Is paid work experience necessary?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of California - GENERAL
1

Just wondering…
I haven’t done PAID work, since all of the work I’ve done has been unpaid/voluntary. As such, I wouldn’t be able to list anything under the Work Experience section (which asks specifically for paid work only) on the UC App… :frowning:
Would the UCs look down on this?

Has anyone here been accepted to UCLA or Berkeley without any paid work experience?

Thanks!

2

Paid work experience is not necessary to get into any UC but definitely helpful especially if it’s major related.

3

@Gumbymom Do the UC’s rank paid work over other types (volunteering, research)?

4

I do not believe that paid work would be favored over volunteering or research. For many applicants, the choice to do unpaid volunteer work or research is not an option over a paid job. One is not better than the other.