Community service or volunteer work

Can someone explain to me the difference between doing community service and volunteering? Are they both the same? Which one is a requirement for graduation? Can the school not give you a diploma if you don't fulfill this requirement? Thanks! It's great to know I can come here for some real answers.

Hi Kelly,

Community service and volunteering are two different ways of saying the same thing. Each school may have different requirements for the number of hours you must complete or the type(s) of organizations to which you volunteer your time. For example, my school had two specific charities that they sponsored, and we were required to fulfill a certain amount of hours for either of those two organizations. Depending on their policies, a school may withhold a diploma for failure to complete a community service requirement, although my guess is that this is rare. I would speak with the school's registrar or similar office to verify their specific requirements. Community service/volunteering is a great way to get involved at school, make new friends, and network! Take advantage of it!

I volunteer at a hospital that is not in my town. How do I make sure that my high school gives me credit for those hours?

Hi Adriana,

If your school requires that you complete volunteer work, I would check with your teacher or guidance counselor as to what is required to get credit. They may ask you to complete a form, get a verification letter, log your hours, etc.

If this is something you are doing to enhance your resume for college, then you probably don't need hard proof. However, it might be helpful if someone at the hospital wrote you a recommendation letter or acted as a reference for you.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Amber George

If I only have time to work at a job but no time to do community service, how can I make that count in my application?

Hi Nacho,

If you are referring to your college application, then there are a few ways to explain that you do not currently participate in volunteer work because you have a job.

The essay section is a great way to do this. You can discuss the things you have learned at your job, how you manage your time (school plus work), and how you can apply those things to college.

You can also state that you hope to devote time to volunteer work in college by taking advantage of opportunities provided on campus.

Hope this helps!
-Amber George