One of the categories in the UC application is “
Work Experience.” They will ask your
title and responsibilities, what year in school you worked (i.e. 10th, 11th grades), your hours worked and the duration of the time you held that job. UCs will look at your paid employment and if you were employed at least once during sophomore or junior year. They will look at the maximum reported number of hours worked per week and whether it was during the summer or during the semester.
Why is this important?
Because UCs want to see what you do with your time. Did you work at Jack-in-the-Box, and take a full load of AP/Honors classes, watch your little brother and play on the volleyball team? Did you work at McDonald’s to help pay for your AP exam fees, your study guides, and your uniforms and/or help mom with the groceries?
More importantly,
UCs want to know what you did with your earnings. Did you use your earnings for
non-discretionary purposes, including earnings spent to help support family like gas, food, and rent in order to reduce family financial hardship? Did you use your money to pay for your college applications, SAT review courses and exams? Or did you use your money to buy more iTunes, iPhone apps, Forever 21, True or Fully Laced tee-shirts (these are called discretionary purposes)?
How and why you worked help the UCs paint a better picture of you. Working to help your parents defray household costs, or to help pay for your own ACT fees and college applications show responsibility.
Responsibility and contribution are important character traits. You are more likely to be responsible for yourself at college and contribute to their college community. It seems like it doesn't pay to be "privileged"; however you can be "entitled" yet manage and choose to be self-sufficient for yourself and your family needs with your paycheck.
Further, if you hold a position with
academic content, like lifeguard, camp counselor, teen crisis hotline staff, tutor, teacher, supervisor, team leader, programmer, child care provider, coach, league referee, translator, CEO etc—
it shows you have a high level of responsibility and require additional skills, talent, training and/or maturity. These are traits UCs look for in accepting an applicant.
Note UCs particularly want to see employment during your 10th or 11th grade years where your academic load is the toughest.
Your afterschool job at Jamba Juice (to help your mom pay for your senior year expenses), after dragon boat practice then rushing home to finish your AP Lit assignment may seem like a personal crazy, stressful schedule. If you can handle it, your UC app is all that more strong, and will add
“points” to your application.
