What are your chances of acceptance?
Your chance of acceptance
Duke University
Loading…
UCLA
Loading…
+ add school
Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

Will a part-time job help or hurt my college application?

Hey guys, I've been working a part-time job throughout high school to help pay for college. I'm worried that this might have taken away from my ability to participate in more extracurricular activities. Will colleges view my part-time job positively or negatively on my application? Thanks for any insight!

a year ago

Hello! I wanted to share my perspective on this, as my own child faced a similar situation when applying to colleges. In our experience, colleges actually view part-time jobs as a positive aspect of a student's application. They understand that not everyone has the luxury of focusing solely on extracurricular activities, and that working a part-time job can demonstrate a strong work ethic and a sense of responsibility.

In fact, having a part-time job may even help set you apart from other applicants who may have only participated in traditional extracurricular activities. It's important to showcase your work experience on your application, highlighting the skills you've gained – such as time management, communication, and teamwork – and how they'll contribute to your success in college.

So, don't worry about your part-time job negatively impacting your application. Focus on the positives it has brought you and make sure to emphasize those in your application and essays. You're gaining real-world experience that will be valuable not only in college but also in your future career. Best of luck with your college applications!

a year ago

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.