I have collected for my Yeshiva for 4 years. Every year I have gone for about 6 days. I have made between $4000-$6500 every year in out-of-town communities. I have gone with one other bochur each time. A businessman would never give me that kind of money in 6 days.
I enjoyed it tremendously and it was a real positive experience. I was able to give so many different people the zchus of supporting my yeshiva. I have gotten from between 150-200 people each year. If I worked for one or 2 other businessmen then I would never have been able to give so many different people a zchus. When you meet with different people, you get to tell them all about your Yeshiva and they get to know much more about your Yeshiva. They also see the great impression that you have made on them and it makes the Yeshiva look good and they become very impressed with the Yeshiva.
The reason Yeshivos do it is either because a) the bochrim need to pay up their tuition b)to feel a sense of achrayus and hakaras hatov to their Yeshiva or c)for the chinuch of it.
It really shows you how people on the other side of the door feel. You get a new appreciation of what meshulachim and your rebbeim go through.
It is only 6 days, bochrim could be home in plenty of time before Pesach to help their mothers. They usually get off around Rosh Chodesh.
To the person who mentioned that gaavah is a problem when bochrim do well at fundraising, I apologize, that just doesn’t make any sense. Should a bochur not learn because it might lead to gaavah? Should he not help his mother, because maybe he’s helping his mother more than his siblings and other friends and it will lead to gaavah? Sorry, but gaavah is not an excuse for not doing a mitzvah.
I would just like to point out that I do not have any special people skills or good talents for fundraising.