How do colleges verify my travel experience or service hours?
Colleges rarely request formal documentation for travel or service hours unless the program provides a certificate. Verification focuses on how you reflect the experience in essays and interviews, with emphasis on personal growth, insight, and authenticity over logged hours or destinations.
Travel can count more than extracurricular activities or clubs if it shows initiative, cultural awareness, or problem-solving tied to academic or personal goals. Admissions value depth and impact, so a week of immersive travel may outweigh a passive year in a low-engagement club.
Which travel skills should I mention in my college interview?
Mention travel skills like resilience, cross-cultural communication, adaptability, and independence in your college interview. Support each with a specific example that shows how the skill was tested or developed, demonstrating readiness for campus life and academic challenges.
How does travel prepare me for living in a college dorm?
Travel prepares you for college dorm life by teaching independence, time management, adaptability, and shared living skills. Navigating new places and adjusting to unfamiliar routines mirrors the challenges of dorm life, where autonomy and community coexist.
Is it better to travel or take an extra academic class over the summer?
Travel and summer classes both offer value, but in different ways. An academic class adds credentials and subject depth, while meaningful travel builds leadership, maturity, and cultural awareness. If travel aligns with academic goals or personal growth, it can be equally or more impactful than another class.
