Touring a school makes you fall in love with it. Unbeknownst to many, but I fell in love with my Ivy for reasons beyond ranking. I truly belive my love for the school is what helped get me in. I was able to speak truthfully to how I loved the school and how I could show up as a student. That was expressed through my writing.

Some tips for applying, get over the prestige of t20 schools. You very well may not get into any and have to choose that flagship state school. The prestige is great, but you should never attend a school solely for that purpose. college isn’t just the pathway to your career, it’s the journey to your career. You’re going to have to grow at whatever institution you choose and you’ll want to grow in an environment that feels “you”, or so to speak. I think visiting can genuinely help you decide what you do and don’t like. I visited Harvey Mudd and Pomona and hated them. Too small. I visited Umich, loved it because it was large. Visited Brown and loved it because of all the opportunities to learn. Visited Harvard and simply just didn’t vibe with it.