Storytelling vs Achievements in College Admissions

A great lie is being spread. People who can turn words that high school students and Ivy League-hungry parents want to hear into personal profit are promulgating the idea that grades and achievements are not what gets people into elite colleges, but rather, it all comes down to storytelling. They claim that simply telling a gut-wrenching, tear-jerker of a story that makes an admission officer personally want to see you get into Harvard, and no matter your grades or what you accomplished in your extracurriculars, you'll have a shot at Harvard or a Harvard-tier college.

Here’s a simple rule of thumb: if a college admissions consultant tells you that one aspect of the application process, whether it be storytelling or achievements, is all you need to be competitive, walk away. The truth, though less marketable, is this: for most applicants, admission to elite colleges requires both tangible accomplishments and effective storytelling.

Another truth, one that even reputable admissions consultants are hesitant to admit, is that many students get into Harvard, MIT, and other top-tier colleges with mediocre essays. A tear-jerking or literary masterpiece of a personal statement is not a prerequisite for admission to the world’s best schools. If your accomplishments are exceptional, starting a multimillion-dollar company, being accepted to RSI, publishing first-authored papers, raising six figures through fundraisers, consistently placing first in national competitions, then as long as your essays don’t reflect poorly on you, you can still be a strong candidate.

For example, if you have top-tier grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, and your Common App essay is completely generic but inoffensive, you could still get into Harvard or a similarly selective school. Of course, a compelling essay that reveals your character and helps admissions officers envision you on their campus will only strengthen your application, if the other pieces are already in place.

You often hear horror stories of students with outstanding extracurriculars and grades being rejected from almost every college they apply to. This almost always happens because they sound arrogant in their essays. Examples include bragging about being smarter than 10-year-olds when they were 3 years old, or claiming they learned the entire AP Computer Science curriculum at age 5, or speaking negatively about their peers. No one likes a braggart.

The point is, it’s not about choosing between storytelling and grades. A good admissions consultant emphasizes the importance of both and works to help you present both effectively. They won’t sell you comforting half-truths. The best-written essays in the world won't get a student with underwhelming real-world accomplishments into an Ivy League or other top-tier college. Only when your story is backed by real, meaningful action will it truly resonate with admissions officers.

If you want to ensure that you are on track to be admitted into your dream college, schedule a consultation with an admission expert today.