Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

How vital is volunteering for uni applications?

Hi everyone. I am currently in yr12 and studying History, Politics, Maths and French (predicted AAAA at AS Level) with the hope of doing a History or Politics degree at a Russell Group university.

At the moment a lot of my teachers keep going on about doing as many volunteering activities as possible or we won't have a good enough application for uni. Naturally this has got me bit worried as I don't know whether I do enough activities to have a good application so is this necessary/vital?. This is what I do at the moment (apart from going out with friends):

Sports:
Skiing every week
Gym every week

Volunteering:
Help out at school history club
About to start a school reading challenge where i help a y7 to read/improve their reading skills

Life as a Lawyer conference day next week

I also have some things which I completed last year (Level 1 and Level 2 Sports Leaders Award and a Tennis Leaders Award) would these still count even if I completed them in y11?

Any advice would be much appreciated as I am kinda freaking out. As said I am really keen to do a History/Politics degree at a Russell Group university such as St Andrews or Exeter or even Oxford if I can get in.

Thanks in advance for any replies :smile:

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 1

returnmigrant

You dont have to have 'volunteering' on your PS.

What you do need is some sort of evidence that you have started to think outside your A level syllabus - and engage with life outside school. Both help to show that you are making the adjustment from school level study and are starting to get to grips with the 'bigger world' - both of which are likely to make you more successful at Uni. If this is volunteering then thats fine, but a paid job or playing in the local orchestra might be just as good to show this part of you.

Its only worth mentioning extra-curricular stuff if its either directly relevant to the subject you are applying for (volunteering in hospital if you are applying for Nursing etc) or you can say what you get out of it in terms of increasing your self confidence, maturity, understanding of other people/their lives etc. A long list of 'I do .....' means nothing to an Admissions Tutor unless you can make it clear what you get out of it - how does it make you a 'bigger person'.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 2

apple.pie

Original post by returnmigrant

You dont have to have 'volunteering' on your PS.

What you do need is some sort of evidence that you have started to think outside your A level syllabus - and engage with life outside school. Both help to show that you are making the adjustment from school level study and are starting to get to grips with the 'bigger world' - both of which are likely to make you more successful at Uni.

Its only worth mentioning extra-curricular stuff if its either directly relevant to the subject you are applying for (volunteering in hospital if you are applying for Nursing etc) or you can say what you get out of it in terms of increasing your self confidence, maturity, understanding of other people/their lives etc. A long list of 'I do .....' means nothing to an Admissions Tutor unless you can make it clear what you get out of it - how does it make you a 'bigger person'.

So would any of the things I listed be ok?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 3

returnmigrant

What activity or activities did/do you enjoy the most? Why?

What did/do you get out of doing them that makes a difference to your life - or to that of others?

Reply 4

apple.pie

Original post by returnmigrant

What activity or activities did/do you enjoy the most? Why?

What did/do you get out of doing them that makes a difference to your life - or to that of others?

Ok thanks, so I don't need to do loads of volunteering etc then (for a history/politics degree)?

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 5

Manitude

I never mentioned volunteering in my PS and got 5 offers at good universities. But then my subject wasn't particularly competitive and I had done paid work relevant to my degree.

Reply 6

apple.pie

Original post by Manitude

I never mentioned volunteering in my PS and got 5 offers at good universities. But then my subject wasn't particularly competitive and I had done paid work relevant to my degree.

Which subject did you take / which unis did you get offers from? Just out of interest haha

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 7

Manitude

Original post by apple.pie

Which subject did you take / which unis did you get offers from? Just out of interest haha

Posted from TSR Mobile

I was applying for Physics at Lancaster (Their offer was AAB), Manchester (AAA), Warwick (AAA), Bath (AAB) and Southampton (AAB). Ended up going to Lancaster as my first choice.