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It's been over ten years since I was in HS, but I did work over the summers from my sophomore year through my graduation year. I was fortunate to have a particular type of outdoor education certification that helped me to get my foot in the door at a summer camp. The pay was awful, though. The first summer that I worked I earned $500 for 14 weeks. Looking back on it, I'm pretty sure that the pay was illegal as the organization met all criteria to be held to minimum wage requirements. I never worked during the school year because the hours my academic program required wouldn't allow for it. I arrived at 8 a.m., took classes until 3:15, attended required athletics until 5:30, and had more homework than I could usually finish before 11 p.m.
My father worked to pay for part of his college tuition while a relative helped him to pay the other portion. He also woke up early to deliver newspapers when he was in grade school. Because of the negative impacts that working outside of school had on his academics, he did not want me working while I was in school. I did, however, end up taking on tour guiding for my college's admission office for just a few hours per week.
We have 3 high school aged kids, 2 freshman that just turned 15 and a 17 year old senior. Our rule has been that you are either involved in activities/sports or you get a job. Around here it is almost impossible to get a job before 16 and even then you have to know someone that knows someone. If you go to Target or the fast food places where teens typically work, the jobs are filled with 40+ year old people. Our senior has been doing after school care for a family in town all school year and that has been perfect, our twins are involved in activities and sports so they don't have time to find a job right now. Our senior will be working about 50 hours/week this summer at the local amusement park though.
I would say that the majority of the kids here have summer jobs and work a few hours/week during the school year-around sports, etc. Most of the employers here are pretty easy to work with for school schedules, etc.
A question. Why does EC and volunteer time count more to universities than hard work at an after school job? Why does someone whose parents can afford to support their child's EC, volunteer time, the kid's vehicle, and the kid's insurance get preference over those who have to work to help make ends meet? My parents didn't have the time or money to shuttle me from place to place nor the money to cover a car for me unless I worked for the money to pay the gas and insurance myself. I worked over 6 months before I could get a car on the road. They agreed to pick me up and drop me off until I saved enough money and then the car was my problem. Didn't have the advantage of some kids whose parents bought them a brand new car for getting an A on their report card or getting on the cheerleading squad.
A question. Why does EC and volunteer time count more to universities than hard work at an after school job?
Because an after school job show that you are all about you you you. Being on a team or club indicates that you have interests outside of yourself and that you are able to dedicate yourself to the common good. Colleges are looking for kids who can place others above themselves AND have interests other than making money.
I started working when I was 16 at Kenny Rogers's Roasters, a rotisserie chicken place.
My own kids are 9 and 7, but I don't plan on making them get a fast food type job when they turn 16. I'd like for them to be able to apprentice in whatever fields they're interested in at that age... even if it's for no pay, I consider that a vital part of their education.
A question. Why does EC and volunteer time count more to universities than hard work at an after school job? Why does someone whose parents can afford to support their child's EC, volunteer time, the kid's vehicle, and the kid's insurance get preference over those who have to work to help make ends meet? My parents didn't have the time or money to shuttle me from place to place nor the money to cover a car for me unless I worked for the money to pay the gas and insurance myself. I worked over 6 months before I could get a car on the road. They agreed to pick me up and drop me off until I saved enough money and then the car was my problem. Didn't have the advantage of some kids whose parents bought them a brand new car for getting an A on their report card or getting on the cheerleading squad.
Because in order to obtain a job, so often you need to have mommy and daddy buy you a car. That was certainly my case. At 16 and 17, I didn't understand that when asked at an interview if I had my own transportation that I should lie. Many job applications also asked that - those were the jobs I got turned down from before I even interviewed.
I grew up in an exurban area with no public transportation, no sidewalks, heck, not even shoulders on the side of the road- just 4 foot deep ditches. My friends with jobs, in addition to knowing someone, all had a car that was bought for them for their 16th birthday. As a contrast, my after school activities meant that my parents only had to pick me up one way rather than driving me round trip (which they preferred) and often I could catch a ride with a friend who was going near my house anyway.
By doing afterschool activities, volunteer work, and focusing on my grades, I "earned" $160,000 in scholarship money (which broke down into $40,000 a year). I wouldn't have made even 1/8 of that much working after school or summer jobs through high school.
Because an after school job show that you are all about you you you. Being on a team or club indicates that you have interests outside of yourself and that you are able to dedicate yourself to the common good. Colleges are looking for kids who can place others above themselves AND have interests other than making money.
Oh, so going to college isn't about getting someone ready to earn a living to support a family. It's about teaching socialism and communism. News flash, working at a job is like being on a team. If you can't contribute to the team then you're fired. People serving in EC are selfish in that they're doing all these activies just to get into a good college. Nice that they can afford to do this while those of us who can't afford to do this have to work for a living. Colleges are SUPPOSE to be about education and preparing for a career. Didn't know it was about shunning money and capitalism,...except where professor and university administration pay is concerned of course.
A question. Why does EC and volunteer time count more to universities than hard work at an after school job? Why does someone whose parents can afford to support their child's EC, volunteer time, the kid's vehicle, and the kid's insurance get preference over those who have to work to help make ends meet? My parents didn't have the time or money to shuttle me from place to place nor the money to cover a car for me unless I worked for the money to pay the gas and insurance myself. I worked over 6 months before I could get a car on the road. They agreed to pick me up and drop me off until I saved enough money and then the car was my problem. Didn't have the advantage of some kids whose parents bought them a brand new car for getting an A on their report card or getting on the cheerleading squad.
I don't think it does. College admissions people usually just want to see that the kids are doing something other then just socializing. If you read any books about college admissions you'll see that.
We decided that our kids couldn't have a summer job (that involved us driving them around) until they could drive. We don't live in an area with public transportation and will not shuttle our kids to their low paying jobs. They have all worked during the summer though either as a camp counselor or neighborhood yard work, watching pets, etc. Our money is not their money.
A question. Why does EC and volunteer time count more to universities than hard work at an after school job? Why does someone whose parents can afford to support their child's EC, volunteer time, the kid's vehicle, and the kid's insurance get preference over those who have to work to help make ends meet? My parents didn't have the time or money to shuttle me from place to place nor the money to cover a car for me unless I worked for the money to pay the gas and insurance myself. I worked over 6 months before I could get a car on the road. They agreed to pick me up and drop me off until I saved enough money and then the car was my problem. Didn't have the advantage of some kids whose parents bought them a brand new car for getting an A on their report card or getting on the cheerleading squad.
I don't think ECs have a big edge over jobs. In my opinion ECs only complement your academic record: I don't think you're necessarily going to get denied at a well-regarded school with outstanding grades and low ECs, nor are you likely going to get into a top school with a lot of ECs but subpar grades. Really the whole EC thing is overblown unless you're applying to the really elite schools in the country (which is a pretty small percentage of applicants I'd imagine).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momma_bear
Because an after school job show that you are all about you you you. Being on a team or club indicates that you have interests outside of yourself and that you are able to dedicate yourself to the common good. Colleges are looking for kids who can place others above themselves AND have interests other than making money.
Yeah that's it, they don't care about anything but their minimum-wage job that gets them $100 a week, if that.
A question. Why does EC and volunteer time count more to universities than hard work at an after school job? Why does someone whose parents can afford to support their child's EC, volunteer time, the kid's vehicle, and the kid's insurance get preference over those who have to work to help make ends meet? My parents didn't have the time or money to shuttle me from place to place nor the money to cover a car for me unless I worked for the money to pay the gas and insurance myself. I worked over 6 months before I could get a car on the road. They agreed to pick me up and drop me off until I saved enough money and then the car was my problem. Didn't have the advantage of some kids whose parents bought them a brand new car for getting an A on their report card or getting on the cheerleading squad.
They don't. What colleges want to see is that you aren't spending 100% of your time studying, that you are doing things outside of school. At some of the most competitive schools they might give an edge to a 3 sport athlete that competed at the state tournament for all of those sports vs someone that had an after school job but for most schools just doing SOMETHING outside of school will be a benefit for college applications.
We didn't buy our kids cars either--although we did tell them if they won the state golf tournament we would buy them a car-knowing there is a slim chance at that .
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