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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My SIL in another area, does alumni interviews, and was mildly complaining that because most schools require service hours these days, she can never tell if volunteer work is a genuine interest or a box to be ticked.  I realize no one takes her interviews too seriously, but I'm sure admissions office have noticed the same.  I certainly don't believe anyone's getting the edge because their hour count is MCPS certified.  Something else would have to make the service work look significant.[/quote]

NP and I also occasionally do alumni interviews. But I agree with this pp. SSL is a bit problematic honestly. I'm generally not moved either way by these awards. It's just not a salient point in how I would write a recommendation. 
Why ? For one thing, you don't know if it's a genuine interest, or just for getting credit, like your SIL said. 
For another, there are some activities that do a lot of good but take a looong time to get hours. For example, my kid plays piano/ violin at nursing homes/hospitals on weekends. He gets 1-1.5 hrs each time, and he is only able to schedule about twice a month. Hence, it takes him quite a while to rack up hours. But the NH residents are very happy to hear him play so he continues doing it even though it's totally not efficient. There are many activities (like making slideshows for afterschool programs) that get way more hours. 
Finally, a lot of kids actually have family stuff to do. When I was my kid's age (13), I took care of younger siblings and a frail grandparent after school. My parents could not have afforded a sitter or elder care companion. I did the required SSL but it was hard given that a lot of my afterschool time was completely booked by other family commitments. 
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Of course it’s just for getting credit. Even the minimum 75 hours. It’s like working at a job for a paycheck. You have to do it.[/quote]

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