Best community service to include on college applications?

I'm sifting through my volunteer experiences to figure out which ones to highlight on my college applications. What type of community service do colleges generally find impressive? Any tips on how to showcase it effectively?

Colleges are most impressed by community service experiences that demonstrate a long-term commitment, impact, and leadership. They appreciate volunteers who are truly passionate about an issue and are taking meaningful actions to address it.

As for showcasing your service effectively, you need to detail both the responsibilities you undertook and the impact you made. For example, instead of saying "Volunteered at a local food bank," elaborate on what tasks you carried out, how many hours you committed, any leadership roles you held, and any tangible results of your work, e.g., "Organized bi-weekly food drives at my school which collected over 5000 pounds of food for the local food bank over a period of one year."

Since colleges are interested in students who demonstrate initiative and contribute to their community in a meaningful way, leadership roles in service organizations can be quite impactful. If you organized a fundraising event or started your own service initiative, make sure to highlight it in your application. Sometimes, even activities that don't fall into the conventional category of community service, like tutoring a younger sibling or helping out in family business, can be a testament to your commitment and resilience.

Remember, it's far more compelling to engage deeply in one or two causes that truly matter to you than to attempt to spread yourself thin across many superficial engagements. Quality trumps quantity. Concentrate on communicating your passion, commitment, and the positive impact you've made.