How do adcoms know I volunteer in an underserved area?

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I volunteer for a church in a run-down place. Most people I work with have been in jail before. I'm the only volunteer.

I'm not sure how can I properly express the significance of my volunteering experience. I don't want to come off as cashing out on pity points or talk down on the place I work with, but I think I still deserve to include that it's an underserved community.

 

[lumya]

You can describe what you're doing without implying any judgment.

For example, I volunteered at a clinic. I talked about how my duties were helping people sign up for Medicaid and organizing food drives.

 

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You can describe what you're doing without implying any judgment.

For example, I volunteered at a clinic. I talked about how my duties were helping people sign up for Medicaid and organizing food drives.

The things I do are common in most places and don't really scream underserved. I do things like food pantry, tutor kids, and help out with church activities. These stuff are everywhere.

 

[lumya]

The things I do are common in most places and don't really scream underserved. I do things like food pantry, tutor kids, and help out with church activities. These stuff are everywhere.

I'm not an ADCOM but I would argue that it's assumed that most of these services are done to help those who are less fortunate and do not need to be explicitly stated. Food pantries and free child care are typically not services required by those with means and religious affiliated organizations generally have a service to the poor ingrained in their mission.

 

[KnightDoc]

I'm not an ADCOM but I would argue that it's assumed that most of these services are done to help those who are less fortunate and do not need to be explicitly stated. Food pantries and free child care are typically not services required by those with means and religious affiliated organizations generally have a service to the poor ingrained in their mission.

THIS^^^^^^. At the end of the day, most people know the difference between East St. Louis and Beverly Hills, but what really matters is what you are doing, as opposed to whether you are doing it in a rough part of town or a really rough part of town. Being directly involved with the beneficiaries is what has value, with respect to being in the trenches, as opposed to doing a fundraiser at the Beverly Hills community center to raise money for the homeless in downtown Los Angeles.

You are just fine, and will receive the credit you deserve, but, no, you won't receive extra credit because your run down place is more run down than another. Going out of you way to point out just how run down it is will probably not be a good look for you. Are you doing it because you're a wonderful human being, or because you want to impress with just how dirty you are willing to get your hands?

If the work is no different than that done elsewhere, what exactly are you looking for? In general, you are really not going to impress anyone by going out of your way trying to impress them. People tend to see through that. Either your work will speak for itself, or it won't.

 

[KnightDoc]

Specifically saying you "worked with underserved including ex-felons, etc" is perfectly fine. you need to sell yourself and you do that by writing a brief coherent narrative that expresses all the facts. Cause if you dont tell me, I dont know

Okay, but, if I'm volunteering at a church, getting involved with a food pantry, tutoring, providing outreach to those in need, etc., is there really extra value to noting that the place is very run down, and ex-felons are among the population? Is the work any less valuable if the work is done in better maintained facility where the population is down on its luck, but not criminal??? Does pointing out the negatives not make it look like I am looking for extra credit??

 

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Okay, but, if I'm volunteering at a church, getting involved with a food pantry, tutoring, providing outreach to those in need, etc., is there really extra value to noting that the place is very run down, and ex-felons are among the population? Is the work any less valuable if the work is done in better maintained facility where the population is down on its luck, but not criminal??? Does pointing out the negatives not make it look like I am looking for extra credit??

Before I went to my current church I volunteered at another church's food pantry. It was very nice there compare to where I work now. The workload was easier, the buildings looked a lot nicer, and the workflow was more systemized. The customers weren't even poor. They were boomers who see this as another grocery trip and to see their fellow community members.

Where I work now I practically run my food pantry(and I'm proud of it. If that's ok with you) whereas before I was just another premed volunteer sitting on my butt half the time. I don't feel any shame in saying I want my extra credit.

And no. Adcoms don't magically see through things. I need to express it correctly so it doesn't tic certain people off. Now back to my question.

 

[lumya]

Before I went to my current church I volunteered at another church's food pantry. It was very nice there compare to where I work now. The workload was easier, the buildings looked a lot nicer, and the workflow was more systemized. The customers weren't even poor. They were boomers who see this as another grocery trip and to see their fellow community members.

Where I work now I practically run my food pantry(and I'm proud of it. If that's ok with you) whereas before I was just another premed volunteer sitting on my butt half the time. I don't feel any shame in saying I want my extra credit.

And no. Adcoms don't magically see through things. I need to express it correctly so it doesn't tic certain people off. Now back to my question.

You should definitely draw attention to additional work that you did. You should state that you were in charge, implemented the workload, made do with fewer resources. If you helped do other things specific to a low-income formerly incarcerated population I'd definitely mention that too - if it's something like career counseling or helping them apply for social services.

Now, I'm from a business background so I love metrics. If you're able to say things like "helped disperse $XXX in food to XX number of people" or "oversaw XX number of people" at this position, I think it could really help emphasize exactly how impactful you were to this organization.

Ultimately, this section is to make yourself shine. It's fine to say you helped an underserved/low-income population, but focus it mostly on yourself and what you did there.

 

[candbgirl]

Okay, but, if I'm volunteering at a church, getting involved with a food pantry, tutoring, providing outreach to those in need, etc., is there really extra value to noting that the place is very run down, and ex-felons are among the population? Is the work any less valuable if the work is done in better maintained facility where the population is down on its luck, but not criminal??? Does pointing out the negatives not make it look like I am looking for extra credit??

I see no point in describing the physical condition of the building. That’s not important unless you are spear heading a drive to raise funds to paint, clean, plant a garden etc. . In describing your work you can certainly describe the population the center deals with and the programs designed to help them. For instance a child care center so single moms can work on job skills , resume building etc., a program for recently released felons to help them reintegrate into the community, after school programs for children to keep them off the streets etc.
OP what do you do to help these recently released felons that makes you want to include the activity on your application? Or do you just want to let the reader know these people are in the center but you don’t really help them or even interact with them.? By providing a comprehensive description of what you do and the populations you serve , anyone reading your description should be able to know you are working with underserved people in the community.

 

[YCAGA]

Do people even volunteer with populations that aren't underserved? It is always good to include specifics to paint a picture, but I have never heard of a volunteer gig where you are helping the "well-served" or "over-served." For example, if you are tutoring rich suburban kids for free, you are doing something wrong...in this case doing something for free when you should be paid.

I am also of the opinion that working with vulnerable or underserved populations at all is more important than whether you get paid or not, but I guess that is a tangent.

 

[Goro]

I volunteer for a church in a run-down place. Most people I work with have been in jail before. I'm the only volunteer.

I'm not sure how can I properly express the significance of my volunteering experience. I don't want to come off as cashing out on pity points or talk down on the place I work with, but I think I still deserve to include that it's an underserved community.

You will have several different prompts on secondaries which will ask for this type of info. You might be able to work it into your PS as well.

 

[YCAGA]

many volunteer gigs like in hospitals can with average middle class as well as other similar places. I have seen many applicants have mostly activities on campus, in their church, in their own community that barely leaves their comfort zone of people with the same SES, racial, ethnic, cultural or religious background.

Gotcha. I never considered that type of volunteering as something you would put on a medical school app. I guess other people thought it was worth mentioning lol

 

[YCAGA]

many people that is the only volunteering they have

Maybe I wasn’t as mediocre of an applicant as I thought 🤔