Can holding down a summer job affect your college admissions outcomes? We know admissions officers want to see evidence of personal growth and concrete work experience is one clear way to show this growth in action. In fact, all seven of the Common Application’s 2022-2023 main essay prompts share a common theme. From asking for information on your background and how it’s shaped you (prompt 1), to how gratitude about something specific has motivated you (prompt 4) the prompts are best answered through specific examples and anecdotes. While colleges are looking for you to show personal growth, they also need to know what you’ll bring to their program. Are things handed to you, or do you demonstrate a strong work ethic? There is perhaps no better way to show this than by holding a part-time or summer job.
GET A SUMMER JOB
Many students feel that admissions officers only care about academic extracurriculars or traditional leadership positions (class president, team captain, etc.) This is not true. Obtaining a summer job on your own merit is another wonderful option — though just one piece of the puzzle in terms of strengthening your application.
In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, we’ve found that admissions officers are extra aware of “privilege scrubbing.” In other words, they are keeping an eye out for areas in your application that show an applicant’s privilege versus their hard work as a student, outside of school and in their community.
The good news is that admissions officers don’t expect a ton of work experience; that won’t be possible in the midst of academically rigorous coursework and standardized testing. Work experience means you know how to take responsibility for something, you are earning money, and presumably you know how to manage your schedule well, show up on time, and work as part of a team.
At TTA, we think every human should secure a job in food service at least for a few months before they start their careers. That might mean working as a server at a busy restaurant where you’re left a 5% tip by a group of eight, or having to tell your table the kitchen is out of three entrees, or covering a shift for a co-worker when you quite simply don’t want to. If a high schooler, while wearing doubled-up surgical masks, can tackle a line of 11 people at 8am on a Sunday waiting for 20 different orders of coffee, then she is more likely to be able to expertly handle a tense, group discussion in an Ivy League freshman seminar. Admissions officers at top schools like Princeton and Harvard get this.
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WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A PART-TIME OR SUMMER JOB
- A role that will let you develop leadership skills in some way.
- Something close to where you live. You won’t have time for a long commute. Virtual work experience is often possible to secure now too.
- In an ideal world, search for positions that weave in a connection to your academic niche. (That admissions essay nearly writes itself.)
- A position that will teach you skills and help you develop them. You might write a supplemental essay on your specific work roles and unique skillsets.
15 POTENTIAL PART-TIME OR SUMMER JOBS FOR STUDENTS
- Dog walker/pet sitter
- Photographer’s assistant
- Retail store associate
- Barista
- Academic or test tutor
- Web or app developer
- Food service employee
- Administrative office assistant
- Landscaper’s assistant
- Waterpark attendant (quite different from a country club lifeguard!)
- Front desk associate at a salon or gym
- Grocery store bagger or inventory assistant
- Food delivery driver
- After school daycare assistant
- And, our personal favorite: paid research intern aligned with a specific academic niche.
That last one can be tricky to find and secure, but we’d love to help. Here’s an example:
Let’s say you live in the Boston area and you’re a junior. City Mission Boston is seeking (paid) Social Justice Interns in grades 10-12 for this “internship for youth committed to social justice and with an interest in gaining work experience in a small nonprofit that works on social justice issues, particularly around racial justice and homelessness prevention. Interns will begin to explore some of the root causes and consequences of poverty, inequality and racism through an introduction to public policy research, service-learning, action, and overarching nonprofit organizational structure. The program includes learning activities to foster a deeper understanding of social justice and City Mission’s commitment to educate, empower and engage our community.”
Their high school interns earn $15 an hour, the schedule is flexible and it’s a remote position for the foreseeable future due to COVID. No matter what your academic niche is, social justice or advocacy should be woven through your application in some way, so this kind of a paid internship is a no-brainer.
SUMMER JOBS ARE A WIN-WIN
Work experience in a Common App combats a college admissions officer’s assumptions about an applicant’s privilege. Working while juggling your coursework, if you’re up to the task, shows maturity, time management skills, leadership, devotion and drive. We’d love to help you find and apply to jobs that align with your goals and your schedule. Let us help!
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