Cross-posted from the City Year Tumblog by Michael Messina.

Young people are increasingly psyched about giving back and making a difference.

Over the past year or so, interest in programs like City Year has skyrocketed. Applications to City Year tripled last year! That’s great news for all of us.

On the flip side, increased applications + limited slots = increased competition for those that want to serve.

That brings us to the point of this post…. the benefits of applying early to City Year.

Meet City Year corps member Bert Rivera! He’s 23 and a recent college grad from Chicago. He currently serves as team leader in a middle school in Los Angeles.

Last year, Bert submitted his application by the Nov. 30 deadline.

Check out his video to get his take on applying early to City Year.