One word holds the key to your success.
One seven letter word and the implications behind it are what distinguishes those who get all the great things they want in life, and those who don't.
Stick around and we'll reveal this one word and how you can use it to get the life of your dreams and get your child into the school you have been dreaming of ever since you become a parent.
This is what I wish I knew before entering high school at those years ago and making it into Princeton as it would have made everything much easier and much more straightforward.
It was the summer before my freshman year of high school and I was sitting by the pool with the girl next door. Trying impossibly hard to "look cool" and not reveal how much of a huge crush I had on her.
I was still an awkward, just barely pubescent teen who was a little nerdy, super skinny and still had a lot of growing to do, while she was the school's "cool girl" who was treated like a queen and had the confidence and looks of one.
We were by the pool talking about how excited we were to go to high school when she looks me in the eyes, her amber eyes staring at my soul, and asked, "so, what do you want to be?"
My brain blanked and grabbed at the first thing that came to my head and I said, "I want to go to Princeton and become and astronaut."
A small beautiful smile crept across her face as she said three words the stuck with me until this day "That's pretty cool." And on that day, I decided that I was going to Princeton.
What I didn't know then would be how monumental of a task that would be and if I knew what I'm about to share now, it would have reduced the heartache and would have made everything 100 times earlier.
The one word that matters when applying to college is how "s.p.e.c.i.a.l." you are.
That's it.
When a college looks at an applicant, they look at these 7 factors to decide whether or not to accept them.
A person's;
S - Smarts
P - Perspective
E - Extracurriculars
C - Character
I - Interests
A - Aims
L - Location
Now, this may seem obvious, but often times the most obvious truths are the ones that are hardest to accept. The ones hidden in plain sight are often the most overlooked.
Let's see an example of this at play.
Let's have two applicants Alice and Bob.
Alice has these ratings
Smarts: 8/10
She's not the smartest in her class, but she does pretty well in school and gets pretty good grades
Perspective: 8/10
Alice has traveled a lot with her parents and done a little bit of volunteer work here and there and knows a lot about the world and her place in it
Extracurriculars: 8/10
Alice plays softball and soccer in the spring and fall respectively
Character: 8/10
Alice isn't the captain of her teams, but she's a great role model and many people on the team look up to her. When the time comes she can be counted on to step up and take charge, but hasn't necessarily put herself in those positions.
Interests: 9/10
Alice has a lot of hobbies outside of school. She loves painting, singing, drawing, and has her own garden at home that she tends to.
Aims: 8/10
Alice wants to be a vet to help save animals and give them and their owners better lives
Location: 6/10
Alice lives in a suburbs and has a fairly middle class lifestyle.
Alice's Average score: 7.9 / 10
Now let's look at Bob
Smarts: 10/10
Bob is the smartest person in his class and everyone knows it. He's probably going to be the school valedictorian at graduation.
Perspective: 2/10
Bob has volunteered a little bit, but in between his hectic extracurriculars and school, there isn't too much room for volunteering and traveling.
Extracurriculars: 10/10
Bob participates in every extracurricular he can sign up for because that's what colleges want right?
Character: 10/10
Bob is a great role model and people look up to him. He's the captain of the sports teams he's a part of and the class president. Everyone want's to be like him.
Interests: 2/10
Bob doesn't really have many hobbies outside of school. Balancing extracurriculars and perfect grades doesn't really leave much room for anything else.
Aims: 8/10
Bob wants to be a corporate lawyer and be as successful as possible.
Location: 6/10
Bob also lives in a suburbs and has a fairly middle class lifestyle.
Bob's Average score: 7.0 / 10
Who do you think an elite school like Princeton or Harvard would be more willing to accept?
Surprisingly, it's Alice. While she may not be exceptional in any one things, when the whole package is put together, she provided more overall value to the university through her multidimensional character and personality than Bob even though Bob get's better grades, participates in more extracurriculars, and has more leadership roles.
That is why looking at the bigger picture is so important when applying to school's like Harvard, Princeton, Stanford or Yale
By increasing the value of each component of the 7 pillars to college success it is almost guaranteed that any student will get into their dream school.
S - Smarts
P - Perspective
E - Extracurriculars
C - Character
I - Interests
A - Aims
L - Location
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