<p>Hi, I am a Senior and will be applying for admission to several top universities this fall.</p>
<p>I am curious as to whether not having any paid work experience will hurt you in the application. I have a significant number of quality extra-curricular activities and I have worked several hundred hours of community service. </p>
<p>Should I take a quick summer job? Will this really hurt my chances?</p>
<p>Just as a quick side note.</p>
<p>SAT: 2370 (new) 1600 (old)
GPA: 4.0 uw (Rank 1/140)
APs: 10 Examinations, Score of 5 on each</p>
<p>I can also post my extracurriculars if that would help.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Also, on the Common Application, does work experience mean only paid work?</p>
<p>No, you don't need a job and it won't hurt your chances (I've asked this question to my college friends).</p>
<p>A. Colleges know that not everyone has the time to spend time on a job and if you already spend time on other extracurriculars, it shows you are dedicated to something else
B. You probably won't be able to find a quick summer job</p>
<p>By your question, "does work experience mean only paid work", you can write down an internship, but if you are planning to write down your volunteering and where you volunteered, Ex. Position: Nursing Home Volunteer, Place: Hexa Rehab Center</p>
<p>That would be a no...since you are volunteering.</p>
<p>I disagree, just about any college book that you read concerning the admission's process looks down upon kids of privilege who have never had to work a day in their life, despite grades or test scores. Take for example the infamous story of a former Harvard admission officer. Upon a mother asking him what research, mission trip, or school her daughter should do doing the summer, the officer says "cut grass"</p>
<p>uh, i'm not sure about that 1MX. if your extracurricular life is too busy for a job, then what can you do. By the way, I'm a rising sophomore at Harvard and when I applied I had never worked a day in my life. and i guess you can say that i'm from a priviledged background</p>
<p>hotpiece - You are a rising sophomore at Harvard? Have you studied the capitalization rules for "I" yet? Check your spelling of "priviledged." By all means, work on your sentence structure!</p>
<p>kollegekid, yes i am a rising sophomore at harvard and i'm not really sure why you are nitpicking at my post, it's not about the sentence structure, spelling, or capitalization, it's about the content. if you wanna be an english nazi that is completely fine with me. you do you and i'll do me and the world will be happy. because at the end of the day, my spelling and grammar on this forum are of little consequence to my everyday life. but thanks for your consideration.</p>
<p>It's not a problem if you never worked, but make sure that you're keeping yourself busy over the summer. If you still have time for a summer job, you might be in a bit of trouble. If you're actually quite busy and just think you can somehow fit in a job, you're wrong about that but you have little to worry about.</p>
<p>Nice scores too! You'll be beating me out in my reach schools for sure. :p</p>
<p>Depending on family finance/individual circumstances, majority of students may not have significant paid work experience. It is not held against you if you have a strong application and it looks like you do indeed.</p>
<p>1MX's got some kind of online solicition part-time business going on the side plus being a high school student, and thinks everyone should be like him. Take that under consideration. As for the "cut grass" story, I wouldn't make judgment based on an abrupt, one line reply without knowing the context of that conversation and meeting, and what was on the mind of said former admit officer (which is to say, impossible ) at the time.</p>
<p>^why does everyone feel like their little anecdotes are helpful. Yes, there are people who have worked and who have not had a job who attend top schools. This is an obvious fact, and as such these little stories really aren't informative. Is work experience a necessity for admissions to top schools...of course not, but it sure doesn't hurt. If you're from a wealthy family though and have never worked, it's not unlikely the admissions officers will view you as priviliged and maybe spoiled. (and you probably are :))</p>
<p>there really is no way for an admissions officer to know your family's financial situation... the financial aid department and the admissions department are two separate entities, at least at need blind schools.</p>
<p>Some one here at CC told me that the Comm Application has a section for parent's occupation, is this right? So basically there is a way for an adcom to figure out your family financial position.</p>
<p>
[quote]
hotpiece - You are a rising sophomore at Harvard? Have you studied the capitalization rules for "I" yet? Check your spelling of "priviledged." By all means, work on your sentence structure!
<p>This is how I see it. Community service looks way better than working. Like myself, I don't work I mostly volunteer. It looks better because it shows that I'm willing to help the community for FREE. Hey it's not easy working hard without really getting anything out of it. That's my philosophy.</p>
<p>If you are short on cash a job over the summer won't cover much at all. It might cover books and necesities like that but it won't really make a contribution.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say it hurts your application. But having one definitely helps it becuase it shows that you dont rely on your parents for stuff. It shows your independence.</p>
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[quote]
This is how I see it. Community service looks way better than working. Like myself, I don't work I mostly volunteer. It looks better because it shows that I'm willing to help the community for FREE. Hey it's not easy working hard without really getting anything out of it. That's my philosophy.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I wouldn't say one looks better than the other: volunteering and working teach different skill sets/show different things about people (I've learned a LOT about responsibly, professionalism, having to put up with people I don't like, being accountable to a boss, what it means to really EARN your money, etc. from my summer job). Both can be valuable experiences and look good on a college application. OTOH, one shouldn't really do either JUST for college. </p>
<p>
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If you are short on cash a job over the summer won't cover much at all. It might cover books and necesities like that but it won't really make a contribution
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I have friends who earn upwards of 3,000 dollars a summer, which actually can be pretty significant.</p>
<p>Your stats are FANTASTIC. You need to stop stressing over little things such as work experience and how it looks to an admissions officer. This shouldn't be something to worry about.</p>