How to Differentiate Your Activities in Community Service?

Community service is a great way for high school students to get involved with their local community and gain valuable experience outside of the classroom. However, many students struggle with how to make their community service activity stand out on college applications or resumes. In this article, we will explore how students can differentiate themselves through their community service activities.

To make your community service activity stand out, you must ask yourself two essential questions: "Which community will you choose to serve?" and "What type of service will you provide?" These questions are crucial because they will guide you in identifying a community that you have regular contact with and that has a specific need you can address.

Which community will you choose to serve?

The first step in differentiating your community service activity is choosing the right community to serve. A community should be a group of people that you can interact with on a daily basis. This does not necessarily have to be an underprivileged group, but it should be a group that you have regular contact with.

Avoid selecting a community that is located far from you and with whom you have little to no interaction. Such a decision will raise questions about your intentions and may hinder your ability to make a meaningful impact. Instead, focus on communities that you interact with on a regular basis.

One way to identify a community is to draw out your daily commute route and identify areas where you can interact with people. For example, if you pass by a park or community center on your way to school, you could consider serving that community.

Let's look at another example. A student who was accepted to Princeton featured his community service work in his application, highlighting his contributions to his school community by assisting the school offices. This example demonstrates that even a school community can be an excellent choice for community service activities, and you should not disregard communities that are in close proximity to you. The key to success lies in your ability to provide specific and impactful services, which justifies the requirement on proximity and brings us to the second question.

What type of service will you provide?

The second step is choosing the right service to provide. The term "service" can be misleading since it often implies a routine or standardized process. Merely fulfilling service obligations mandated by others is unlikely to make you stand out.

Rather than just providing a standard service, you should aim to be a problem solver. Rather than seeing yourself as a standard service provider, approach community service as if you were a creative consulting company. Try to identify problems within the community you have chosen to serve and come up with unique solutions to solve those problems. For example, if you are serving a community center, you could create a new program or event that addresses a specific need within that community.

Remember, the goal of community service is to contribute meaningfully to the betterment of society, not just to fulfill an obligation. Also, admission officers are looking for more than just a demonstration of commitment. They are particularly interested in your problem-solving skills and your ability to make a tangible impact on the community you serve.

Therefore, focus on developing creative solutions that address specific needs within your community, and be sure to document your progress and successes. By doing so, you will not only stand out from other volunteers but also develop important skills that can serve you well in college and beyond.

Follow your solution with service

The most fulfilling and impactful community service experiences come from a combination of innovative problem-solving and consistent effort in service. First, develop a unique solution or service approach that addresses a specific need within your chosen community. Next, commit to consistently implementing and improving your solution over time.

Simply proposing a solution without investing effort to implement it is insufficient and lacks depth. To make a meaningful impact on your community, it's important to take action and provide tangible service to bring your solution to life. This demonstrates your commitment and dedication to the community you serve, while also showcasing your problem-solving skills and ability to effect change.

In summary, community service is an excellent extracurricular activity for high school students. To differentiate yourself, you should choose a community that you have regular contact with and identify a unique problem to solve within that community. By providing a creative solution to that problem and taking continuous action to make it happen, you will show your commitment to the community and your problem-solving skills. Remember, the key to differentiating your community service activity is to transform "service" into "problem-solving."

Community Service is a separate category at EAE. Submit your community service experiences to get more recognition!