is this a good EC?

I started 2 businesses during sophomore-junior year.
A jewelry business( I make and sell jewelry online and local) and a streetwear clothes selling business(I buy and sell clothes, sort of like a consignment shop),in both I have built an online reputation and a following as a trusted seller, both have been successful. I don’t know if these are “good” ECs but I just wanted to know.

First, there is a pinned post at the top of this page all about what makes a good EC.

If both of your ventures are successful, list them both. However, can you elaborate on that? How do you know they are succesful? If you have sold five pairs of earrings, I am not sure that is worth mentioning. 500 pairs might be. How much time do you invest in these activities? That’s important too. More info would be helpful.

You did or your mom did ?

@jakeowl ???

It’s a shame that ECs now differentiate who gets into college and who doesn’t, mostly because of grade inflation.

@Lindagaf during sophomore year I made and sold about ~110 earnings,bracelets, and necklaces(I crafted all these). On my Junior year I have bought and sold ~250 jackets,shirts, and shoes. I expect to sell ~500 by the time I reach senior year since the street clothing business is very active among high school students(I sell online,local, and even students at my school). I have spent easily 500+ hours on these(advertising, meeting up with buyers, and shipping products, I also have to fill out invoices and write shipping labels).

@jakeowl You comment is unwarranted and obnoxious.

@maud_dib I disagree with you. One’s ECs contribute to building an interesting and diverse class and community and could also help contribute to success later in life. Deciding on purely quantitative attributes sure would make college boring.

@kevin1861998 I think it is a great EC and something you should definitely include. Mention volume/sales and all the different tasks you’ve undertaken as in your post above. Congrats on your success and entrepreneurial skills!

@doschicos Thank you so much! I was wondering if this would count as a valid EC since most people have community service,sports, and clubs, I thought the time I spent on these 2 were useless. I think it will also help that I am planning on majoring in business.

Go for it. It’s easy to join a club or some activity already existing. To create something from scratch and show that initiative on your own - to me, that is a huge plus. You should be proud of yourself and colleges should definitely know about this aspect of you.

@doschicos Thank you so so much. Have a great day.

Do you have website? Having a website, along with your sales count (your record is really impressive by the way) displayed along with services offered is something that college admissions can easily look at, as well as increasing the amount of people who view your products.

Starting something on your own is way harder and way more satisfying than just joining some random club. You have potential to be really successful in the future, and colleges will see that. Just ensure your grades are good and you have the potential for Ivy leagues schools if you so desire.

@collegeboundprogrammer I am planning on having an ig page just for sales, and opening a small website. For now I
I use reddit,grailed,ebay, and other sites. I am planning on making a small page to advertise my sales and such. Most of my customers are in my contacts because they usually come to me and ask for products. I really like this hobby/bussiness because I have made so many friends from all over the world. Thanks for your advice, I will def open up a website during the summer

Yes, it is a great EC. I’d actually say it’s better than most – it is pretty unique and not the “typical” NHS and whatnot.

That said, one thing you need to consider is that your businesses are not necessarily incredible. Of course, this is expected since you are only a high school student, and what you have done is still impressive. The reason why I say this is that the college admissions people won’t care how successful your business is (unless it’s next to nothing or it’s REALLY successful). The important thing is not that you created two businesses – what matters is your motivation, what you learned, how you will use this experience in the future, and how you will further pursue your goals with a college education. If you plan on majoring in business, then the impact of all of this is even greater.

If you take anything from this, don’t place the emphasis on how well you’ve done with your businesses in your application (as you’ve done here, which is totally understandable). Instead, focus on the reasons why and how. This will allow the admissions officers to learn what makes you unique and how you think. You will come across as more interesting, and the impact of the EC’s will be greater. I wish you the best of luck – you should be proud of your achievements and are on the path to do great things!

@cc8912 I am planning on emphasizing the importance of making contacts/friends in this business(I made so many contacts from all over the world, and many friends too!). I also plan on showing the importance of having great social skills when talking to customers and other important factors to a business, all this+ my records. Thanks for your comments, this will help me strengthen my summary of this EC.