Working 35 hours per week can atone for slacking off?

Applying to College
1

<p>I'm working in a lab as a clerk this year. I work 35 hours per week since I come from a low income family so I need the money. Can this tell the adcom that I have to work so that I don't have adequate time to do my hw and stuffs like that?</p>

<p>As you can check the time now, it's 1:05AM and I'm still struggling with my AP Bio lab write-up. My grades for the first quarter is 3.5 uw and 3.7w with a considerably insane schedule (AP Bio, AP Chem, AP Calc BC, AP Psych, English 11, USHistory, USGov)
I'm not a native speaker so all the reading takes longer than expected</p>

<p>Last year was 4.0 with easier classes and no job. It is indeed a big drop in grades.</p>

<p>Also, I live in my uncle's house and the school I was assigned is really rich but actually I and my parents don't have much money. Will that looks as if I'm lying?</p>

2

<p>Um, 35 hours is a lot of time, and I don't know of very many people who have to spend time on something necessary like that. I don't see why not. I'd have your guidance counselor explain it in his/her rec...</p>

3

<p>i work 40 hours a week, for mostly the same reasons as yours, so i understand what its like. its tough.</p>

4

<p>Aren't there any child labor laws that prevent high school students from being able to work full-time? I know they exist in some states, but I never worked during the school year.</p>

5

<p>You should definitely state in your application that you work 35 hours per week and why (not just so you can drive a fancy car). You're taking a tough courseload and carrying good grades, I'm impressed that you can do that with a 35 hour per week job! I bet adcoms would be, too!</p>

6

<p>dukeclassof09: the limit of part time is 40hrs max. the employer cannot make the part time employees to work more than 40hrs.</p>

7

<p>do i just state that in the activity list or in additional information or in essay or do I talk to my counselor and make her write something about the job for me?</p>

8

<p>Some schools have their own sections where you can include a job where you've worked. If they don't, you could add it in the activities section and make sure you include the hours (they will understand if you write 35 hrs/week that you are giving up time you could be using to work on schoolwork with a valid reason).</p>

9

<p>^ That's the reason why the OP's accomplishments are that much more important.</p>

<p>It's not easy to hold a job and do school, and admissions committees understand this.</p>