Why Elite Admissions Rewards Focus

Top colleges do not reward smart and talented students; they reward students who have harnessed their abilities toward impact in a specific area. In this episode, using two student examples, we reveal the costs of operating without a plan—from constant jumping between interests and activities to allowing outside influences to dictate actions that are misaligned with a student’s admissions goals. Ultimately, we argue that focus is about more than building an admissions “hook.” It provides stud...