The 7 Laws of College Admissions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ABNA4siT6I

Welcome back my dear virtual little siblings! 

Today we are here to discuss the seven holy commandments of college admissions. Definitely read until the end because we’ve organized these commandments from the least important to the most important.

The First Commandment: Thou Shall Apply Early

This is not up for debate, people. 

First of all, your chances of getting in early are 2-3x higher if you apply early compared to regular decision!

Secondly, you can also apply to a school where acceptance is non-binding (so there’s literally no downside). Let’s say you apply EA to a school you would already be really happy attending, like UNC or UMich. This way, when December rolls around, you can apply to fewer colleges and dedicate more time, energy, and focus on the schools you really want to get into.

Finally, let's say you do apply early to your dream school and you get in. Then you’re done! End of story!

The Second Commandment: Thou Shall Research

What does it actually mean to research a college? Does it mean going on the school's website so you can name-drop specific courses and professors? 

Well, yes, but it also means looking up and searching for clubs from that school on places like Instagram, Reddit and YouTube so you can get a better inside scoop about the culture and student life of that particular university. 

Here’s what I recommend: make a spreadsheet with each college you plan to apply to, find at least one student who attends that school, then interview them to get that insider information. 

Ask them questions like: 

• "What's been your favorite college memory?" 

• "What does a typical day in your life look like?" 

• "What would you change about your college and why?" 

• 
  

And then before you release them from your grasp, thank them profusely and ask for a referral: "Do you know someone else at XYZ school that would be willing to chat with me?"

When I applied to college, this was one of the biggest cheat codes that I leveraged in order to collect unique, one-of-a-kind answers to the "Why this school?" question.

Commandment Number Three: Thou Shall Edit

Ahh, the editing phase. The hardest, most toilsome, chaotic part of the process—but it's absolutely necessary (trust me when I say that I can tell if this common app is your version number two or if it's version number eight).

In general, it takes about 6-8 drafts to get your essay in tip-top shape. Keep in mind that this applies for both your common app and supplemental essays! So many students leave their supps to the wayside, but they are just as important as your common app. For some schools with extensive supplemental essay questions, like Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, they are arguably even more important than your CAPS. 

The Fourth Commandment: Thou Shall Not Compare

Stop using Reddit's r/chanceme, people. 

Look, I know how tempting it can be, but don’t do it. You're just gonna end up entering a deep, dark rabbit hole, one that leads to nothing but soul-crushing doubt and anxiety about your own self-worth. 

If you have time to worry about other people’s applications, I bet that you have time to worry about your own application. Better to spend those 10 or 20 minutes tinkering on one of your Common App essay ideas or editing one of your supplemental answers. 

Seriously, guys, stop thinking about your competition. Instead, think about how you can increase your own odds of getting into the college of your dreams.

The Fifth Commandment: Thou Shall Not Self-Reject

Maybe this tip isn’t for everyone, but it’s for that kid who thinks they don’t have a shot, who is on the fence about even just applying to a reach school. 

Every single year you’ll hear a story about some kid who felt like they had no business whatsoever applying to a school like Yale or Harvard. But guess what? Someone somewhere convinced them to do it. So they applied, and they got in, and they went! 

Think about it, guys: if you do not apply, you have a zero percent chance of getting in. If you do apply, and especially if you apply early, your chances of getting in are, quite literally, infinitely higher. 

The Sixth Commandment: Thou Shall Strategize

In college admissions today, there are two main strategies: be a circle or be a square.

A circle is basically a kid who is good at everything. We are all very jealous of them. They’re the jack of all trades who are somehow varsity captain of the swim team, a robotics whiz and debate national champion – all at the same time. They can do all these things really well. They also run a non-profit in their spare time. And they even have esoteric hobbies like beekeeping and sorbet-making that they’re very good at. Generally speaking, we do not recommend this strategy for most students since it’s really difficult and quite exhausting to pull off. 

A square, on the other hand, is someone who has clear competitive edges or spikes. This is a student who focuses on depth, not breadth. Typically, these students are very good at one or two areas of interest, although very successful squares are geniuses at fusing together their multiple USPs (unique selling points) and competitive advantages. For instance, I was a square who focused on my community leadership, international relations, and storytelling abilities in my application.

Commandment Number Seven: Thou Shall Seek Help

Please, my virtual siblings, you have to show your application to at least one other person. 

It sounds a bit silly and obvious, but I’d definitely recommend finding someone with college admissions experience under their belt — whether this is a guidance counselor at your school, an older sibling or a friend who has just gone through the college admissions process themselves. There are actually a bunch of organizations out there on the Internet who want to help you. So as long as you guys are looking for help, I’m sure you can find it. 

If you guys are a senior this application cycle who has no one to turn to, feel free to visit www.elevated.school/getstarted (you may be eligible for some free essay edits)! 

I really mean it when I say I want you all to succeed from the bottom of my heart. After all, your success is my success.

There you have it—the seven commandments of college admissions, each designed to guide you toward success. Remember, each little action you take today brings you closer to your dream school. If you need a hand along the way, we’re here for you.

Your virtual big bro,

Kevin Zhen