QUESTION: I am a senior who has volunteered as an art teacher for about 200 hours each summer for the past five years but who doesn't volunteer during the school year. Is this less acceptable to colleges than spreading volunteer time out over several months? Signed, Artsy One

Dear Artsy One: In general the answer is no. Obviously, you have more time during the summer. Your volunteer work is fairly demanding, which probably makes it difficult to do during the school year. And by the number of hours that you have committed, it's apparent that you are dedicated to your volunteer work.

Your challenge is not the fact that your volunteer work is concentrated in summer but that you need to tie this activity into a larger picture of who you are. We guess that you are probably artistically gifted and your volunteer work is just one way in which you share this talent with others. Perhaps you are thinking about studying art in college.

Remember that colleges want to see where your passions lie. Since art seems to be your passion, you'll need to demonstrate how you have excelled in it. Use your application, recommendations and possibly your essays to create for the admission committee a complete picture of this part of your life. Explain what you've accomplished, where your motivation has come from and what you plan to do in the field in the future.

For more specific strategies on applications, recommendations and essays, review Chapters 3 to 5 in "Get Into Any College."

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