I know starting a business is quite over the top, but are there any people here that have started a business in high school.
And i don’t mean selling cookies or lemonade. I mean, a business that provides like a product of some kind.
I believe this is one of the best extracurriculars you can have if you are interested in finance etc.
I want to know if there are any people here that have started businesses in HS and have gotten into top colleges
I’m really curious how providing “like a product of some kind” is different from selling cookies or lemonade? Are cookies and lemonade not products?
There’s an epic thread that long-time CC posters will remember about a kid who started a grocery store. Maybe you can look that one up and learn from him.
In all seriousness, if you are interested in starting a business and learning from the experience, then by all means go for it. I don’t think it will result in a free pass into the school of your dreams, but if that’s your passion then it’s not a waste of time.
Do what you want because you want to do it, not because it looks good on an application.
@GnocchiB
What I meant is a business that makes $5000< in revenue per annum. You know, a business that is legally setup with a trademark and is filed for tax to the government.
Lets say I do have a proper business, and create a website for it. If admissions officers search it up, wouldn’t they be impressed? I don’t really find many people doing it. It would give people like a me unique bonus factor in admissions apart from those other nerdy kids who volunteer at hospitals.
There is some scholarship or award that a student who starts a business and employs I think at least 2 or 3 other students can win. Google it, someone told me about it I have no other information.
AdComs might think it is something Mom and Dad helped you do unless you show what you did or really explain what motivated you to create it
Generally, if your business is simply a service, they are not going to take it into account. If its a full-fledged product based business with a track record, that may be different.
@KinYusHalo, I think you are seriously underestimating both the depth of achievement of the applicant pool and the sophistication of the admissions committees of the American colleges you’re interested in. (From your previous posts I can tell Princeton is one of them). You may not know of many kids who have started businesses, but I would have to assume that of the 29,000+ students who applied to Princeton this past year, many of them did.
No Ivy admissions committee is going to let you in because 6 months before applying, you set up a business with a website, a trademark and earned $5K. I am sure that every year there are candidates who did start businesses of varying degrees of success and who do get into Princeton, but I cannot imagine that the business was the tip factor.
I write this as the mom of a daughter who was admitted to Princeton SCEA in December. I cannot tell you how many of her classmates in the Class of 2020 were entrepreneurs vs. “nerdy kids who volunteer at hospitals.” I can tell you, though, that admissions committees are very good at picking up on kids who manufacture artificial achievements and come across as arrogant, entitled and critical of their peers.
If you write an engaging original essay about it, then it might make you stand out. If you’re just listing it as an EC (say a general description plus the income), it’s not likely to help at all because it’s become a bit of a “thing” (i.e., no longer particularly unique) with applicants and the admissions folks tend to be skeptical.
Ebay and etsy allow large numbers of people including high school students to start businesses. I think a business could be viewed as a nice EC to add to a list of other ECs including volunteering. I don’t think that a business would be rated higher than other ECs.
@GnocchiB
Thanks a lot. I just wanted to clarify a few things.
As an international student, I am at a huge disadvantage. But some things come in my favor. yes, some.
@KingYusHalo, yes, as an international you wouldn’t be in a position to know. The basic tasks of setting up a business in the US (incorporating, getting a federal tax number, registering for a website, getting the state tax ID and local licensing) can be done in just a few hours so it’s not indicative of any great accomplishments. If you had an amazing product then the story of its creation, trip to market, and how the experience has changed you might make for an interesting essay, which could possibly be the wow factor you’re looking for.
The “business creation activity” also runs the risk of making it sound as if your parents were involved - it does not have to, but can signal that your parents are wealthy/sophisticated/connected and helping you. That’s why I mentioned the kid who started a grocery store (his parents were obviously bankrolling it - he had scores of employees).
A better use of your time might be community service/outreach. At least from what I’ve seen, applicants who try to make their school/neighborhood/city a better place seem to catch the eye of the adcoms. Princeton itself recently changed its informal motto to “Princeton in the nation’s service and in the service of humanity.”
YMMV - just what I’ve observed over the years as a Princeton interviewer. Good luck and keep asking questions - there is a wealth of information on CC.
If you need the money or enjoy doing it I would do it. Just understand that it may be considered just another EC
@KingYusHalo In son’s “college application experience” this year he found it is not unique at all to start a business. Son was admitted to a big business school ED and found that many many of the applicants had businesses! Some even had fashion and cooking blogs that generated substantial revenue (35K/yr+) from advertisers and had large numbers of viewers…