Maybe it was curiosity. I can't remember exactly why I wandered into the 24-hour study lounge one evening with my friend. I had heard reports that the lounge was where a different sort of student lived. Double majors. Engineers. Valedectorians.
It was late at night as we ambled in, and the first thing that hit me was the smell of the place—like an old sock, with a soupçon of permanent markers. Students, many of whom appeared to have set up some sort of habitation in the cubicles, looked up at me hollow-eyed. It was then, under the flickering fluorescent lights, that I spotted it. A can of aerosol cheese on a desk. A shudder traveled up my spine.
"Let's get out of here," I said quietly to my friend. Only to get shushed, loudly, by a student. It was almost as if the student was hissing at me.
Did I mention that it was a Friday night?
The 24-hour-study lounge at Stanford represented an extreme, but it didn't seem entirely separate from the vibe of the school, either. The pace of life and the quiet pressure to succeed felt about as healthy to me...as a can of easy cheese.
I prefer...a lot of down time.
It all comes down to the college list
See, what I didn't know was that before getting my heart set on Stanford, I could have done a lot more digging, not only into the actual culture there, but into who I was and what sort of college I might actually be looking for. My experience has inspired a lot of my work. I love helping students pick schools that really fit them well!
In this week's video, I illustrate the value of an inspired college list by telling the story of two students and their radically different outcomes in college admissions.
Highlights include:
✅ What you need to know about safety schools
✅ Why reach schools are only one part of the picture
✅ How to save time and money by finding schools that really match your student's personality
Hope you find it helpful!
For families of high school juniors...
Now is an ideal time to start putting together an inspired college list. When you leave lots of time, the process can go from being stressful and chaotic to enlightening and fun. I promise!
Happy to help
I will be creating various workshops and courses in the coming months. If you have any specific feedback on what would be most helpful, please fill out my survey below! Big thanks to everyone who already given me some great ideas.
Get my free biweekly updates—chock full of advice on the college application process and plenty of fun but perhaps random GIFs!—delivered directly to you.
