Did anyone purchase a yearbook this year? If so, several people probably signed yours by gushing, "OMG we had such a fun year! Ur so funny lol! HAGS! =D", and even more must have simply written "HAGS" followed by their name. While our friends might end the school year by wishing us a great summer, our teachers, parents, and the dean of Impossible Admissions University are roaring "Have a productive summer!" in the background.
I had heard a lot about high school students who were volunteering in famished countries over the summer and, in the hopes of getting involved in humanitarian work, considered doing the same over my vacation. Unfortunately, the two week program for high school students with Projects Abroad, a popular volunteer abroad program, costs $2,045 at the very least, not including airplane tickets and additional traveling expenses.
One of the main issues regarding such programs is of course the fact that most families don't have two grand hiding between their couch cushions. But another major concern I have is the fact that the majority of students who volunteer abroad (and in general) do it for the sole purpose of buffing up their brag sheet (aka the college application). On websites such as College Confidential and Yahoo! Answers, students ask whether or not the volunteer work will improve their chances of getting admitted into selective colleges instead of asking whether the work is rewarding. An article from the "news" organization The Onion discusses how the closing of a homeless shelter in DC left high school students without volunteer experience that could earn them admission into Princeton University. The Onion may be a news satire, but satires are based on real life. I would rather choose not to volunteer because I have no concern for humanity than help others for selfish interests. Students and parents also don't seem to realize that volunteer opportunities are available everywhere, including the US. You don't have to live in a third world country to experience poverty, hunger, or any other hardships. According to Robin Mamlet, co-author of College Admission and former dean of admissions at Swarthmore College, Sarah Lawrence College, and Stanford University, college admission officers consider local and overseas volunteer work equally. So instead of printing out a third world nations map and picking a country without looking, find out where your true interests lie and find a place to volunteer that won't break your parent's savings account, like a local hospital, library, or soup kitchen. If you just so happen to be interested in eradicating malaria and your parents have the money to send you to Africa, go for it. But if you do not have the interest or the money, you're certainly not at a disadvantage.
School has probably already started for you, but summer isn't the only time to volunteer. So if you are a high school student, do something worthy of your college application brag sheet, but do it because the issue matters to you and because you know you'll have fun with it. And if all you did was stress about school this summer, try to lighten up next June and have some fun!
I had heard a lot about high school students who were volunteering in famished countries over the summer and, in the hopes of getting involved in humanitarian work, considered doing the same over my vacation. Unfortunately, the two week program for high school students with Projects Abroad, a popular volunteer abroad program, costs $2,045 at the very least, not including airplane tickets and additional traveling expenses.
One of the main issues regarding such programs is of course the fact that most families don't have two grand hiding between their couch cushions. But another major concern I have is the fact that the majority of students who volunteer abroad (and in general) do it for the sole purpose of buffing up their brag sheet (aka the college application). On websites such as College Confidential and Yahoo! Answers, students ask whether or not the volunteer work will improve their chances of getting admitted into selective colleges instead of asking whether the work is rewarding. An article from the "news" organization The Onion discusses how the closing of a homeless shelter in DC left high school students without volunteer experience that could earn them admission into Princeton University. The Onion may be a news satire, but satires are based on real life. I would rather choose not to volunteer because I have no concern for humanity than help others for selfish interests. Students and parents also don't seem to realize that volunteer opportunities are available everywhere, including the US. You don't have to live in a third world country to experience poverty, hunger, or any other hardships. According to Robin Mamlet, co-author of College Admission and former dean of admissions at Swarthmore College, Sarah Lawrence College, and Stanford University, college admission officers consider local and overseas volunteer work equally. So instead of printing out a third world nations map and picking a country without looking, find out where your true interests lie and find a place to volunteer that won't break your parent's savings account, like a local hospital, library, or soup kitchen. If you just so happen to be interested in eradicating malaria and your parents have the money to send you to Africa, go for it. But if you do not have the interest or the money, you're certainly not at a disadvantage.
School has probably already started for you, but summer isn't the only time to volunteer. So if you are a high school student, do something worthy of your college application brag sheet, but do it because the issue matters to you and because you know you'll have fun with it. And if all you did was stress about school this summer, try to lighten up next June and have some fun!
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