Your college application is like a potato. 

I know this is weird, but just go with me on this one.

About five years ago, a reddit user made the audacious claim that potatoes are, objectively, the best food... sending the internet into a tailspin. The user made some great points: potatoes are easily grown, affordable, and provide great nutritional value. 

 But most importantly, potatoes can be prepared in SO many ways. Like way more ways than most foods.

And this is why your college application is a potato. Let me explain:

1. There are INFINITELY many ways to cook a potato, and there are INFINITELY many ways to prepare your college application.

Potatoes can be made into delicious hashbrowns, chips, french fries, gnocchi, tater tots, baked potatoes... the list goes on and on 

And the way a potato is prepared tells you a lot about the preparer, the chef. It shows you what they like and what they're good at, how creative they are, what their...

Every college admissions season I see students get frustrated, overwhelmed, and confused by all the college apps advice out there. It feels like well-meaning teachers, counselors, parents, and college prep companies seem to just parrot the same few pieces of college apps advice: be well-rounded, show you're a hard worker, be the most qualified candidate in order to stand out. 

Here's my problem with all of this. Most of these strategies are outdated, and they set you up to fail with impossible standards. And the main reason these tips don't work? They force you to be someone other than yourself. And we don't do that around here.

Even my favorite piece of standard college application advice, "just be yourself!" comes with the slight undertone that being yourself might not be good enough. 

So much of academics is rooted in perfectionism. Getting the right answer, working as hard as possible, being good at everything.... it's all about proving that you're...

It’s that time of the year again. As alumni interview requests hit students’ mailboxes, it can seem like the onset of a second wave of college applications-induced stress. For those not familiar with the concept of alumni interviews, certain colleges offer interviews with alumni in applicants’ hometowns. An additional factor considered in your admission, alumni interviews give students the opportunity to go above and beyond their application, giving schools a better idea of who applicants are. Typically available from October through March, Alumni interviews are not only useful for admissions officers, but also for students. In an interview, students can ask plenty of questions about the college, providing valuable insight that can’t be found online.

Stressed about any upcoming alumni interviews? Don’t be. When I applied to colleges a few years ago, I accepted every alumni interview I was offered. At first, they were stressful. After all, they are a...