Elite colleges’ standards seem to get more competitive each year. Every admissions cycle, top-ranked schools receive floods of applications from high schoolers from around the world, all of them armed with stellar SAT or ACT scores, 4.0 GPAs, and 5s on their AP exams.
This is a recipe for anxiety…for parents and students alike. Moms and dads want the best for their kids, and so frantically seek out any and all information from college counselors, experts, and (less-expert) fellow parents. And as an overworked and exhausted junior or senior, you probably just want that “yes” from a great college so you can stop worrying about it. So when it comes to advice, more is more, right?
Well…no, actually. As an admissions and test prep expert with fifteen years’ experience, I’m here to tell you: not all application strategies are created equal. Though I understand the pressure is high, it’s still not worth it to pull one of the unsavory moves described below.
As unhinged as some might seem…they’re all real! I’ve seen desperate students and parents do some not-so-nice things to get that “yes” from HarvOxbridgeTon. Although it might seem like your competitors will do anything to get ahead—so why shouldn’t you?—the below “strategies” are actually likelier to tank your chances than improve them.
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Mistakes to avoid in presenting yourself to colleges:
Spending all your time on an activity that you don’t plan on continuing in college.
Overfocusing on test prep so much that you don’t have time for a life and interests.
Using ChatGPT—or hiring someone else—to write your admissions essay.
Getting a job exclusively to “show work experience” and “look down-to-earth.”
Fudging a neuropsychologist’s evaluation to get extended time you don’t need on standardized tests.
Mistakes to avoid in presenting yourself to colleges
1) An expensive trip to [insert DevelOPING NATION here] so that you can write a Common App essay about it.
In my decade and a half helping students transform their applications, I have known only two who took an expensive trip across the globe out of genuine passion, then wrote about it in their admissions essay. These two high schoolers were actually and profoundly invested in community service; it’s truly who they were. (Also, one of them worked extensively as a babysitter every week for a year to pay for the trip herself.)
But most of the time, a service trip to an orphanage in Vietnam isn’t so much a reflection of the student’s core ideals as it is an effort to tack on a line to their resume (while ironically trying to come off as selfless). College admissions officers see this for the charade that it is.
2) Exaggerating or misrepresenting community service.
Likewise, unless local community service is a major part of who you are, or involved a truly unusual amount of commitment, keep it near the bottom of your activities list. This endeavor does not make you stand out—because almost every high school requires some form of community service.
3) TAKING ON extracurriculars you don’t enjoy.
Maybe you’ve joined student government because someone told you it looked good on college applications, or maybe you’re spending two hours a day practicing an instrument that you feel totally “blah” about.
Not only is life too short to do something you hate, BUT all the time you’re pouring into these uninspired obligations is time you could have been spending on things you actually find meaningful. College admissions officers know how to tell the difference between applicants who are moved by what they’re doing…and those faking it because they think they need another notch on their application’s belt.
4) Spending all your time on an activity that you don’t plan on continuing in college.
Admissions officers’ goal is to cultivate a well-rounded college, one with a good diversity of clubs, teams, and departments. And so, they’re on the hunt for prospective students with the passion to join and keep up with those activities once they get to campus. Don’t mislead universities with your talent if they won't get to ever see it on their campus. Instead, show them the excitement and skills that you WILL contribute to their institution!
5) OVERFocusing on test prep SO MUCH THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TIME FOR A LIFE AND INTERESTS.
Look, I love high tests scores—it’s my job to help my clients get them—but even a perfect score will not make up for a total lack of passion and personality when it comes to admissions. Seriously.
6) Using ChatGPT—or hiring someone else—to write your admissions essay.
There’s a small possibility you may be able to get away with this form of cheating…but I do mean small. Some schools cross-reference the essay you wrote for the ACT (and previously, the SAT) to defend against such deceitful practices. Also, any interviewer with half a brain will know when the applicant she’s speaking with isn’t the same person (or AI) who wrote the essay. Your “voice” simply won’t match.
And if a school figures out you’re trying to game the system this way, your application will absolutely be thrown out, no questions asked. Definitely not worth the risk…not to mention the unsavory ethics of representing someone/something else’s work as your own.
7) Getting a part-time job ONLY because you want to “show work experience” and “LOOK HUMBLE.”
If you’re earning money to buy yourself a drum kit because your parents weren't willing or able to buy one for you, that could be a compelling story about working independently to achieve your goals. But don’t just go become a barista so you can write your Common App essay about how salt-of-the-earth you are for working in the service industry. Admissions officers have seen that essay hundreds of times.
8) Founding a non-profit exculsively to show “leadership.”
I’ll admit that I can see the appeal in this idea. After all, lots of young people genuinely do want to make the world a better place, and someday they might well head up such an effort. And sometimes a student truly does notice a need that isn’t being addressed—say, a specific demographic that isn’t being served in their local community.
But if orgs serving that same cause, or a very similar cause, already exist, then do you really need to demonstrate your leadership capacity by founding an entire organization when you’re still a teen? Such efforts might be more about your need to present yourself as a founder than about the cause itself.
If you’re serious about making a difference at that age, it’s likelier you’ll be doing the unglamorous work of contributing to established, existing efforts, not reinventing the wheel for the sake of your CV. And yes, once again…college admissions officers are hawk-eyed when it comes to inauthenticity, and they’re understandably not so interested in students who think they have nothing to learn. This is a well-intentioned idea, but one to be avoided.
9) Fudging a neuropsychologist’s evaluation for extended time on the SAT and ACT.
No doubt about it: neuropsychological issues, even previously-undiagnosed ones, can very much affect a student’s ability to get the score she deserves on the Digital SAT, ACT, APs, and other tests. Such challenges can merit extended or double time, and possibly other accommodations. I've worked with plenty of students who needed and deserved those things. (If you think this might be you, check out my free guide to getting extended time if you really need it.)
Those students are NOT who I’m talking about here.
What I’m talking about here is bribing or begging the family’s doctor friend to falsely say that your neurotypical teen deserves extended time—as a test-taking strategy. You may get away with it, but you’ll know in your heart that the resulting score is unearned. College preparation should be a major step towards adult accountability and decision-making. This shady choice would be getting off on the wrong foot on that journey.
10) Neglecting your real passion to focus on something else because you think your real passion won’t get you into college.
This may be the item on this list that brings the most sadness to my heart. While I understand that you’re trying to keep up with the (very competitive) Joneses of admissions, please remember that you only get one life!
Therefore, when you discover what truly makes your heart sing, you should hold onto it and follow where it leads you. The right university for you is a place that will embrace and further cultivate what you have to offer. The wrong university for you is one where you have to become someone else to get in…regardless of how shiny the name may be. Do you really want to spend four years on a campus that isn’t matched to who you actually are?
And once again, the shammery of this miscalculation will probably be clear to whomever reads your application. So you probably won’t get the result you wanted…and you’ll have lost a genuine source of pleasure and meaning.
Sensing a theme here? It’s this: be yourself.
Colleges want real people with real interests, real passion, real drive. Aren’t those the people we all want to be around? Understanding the admissions system is one thing. You should get a grasp of how it works. But trying to take shortcuts to game that system is not advisable, and often backfires.
The overwhelm of the college process can make even generally sane, grounded, self-confident parents and students consider doing things they otherwise wouldn't. Don't let anxiety and fear drive your college process! I've found that a clear, reasonable game plan for the test prep and/or application processes goes a long way towards relieving the pressure of this stressful time. And always remember that your authentic self will get you into the right school for YOU.
