I remember when a student I was counseling came into my office one day and told me that he’d signed up to take two summer courses on the Civil War at a local community college. He never asked me if it would help his chances of getting into his dream school. He never asked me if doing something different would make him “look better.” He never tried to impose strategy on what was already a noble motive. He was fascinated with the Civil War, he wanted to learn more about it, and he could chase that interest by taking courses down the street from his house for about $20 a unit. Done. No strategic discussion necessary.
That kind of curiosity and initiative is exactly what colleges want from applicants (he later attended Yale…as a history major).
I’m not suggesting that you shouldn’t make deliberate college planning decisions or that you shouldn’t ask for advice. But when you drive all your decisions by what you think will look best to colleges, you become more about the chase to get in and less about the chase to learn, grow, and experience new things.
When you become all about the chase to get in, you lose your identity. And you look a little desperate. Would you attract someone you wanted to date by basing your every decision on what you thought they might appreciate? (“No” is the correct answer, by the way.) It doesn’t work in dating or college admissions. Far better to be your best version of yourself and trust that the right partner or college will appreciate the real you.
Instead of chasing your desire to get admitted to a prestigious college, chase things that don’t rely someone who’s never met you to say “Yes.” Chase opportunities to get smarter, learn more about yourself, meet people, and to have fun. Those are guaranteed to pay off no matter where you go to college.