<p>I've already applied to colleges for Fall 2011, but I was wondering if it's true that work experience and volunteer work is not as highly valued as extra-curricular activities? On collegeboard, I noticed that two of my colleges I applied to (University of Chicago and Barnard) listed Extracurricular Activities as more important than Work experience and Volunteer work. For instance, Barnard listed Extracurriculars as "Very important admission factors", Volunteer work as "important admission factor", and work experience as merely "considered." My work experience (and I guess my volunteer work too) is probably the most unique part of my application, and I'm wondering if this will hurt me. I have already been accepted to UCLA, but I know they are very number driven and it is not necessarily an indicator of getting into more selective colleges like Chicago.</p>
<p>My work experience is an Instructor at Kumon Learning Center (2 1/2 years) and an agency-represented runway and fashion model (3 years.) I also have decent volunteer work (Volunteer at NHA Tutoring Center and co-founder of a benefit concert that raised over $2000 for cancer research.) On the other hand, my ECs are weak except for Orchestra (Concertmaster and President) and Chamber Orchestra (Co-Founder.)</p>
<p>Am I totally over-analyzing this? I'm sorry about this long post. I'm a stressed out senior and I got crappy financial aid to UCLA, so I'm really relying on getting into a college like UChicago that offers better aid.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t necessarily say that work experience is less valuable. If your experience is interesting and you can tie it into who you are, then it could help you just as much. I’ve heard some adcoms say that work experience is among the best things you could put on your app, so it really depends.</p>
<p>In a way, work experience and volunteer work are “extracurricular,” as things that you do out of school that aren’t just for leisure. Volunteer work probably doesn’t make a huge difference since most people have a lot of it.</p>
<p>Thanks guys.
And you’re totally right T26E4…what happens, happens.
I was just feeling a bit freaked out last night…haha.
I’m going to get off college confidential and errrrr go have fun by completing some scholarships, practicing the fiddle, and maybe doing a little ap macro homework. (lol)</p>
<p>^ yeah you gotta get off for a bit ahaha. but just to ease your worries, your preconceptions are false. keep in mind that selective colleges like the ivies and uchicago are looking to mold a whole class. You’re right, public service is very popular, but most people (99%) just put one or two activities taht look like they did it for the sake of it. if you really make it a center of your application, it will stand out and that will be your “specialty”.</p>
<p>i know this because its a center of my application ahahaha. good luck</p>
<p>Work experience and volunteer work are types of ECs.</p>
<p>What they really mean is that they care a lot about your ECs, and you definitely need those. Volunteer work is something they’d like to see, but isn’t required. Work experience is an EC, and will be considered as such, but they’re not going to reject you for not having any.</p>
<p>Work experience and volunteer work just help to bolster your ECs.</p>