Beyond your impressive academic credentials and extracurricular accomplishments, what else makes you unique and colorful? What aren’t we seeing elsewhere in your application? We know nobody fits neatl...

Beyond your impressive academic credentials and extracurricular accomplishments, what else makes you unique and colorful? What aren’t we seeing elsewhere in your application? We know nobody fits neatly into approximately 500 words, but you can provide us with some suggestion of the type of person you are. Think of this optional opportunity as show and tell by proxy.

Collecting and wearing certain sneakers has been a passion of mine for a number of years now. What I didn’t know is that my introduction to this hobby would lead to a development of essential skills and a new way to connect with people. It all started when one of my friends was wearing a certain pair of shoes which I really liked, “LA to Chicago” Jordan 1s. They were sold out everywhere and I asked him how he got them. He had paid over the retail market price by a significant amount off of Ebay in order to get his pair. This led to a realization for me, I could purchase pairs for the retail price and sell them for a markup, in order to be able to afford personal pairs to wear. One thing led to another and eventually I was buying and selling around 20 pairs per month. I would closely monitor the release calendar of major brands, do research on which shoes would have the highest profit margins, and then make a plan for which shoes to target across a variety of retail websites. After this, I would list each shoe on several aftermarket platforms, selling on whichever one gave me the highest net return. I realized that this was a major way to optimize my profit margins, rather than being restricted to one platform. Each had their own niche elements, with some shoes and sizes being more desired in international markets than here in the United States. Acquisition of these items became a major pastime for me, sitting in front of my computer waiting for a release was a key way to not only keep busy but fund my shoe hobby, as well as many others. As it became a large part of my life, I wanted to share what I had discovered with others. Eventually, I helped my friends to get started with the same idea, since we shared a common interest in shoes. We spent a lot of time together bonding through this experience, and I was able to help them get started on an entrepreneurial track. Now, we frequently spend time together both planning for these releases, getting packages ready for shipment and strategizing about how to approach future drops. It’s a great way to spend time together while also being productive and acquiring abilities which are conducive to progressing and growing into the future. I learned more about entrepreneurship and hard work than I could have ever expected. I started and managed my own business with nothing except my computer and a little money I had saved up from mowing lawns, something which I had never thought possible. An initial throwaway idea allowed me to expand my horizons and create something for myself and my friends to enjoy and profit from together. It’s my hope to find similar convergences in the future.