Anonymous wrote:FCPS service hours requirement:
"Grades 9–12: Students should complete 10 service hours per year for a total of 40 hours."
https://www.fcps.edu/activities/service-learning

That’s not a current requirement. You can graduate without any service hours, although if you do have 40 hours you get the service learning cord.

The only requirement I know of in FCPS is for AP Gov; those students do have some hours but I’m not sure exactly how many. A lot of kids I know of volunteer at polling places.

Notre Dame

Wake Forest - literally a requirement

They ask because they don't want a class of entitled brats who just take, take, take. Colleges want a well rounded class of kids, who are going to give back to their community, and eventually, to the college as an alumni

There are lots of things colleges ask about. That doesn't mean your son needs to do them all. He should find something he cares about outside the classroom and, as a good person, spend some time focusing on people other than himself.

FCPS service hours requirement:
"Grades 9–12: Students should complete 10 service hours per year for a total of 40 hours."
https://www.fcps.edu/activities/service-learning

Ivies, Amherst and Rice are high on value of community service.

For MCPS families: "Student Service Learning (SSL) is a Maryland state graduation requirement. Students must earn 75 SSL hours to graduate from high school and can start earning SSL hours the summer after grade 5. Students may continue to earn SSL hours throughout middle school and high school." (https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/ssl/)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you will find that most/all schools will ask about community service. It's just "the thing" nowadays.

How do they verify this? OP here. We didn't know about this and kid is a junior with no structured community service thus far. Is doing something over the summer enough or are colleges expecting a lot more?

It’s sometimes a high school graduation requirement. Talk with the guidance counselor.

OP. We are FCPS and there has been no mention of this in HS. We will check with the counselor. I know there was something like that in Middle school and the school helped with it but this was right before Covid and I think they waived the requirement for his 8th grade.

Anonymous wrote:We are new to the college admissions process (Didn't go to school here, first kid applying soon). We heard that some schools ask you to talk about community service in the application. Do these schools expect their students to continue such service once in college? If not, what's the point of even asking about it?

There would be a natural tendency to believe an applicant that is tutoriing or mentoring, or cleaning up the forests or whatever, would still do those activities in college because they get something out of it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you will find that most/all schools will ask about community service. It's just "the thing" nowadays.

How do they verify this? OP here. We didn't know about this and kid is a junior with no structured community service thus far. Is doing something over the summer enough or are colleges expecting a lot more?

It’s sometimes a high school graduation requirement. Talk with the guidance counselor.

Does he give back in some way already? Coach or tutor? I would try to have something on app, even if it’s pretty low down the activity list. Doesn’t he have SSL requirements to graduate high school? Or is that just Maryland?

Anonymous wrote:I think you will find that most/all schools will ask about community service. It's just "the thing" nowadays.

How do they verify this? OP here. We didn't know about this and kid is a junior with no structured community service thus far. Is doing something over the summer enough or are colleges expecting a lot more?

I think you will find that most/all schools will ask about community service. It's just "the thing" nowadays.

We are new to the college admissions process (Didn't go to school here, first kid applying soon). We heard that some schools ask you to talk about community service in the application. Do these schools expect their students to continue such service once in college? If not, what's the point of even asking about it?