Listing Ebay Seller as an EC...

[Zanzibar]

Hey, so I've been selling Nintendo Wiis on Ebay for a while now, and it's something I like to do for fun, gives me a tidy profit, and I would consider it an EC. Does listing this on my app yield any value whatsoever? I honestly can't tie it into why I want to go into medicine, so I'm wondering if adding this would be just a hassle.

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[EpiPEN]

I want to say yes but my gut says no

 

[chitownGpremed]

i wouldnt mention it. but maybe thats me being conservative.

oh btw, got any good deels coming up?

 

[ButImLETired]

Hmmm you might want to look up the thread of the beauty queen who was wondering whether to mention pageants as an EC. LizzyM, our resident admissions lady, had some good thoughts about what constitutes a genuine EC and what doesn't. Might be helpful.

 

[shemarty]

I listed selling textbooks, electronics, and DVDs as an EC.

I buy in bulk online and sell on campus and online.

LizzyM read my description and approved it back in June.

 

[unsung]

Sure, it shows that you take the initiative (lots of folks probably have some ideas to do this, but are just too lazy to do it.) Play up the whole "entrepreneur" angle and elaborate on how you came up with the idea and how you've become more successful at it over time.

 

[NJDIF]

i like the above mentioned post. play it off as starting your own business, say how many customers youve reached, what kind of feedback youve been getting, etc.

its a bit nontraditional, but i like it.

 

[chad5871]

I was going to list this as well, but ran out of space and I felt my other ECs were more important. I sell on eBay and half.com for my family and friends and have over 500 positive feedback ratings. I was going to play up the entrepreneurial aspect of it.

 

[NYGirl12]

I started a small home-based organic soap business and I listed it down as an EC. Just make sure you describe it well in the space that AMCAS gives you (i.e. helped hone organizational skills, etc..)

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Wiis??? How much do they usually go for???

 

[Compass]

Make sure to point out that with every sale of a Wii, you're increasing the prospective future applicant count by one, because clearly Trauma Center is an accurate representation of our daily lives and deeds. I mean, who DOESN'T draw a star to slow down time and suture a person's wounds in 3 seconds flat using only two stitches?

 

[lord_jeebus]

If you've put over 100 hours in it, perhaps you could frame it as a "video game equipment resale business," say you sell online, and leave out the word "ebay."

If you haven't put that much work into it, I wouldn't bother listing it.

 

[shraf]

Hey, so I've been selling Nintendo Wiis on Ebay for a while now, and it's something I like to do for fun, gives me a tidy profit, and I would consider it an EC. Does listing this on my app yield any value whatsoever? I honestly can't tie it into why I want to go into medicine, so I'm wondering if adding this would be just a hassle.

buying up products that are in short supply and selling them on ebay implies price gouging and taking advantage of people (which from your description seems to be exactly what you're doing). If you are going for the shrewd business person persona on your app (don't know why you would) then go ahead and mention it...otherwise you should probably leave it out.

 

[SiR99]

buying up products that are in short supply and selling them on ebay implies price gouging and taking advantage of people (which from your description seems to be exactly what you're doing). If you are going for the shrewd business person persona on your app (don't know why you would) then go ahead and mention it...otherwise you should probably leave it out.

Thats kind of what I thought of.

I always thought that EC's were suppose to be things that you did to contribute to your community (whether medicine related or not) or to make you a more well rounded and understanding person (music, sports).

I could be wrong, this is just what I thought EC's were suppose to be, but this may not be what they are looking for, ...

 

[shraf]

Thats kind of what I thought of.

I always thought that EC's were suppose to be things that you did to contribute to your community (whether medicine related or not) or to make you a more well rounded and understanding person (music, sports).

I could be wrong, this is just what I thought EC's were suppose to be, but this may not be what they are looking for, ...

ECs certainly don't have to be community service or have any relevance to medicine or bettering yourself. If you worked at mcdonalds during college or in the dining hall then you put that down and be proud of it. But selling Wiis on ebay is not something to be proud of and has very bad connotations.

 

[requeim]

wouldnt that be more of a hobby?

 

[LizzyM]

I interviewed an applicant a year or two ago who listed on his application buying broken stuff on ebay, repairing the items and reselling on ebay. It was fun to talk about at the interview (applicant was admitted, too). Whether speculating on electronics is more shameful, I'm not sure. Would this be like ticket scalping?

Anything you do with your time that isn't illegal, immoral or fattening is okay on your experiences list.

But I do draw the line at listing planning one's wedding as an "experience". If just seems too materialistic and commercial.

 

[harposnarpo]

Would this be like ticket scalping?

Buying tickets at the fixed selling price and selling them at the market's value is illegal.

Doing the same for just about anything else is legal arbitrage, benefiting overall market efficiency (provided the op didn't have and exploit retailer connections).

Long story short, many people will equate it to ticket scalping, and many people equate ticket scalping to breaking the law and "price-gouging." So don't mention it. For what it's worth, just about every economist out there (myself included) will say you're providing a service.