The link between volunteering and academic performance

There are many reasons for parents to encourage children who express an interest in volunteering. Volunteering is a social activity that can help children develop their social and networking skills, and many parents credit volunteering with instilling a sense of perspective in their children that they might not have gained had they not been exposed to people from different backgrounds. Volunteering also has been linked to stronger academic performance.

The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that students who indicate they're doing better in school are more likely to be volunteers than students who report doing less well. The broadened exposure to people and places that students may otherwise not encounter without volunteering also can benefit them in the classroom, helping them more readily identify with cultures and societies they're studying. College applicants with volunteering experience also may set themselves apart in the increasingly competitive application process.

Though a 2019 Pew Research study reported that most schools admit more than two-thirds of their applicants, that figure is significantly lower at many of the more highly rated institutions in the United States. For example, Stanford University (4.3 percent) and Harvard University (4.9 percent) recently reported acceptance rates below 5 percent. Though volunteering alone won't help applicants gain acceptance to such competitive institutions, it can serve as a strong résumé builder and be even more effective if it also produces the previously noted improvements in academic performance.