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I think the issue becomes when a high school student has worked so much he/she hasn't had time for much else to pad their resume with. Other types of achievements or activities. Admissions committees seem more impressed with students who travel during the summer or did a semester abroad as a Foreign Exchange Student, which are things that someone who needs to work, really can't do. But this is what someone on a college admissions board told me and said traveling was more impressive and dismissed the fact that not everyone can afford to do this.
Depends on the context. If you were say working to support the family and maintaining good grades then depending on the admissions process it could be looked at in an admirable way. If the admissions process requires say an essay or interview to get into a particular program. IF however you're spoiled financially already and just working so your parents can somehow prove a point or get you out of the house, etc.... then IMO it's not as admirable because you're acquiring something tangible (as well as non-tangible yes) from your efforts. Where as playing two sports and being in a service club of some kid where you are giving back rather than taking could play against a students favor.
I think the issue becomes when a high school student has worked so much he/she hasn't had time for much else to pad their resume with. Other types of achievements or activities. Admissions committees seem more impressed with students who travel during the summer or did a semester abroad as a Foreign Exchange Student, which are things that someone who needs to work, really can't do. But this is what someone on a college admissions board told me and said traveling was more impressive and dismissed the fact that not everyone can afford to do this.
Well, I would say it depends on the school, and their priorities for admission. Plenty of schools, including top public and private universities, are interested in recruiting students in great financial need, as part of their "diversity" profile. They do view favorably a student, who spent high school years working in order to save for college.
Some of those students qualify for admission under a special "Education Opportunity Program", or some such. A student can explain the situation in the essay portion of the college application, waxing philosophical about how the experience of working through HS prepared them for hard work and success, both in college and afterwards, the employment world and career, blah blah.
I would also suggest, that a school that didn't want such students, preferring kids who could bum around Europe or Asia, or wherever, all summer, or participate in a foreign exchange program, would be a school your student wouldn't want to attend, anyway. It wouldn't be a good fit.
And btw, not all students who participate in those foreign exchange programs, have a positive experience, or are even capable of writing about it in terms of a learning experience. A girl in my class was placed with an Indonesian family, that lived in a bamboo house on stilts out in the middle of a rice paddy, without running water or electricity. She hated it. She had nothing good to say about her experience. She felt it was a waste of time, and of an academic semester.
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If you're applying for a scholarship, and can demonstrate that your family struggles economically and you had to work to help out, that gives you a BIG leg up against people applying for a scholarship who didn't contribute to their family's budget.
So maybe it doesn't help with admissions, but helps tremendously with scholarship committees.
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Depends on the context. and the school / major
Running an international business with employees (during HS) ...has helped many in our homeschool group get good college placement.
There are also a lot of NGO / international and community volunteer roles that can be done in HS.
We did a few 4-6wk international mission trips / yr during JR Hi and HS yrs.
Was most favorable to our kid's 'perspective' of living life as a minority / less endowed member of society..
Having skilled trade / apprenticeship experience on a College application indicates a level of commitment / learning that some programs will consider of valuable.
Community service seems to bring the most bang for the time / energy spent, because college entrance staff is very 'conventionally' programmed and makes it EZ to compare applicants. They are not too used to HS kids taking jobs to support their families... nor do they consider that of the value it is to developing responsibility / leadership.
If you're applying for a scholarship, and can demonstrate that your family struggles economically and you had to work to help out, that gives you a BIG leg up against people applying for a scholarship who didn't contribute to their family's budget.
So maybe it doesn't help with admissions, but helps tremendously with scholarship committees.
How would you demonstrate that you had to work to help out your family economically? The only way you could do it is to describe the situation in a college essay. A college looking to award a financial need scholarship is looking at the need calculated on the FASFA, and the school's additional financial aid form, if they have one.
Saying you worked a part-time job means about the same as saying you were a member of the track team.
In general, they don't care about jobs at all. It's nice but it comes way down on the list, after class rigor, grades, test scores, recommendations, essays and even extracurriculars.
The job only matters if it's something that helps illustrate a special charateristic or circumstance. Did you start your own company? They care. Are you working unusually long hours to help support your family while still maintaining great grades? They care. Is the job directly related to your aspirations (like working in a lab when you want to be a scientist)? Let them know. Did you have an unusual responsibility for someone your age, like designing lesson plans at a summer camp? Inform them.
Otherwise it won't make much difference. Certainly put it down but don't expect it to play a major factor in whether a kid is accepted or not.
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