<p>If I start a company for my college app, does it need to be an official registered company, or can it be just a small self made company with enough evidence that it operates successfully? Thanks.</p>
<p>If you are just starting a company for the sole purpose of putting it on your app, that’s terrible and a waste of time.</p>
<p>It generally isn’t relevant for college admissions. </p>
<p>Unless it’s in the field you want to go into and you are actually passionate about it.</p>
I started a company. Would it be best to mention it on my college resume or mention it in my essays?
Might be an interesting topic to write about in essays but a waste of time for your college resume.
Don’t do that. There are reasons to start companies and your personal college application is NOT one of them.
I agree.
Colleges are well used to students who suddenly do something to juice up their app: starting a company, starting a club, etc. etc.etc. AdComms generally look at your ECs overall: what do you do with your time? what have you achieved? can you show increasing responsibility / leadership? did you do it, or is there heavy adult (eg parent) involvement? To paraphrase the Dir of Admissions at Princeton, they don’t care what you do- they care what you do with the experience.
Unless the company suddenly turns into the next Uber or AirBnB by the time the Admissions people read it, it’s obviously last-minute resume padding.