Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP there are some universities that are more focused on service than others. My kid is at Notre Dame and which is very focused on this. US News actually ranks schools on the aspect.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/service-learning-programs

Catholic schools like Notre Dame, Boston College, and Georgetown are high on the list as expected.
They emphasize on community service.

Interesting that schools like Tulane and Northeastern are also highly ranked here.

This is ranking schools that offer some kind of Service Learning Program / Major...would be odd to major in that and you know, don't do any Community Service. Most of these schools do not require community service for the general school population.

Sure, but if a school is offering and investing in service learning programs, then it's pretty obvious that they, as an institution, value service. And institutional values are important.

I think the vast majority of all colleges have schools of social work or the equivalent. USNews is simply ranking the ones they perceive to be the best in those disciplines. I don't think offering the program necessarily means the school overall places emphasis on that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP there are some universities that are more focused on service than others. My kid is at Notre Dame and which is very focused on this. US News actually ranks schools on the aspect.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/service-learning-programs

Catholic schools like Notre Dame, Boston College, and Georgetown are high on the list as expected.
They emphasize on community service.

Interesting that schools like Tulane and Northeastern are also highly ranked here.

This is ranking schools that offer some kind of Service Learning Program / Major...would be odd to major in that and you know, don't do any Community Service. Most of these schools do not require community service for the general school population.

Sure, but if a school is offering and investing in service learning programs, then it's pretty obvious that they, as an institution, value service. And institutional values are important.

DP. Not to argue, but please break this down for me. I have a kid who wants to attend, say, Georgetown. He's not really service minded, but I force him to visit grandpa at the senior home and do a dance and song for Gp and other seniors once a month. I hire a college admissions counselor who write (but not writes) an essay embellishing that experience. Kid is an average db, joins a frat, drinks away at college and majors in business of CS and does not a single course related to service. I just describe the vast majority of kids BtW. How does this help the college, the community or society overall?

Meanwhile a perfectly good kid does what he thinks he likes, but doesn't get in to that college because he didn't play the game and society missed out on a strong contributor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP there are some universities that are more focused on service than others. My kid is at Notre Dame and which is very focused on this. US News actually ranks schools on the aspect.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/service-learning-programs

Catholic schools like Notre Dame, Boston College, and Georgetown are high on the list as expected.
They emphasize on community service.

Interesting that schools like Tulane and Northeastern are also highly ranked here.

This is ranking schools that offer some kind of Service Learning Program / Major...would be odd to major in that and you know, don't do any Community Service. Most of these schools do not require community service for the general school population.

Sure, but if a school is offering and investing in service learning programs, then it's pretty obvious that they, as an institution, value service. And institutional values are important.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

OP. Thanks! I wish they had kept this requirement.. At least we'd have known about this and it's relevance to college admissions. All the nonsense we have to do get into college in the US is mind boggling! Such made up requirements that can be easily bought with money. Wonder how families without resources navigate this morass.. Our kid tells us that some of his friends play two sports, two musical instruments - one for the band and one outside, involved in several competitions, etc. which according to him they are doing to 'look good for college'. WHY? Are college admissions teams that stupid that they don't realize the scam being perpetrated or do they just feel good to have all this power?

If it makes you feel any better....unless you are a recruited athlete or you are winning reputable music competitions (or somehow recognized as tops in your instrument), then your kids' classmates are misinformed.

Kids should play an instrument or a sport because they want to do it. It only matters for college if they are exceptional at either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

Nice theory. I bet less that a fraction of 1% of the kids that did community service in HS do anything of that sort in college. Most of them are entitled brats that did what their mommy lined up for community service just to check a box on the college app.

Agree. Would add that colleges do not value usual community service that mommy lined up. It is very obvious when a kid does something organically and these kids are more valued.

Agree with this, but would add that a kid with absolutely no service on their resume is going to be at a disadvantage against a kid whose mom lined up their service projects. So best to do something than nothing.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

OP. Thanks! I wish they had kept this requirement.. At least we'd have known about this and it's relevance to college admissions. All the nonsense we have to do get into college in the US is mind boggling! Such made up requirements that can be easily bought with money. Wonder how families without resources navigate this morass.. Our kid tells us that some of his friends play two sports, two musical instruments - one for the band and one outside, involved in several competitions, etc. which according to him they are doing to 'look good for college'. WHY? Are college admissions teams that stupid that they don't realize the scam being perpetrated or do they just feel good to have all this power?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

Nice theory. I bet less that a fraction of 1% of the kids that did community service in HS do anything of that sort in college. Most of them are entitled brats that did what their mommy lined up for community service just to check a box on the college app.

Agree. Would add that colleges do not value usual community service that mommy lined up. It is very obvious when a kid does something organically and these kids are more valued.

My kid applied to 15 colleges last year including MIT, Stanford and ivies. No one asked about community service per se, but MIT needed a short essay asking about something the kid had done to better their community — they specifically said it could be helping a friend or family member. Basically do something that IMPACTS someone — or rather, be able to think and talk about various things done.

A lot of schools had a community essay which is different from community service essay. This essay has to do with a group that the kid considers themselves a part of. My kid wrote about trying to help a group of friends — the effort FAILED! And what my kid did as a result to help them more. Most people write about the usual clubs (not really interesting); the ones who bring a different perspective are valued.

Virginia Tech cares a lot about service (it's their motto) and it seems like a lot of students do participate.

My DD goes to a LAC that has a required class that includes a service component

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

Nice theory. I bet less that a fraction of 1% of the kids that did community service in HS do anything of that sort in college. Most of them are entitled brats that did what their mommy lined up for community service just to check a box on the college app.

This...the most optimistic report I saw said 10% of college students do any CS. If you have schools like ND and Wake Forest (as PPs have mentioned) and probably some others requiring CS, then the %age of college students doing CS is that much lower everywhere else.

Another reason the admissions system is broken. Continuing to factor in community service (the amount of which is likely hugely inflated in any case) as some sort of window into character in the face of data like this is nonsensical.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP there are some universities that are more focused on service than others. My kid is at Notre Dame and which is very focused on this. US News actually ranks schools on the aspect.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/service-learning-programs

Catholic schools like Notre Dame, Boston College, and Georgetown are high on the list as expected.
They emphasize on community service.

Interesting that schools like Tulane and Northeastern are also highly ranked here.

This is ranking schools that offer some kind of Service Learning Program / Major...would be odd to major in that and you know, don't do any Community Service. Most of these schools do not require community service for the general school population.

Anonymous wrote:OP there are some universities that are more focused on service than others. My kid is at Notre Dame and which is very focused on this. US News actually ranks schools on the aspect.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/service-learning-programs

Catholic schools like Notre Dame, Boston College, and Georgetown are high on the list as expected.
They emphasize on community service.

Interesting that schools like Tulane and Northeastern are also highly ranked here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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

Nice theory. I bet less that a fraction of 1% of the kids that did community service in HS do anything of that sort in college. Most of them are entitled brats that did what their mommy lined up for community service just to check a box on the college app.

This...the most optimistic report I saw said 10% of college students do any CS. If you have schools like ND and Wake Forest (as PPs have mentioned) and probably some others requiring CS, then the %age of college students doing CS is that much lower everywhere else.

OP there are some universities that are more focused on service than others. My kid is at Notre Dame and which is very focused on this. US News actually ranks schools on the aspect.

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/service-learning-programs

Anonymous wrote: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

Nice theory. I bet less that a fraction of 1% of the kids that did community service in HS do anything of that sort in college. Most of them are entitled brats that did what their mommy lined up for community service just to check a box on the college app.