By Susan Alaimo
Volunteerism is alive and well among young people in New Jersey, which comes in very handy when it’s time to apply for college admission. Students who have not yet become engaged in “giving back” can likely find an activity of interest on the Jersey Cares website which features activities to suit almost any personality. Pet Playground offers the opportunity to work at cat adoption events. Earth Keeper volunteers work to beautify parks, gardens and green spaces through New Jersey. Chess for Success helpers teach children higher-level thinking and social skills through this challenging game., Students’ commitment to volunteerism is not only good for their communities, but it is also a great boost to their college applications. Although SAT scores and G.P.A. are still the two most important criteria impacting college acceptances and scholarship awards, community service is of growing importance., DoSomething.org, one of the largest U.S. organizations helping teens get involved in causes they care about, released a study tying volunteerism to college admissions. The results indicate that admissions officers place a high value on a student’s long-term commitment to a cause or organization. Consistency is the priority, as colleges prefer students who support one cause over a period of time, demonstrating commitment and perseverance., Colleges favor students with a history of volunteerism with the hope that their commitment will enrich the college community, where there are limitless opportunities for involvement. Rutgers University hosts about 50 student organizations that focus on community service initiatives in areas including affordable housing, animal care, mental health advocacy, and international and social justice., The College of New Jersey offers between 50 to 100 percent tuition scholarships to students who make a substantial commitment to volunteerism by becoming Bonner Community Scholars. These students choose to focus on one area of service, such as hunger, homelessness, the environment, juvenile justice, immigrant services, or urban education, and provide 300 hours of meaningful service over the course of a year, combining service with their academic experiences., Admissions officers used to consider it a bonus to find community service work listed on a college application. Now it’s an expectation, with extra points for demonstrated levels of commitment and initiative., Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of SAT Smart in Hillsborough that has offered PSAT, SAT, and ACT preparation courses as well as private tutoring by IVY-League educated instructors for more than 20 years. Visit www.SATsmart.com
