Getting In 101 – The Importance of Community Service on College Acceptance

College admissions officers play an essential role in the future of students nationwide. They are the ultimate decision-makers on if a student gets that acceptance letter or rejection letter to their institution. For many universities, admissions officers have to get to know a student and ultimately stamp yes or no, by sifting through a file of test scores and GPAs without even getting the chance to meet the student or talk with them.

More and more college admissions officers are looking for something, in addition, to test scores or a grade to get to know the student on a more personal level. They want to determine if the student is academically suited for college and if they will be a good fit for their university and campus life.

Students, this is where those required service hours come into play for your future.

A survey of college admissions officers from around the country completed by IESD and sponsored by intelliVOL makers of x2VOL, verifies that community service and volunteer hours can affect a student’s chances of being accepted into college.

When asked if a student’s community service had a positive impact on higher education institution acceptance, 58 percent of respondents agreed and only 16.5 percent disagreed. Admissions officers like to see a record of community service along with reflections on those experience because they reveal a number of things about the student:

• Students will be active in social life
• Students will contribute to the school’s mission
• Students will share the values of the school
• Students will be self-motivated and be able to collaborate

x2VOL provides students that use the platform the ability to send the Official Service Transcript™ (OST), which is now available to order along with GPA and SAT/ACT transcripts. The OST is the only official and verifiable service transcript recognized by colleges and universities and is an easy way to send service experience directly to admissions officers.

Students, are you setting your sights on university? Make sure you are logging and reflecting on the hours you spent serving your community and those around you. Not only does it impact your community and your neighbors, it impacts your future.