The problem

If the valedictorian
can’t get in, what hope do the rest of us have?

My career is dedicated to helping ambitious teens get accepted to the colleges and universities of their choice.

As founder of The Ivy League Challenge and an instructor at Harvard Summer School, I know we need a healthier approach to getting you accepted.

Facebook post about college admissions pressure

Take this Facebook post as an example:

Example Facebook post

The panic in that post is real and it's based on a dangerous myth about how college admissions actually works.

Most families believe selective colleges stack applications from “most impressive” to “least impressive” and admit the top students. They push their teens to work harder, take more AP classes, join more clubs, and sacrifice sleep, friends, and sanity to be more impressive than everyone else.

There's just one problem: That's not how it works.

There are 30,000 valedictorians in North America alone.

Being impressive isn't enough.

Admissions officers at selective schools aren't looking for the most impressive students. There are 30,000 schools in North America alone, and every one of them has a valedictorian. Being impressive isn't enough.

What are they looking for? And how do you become competitive without burning out?

That's what this guide will show you.

The good news: You're reading this now, which gives you a massive advantage. And the healthiest, happiest high school students are actually MORE competitive for selective colleges than their stressed-out peers - if they follow the right strategy.

What Colleges Actually Want Page 2 of 7 →