Adrianne is a Senior Admissions Counselor and TV/film director, producer, writer, and actress currently based in LA. She uses her experience in multiple disciplines to help students achieve their personal and academic goals.
Are you a high schooler or a parent of a high schooler who’s wondering about the number of volunteer hours you need for your college applications? We’re here to break it down for you.
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What Are Volunteer Hours and Why Do They Matter
The term “volunteer hours” refers to the practice of students tracking how much they have participated in volunteer activities. Usually, doing a certain number of volunteer hours (often between 10-30 hours of volunteer work, usually more for higher-level students) is required for a high school student to graduate. Schools often require these hours in order to teach students about the value of community service and giving back to the people around them.
How a high school student actually acquires hours of volunteer work can vary widely. Sometimes, these hours can be completed through activities at school, such as activities hosted by the school’s National Honor Society or volunteering as a mentor or tutor for younger students. If students look outside of the school for their volunteer hours, they will likely need to have a volunteer supervisor sign a form describing the kind of service the student performed and certifying the number of hours during which the student volunteered.
These outside activities can include volunteering at a food pantry or soup kitchen, being an unpaid intern at a hospital, working as a counselor for summer programs at the YMCA or camps for disabled children, and much more. The exact definition of what qualifies as volunteer work is up to the school’s discretion, so consult with your school counselor if you’re unsure about whether or not your volunteer hours qualify.
Understanding Volunteer Hours
If you’re currently in high school or you’re the parent of a student currently in high school, you may have heard about the importance of community service in college applications. These service activities are usually included as extracurricular activities on college applications, especially if students have contributed a significant amount of time and energy over their four years. But many students are not sure exactly how many volunteer hours you have for the college admissions process — the short (and possibly frustrating) answer is: there is not a set number.
However, it is undeniable that community service is becoming increasingly important to college admissions officers. According to Forbes, in a 2018 survey of 264 admissions officers at U.S. schools, 58% agreed that “a student’s community service experience has a positive impact on his or her acceptance to our higher education institution,” and 53% even said that “community service was essentially a tie-breaker between equally qualified students.”
So students have flocked to animal shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, and other service organizations, looking to get involved in any community service opportunities they can in order to distinguish themselves. Especially if you’re hoping to apply to competitive colleges like Ivy League schools, it’s a good idea to exceed the required number of community service hours.
How Many Volunteer Hours Is Good?
The number of volunteer hours that qualifies as “good” depends on the student. As is the case with all extracurricular activities, doing as much community service as possible solely for your college applications is not advisable — it will be obvious to admissions officers that you’re simply trying to pad your resume if these activities aren’t in line with your other passions, hobbies, and available resources mentioned in other parts of your application.
The best strategy to use when figuring out how many volunteering hours for college applications are ideal is to start with the activities you already do regularly. For instance, if you’re an avid basketball player, you could look for volunteer opportunities to coach younger students who are playing basketball. If you’re a great writer, maybe you could be a volunteer writing tutor for other students. If you’re interested in government or law, consider volunteering for a political campaign or at a Congressional office.
If there aren’t any volunteer opportunities that suit your interests, you can create your own. You could start a drive at your school for a food pantry or a domestic violence shelter, or you could organize a group of friends to phone bank regarding a political issue that is compelling to you.
At H&C, we work with students to create their own capstone projects from scratch, and most students choose to start a community service project that addresses pressing issues in their area. If you’re interested in utilizing our services when it comes to finding volunteering ideas or creating your own volunteer projects, set up a free consultation with one of our admissions consultants today.
Documenting Your Volunteer Hours
Before you do any community service, check with your school counselor to make sure the activity is approved and/or what you need to do to verify your hours. Oftentimes, your volunteer supervisor will need to sign off on a form provided by the school, so make sure your supervisor is aware of this requirement. If this activity is pre-approved by your school or is frequented by high schoolers, they will likely anticipate this or at least be familiar with the process.
If you’re volunteering on an ongoing basis (as opposed to working a handful of pre-planned events or one-off opportunities), you’ll want to make sure you’re tracking your hours in a way that works for both your school and your supervisor. A great way to do this is to make sure your calendar or planner accurately reflects your shifts so you can always retroactively verify your number of hours is accurate. You may need to have your supervisor sign off on every shift, so regardless of how you’re tracking your hours, make sure everyone involved is aware of the policy for this.
How to Choose the Right Volunteer Opportunities
Not all volunteer programs are created equal, and the process for determining what is the most meaningful form of volunteer service will vary from student to student. When looking for your ideal type of community service, start by asking yourself where your passions lie and where you see deficiencies in your community. Strive to make an intentional difference in your community, and the volunteer service hours are sure to follow!
If available, your school’s volunteer service offerings are a great place to start. According to a study by the University of Maryland’s Do Good Institute: “Teenagers overwhelmingly volunteer through organizations… with school-sponsored service activities leading the pack.” Schools often have one-off volunteer days, which don’t necessarily inspire a long-term commitment to service but may provide a few hours, but many schools also have a list of volunteer activities that have been pre-approved for volunteering hours, making it easier to join and make it a regular part of student’s schedules.
However, if your school does not offer a list of community service opportunities, it’s a good idea to start your search in your other communities. Religious students can turn to their places of worship for service opportunities, such as leading a choir or a Sunday school class. Students who take dance classes or play sports could offer to teach or coach younger students. It’s all about incorporating your hours of service into your life purposefully and sustainably.
If you’re still coming up short, you can look to outside organizations for help. Websites like DoSomething.com and VolunteerMatch can show you organizations in your area that are actively seeking new volunteers. Largely thanks to the pandemic, there are also significantly more virtual service opportunities available than in previous years, such as phone banking or fundraising, meaning you’re not limited by your geographical location.
Just be wary of overly expensive service opportunities like “voluntourism,” which refers to expensive trips offered by some organizations where people (often from privileged and wealthy backgrounds) pay to volunteer at schools and hospitals in the Global South for a short time and a hefty fee. While some of these programs make a legitimate difference, usually these programs can actually harm communities and, from a college admissions standpoint, are not a good look.
Making the Most of Your Volunteer Experience
Participating in community service activities can offer students myriad benefits beyond just racking up a significant amount of volunteer time and looking good on a college application. The benefits of volunteering allow for both community improvement and personal development, and starting to participate in volunteer efforts at a young age can inspire a lifelong commitment to being an active community member, which is a benefit to everyone.
While your initial motivation for volunteering might be your school’s volunteer service hours requirement or making yourself look better on an Ivy League application, there are many benefits of community involvement, beyond just the vague idea of “doing good.” In fact, volunteering can improve your physical and mental health — people who volunteer are 29% less likely to report disconnection from their friends, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2020. Furthermore, a study from Career Builder found that “60% of hiring managers see the act of volunteerism as a valuable asset,” meaning that making service a habit may improve your employability in the future.
Participating in community service can be an incredibly impactful experience for high school students, and there is simply the bonus of it potentially benefitting them in their college applications. So when you’re figuring out how many service hours you need for your college applications, start by choosing a service opportunity that matters to you — then the volunteer hours will come in no time!
Need more help preparing for your college applications? Our college admission consultants are always here to help.
