for exemplary performance!

Scheduling and Time Commitments (Questions 5/7)

Although volunteering has its benefits, it can also negatively impact your academic performance and your extracurricular activities if you do not manage your time properly. If you are struggling to finish your schoolwork, you should prioritize your schoolwork over volunteering, as grades are a very significant factor in college admissions decisions. If you have a paid job to support your family, you should be cautious about volunteering because your job can impact the time remaining on your schedule to volunteer. Consider the amount of time that you have and balance your schedule so that you have time to do well in school, participate in extracurricular activities, and volunteer.

Location and Other Preferences (Questions 6, 8-10)

The location of your volunteer site should also be included in your decision-making process. Do you prefer to work in an office or outdoors? Are you willing to travel a long distance to reach your volunteer site or would you rather prefer a volunteer opportunity based in your city? Other preferences that should be considered include whether you want to work alone or in a group. Additionally, do you want your volunteer position to be a one-time assignment, a short-term assignment, or a long-term/ongoing assignment? Finally, will I be paid back any money I spend on transportation or other expenses related to my volunteer assignment?

If you are unable to find the volunteer position that suits all your interests, you may have to think about how flexible you want to be. If you really enjoy the office but it’s farther away, are you willing to go a few extra miles to volunteer there? Are you willing to volunteer at a place that doesn’t align with your interests in exchange for a closer location? If you are flexible, you may find a volunteer opportunity that can be better for you.