Work Experience

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello all</p>

<p>How does work experience certificates affect the application for undergraduates to not the Ivy league ( keep them away ) but other internationally recognized universities such as , Saint Louis, Michigan .. etc</p>

<p>Would this look good ? I have the following</p>

<p>Worked for 2 months as data processor, 2 months as receptionist, 3 months as dental assistant at a clinic + 3 months as a secretary ( in the past three years)</p>

<ul>
<li>many volunteers at the hospital and infirmary and orphanage</li>
</ul>

<p>Thanks alot .. please tell me are they ok ? or just look minimun towards other thinkgs i should do</p>

2

<p>Oh people </p>

<p>I guess its a very important inquiry for many people</p>

<p>Just wanna know ... if this work experience thingy plays a vital role in the admission </p>

<p>need you advice</p>

3

<p>Yeah I have wondered the same thing & haven't got much info. I do a lot of volunteering but I also work at the basic ol' McDonald's 10-15 hrs a wk during the yr & 20-25 during the summer.</p>

<p>I think this should mean something even if it is seen only as a time consuming activity. =/</p>

<p>Maybe someone can help both of us?</p>

4

<p>yeah stambliark </p>

<p>No help .. people are bust with there packages , hope and wish them the best </p>

<p>But how about us .. poor we .. asking about little things trying to reach a world much higher than our tier</p>

<p>Please people help us with this simple Q !</p>

5

<p>??????? why so ? no replies !!</p>

6

<p>lol you talk (write) funny... "poor we" and "why so?" lmao...ok anyways work experience is viewed as an EC an can actually be worth more if it was "educational" and "valuable".</p>

7

<p>Blackbeltcdjunkie
thank you</p>

<p>can u please clarify it more n give me examples</p>

8

<p>Well...according to "A is For Admission", a book written by a former Dean of Admissions at Dartmouth, work experience can be seen in many ways. The first, and most beneficial, is when a student is forced to work to support his family, but still earns good grade. This type of student usually gets the socio-economic factor as a hook.
On the other side, a Job can be viewed in the exact same light as a EC, because it shows commitment. If you hold a leadership position in the job, it is equivilent (if not better, probably better) than a leadership position in an EC.</p>

9

<p>Wow blackbelt ... thanks for all of that</p>

<p>but hwat you mean but get the soci-econimic like a hook ??</p>

<p>Can you please explain it ? thanks alot again
you dont know how this info is helpful for me</p>

10

<p>Well, socio-economic factors basically have to do with your income level. The example I gave of the student who is forced to work a lot of hours a week was meant to imply that he is not from a "well-off" family (which is a nice way of saying he is poor). Despite his economic problems, he gets good grades. This will give him a "hook" in the admissions process, because colleges (top-tier, specifically) see it this way: a student from a poorer family has had less opportunities (SAT prep, overseas volunteer work, etc) than a student from a wealthy family. The fact that he is forced to work to support his family will make the admissions officers (most of the time) see his application more...whats the word...sympathetically. I hope this helps...I basically explained what I learned from the few books that I read.</p>

11

<p>Work experience is good, but you should commit to a job. Looks like you jumped off the boat each job after two-three months.</p>

12

<p>NO airforce, i have been involved in those jobs for 4 years .. i did them during the summer holiday thats why they look seperate or scattered, but am not allowed to do the same job each summer</p>

<p>Would this look bad in my application , would it indicate that am not focused ??</p>

13

<p>no it looks great, i thought that was over the year, not just summer</p>

<p>Good work</p>

14

<p>1 1/2 yrs @ fast food = good?</p>

15

<p>Its better than no work.</p>

<p>My question to you is why did you choose to work in a fast food joint.
Your answer to this question can possibly make for a great essay depending on location, family, etc.</p>

<p>I would also say some fast food places are respected such as In and Out.</p>

16

<p>Fast food? sorry but how is this related to our inquiry ?</p>

<p>Do you mean that i have to work in a fast food restaurant ?</p>

<p>??? </p>

<p>K another thing</p>

<p>what if i have great SATs .. many volunteer hours , work experiences and a school GPA of 3.9 (w)
+ 2 nuclear or chemistry projects.</p>

<p>BUT ..</p>

<p>nothing to show talents like music or sports ?</p>

<p>what are my chances when applying to least known universities for full tuition scholarship as an international student ?</p>

<p>Do i have to share in sports ?</p>

17

<p>At one of my college interviews the woman was very interested and impressed at my job experience. I had the owner of my place of work(and a whole chain of them) write me a letter for my portfolio and said that she had never considered hiring such a young woman but when she went to her staff for advice on who to hire for the new location my name was thrown in as a highly recommended individual. I had been a loyal member of the gym for years and was hired as a "personal fitness consultant"... I work there all summer and then 8-12hrs a week throughout the year. </p>

<p>I think that job is just like any EC... it doesn't justify low grades or an absence of other ECs though. I maintain my position in the top 5 in the class and leader of other school related ECs but my job is very flexible and works with me. </p>

<p>Overall... I don't think it can hurt you in college admissions and it's always great to have cash on hand.</p>