27. Consider the value of after-school employment in the admissions process.

Admissions 09.6.24

Here’s what the federal government can do:

  • The U.S. Department of Education should collect, conduct, and disseminate research about how after-school employment leads to readiness for or creates barriers to higher education.

Here’s what institutional leaders can do:

  • Higher education institutions should audit their admissions criteria to include consideration of an applicants’ participation in after-school employment. Higher education institutions should provide professional development learning opportunities to their admissions staff and faculty for this purpose.
  • Institutions should make explicit the value of pre-college employment to college readiness and encourage students to share how they benefited from those experiences.

Students who participate in after-school employment likely develop many skills that contribute to their success in higher education, including responsibility, leadership, attention to detail, and the ability to work collaboratively. Admissions staff and faculty should take into account the benefits accrued to students through these experiences when making their decisions. In addition, admissions offices should refrain from prioritizing employment that may reflect socioeconomic biases, such as internships secured through social capital, over minimum-wage labor.