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Volunteer experience for holistic schools


Seansei

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Seansei
  • Law Student

My dream school is Osgoode Hall, and I know they are known for having a holistic admissions process. My stats are just about at their medians (cGPA 3.64 / LSAT 161) but I do not have much recent volunteer experience (though I volunteered somewhere every single weekend throughout high school, my job I got just before starting university prevented me from keeping with that commitment). I am now in my fourth year and, with co-op and two jobs throughout my entire undergrad, I have found time to volunteer at one event each year.

I imagine not all volunteer opportunities are equal. What are some high-quality volunteering opportunities that would make me stand out on an application? I know that volunteering should of course be for the benefit of others, but I want to make sure it is applicable. For instance, is it wise to reach out to law firms and ask if they are in need of a student volunteer? I am working full-time this summer for co-op and have a part time job on Saturday mornings but I am available in the evenings and on Sunday. What kind of experience should I be looking for, and how important is it for it to relate to law?

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FranksRedHot
  • Law Student

In my mind, which is all annecdotal evidence, here's what I think. Also, I'm keeping this advice very general so that it can apply to as many people as possible, not just your situation. 

First, please do not volunteer with the intent of bosting your application. Did my volunteer work help my application? Absolutely, it was one of the strongest sections of my application, but I never intended for it to be a factor in my acceptance. Rather, I did it because I was making a difference in the lives of others, and it brought me joy to go out every week and help others. And if you go into volunteering with the wrong intentions, you may not be willing to stick it out through the inevitable shit parts of the role, leaving that organization scrambling to fill your position. Now, you're looking for something thats going to push your application accross the line, unfortunately I think it is very unlikely that you'll find that in your given time frame. That said, there's no harm in volunteering, in fact, it's the opposite! So, in looking for a volunteering position that is both impactful on your community (the most important thing), and looks good on your application, there's a few things to consider

One, as you said, volunteering at its heart is meant to be a way of bettering your community. A law firm does not need a student volunteer, although I'm sure you could easily find one to take you on, after all, who is going to say no to free labour. Look around online, see if there's a need at your local soup kitchen or community centre for a volunteer. Special Olympics is always looking for people to help out, as are food banks and other community outreach networks. Your university job board would be a great place to start looking as many organizations post volunteer positions there. 

Two, is the length of service - the longer you volunteer somewhere the more impactful it is on your application. I've been working with the same organization for over six years. Law school admissions committees are not dumb, and it's easy to see when an applicant began volunteering for the sake of their application, rather than for the sake of volunteering. Volunteering every week or two for 2-3 years at your local soup kitchen is much more impactful than volunteering at a couple big events right before you apply. Showing dedication to the cause is good for you because you can build a schedule that works for you, good for the organization because they can rely on you (assuming you're reliable), and is an important factor if you decide to ask for a reference. 

Three, see if you can find a volunteering role where you can put your skillset to use. You've got lots of education and work experience, and that may be useful to many organizations. Plus, it is an excellent personal development opportunity for you, in that you can apply your skills in new ways to solve problems that you likely would not encounter in school or your employment. 

Four, your volunteer work does not need to relate to law at all, in fact, if it relates to law, thats just another indicator that may have only begun volunteering for the sake of your application. So again, think hard about why you want to volunteer, because meaningful volunteering is not as easy as it seems. Suppose that you don't get into law school, would you keep volunteering? If the answer is a no, then there are other avenues of improving your application that I encourage you to explore. 

 

Hope this helps, I'm happy to answer any follow questions that you, or anyone else has. 

Good luck in your application!

 

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