extra curricular and community services

[Lisochka]

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I have a question:
what kind of extra curricular activities and community services adcoms are looking for?

For example, I have volonteered in a crisis center for women- is it a community service?
And was thinking of volonteering in a hospital (not sure yet what kind of positions are available)

Those 2 would qualify as community services, right?

What about extra curricular activities, what are those? Like religious lidership in a church?

 

[omnione]

I have a question:
what kind of extra curricular activities and community services adcoms are looking for?

For example, I have volonteered in a crisis center for women- is it a community service?
And was thinking of volonteering in a hospital (not sure yet what kind of positions are available)

Those 2 would qualify as community services, right?

What about extra curricular activities, what are those? Like religious lidership in a church?

I could be wrong about this since I've never thought about this distinction, but I generally consider community service to be voluntary work for a non-school entity. I consider extracurricular activities to be activities that are affiliated with school but not part of coursework. That is, the activity is something you do that is an "extra" to your courses.

So, I would say that my volunteer position at my local hospital is a community service activity whereas my role as the president of an campus organization is an extracurricular activity.

However, I've heard people interchange the two types of activities so I'm not sure how critical the distinction is between the two types of activities.

 

[Farmercyst]

I have a question:
what kind of extra curricular activities and community services adcoms are looking for?

For example, I have volonteered in a crisis center for women- is it a community service?
And was thinking of volonteering in a hospital (not sure yet what kind of positions are available)

Those 2 would qualify as community services, right?

What about extra curricular activities, what are those? Like religious lidership in a church?

1. Any kind, but particularly health care related where possible.

2. Yes, battered women are part of the community and service to them is commmunity service.

3. Yes hospital would definitely qualify.

4. Yes, even volunteering in religious organizations counts (especially in church schools like Loma Linda) I counted my two year mission for the Mormon church. We do a lot more than just preaching (not up for argument, just using as an example, I don't want PMs guys). I did everything from helping a catholic charity hand out food donations on an Indian reservation to visiting the sick in nursing homes to helping out branding cattle on ranches. All of it counts as community service.

 

[eddie269]

Do whatever you like, seriously. If you have a real passion helping out your community, the adcom will see it in your essays and interview.

I was comm. service chair and coordinated everything from XMAS parades to food drives to park beautification projects. My interviewer was really impressed and when I told her "I enjoy helping out my community hands on," she had no doubts.

E/C's are there to show you are a well rounded person. Not someone who is just caught up in academics. Again, everything and anything will do as long as you enjoy it. After all, it's what makes you unique as an applicant.

 

[Lisochka]

thank you so much guys, for your help

 

[sdn1977]

I'd have to agree with all the previous posters said above, but with one caveat....

You must be careful, particularly with "charitable" work associated with religious involvement.

Lets take Farmercyst's example...his Mormon service.....and really, I'm not trying to argue or make an example...but this has actually occurred to young folks I'm very familiar with when they apply to CA schools (undergrad).

Some organizations - like the Mormon church, a Catholic school or even a secular private school - EXPECT this kind of involvement and make the opportunitites readily available. They often don't need to show they own initiative to find them.

However, Farmercyst might have been perceived (I can't say this was the case or not) as having the initiative to go outside his own religious circle & its charities to pursue something entirely different - like working in a Catholic sponsored food bank.

Likewise....many Catholic & secular private high schools in my area require a certain # of hrs of community serivce & provide the venue to accomplish that. However, if a student did that....but also perhaps actually pursued a different type of community service which is unrelated to the high school or particular religious demonination he/she is a part of shows individual leadership and initiative.

So...I guess I'm trying to say....they don't want you to do just what was presented to you as easy & available. Also...its helpful if you do one or two things consistently rather than a smattering of many.

 

[Farmercyst]

Lets take Farmercyst's example...his Mormon service.....and really, I'm not trying to argue or make an example...but this has actually occurred to young folks I'm very familiar with when they apply to CA schools (undergrad).

Some organizations - like the Mormon church, a Catholic school or even a secular private school - EXPECT this kind of involvement and make the opportunitites readily available. They often don't need to show they own initiative to find them.

However, Farmercyst might have been perceived (I can't say this was the case or not) as having the initiative to go outside his own religious circle & its charities to pursue something entirely different - like working in a Catholic sponsored food bank.

Religious societies are generally noted for requiring (or at least heavily suggesting) certain activities. For my church, the two-year stint is the most well known. Bringing it up can do one of two things generally. Either it puts a positive spin (because not everyone does do it, can do it, or will do it) or it becomes a point of dissection where they pick apart your experience to see what you learned from it. If it was what it was supposed to be (and this is why religious groups push these types of experiences) you can show how it changed your life, helped you realize the positive aspects of volunteer/community service, or some other beneficial change in your life. For me it enabled me to interact with all people within the social strata which is beneficial in a job where interaction with everyone from the derelict with a narcotic fix to the SUV driving/medicaid carrying self-entitled public to the person who has waited two hours for their prescription and is reasonably frustrated after having been told it would take 1/2 hour so she waited with her sick newborn in the store the whole time.

Someone familiar with this aspect can use it in an open file interview to find out exactly how much you put into it or if you were just using it as fluff to pad your app. If it's fluff that's obviously bad. Kind of like padding your service hours and getting caught. So yeah, if you did it because of expectations, didn't get anything out of it, and wouldn't use it for any other reason than padding, I'd suggest not to. Kind of like the Eagle Scout who was pressured by his parents to get it and only did so so that he could get .....driver's license, car, some other bonus from the parents. If they ask what you learned from your years at Boy Scouts, what would you be able to tell them, if you struggle with the answer how bad does it look?

One of my interviewers was Mormon and I wasn't asked about my mission, even though I mentioned it during the interview. Had I been asked about it I would have been entirely prepared to discuss it, I can't say that for everyone I met on my mission.

(After reviewing the post I must say freaky de javu` moment, I don't remember what comes next though, so I'll leave it 😉)

 

[sdn1977]

Religious societies are generally noted for requiring (or at least heavily suggesting) certain activities. For my church, the two-year stint is the most well known. Bringing it up can do one of two things generally. Either it puts a positive spin (because not everyone does do it, can do it, or will do it) or it becomes a point of dissection where they pick apart your experience to see what you learned from it. If it was what it was supposed to be (and this is why religious groups push these types of experiences) you can show how it changed your life, helped you realize the positive aspects of volunteer/community service, or some other beneficial change in your life. For me it enabled me to interact with all people within the social strata which is beneficial in a job where interaction with everyone from the derelict with a narcotic fix to the SUV driving/medicaid carrying self-entitled public to the person who has waited two hours for their prescription and is reasonably frustrated after having been told it would take 1/2 hour so she waited with her sick newborn in the store the whole time.

Someone familiar with this aspect can use it in an open file interview to find out exactly how much you put into it or if you were just using it as fluff to pad your app. If it's fluff that's obviously bad. Kind of like padding your service hours and getting caught. So yeah, if you did it because of expectations, didn't get anything out of it, and wouldn't use it for any other reason than padding, I'd suggest not to. Kind of like the Eagle Scout who was pressured by his parents to get it and only did so so that he could get .....driver's license, car, some other bonus from the parents. If they ask what you learned from your years at Boy Scouts, what would you be able to tell them, if you struggle with the answer how bad does it look?

One of my interviewers was Mormon and I wasn't asked about my mission, even though I mentioned it during the interview. Had I been asked about it I would have been entirely prepared to discuss it, I can't say that for everyone I met on my mission.

Good way to put it!!!

This is an excellent example of how to highlight this in a ps & become prepared in an interview.

Good job!

 

[Lisochka]

Thank you guys to all of you.
Farmercyst, that is a great information, thank you very much!

 

[Farmercyst]

Thank you guys to all of you.
Farmercyst, that is a great information, thank you very much!

No prob. Way I figure, if I can't get in I can live vicariously through those I've helped😀 .