Ivy League Student Reacts to TRASH College Admissions Advice

This genuinely might be one of the most informative videos I've ever posted on my channel. Make this the best 24 minutes and 33 seconds you've invested into something in your life.

When there are so many myths on the internet surrounding college admissions, videos like the one I'm reacting to only add fuel to the fire. I'm here to clarify at least a few of these misconceptions. Stay woke people.

Contents:
0:00 - Reacting to TRASH college admissions advice
1:26 - STAY WOKE: sh*tty marketing
2:23 - Real talk - high school courses, gpa, stats
4:23 - Standardized testing LIES (and the truth)
8:16 - my USEABLE college essay writing advice
10:27 - a NO-BS recommendation letter guide
13:34 - A weird way to get rejected: demonstrated interest
18:40 - watch me lose my mind over extracurriculars
20:22 - the unfiltered section (putting y'all on fr)

[MeeraR]

It would be very helpful if you could provide a link for the website you recommended for the essays. The video was very helpful. Thanks

[nicolasbambrick]

The funny part is that my schools guidance counselor unironically showed this to us as the majority of information of the college process for us 💀

[arkitcomedy]

Honestly, I disagree. I applied to 9 colleges total and got into UVA, Vanderbilt, UMich Honors, Georgetown, Yale, Duke (my oldest brother went there though so I had like secondary legacy), and Cornell, but got rejected from Northwestern and UChicago.For me, my extracurriculars were meh and my academics were slightly above average. My essays were hugely important because I spun my extracurriculars to the very best and I connected those to my hopeful future undergraduate/career work. In doing so, I connected it heavily to how I almost "need" that specific school to satisfy this desire, demonstrating my interest very well in the process. Northwestern and UChicago were where I did this the least because I half-assed them which is likely why I didn't get in. Essays themselves aren't the "most important, " but they are what make your weaknesses strong and your strengths even stronger. By doing that I was able to finesse my way into colleges simply by marketing myself well through the essays.

[haydenlocke]

I feel as though due to grade dilution, AP test score matter even more so. With A's in AP classes being more and more common, a 4 or 5 on the test carries more value, showing that you didn't just meet the schools requirements but also the universal standard as well.

[austinf]

Dope video: as a school admin this is crucial. Authenticity and having the accumen to dedicate yourself to the stuff that matters to you is so key! In Highschool you should know your strengths, lean heavily into those, dabble with meaning where possible and do all you can to protect yourself and avoid burnout.

[scottjackson]

Your silence following the quavering voice delivery in # 3 was hilarious. 🤣

[saltshaker]

I watched this halfway through writing my admission essay, you're actually so funny not going to lie.

[blueshark]

I like your honesty and positivity! Keep it up! Thx for the cheerful video!

[donkeybros]

You can find out if a school cares about things like demonstrated interest through the college’s common data set

[GhosteryIsDead]

I greatly think (from personal experience) the worth of a college essay is dependent on your background.

A lot of FGLI (first-gen low-income) students come from schools with little-to-no extracurriculars, subpar standardized tests, yet generally ideal GPAs and all. From there, one of the biggest ways you can set yourself apart here is your college essay / recc letters.

Personally, I, among a few other friends I know on my campus, applied using no extracurriculars, yet their essays were filled with their personal stories (some to the level of Tina Yong's mention of the trauma essay). While not having extracurriculars is not the best, I do think the position of the essay was accurate especially for a lot of low-middle class students.

If you are well-off and rich (compared to FGLI students), sure, an essay does not matter as much, your essay is easily perfect, but also likely will not be a trauma essay. If you cannot be the academic student, you will be forced to market yourself as the "fixable" student or the student who is be made into a "success story."

[giadinhbeo]

Just for statistics: University of Georgia admission in 2023 said 98% of admitted students took AP/ IB. So, it's really important in Georgia.

[shreyasbolla]

Aight, enough motivation for today. Going into monk mode.

[solr.gallardo]

8:44 never fails to get me, but seriously, I'm a new subscriber and your content is rly good, thanks dude

[has-been-hotl]

5:00 I just got an A the entire year for Calc BC and then got a 1 on the AP test and this made me feel better lol

[giovannajames]

I'm a high school counselor- thank you for this, it was great information. And my students are much more likely to listen to someone closer to their age.

[mitchellharding]

Bruh, the level is distain and animosity you show towards a guy who is *directionally* aligned with you is wild.

[thesupersteel]

18:45 bro literally turned into a horse 💀

[JohnMorganelliJr]

This bro ain’t wrong - the consulting industry is mostly fake.

That said - The algorithm he is referring to is not real outside of athletes. And AP exams do play a role. Bro ain’t informed. But I like his style.

[Peayo]

at my school if you get a 5 they raise your letter grade for 2 semesters of a class and if you get a 4 they raise your letter grade for 1

[oliverminkov]

bro kept it so real and that's what all the AO's dont do 😭😭