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Extracurricular Activities and Scholarships
Q: How many scholarships rely heavily on extracurricular activities? And what, in your experience, is the importance a college admissions office places on being involved in the community?
A: Many scholarships, like colleges, expect students to be well-rounded in all aspects of their lives. For that reason, some extracurricular involvement is important.
Community involvement is important for college selection, but it is even more important in getting the job you really want after you graduate from college. Companies want to know that the people they are hiring are not selfish or self-centered -- they want employees of strong character. One of the best ways for companies to gauge this is by the type of service work you have done in your life. So, I would encourage you to look far beyond the college application process and start to think about how you will prepare yourself as a well-rounded human being to enter the world of work in the most effective way.
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Carol Carter is the author of many books on college and career planning. She is the cofounder of Lifeskills, Inc., a nonprofit organization that encourages high-school students to explore their goals, career options, and the real world through part-time work and internships. She also gives workshops around the country on career exploration and other issues directly related to helping students succeed in college, career, and life.
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