I Programmed apps and websites. How will this help?

<p>i'll be applying to top engineering schools like Stanford, pursuing Computer Science.</p>

<p>Breakdown:
Ethnicity: hispanic
State: Washington
Household income: ~ $80k</p>

<p>Objective:
ACT: 36 (36E, 36M, 34R, 36S)
UW GPA: 3.91
W GPA: 4.27
Sat 2:
Math 2: 800
Physics: 800
AP tests:
US History: 5
Language and composition: 5
Statistics: 5</p>

<p>Subjective:
Varsity basketball (2 years)
FBLA (2 years)
* Programmed some apps and websites that generate $50k+ profit annually</p>

<p>How will my "business" help my college application?</p>

<p>Isn’t it obvious? It will be one of your activities. It will show your skill and ambition and interests.</p>

<p>Maybe a good essay topic about what you learned being in business. Stanford likes entrepreneurs. </p>

<p>Sorry @BrownParent‌, what i meant to ask was HOW MUCH will it help?</p>

<p>Bump</p>

<p>I’m fairly sure nobody really knows how much it will help. However, it’s pretty cool and would make for a good essay topic that could act as a sort of “hook” EC.</p>

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</p>

<p>It won’t. What will help your application is for you to showcase your CS knowledge by creating a website specifically for your apps and adding the link to the website as part of your application. How much it will help is anyone’s guess.</p>

<p>^Actually if nobody minds, I’d like to piggyback off of that. I’ve been tinkering and building robots for a long time, as ECE and inventing is one of my main interests. I also have a website where I showcase all of my projects. Since I’m a noob, could someone explain where/how to provide links to websites on an application like the Common App? Does it have a space explicitly for these sorts of supplements, and if so, do adcoms actually take the time to go through your stuff?</p>

<p>^^ Each EC on the Common App has a text box which allows you to add a short description of the activity. You add the URL to your website as part of that description, but as links are not “clickable” it’s easier for admissions officers if your domain name is something like cjwu382.com. For example, several years ago my son submitted this description for a computer science EC</p>

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<p>Bump</p>

<p>There is no way to measure ‘how much’, so no point in asking. It is great and impressive for many colleges, but it is not unique for Stanford. It might be smart counterprogramming to apply somewhere that kids like that AREN"T a dime a dozen. Perhaps if you do a great job in an essay on it it helps too. I know a low URM rejected EA with top stats, the very top. I know of a kid made a business like that rejected EA too. Maybe they will think you are the whole package if you can show an extra dimension to yourself. No one knows.</p>

<p>@gibby: but if I already have a website URL that gets a nice amount of traffic, is it worth buying a domain and changing the URL? </p>

<p>Wow i really thought making $50k/yr at 16 years old would make me a shoe in at these schools</p>

<p>Austin, you’re applying to college, highly competitive schools. This is about your drives, accomplishments and the personal attributes they like, want and need at those colleges. They are not likely to see your income (vis a vis your parents) as a key factor. </p>

<p>I think if anyone really reads all S has to say about themselves, you will see they are not looking for entrepreneurs, per se.</p>

<p>Can you tell us what activities you omitted above? Contrary to some, I believe a variety, along with some focused activities, is always a safer bet. Other ways you engage? Any STEM or academic ECs? Any community efforts? </p>

<p>Not sure you should put a site address in the EC section- it can go anywhere and you can use the very limited EC space for your description. The addr can go in Addl Info. Also, they can cut and past a link. You decide. </p>

<p>ps to cjwu: tinkering is good for engineers. You will need to consider how best to describe and present that.</p>

<p>I play varsity basketball and have won national awards through Future Business Leaders of America. I also tutor students for the ACT.</p>

<p>A shoe in? No. Not to say you won’t get in, but to assume it a given would be a mistake. There was a kid last year like that, exactly the same income. Rejected. You are not applying for the business school or a startup incubators. Not to say this isn’t a terrific accomplishment. Stanford’s application makes a point about your ‘intellectual vitality’ and that is not a given. Work really hard on your essays.</p>

<p>Alright thanks guys</p>

<p>Quick question, I am also looking into starting to build apps for the various markets. If you have experience in that department, would you recommend charging money for my apps or making them free with apps. Its mind boggling for me that you make that money at such a young age.</p>

<p>All of my apps were free, but i came up with a genius way to make A LOT of money through advertisements</p>

<p>People are really reluctant to download apps that will cost them money. It doesn’t hurt them to download a free app</p>