<p>Okay, first off, this is just a completely curious type question. Do you guys think that LA residents will get pity points this year for college admission? Will colleges look at a map of LA and check if you were in a hurricane affected area once you send in your college apps? I personally was not in an affected area, but there are so many people in shelters near me that I spent over a week working and volunteering to help them out…put me behind on college apps and all…great sense of satisfaction, but will I be dinged for helping suffering people?</p>
<p>No pity points, but you can probably score bonus points if you write a moving essay about the volunteer work you did (as long as you avoid being trite and develop a theme that shows a little insight and depth - think in terms of things you experienced and observed that go beyond “pity” into the realm of more complex issues of human reaction and interaction). And it won’t hurt any to tally the hours you spent and list them on the college app.</p>