<p>Hey all-just wanted to pop in and ask a quick question thats been bothering me for a bit now. </p>
<p>During high school, I was your typical ambitious (to some degree) student, being president/co-president of two clubs, doing various extra-curricular activities such as Mock Trial, working on the school webpage, volunteering at my local library as a computer technician, starting to teach little kids once I got my third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, being active in the church youth group, playing cello, etc etc. My high school resume was filled with various awards and notices stemming from my commitments to Cello and Tae Kwon Do. I even had two Presidential awards :O (don't ask me how or why I got them because to be honest I have no clue). </p>
<p>That all changed once I graduated though. Although I had been accepted into UC Davis, Santa Barbara, and Riverside, unfortunately, none had an outstanding department for my major, and I had been turned down by the two major schools I had been reaching for-UC Irvine and UCLA. So I enrolled at my local community college and started taking classes. I was able to enroll in my school's Honors Transfer Program. Fortunately for me, I had already taken several community college courses over high school as well as a few AP classes (got 3's on all my exams :P). Some of my high school classes also fulfilled prerequisites for various classes I wanted to take at my CC. Around this time my family had moved and I resumed helping my Mom out at her restaurant to help her out and make ends meet. I had done so before over various summers, but now its something more "long-term".</p>
<p>Getting to the point, here is my question: Are the UC's (and various privates-applying to Loyola, USC, and maybe some out of states) going to look down on me for essentially cutting ties with my involvement with the E.C activities I had during high school? I mean, as great as they were, I became a bit burned out on all those activities, and truth be told I can't imagine having a job, attending classes AND managing to find time for doing club activity at school. I mean, isn't holding down a long-term job displaying a level of responsibility? Any comments would really help ease my mind. :O</p>
<p>First, are you a business/economics major? if so, continue</p>
<p>Do you have a leadership role? Do you manage any employees? Do you manage any of the budgets? Do you mantain any relationships with the suppliers? Do you contribute to or manage any marketing and advertising strategies? Are you trying to maximize profitability? Are you looking for costs to cut? Are you getting feedback from consumers?</p>
<p>All of these questions are something that should be answered in your application. From what UCLA adcoms told me, if you're a business/econ major and you work. The work must convey an importance in your life. Otherwise, it would be best to join a lot of extra ciriculars. Work can be an EC but you have to show that it is. Talk about how it has prepared you as a business major and the opportunities you have while working with your mother.</p>
<p>Flipping burgers to help your parents pay rent isn't a sob enough story. The kid with the single mother that has cancer and two younger siblings in high school deserves the spot more than some kid that is doing to help mom/dad continue payments on the 800,000 house in the suburbs of huntington beach. Not trying to be nasty but hoping that it helps you understand my reasoning.</p>
<p>Are you doing it because your parents can't afford to pay the rent in the increasing cost of living market? Is it because of that or is it because they want the extra money to pay the morgage? Morgage payments don't change if you bought the house pre-housing boom unless you refinanced or have a variable rate.</p>
<p>To answer you question, "Is it bad?"
No its not bad, people grow up. People need money. People need experience. blah blah blah. All you need to do is justify your reason for choosing to work over ECs. And don't include money. Because there are many applicants that are willing to do it for the money. But very few that are willing to do it for themselves and the community around them.</p>
<p>To answer your question, no I'm not a business/econ major-I'm going for English, thinking of going into Journalism after I graduate. </p>
<p>To sum up what I do at the restaurant, I handle the money and pretty much any oddjob-the budget, what needs to be bought week in, week out, go out and distribute flyers, delivering food, working the main cashier, cleaning the tables after the customers leave, and working on advertising and community ties, such as neighborhood block parties or setting up at the city marathon thats held every year here. I can't say I'm working because we are absolutely destitute and I am needed to help pay the rent, because we are not. We just bought a house, and my parents have steady jobs-we're your run of the mill middle Korean-American family. </p>
<p>I'm not doing it for money, because I'm not getting paid anything. I'm doing it simply because my Mom needs the help, and I'm available, so why not. But yeah, I guess I can perhaps sign up for a club or two I'm interested in, and I suppose on my off-day I could volunteer at some school functions should they need me.</p>
<p>dtiger... your life seem so similar to mine...</p>
<p>Taekwondo, church, cello, restaurant.. even the work you did... distributing fliers, cashier, busser, making ads, etc.... so similar it's as if it's an exact replica of my high school life.</p>
<p>dtiger, stick to the restaurant work. UCs love students who help out family. Kids these days are so selfish that they spend so little time with family and instaed choose to go out and do whatever THEY want to do. UCs would love to see an applicant who spare so much of his time to help out the family. Please continue.</p>
<p>dtiger: Since you're not paid, that's a good hook(its like an unpaid internship). What have you helped achieve? Any drastic increases in profitability? Does setting up marketing tactics allow you to utilize your english skills? Such as signage or flyer headlines and context. You can use your english skills to manipulate positively, are you doing that?</p>
<p>I use what I learn well enough-I usually have to negotiate with wholesalers on prices and things like that, and I have to try and make customers feel welcome. The only major changes I've helped accomplish have mostly been with advertising, finding new customers and helping them out with their orders. It probably has nothing to do with me, but I've noticed that ever since I've started working there, profits have gone up gradually. Anyways, thanks for the help guys.</p>