<p>I'm currently a sophomore aiming for Penn (CAS most likely). Visited the campus and wanted to live there immediately...it was unbelievable. </p>
<p>My EC's are below; can you give me any pointers as to how I can develop them? Passion cannot be faked, but I'm looking for some knowledgeable CCers to share their insights on expanding EC involvement. Thanks a million!</p>
<p>--> Part-time job - Cashier
I need this job for the money, but it takes up a LOT of my time. I'm there afterschool til 8pm, Monday-Friday.</p>
<p>--> DECA - School Co-President
Planning and coordinating DECA events take up the rest of my free time, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. </p>
<p>--> Piano
Nothing special. I don't have a piano teacher, but I currently play for a local choir. I need this job for the money as well.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for reading all this. I'd really appreciate any feedback on how I can improve.</p>
<p>Good news: At least you have a few EC’s established. However, I’m not sure if the cashier would count as an EC, because that technically counts as a job. No worries though, there’s a space where you can list that in your college applications.</p>
<p>I would join 2-3 clubs that you’re passionate about (clubs in your school should be doing recruitment drives at this time of the year), and work towards cabinet/officer positions by junior and senior year. Also, look for 1-2 outside activities to do (like volunteering, internships, etc). But do note that juggling too many of these activities will do you more harm than good. Pick and choose carefully.</p>
<p>Hint: Join clubs and outside activities that relates most to your major that you want to pursue, or want to apply as (to college). =)</p>
<p>Right there, you have a hobby (piano), an EC (DECA), and two jobs (cashier and piano). If these activities take up all of your free time, you really have nothing to worry about. As Unconfidential said, your job is a valuable activity. Lots of people get into top schools with a job and maybe one or two other activities. Just keep doing what you’re doing. And ignore WillDaSnail; you clearly don’t have time for clubs.</p>
<p>Do you NEED that job for money (as in, to pay for your living expenses or car insurance and whatnot) or do you just WANT the money to have more spending cash? Will your need for the job be reflected in your FAFSA (are your parents low-income)? </p>
<p>If it is the former, you need the job to support your family and to pay for your essentials, then make sure that’s clear to the admissions department in some piece of your application. If it is the latter, consider cutting down hours to develop a passion or to demonstrate more that you’ll contribute to a college environment. </p>
<p>However, understand, that Penn is an Ivy League school; there will be a lot of students who had to work to support a family AND accomplished amazing things outside of their job. While and adcom will understand students come from different background, don’t use it as an excuse to not achieve to your greatest potential.</p>
<p>OP, having such a time-consuming job is a big plus, and adcoms will understand that you don’t have the time to join twelve useless school clubs because of your job. The fact that you have such a significant role in DECA as a sophomore on top of a time-intensive job is really remarkable. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend joining any more activities. Instead, devote yourself to those you have. Can you work your way up to a management position at your job? Can you win awards in DECA? What can you do to make DECA a bigger deal at your school (recruitment drives, fundraisers, etc)? </p>
<p>Other than that, you should keep up with your grades. Make sure you impress teachers who you want to write your recs in a few years. And study for your SATs and SAT IIs–all the ECs in the world can’t make up for paltry scores.</p>
<p>Having a job, any job, is a plus. Working as much as you do counts as much as would a strong EC. Holding a steady job requires more maturity and responsibility than do most ECs, even most top officer positions in ECs.</p>
<p>Thank you for your insights, everyone Hopefully I will be able to come back to CC a couple years from now and help out other less knowledgeable CCers too!</p>
<p>WillDaSnail: If I haven’t decided a potential major yet, should I just stick to what I have right now? I love music (piano) and marketing (DECA), but I don’t think I’ll choose either as my major.</p>
<p>glassesarechic and Northstarmom: My cashier job is just what it is–being a cashier. It’s not particularly challenging (in contrast to something like Science Olympiad or Academic Decathlon…activities that my peers have the time to pursue) but I enjoy being able to communicate with customers. Would holding this kind of job still be considered a decent activity? Like Tyler09 pointed out, I don’t want to use my job as an excuse for not having amazing ECs. But on the other hand, I don’t have time to be thoroughly involved with other things even if I need to increase my activities.</p>
<p>Would the job still mean something if it wasn’t challenging or educational? I have friends who work in Congressional offices and intern at marketing companies (unpaid, or small stipend). Doesn’t a menial job like a cashier pale in comparison?</p>
<p>“glassesarechic and Northstarmom: My cashier job is just what it is–being a cashier. It’s not particularly challenging (in contrast to something like Science Olympiad or Academic Decathlon…activities that my peers have the time to pursue) but I enjoy being able to communicate with customers. Would holding this kind of job still be considered a decent activity?”</p>
<p>Yes, it still is the equivalent of a strong EC. Having a menial job is far more impressive than those so-called “internships” that are cushy jobs that well connected high school students get with relatives and family friends, and obtain because their parents have pulled strings.</p>
<p>The kind of job that you have requires maturity, responsibility, honesty, and good social skills. Your willingness to work it reflects a strong work ethic and a healthy independence from your parents. Admissions officers know this, and consequently value it when applicants have worked such jobs.</p>
<p>You’re probably also learning far more about the world and yourself by being a cashier than if you were involved in a school club. Could be an interesting topic for your essay.</p>
<p>BTW, I worked as a cashier the summer before senior year in h.s., and I worked 20 hours a week as a cashier during senior year, and I got into Harvard and Brown. :)</p>
<p>I agree with Northstarmom. My son learned more about the real world, and gained more maturity, money, and people sense, in his year-and-a-half half-time job on the Best Buy Geek Squad than he did in any of his high school ECs. He did have to drop the ECs he had been involved in earlier in high school; there just wasn’t time to hold down the job, do well in a demanding bunch of courses, and still be on a bunch of sports teams. But setting priorities is part of life and growing up. </p>
<p>My nephew worked in a grocery store and then as a pizza delivery man, and wrote an entertaining college essay about the latter job. </p>
<p>Both kids saved some money for college and got into fine schools.</p>
Hopefully I will be able to come back to CC a couple years from now and help out other less knowledgeable CCers too!</p>