<p>Hi,</p>
<p>My mum's a private tutor; for the last few years, I've been helping her teach for a couple of hours every weekend, and she's been paying me like an employer would. Would this count as work experience on the Common App?</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>It’s like “babysitting” is work experience. I guess you could put it down, but is she handing you cash or are you getting an official paycheck? That’s always been the cut-off line for me. If you get an official paycheck, it’s work experience. But I’m sure other people have swung it other ways.</p>
<p>Is it work experience if I have no salary, am employed, but receive per diem benefits?</p>
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<p>If you worked for money, it is work. Whether you got paid by check has nothing to do with anything. </p>
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<p>If they did not pay you a wage of some sort, it would not generally be considered work experience. So, for example, if you did research that payed directly for your room and board at a college that would be academic experience. If you did the exact same research for a group that paid you cash (which can then be used for any purpose you want (including paying for your room and board) that would be work experience on your CV. So the no-strings money is the difference.</p>
<p>I’m getting paid cash.</p>
<p>It doesn’t really matter most schools don’t check on whether you are getting paid or not they just see you have a job and if its a realistic thing then they will accept it without looking into it.</p>
<p>Ya I would definitely say that counts as work experience. I mean if you didn’t show up would for a session or two would you still get paid? I think that’s the question.</p>
<p>Its all how you phrase it. Tell them how many hours a week you worked, and leave off the part that your work for your mom. Just say that your are an assistant to a tutor. That sounds more like a real job to me, and I would put it down as work experience.</p>
<p>^You have to state your employer on the application. Wouldn’t it only be honest if I noted down my mum? (because I doubt I would’ve gotten a job like that easily with somebody who hadn’t been my mum).</p>
<p>Yeah, leave out the part saying you worked for your mom. 99.9% chance the college would NEVER check anyway. Colleges just take your word for it and that’s enough.</p>
<p>Just say that you worked for a private tutor. That is not a lie. Isn’t your mom a professional person? If by some weird fluke that ask for the name of the tutor, just say your mom’s name (ie Mrs. Jane Doe), not “my mom.”</p>