<p>I know colleges LOVE students with jobs. Do colleges care whether you have a summer job VS a part time afterschool job during the schoolyear? If you quit that summer job, is that alright? Or is a job just a job; so the fact that you even have one AT ALL triumphs over everything else and is all that really matters?</p>
<p>I'm about to be a high school senior (12th grade) and I will be starting a job for the first time this summer. I want to become a rental assistant at the shop, which is part time anyway until about October. So, I could quit then or choose to continue. The thing is, I know senior year is going to be very busy with ACT/SAT in Sep/Oct as well as volunteering for clubs/meetings, not to mention my 5 APs.</p>
<p>Innnnn other words, which job is better? Summer vs. Part-time During School? should I quit my summer job in Oct??</p>
<p>As long as you spend your time doing something constructive, I don’t think schools care if you spend time on a paid job, an unpaid internship, school activities etc. I don’t see any reason (unless you need the money) to continue with a job if you don’t have the time for it, especially if it naturally ends in October. You can put on your application that you worked for the season and put which ran from the summer through October.</p>
<p>Jobs aren’t necessary. I don’t know if they love students with jobs particularly over something else you are committed to. They certainly don’t want a job to be at the expense of your academics especially if you don’t have to have one. A summer job is just fine. </p>
<p>@BrownParent The problem is, I don’t really have anything else I’m committed to lol. That’s why I thought about taking on the job. I quit orchestra this year after taking it up to 11th grade and most of the places I volunteer at are one-shot places, (the annual carnival, etc.) unless they’re required for my clubs (Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, NHS- even those usually have one-shot events!). But thank you! academics definitely come first for me and money is not really an issue right now, so it seems like working until October might be the better option.</p>
<p>Colleges don’t “prefer” one job over another – they are interested in whatever you do. You can have a job that focuses on your academic interests, or you can have a job just to make money. When my kids applied to college they listed their summer jobs: camp counselor, hostess, bus boy, waiter, dishwasher etc. </p>
<p>OK, I thought you were going to be so busy with school ECs, like you said. Well, not to get too picky about it, but you might look at the common data set for some colleges you are interested in. The CDS lists EC separate from jobs. I happen to have the stanford one open and you can see section C7, EC is Very Important vs. work experience which is Considered. It doesn’t mean this will make or break your application or anything.</p>
<p>@BrownParent Some college admissions officers have said that they don’t think a student should go throughout high school without a part time job. </p>
<p>Anything is fine really. I don’t think Stanford finds work experience important in the sense that a student needs to have a paying job related to their intended major. But I think it would be a plus in the EC column.</p>