The University of Chicago received an anonymous $100 million gift from a College alumnus this week. Chicago will use the funds to increase undergraduate financial aid. "For those students whose annual family income is less than $60,000, the loans could be replaced entirely by grants, and for families whose income is between $60,000 and $75,000, the loans could be cut in half."

It's spring, and many of you are turning your attention to fall applications. For those of you not burdened with test prep and boosting GPAs, take time to examine your community service. At most top programs, community service is virtually a requirement.

First let's discuss what "community service" is and isn't. I define it as:

"Active participation in and assumption of responsibility for your community."

That is an intentionally broad definition that includes taking an active role in sports teams, professional organizations, alumni groups, churches, literacy programs, political campaigns, environmental causes, fund raising for immigrant assistance groups ... whatever you define as your community. Community service almost always does and should reflect your values and priorities.

The operative phrases in the definition are "active" and "responsibility." Writing checks is not enough. And helping your elderly neighbor occasionally makes you a nice person, but doesn't mean you are taking responsibility for your community. Community service requires commitment.

So why is community service important?

1. It provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate attributes that young applicants frequently can't reveal in the classroom or in their jobs: leadership, initiative, interpersonal skills, and the ability to handle responsibility. It expresses your willingness to contribute.
2. To adcoms a history of activism and participation suggests you will be an active student and alum. That's the kind of impression you want to make.
   
3. It indicates breadth and well-roundedness.

At the most competitive schools, community service and extra-curricular activities frequently make the difference between who is accepted and rejected among otherwise competitive applicants. If you have been involved in community service, great. Keep up the good work. If you haven't, find an activity, cause, or organization that you would like to contribute to. And then be consistently and actively involved so that you will have a commitment to write about other than school and work. You may even find that you enjoy it.

Accepted is offering a 10% discount to early-bird medical school applicants through May 31, 2007. Yikes! That's tomorrow. If you want expert guidance as you write your AMCAS essay and you want to save money, then purchase Accepted's medical school admissions consulting and editing online today or tomorrow.

 A couple of noteworthy items:

• The Wall St. Journal has an insightful article in its MBA Track column on Stanford GSB's Leadership Program.
  
• Businessweek just published an article entitled online "A Booming Business in MBA Coaches" and in the magazine version "'It's Almost Like...Admitting an Impostor.'"  Stacy Blackman has published a thoughtful reaction to that article in "The 'Business' of MBA Admissions Consulting." The BW article, for all its negative sensationalism, highlights the value  consultants bring to their clients by helping the applicants highlight their talents and strengths. Admissions committees can then look beyond the numbers to the applicant. Are there coaches who cross the line? Unfortunately, yes. But there are also admission offices (check out the financial aid scandal), MBAs, and even directors of admission whose moral compasses are broken. Individuals who act without integrity neither negate the value of their service when ethically provided nor damn the entire profession. Stacy Blackman in her post looks to the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants ("AIGAC")  to differentiate between the bad apples and the top professionals in this young, rapidly growing field. To quote her:

Last week I received a call from a father inquiring about our services for applicants applying to medical school. I started to explain the different options and he interrupted me. Here is our dialogue:

Father: Wait. Before you continue. Can you explain to me why applicants who have GPA's in the high 3's and MCATs in the mid- to high-30's get rejected? A number of our friends' children with great stats were rejected. Why?

Me: Did they have clinical exposure?

Silence

Father: But they had great research! My daughter has done clinical research in a cardiology lab and in other research settings.

Me:  Did she interact with patients?

Father: She observed open-heart surgeries.

Me: Then she couldn't have interacted with patients. They were sedated. She needs to have clinical exposure.

And so do you if you are applying to medical school. The just posted SUNY Medical chat transcript with Jennifer Welch illustrates this point.  Here is an excerpt:

Linda Abraham (May 17, 2007 8:04:47 PM)
Is not having research experience fatal to one's application at SUNY Upstate?

JenniferWelchUpstate (May 17, 2007 8:05:22 PM)
Not having research experience is not fatal at Upstate - we want students to do research if they enjoy it, not because they think they have to

Linda Abraham (May 17, 2007 8:06:12 PM)

What about a lack of clinical volunteer work?

JenniferWelchUpstate (May 17, 2007 8:06:28 PM)
Lack of clinical volunteer work can kill an application - it is necessary.

 I can't say it any better. Lack of clinical exposure is a med school application killer. Make sure you have it.