Academic/Extracurricular Summer Plans: Tell me what you think!

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi guys,</p>

<p>I was really excited and started planning about going to Exeter/Cornell for their Summer school sessions. Unfortunately, my parents completely refused since they dont want me to travel some where as far as the US yet (Im from Saudi Arabia..although I'll be going out in a year or so's time, I dont know why I should not experience it now! by god's will ofcourse)</p>

<p>So instead, I looked at the best that I can do (within my parents' "stature of limitations" lol) so I came up with this list that should work out. Tell me what you think of it, and how unique is it compared to the rest of the 4.0, 2400 HYPMS applicants' EC's. I want to major in Industrial Engineering with a focus on economics and finance (graduate plans include an MBA + MFinancial engineering, want to get into Investment Banking)</p>

<p>2 weeks - Unpaid experience at a large corporation, assisting in their Technical & Industrial automation sales and technical services.</p>

<p>2 weeks - @ the largest Bank in the middle east, Sales & Trading, but if my gramp's connections are still there, I could probably just sit and watch the Investment Bankers do their thing. looks awesome on an app.
note: gramps was running the show until 1999, majority owners are his best friends. I dont think it will be a problem finding me a place. Family friend is a Senior VP there.</p>

<p>2 weeks - Citibank Indonesia, although if I can find a Sales&Trading position at this firm in the Saudi Arabia that would be better.</p>

<p>What do you think?</p>

2

<p>“, I could probably just sit and watch the Investment Bankers do their thing. looks awesome on an app.”</p>

<p>Actually, colleges are far more impressed by students who work menial jobs – babysitting, lawn care, fast food – than by students who --as a result of family connections – get positions sitting around and watching people work.</p>

<p>Colleges know that the type of positions you’re planning to do usually are do nothing jobs that are arranged easily through family connections. That’s why colleges are more impressed by students who worked the jobs I mentioned – which really do require hard work and typically are lined up totally by the students, not by their well connected families.</p>

3

<p>Well, what if it is because of my family connections, I could still do hard work. Infact, I think its much more “hard” and meaningful work than Fastfood or mowing lawns. The comment I made was a joke, since the Mergers&Acquisitions unit is high pace, Im only going to be a pain in the butt for them. Im going to be placed (more than likely) in the Sales & Trading unit (trading room/floor), as you can guess its high stress and lots of meaningful responsibility (in contrast to taking orders from a headset and getting the correct fry sizes).</p>

<p>I also find it kind of a paradox, where the colleges look down upon people who have summer (UNPAID) jobs at places like this, when they value development case students (celebrities, athletes, etc.) and donor legacy. Im doing a job many people dont have. Its like donor parents, not all of the applicants’ parents could donate $750k +.</p>

<p>…any other opinions? I want to know what YOU guys think!
BUMP</p>

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<p>btw: for the 2 weeks @ gramp’s company, I’ll be doing actual field work (factories, assembly line repair/solutions, installation etc.) the other things afterwards are desk jobs mostly (what interns usually do)</p>

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<p>To an extent I have to agree with Northstarmom. I’m not telling you to go out and get a job at your local fast food place instead, but there’s a lot you can learn from working a low-level customer service job that you certainly can’t learn because you were literally given an internship.</p>

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<p>THIS is the reason why some colleges like to see students who spent their summers working. A lot of people seem to think that working low-level customer service jobs is “easy” and not meaningful (see if the world goes around without any of those people). You really get a new perspective on life if you start work at standard customer service job. That’s what colleges like to see - students with prospective.</p>

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<p>Ditto the above. Working experience helps combat elitism and foster a sense of realism, as well as an appreciation for the people who bag your groceries and take your orders from a headset. </p>

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<p>They don’t look down on people with these experiences. They just want to see that you spent your time broadening your horizons instead of taking advantage of connections. They “value” developmental cases and legacy because colleges, too, have coffers to fill. It’s a lot easier to have one student donate a building than to try to collect the funds for that building from thousands of tuition fees.</p>

<p>I think that you have awesome options and that you should pursue them, but I think you could really stand to learn something about life through a real job.</p>

6

<p>What you’re doing is fine. However, don’t think it’s a slam dunk or will make you stand out for the elite colleges. Colleges know that sophisticated, well connected people line up activities like this for their kids to try to raise their kids’ chances for top colleges.</p>

<p>Since the colleges are particularly interested in self motivated, creative, assertive students who have the energy and passion to independently pursue their own passions, the colleges would be more impressed by students who work humble jobs that they find on their own or who create service opportunities in the communities where they live. </p>

<p>Colleges also know that in general, companies aren’t looking for high school students to be interns. True interns are people with the academic and other background to do work that puts them squarely on track to be permanently employed relatively soon. Normally, internships are highly competitive jobs that go to college juniors, seniors, and recent graduates. </p>

<p>Virtually all of the “internships” that people get in high school are jobs that arranged as will be yours – as favors for family friends or relatives. Otherwise, companies would have no reason to be spending the money and time (which is very valuable) working with people who otherwise would not be employable by the company, and would not have the background to be seriously considered for employment for several years.</p>

<p>As a person who worked as a cashier, and as a file clerk summers and during the school year when I was in high school and college, I can tell you that what you’ll be doing doesn’t compare to finding a job on one’s own and then having to work 40 hours a week – including evenings and weekends – for a stranger who’s really counting on one’s performance. </p>

<p>Many admission officers are people like me who did things like I did in college. We do know the difference between cushy summer job arrangements and real work. </p>

<p>An example of a student I interviewed: She was going to be the first person in her family to attend college. While in high school, she wanted a job to help pay for her to travel to France. She was a stellar French student, and wanted to travel abroad while in high school. So… went to the one convenience store in her neighborhood and tried to get a job. </p>

<p>They refused. She learned the name of the owner and then traveled 15 miles by bus to the other side of town (Detroit) to knock on the owner’s door and beg for a job. He hired her. She used her earnings to travel – alone – to France. She had a dream, and worked hard to attain it. She also learned a lot about business and people in general by doing an ordinary job in a convenience store, a job that she did for far longer than two weeks.</p>

<p>Again, it’s fine to do what you planned. It’s certainly would put you ahead of the students who did nothing but head to the beach and play video games. Just don’t assume that what you’re doing will be extremely impressive to top colleges.</p>

7

<p>" Im going to be placed (more than likely) in the Sales & Trading unit (trading room/floor), as you can guess its high stress and lots of meaningful responsibility (in contrast to taking orders from a headset and getting the correct fry sizes)."</p>

<p>I doubt that anyone in the sales and trading unit is going to spend a lot of time with you because time is money. I think you’ll probably be basically watching what’s going on, and you’ll have little – if any – responsibility. You’ll basically be watching people work. Because nothing will depend on you, no one will care whether you take long breaks or show up on time. That company isn’t going to put important business decisions in the hands of an inexperienced, uneducated teen.</p>

<p>Trust me: Getting orders right and working for fast food requires far more social and organizational skills, responsibility, and creativity than you – with your elitist perspective – are imagining. Bright young people who work such jobs end up getting to be supervisors, and that particularly impresses colleges, and adds to the social, business and organizational skill that those young people will use for the rest of their lives no matter what fields they end up going into.</p>

<p>I suggest that you read “Gifted Hands” --the autobiography of the great neurosurgeon Benjamin Carson (Yale grad, director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins) – and see how his experience as a teen working construction (because he, a first gen high school grad needed the money) – taught him people management skills that he continues to use.</p>

<p>"Tell me what you think of it, and how unique is it compared to the rest of the 4.0, 2400 HYPMS applicants’ EC’s. "</p>

<p>It’s typical of well off, highly connected students who’re applying to places like Ivies.</p>

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<p>Take a look at QuestBridge. Between the Match and regular decision, QuestBridge has a 60% acceptance rate at its partner schools, all of which are top colleges. All but a handful of those schools have general acceptance rates of less than 25%, many of them have dismal acceptances rates of 20% or lower. And yet those students get accepted at a rate of 60% or higher. Why? QuestBridge students create opportunities. They don’t and can’t depend on well-connected parents to hook them up with internships.</p>

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<p>I didn’t realize Ben Carson had an autobiography out! I will definitely pick that up.</p>