Jobs as EC that get unhooked into T10

[Anonymous]

I have interviewed for an HYP for some years. The only kid with a job that I have seen admitted was a reporter for the local paper. That EC would have about a one third admissions rate in my very small sample size.

I've read similar things about working at Taco Bell being a great admissions hook here, but I've never seen it. But again, small sample size.

[Anonymous]

OP here. read through a few really good posts. Sounds good, but how your teens manage to have time for that level of accomplishment? With all the APs, club activities, volunteering, varsity and club sports, now a job he has to perform well. Could you share how your teen manage through HS, that would be very helpful. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paid jobs are becoming popular because they lessen the stench of economic privilege.

As my son said on Monday when I dropped him off at his volunteer orientation:

"Oh look, a Tesla here to drop off another volunteer!"

well also AOs have woken up to what parents and also anyone who was formally a teen who had a job: you learn and grow a lot more working a job than being a volunteer with Tesla kids. You gain soft skills. You might work for one summer to the next for promotions. I learned as a teen manager how to deal with other teen employees, including one who was stealing. I managed schedules and dealt with public complaints. I managed a social life with a 40 hour a week job. My kid volunteered for a while but it's a whole different thing. As soon as they were legal, they got a job

Agree with all this but are AOs actually looking at this kind of thing now? Genuine question.

For sure AOs are looking at it because the apps have places for jobs and also for home/family care responsibilities. That's to counterbalance the space given to unpaid and sometimes costly extracurriculars favored by UMCs and privileged school districts.

I read scholarship apps for my local PTA. We set it up so high school work experience is visible so kids who work 20 hrs a week can compete with kids who have 6 ecs and no job. The parents who had jobs in h.s. insisted and it is fair.

I am a productive member of society but I didn't work as a teen. Options were few and pay was horrible. In today's labor market, teens do fairly well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paid jobs are becoming popular because they lessen the stench of economic privilege.

As my son said on Monday when I dropped him off at his volunteer orientation:

"Oh look, a Tesla here to drop off another volunteer!"

well also AOs have woken up to what parents and also anyone who was formally a teen who had a job: you learn and grow a lot more working a job than being a volunteer with Tesla kids. You gain soft skills. You might work for one summer to the next for promotions. I learned as a teen manager how to deal with other teen employees, including one who was stealing. I managed schedules and dealt with public complaints. I managed a social life with a 40 hour a week job. My kid volunteered for a while but it's a whole different thing. As soon as they were legal, they got a job

Agree with all this but are AOs actually looking at this kind of thing now? Genuine question.

Yes. 💯
My kid’s Ivy admit letter came with a note about how impressed they were about his four separate part-time jobs (3 were summer and 1 school year service job). We are extremely high income and he is in a private prep school.
All jobs were somewhat related to his niche (or could be tied to it).

Ideas to combine with a regular retail or service gig:

- Music major, working in a guitar store or piano store, helping with sales or tuning of instruments

- CS major, working in some sort of hardware support role whether in sales or retail. Similarly working at a technology summer camp for kids.

- archeology major, working as a cashier or guide or similar at a popular history, museum or other type of museum and helping out with the kids summer camp at the same place for three weeks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have interviewed for an HYP for some years. The only kid with a job that I have seen admitted was a reporter for the local paper. That EC would have about a one third admissions rate in my very small sample size.

I've read similar things about working at Taco Bell being a great admissions hook here, but I've never seen it. But again, small sample size.

my kid got into Stanford (and others) last cycle and I think his p/t job was a nice part of his app, but yeah .. his sat was 1600, top in class, other national ECs. it's not just .. "oh look, Taco Bell!" Still, I bet they see fewer Taco Bell apps than valedictorian apps.

[Anonymous]

I agree with paid work, generally of any sort.
If you want to get more specific, your kid also might think about what their target major is (if they know) and how a job might fit.

My own kid has been obsessed with hotels and restaurants since they were little. Like they loved testing out lobby chairs, really checking out leisure facilities at various vacation locations, etc. It was so funny to us at the time. Worked a restaurant job for a couple summers, and had a side hustle of sorts, baking/selling Christmas cookies. Did a cookie fundraiser and raised about $1k for natural disaster relief in their particular geographic area of interest. Unhooked in every possible way, but stellar grades and good test scores -- will be attending Cornell hotel school in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. read through a few really good posts. Sounds good, but how your teens manage to have time for that level of accomplishment? With all the APs, club activities, volunteering, varsity and club sports, now a job he has to perform well. Could you share how your teen manage through HS, that would be very helpful. Thanks.

Your child doesn't and can't do everything.

Let your child do the things that are the most interesting and developmental for them.

Some excellent students and organized people thrive on having all their time filled with mandatory activities. Others burn out.

Some sports particularly preclude doing many different types of activities.

Be reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. read through a few really good posts. Sounds good, but how your teens manage to have time for that level of accomplishment? With all the APs, club activities, volunteering, varsity and club sports, now a job he has to perform well. Could you share how your teen manage through HS, that would be very helpful. Thanks.

You are thinking about this all wrong. It’s not a formula kids who do this type of stuff tend to enjoy it. If they just need a job for the summer and ice cream parlor that’s fine too.

But kids who have multiple jobs or involvement of this nature, typically find it on their own and like doing it- and often aren’t doing multiple sports, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It tells the AO that you are reliable. That you are not privileged, or that you don’t take it for granted if you are privileged. You manage time. You engage with your community outside of school. Most importantly, that you didn’t try to game the college admission process with the projects that look like an ever increasing arms race of absurdity.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It tells the AO that you are reliable. That you are not privileged, or that you don’t take it for granted if you are privileged. You manage time. You engage with your community outside of school. Most importantly, that you didn’t try to game the college admission process with the projects that look like an ever increasing arms race of absurdity.

This!

All the top stats unhooked kids with the pay-to-play published research; expensive summer programs & passion projects that we know did not get into Ivies.
Yes they may have gotten into good schools but no Ivies.

Unhooked top stats kids with jobs got into ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think so. It’s the new thing; authenticity. And your parents can’t fake it for you. Although it looks like OP might give it a shot.

Scoop ice cream. Be a lifeguard. Bag groceries. Make coffee. Do you.

Op: follow this advice. If you try to manufacture it, it will backfire.

Have your kid drive the job search. If you must give an assortment of ideas.

If you’d like, tell us what the kid is interested in, what the kid wants to major in and I’m sure we can give you a slew of suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. read through a few really good posts. Sounds good, but how your teens manage to have time for that level of accomplishment? With all the APs, club activities, volunteering, varsity and club sports, now a job he has to perform well. Could you share how your teen manage through HS, that would be very helpful. Thanks.

Depending on where you are in this process, this may sound crazy to you: There are many many successful top 20 and Ivy candidates who don’t list our all 10 activities on their EC list.

How can they be successful? Depth and breadth.

A few random extra sports does not make a difference. Same with being a member of random clubs if you are not a leader and have not been deeply involved - with demonstrated impact - in that club. in many cases the best involvement is not a club at school, but one outside of school because the impact is greater.

The best application might only have one or two extracurricular clubs at school (w/leadership), one sport, and all of the rest of the activities may be outside jobs, volunteer opportunities, involvement in larger organizations and personal interests…..

[Anonymous]

As others have indicated, there are very few jobs that will set a kid apart. I think high school jobs mostly show that the kid hasn't been idle, is somewhat responsible, and has good time management. Occasionally, a kid might have an unusual job that's just kind of interesting. I once did an internship interview with who had a part-time job breaking horses in high school. It had nothing to do with the internship, but I thought it was memorable and interesting.

My kid worked weekends and some holidays as a youth sport coach because it paid well and was fun. It didn't really fit into any particular narrative (she was varsity in the sport but was far from a recruited athlete), although I suppose it showed that she was part of her community. But we've seen other kids in our area get into great schools after working at Starbucks or scooping ice cream.

[Anonymous]

Jobs are the new "volunteer in Africa". That worked for a while when it is new. AO's got wised up. Needed something else. Now jobs it is to show lack of privilege. You take your $1200 iphone and $300 ipods and $200 sneakers to do a job, thereby showing your humble down to earth, lack of privilege, etc.

Give it a couple of years, AO's would wise up to this. Then to something else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paid jobs are becoming popular because they lessen the stench of economic privilege.

As my son said on Monday when I dropped him off at his volunteer orientation:

"Oh look, a Tesla here to drop off another volunteer!"

well also AOs have woken up to what parents and also anyone who was formally a teen who had a job: you learn and grow a lot more working a job than being a volunteer with Tesla kids. You gain soft skills. You might work for one summer to the next for promotions. I learned as a teen manager how to deal with other teen employees, including one who was stealing. I managed schedules and dealt with public complaints. I managed a social life with a 40 hour a week job. My kid volunteered for a while but it's a whole different thing. As soon as they were legal, they got a job

Agree with all this but are AOs actually looking at this kind of thing now? Genuine question.

Yes. 💯
My kid’s Ivy admit letter came with a note about how impressed they were about his four separate part-time jobs (3 were summer and 1 school year service job). We are extremely high income and he is in a private prep school.
All jobs were somewhat related to his niche (or could be tied to it).

Ideas to combine with a regular retail or service gig:

- Music major, working in a guitar store or piano store, helping with sales or tuning of instruments

- CS major, working in some sort of hardware support role whether in sales or retail. Similarly working at a technology summer camp for kids.

- archeology major, working as a cashier or guide or similar at a popular history, museum or other type of museum and helping out with the kids summer camp at the same place for three weeks

Great job fooling AO's. That is a fantastic approach.