Dec 26
Myth Busted: You Don't Need to Cure Cancer to Get Into Harvard
I hear this anxiety from students all the time: "I haven't done anything extraordinary enough for a top school."
Let me be clear: you don't need to cure cancer, start a million-dollar company, or win an Olympic medal to get into Harvard or any other top school.
What you DO need:
- Genuine intellectual curiosity demonstrated through your choices
- Meaningful impact in your community, however small
- Personal growth and self-awareness shown through your essays
- Strong academics (yes, this matters, but it's the baseline)
- Authentic passion for something — anything
Some of the most compelling applications I've helped craft featured:
- A student who taught coding to senior citizens at a local library
- A student who created a podcast about local history that got 10,000 downloads
- A student who worked at their family's restaurant every weekend and wrote about what it taught them about community
None of these are "cure cancer" level achievements. But they're all authentic, specific, and demonstrate character.
Stop comparing yourself to imaginary perfect applicants. Be the best version of yourself.
Dec 26
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Dec 26
Myth Busted: You Don't Need to Cure Cancer to Get Into Harvard
I hear this anxiety from students all the time: "I haven't done anything extraordinary enough for a top school."
Let me be clear: you don't need to cure cancer, start a million-dollar company, or win an Olympic medal to get into Harvard or any other top school.
What you DO need:
- Genuine intellectual curiosity demonstrated through your choices
- Meaningful impact in your community, however small
- Personal growth and self-awareness shown through your essays
- Strong academics (yes, this matters, but it's the baseline)
- Authentic passion for something — anything
Some of the most compelling applications I've helped craft featured:
- A student who taught coding to senior citizens at a local library
- A student who created a podcast about local history that got 10,000 downloads
- A student who worked at their family's restaurant every weekend and wrote about what it taught them about community
None of these are "cure cancer" level achievements. But they're all authentic, specific, and demonstrate character.
Stop comparing yourself to imaginary perfect applicants. Be the best version of yourself.
