| No one needs a long list of ECs. What students do need is depth in an EC -- being more than a member, but really having some kind of impact on an organization or on the people it works with.
And, for those who can't afford ECs, working a job does count as an EC, and if you have to work a job to help support your family or to earn money for college, that is a very impressive activity to have! Colleges love students who are willing to take on a job in order to help their families or to help themselves achieve their dreams.
Doesn't matter if the job is gruntwork, in fact that can be even more impressive because it shows how responsible you are. |