How Important Are Volunteer Hours for College Applications?

Typically, volunteer hours for college will be included in the extracurricular activities portion of your college applications. Depending on your community service experiences, you might want to write about your volunteer experiences in your personal statement or supplemental essays. Additionally, you might decide to speak about your volunteer experiences during a college interview.

Sometimes volunteer hours are a high school graduation requirement. If this is the case, avoid writing or talking about your volunteer work as a requirement. Do your best to write and speak about your volunteer experiences in a way that conveys genuine care and interest.

So, let’s get to the big question: Do colleges care about community service?

The answer is both yes and no. College admissions officers are great at spotting students who aren’t passionate about their volunteer work. Therefore, you shouldn’t complete volunteer work if you’re just trying to pad your resume. Rather, your high school volunteer hours should have personal meaning and connect to your larger interests or career goals. This will be especially important if you are interested in studying pre-med or have dreams of becoming a veterinarian. 

Finally, do colleges require volunteer hours? While service hours are seldom an application requirement, there are certain colleges that prioritize community service more than others. Although this list is far from exhaustive, the following schools have a reputation for prioritizing community service: Hillsdale College, The Catholic University of America, Auburn University, Marquette University, Indiana University, and Colorado State University.

Colleges often favor students who complete volunteer work as an extracurricular activity because it demonstrates passion, commitment, and a sense of civic duty. It is also often an indicator that a student will be engaged and involved on campus.

Additionally, students who complete volunteer work often have increased levels of maturity and compassion, as well as strong organizational and leadership skills. These are all qualities that colleges value and seek out in college applicants. So in response to the question, do colleges care about volunteering?, the short answer is yes. 

So what do admissions officers want to see in volunteer work? When colleges review volunteer work, they want to see evidence of passion and leadership. This is why it is important to devote yourself to a volunteer opportunity fully. Additionally, what kinds of volunteer work look good for college will largely depend on your academic and career goals.

It is also important to realize that college admissions officers favor students who commit to a cause all four years of high school, rather than a student who has spread out their efforts by volunteering a few hours at several places to accumulate Common App volunteer hours.

At this point, you may be wondering: How many volunteer hours are good for college?

You should aim to complete between 50 and 200 volunteer hours. If you complete more than 200 hours, you may very well be overworking yourself. If you complete fewer than 50 volunteer hours, college admissions officers may wonder if you are truly committed to the work and cause. 

That said, it is also important to realize that designing, implementing, and completing volunteer projects is even more impressive than having an extensive list of volunteer hours. This is because a project shows passion, initiative, action, organization, and leadership abilities. So in response to the question, how many volunteer hours do you need for your college application?, the answer really does vary. But in general, quality matters more than quantity. 

If you are interested in pursuing your own volunteer project, you may want to check out our articles, The Ultimate Guide to Passion Projects for High Schoolers and How to Start a Nonprofit in High School (Guide & Ideas).

Are you asking yourself: Where can high school students volunteer? 

If you are interested in volunteering ideas for high school students, volunteer jobs for high school students, or other volunteer hours opportunities, consider some of the following places to volunteer:

• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• Schools/After-School Programs
• Animal Shelters
• Food Banks and Soup Kitchens
• Local Farms/Community Gardens
• Religious Institutions
• Veteran Clinics
• Libraries
• Parks and Recreation Department
• Museums
• American Red Cross
• Habitat for Humanity
• Housing Shelters
• Women’s Shelters
• Meals on Wheels
• Best Buddies
• Big Brothers, Big Sisters
• Other Nonprofits

It’s also worth noting that while high school volunteer abroad programs can be culturally enriching, they aren’t more impressive or valuable than local volunteer opportunities. Instead, you might consider tutoring and participating in local fundraisers.

It’s no secret that attending medical school is a lofty goal — one that requires intelligence, ambition, and volunteer hours. Anyone considering a medical career should complete volunteer work to gain a better understanding of the field and what their prospective career entails. 

If you are interested in pursuing a medical career — whether as a nurse, doctor, physician’s assistant, EMT, or as another medical profession — consider volunteering at one of these places:

• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• EMT Volunteer Programs
• National Health Care for the Homeless Council 
• American Red Cross
• Alzheimer’s Association​
• American Cancer Society​
• American Heart Association​
• Doctors Without Borders 
• HOSA-Future Health Professionals 

It is also important to realize that many college students interested in pursuing medical careers (and even some high school students) will earn their EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) or LNA (Licensed Nursing Assistant) licenses to gain practical medical experience. If you are planning to attend medical school after your undergraduate program, you may be interested in reading our article, What is a BS/MD Program and Should You Apply?.

If you are interested in studying law, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the legal field as much as you are able. This is why internships and volunteer work are so valuable. Law schools are highly-selective and you will need significant experience and volunteer hours to be considered a competitive applicant.

Prospective law students should explore volunteer opportunities at:

• Law Firms
• Legal Aid Services
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
• Women’s Shelters
• Political Campaigns

Completing community service and volunteer work is an important learning opportunity for high school and college students. Many students who complete volunteer work show increased levels of maturity, responsibility, and empathy. Volunteering can also help you feel like you have a sense of purpose and are a part of something larger than yourself. 

From gaining practical career-related experience to performing charitable works, there are countless reasons to volunteer. And even more places to volunteer! So regardless of whether you are interested in studying ​​medicine, law, education, or art, rest assured, there are countless volunteer opportunities for high school students. 

That said, if you’d rather spend your time pursuing other extracurricular activities, feel free to do so! Colleges would rather you pursue something you care about than do something simply because you think it looks good. If you are genuinely interested in pursuing volunteer work, choose a project or organization that is meaningful to you.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about how to write the best personal statement or college supplemental essays that you can, reach out to learn more about our services.