Community Service Is Not a Line Item In a time when college admissions can feel like a competition, it’s easy to think every activity needs to “look good” on an application. Community service often falls into that trap—reduced to logging hours or checking a requirement. The truth is, most colleges do not require community service. And the real value of service has very little to do with how it appears on a résumé. The true value is the impact on your community—and on you. Why

All right, juniors—summer is coming, and so is the time to start writing those college essays. Whether you're dreading it or excited to...