<p>I am a high school junior and I run a web design "business" in my free time. I charge local companies a couple hundred dollars and I build them a website so that they can stay competitive, etc. I've been billing them just using my own name and filing the income as taxes under personal income. It's not much, no more than $200 a month.</p>
<p>However, I've been thinking about forming an LLC to run the business under. Almost everything would be the same, but I'd file for taxes under the business name instead of personal. Plus I'd protect my personal assets. But the main reason I am considering this is for my college resume that I'll be turning in next year. I don't play that game of "captain of swim team, on forensics team, president of senior class, yearbook staff, in the marching band since 8th grade" nonsense. I'm not joining a club that I am uninterested in just to put something down on my resume that looks impressive. But I'm actually interested in web design and I'm considering in majoring in computer science, business, or economics, so would forming a legitimate LLC look impressive to college admissions officers?</p>
<p>My son formed his own web-based company in his senior year. He did it as a sole proprietorship though, and registered with the county with his company’s assumed name. I think you need to be 18 to form an LLC, but I might be wrong. It is a very good idea to protect your company name and make your business more legitimate in the eyes of the IRS. However, what you have been doing is still a sole proprietorship even if you just use your own name. Either way, it will be impressive for college admissions reps.</p>
<p>If you can do this at all (you must be at least 18 in the state where I live), it will look to college admissions officers as if you’ve spent big time and some money on an administrative task that really isn’t warranted for a business that’s bringing in $2500/year.</p>
<p>The fact that you do this work is good. The formation of an LLC, however, will not look “impressive.”</p>
<p>Lots of kids do web design, create some apps, run a blog, etc. What’s more concerning than how to adequately describe your venture, is your idea that other ECs are nonsense. Sure hope you do have activities beyond web design that show you can engage, take on responsibilities and have some impact.</p>
<p>I’m not necessarily saying that all ECs are nonsense, I just hate the way people go about it. Many of my friends are in yearbook, music, forensics, academic team, and other clubs but don’t have time for them all. So they go to each club the absolute minimum amount of times that they have to in order to slap it on their resume.</p>
<p>When I said “form an LLC,” I really meant that my parents would form the LLC and make me partial owner until I’m 18 and can take it over myself. However, I may stay with a sole proprietorship just for the sole purpose of keeping things simple. I’ll have to research the benefits of an LLC because I can buy a computer that I’d use for the business, school, and personal use, but write it off as a business expense. But that’s a completely separate topic, not necessarily for this forum.</p>
<p>In addition to this little business, I also intern once a week at a local internet consulting company and I volunteer at the middle school doing various things for teachers (my mom works there). I’m considering joining forensics this upcoming semester because it seems interesting to me, but I’m not sure yet. So yes, I have more ECs, but none of them are overly impressive.</p>