With the Summer Olympics in full swing, imagine the difference between the athlete who arrives with one goal in mind—to win the gold—and the athlete who’s thrilled just to be there. One will leave fulfilled or defeated, with no in-between. The other has already won their prize.

Some college applicants approach the process like a gold medal hunter, with only one acceptable outcome for all of their hard work.

What if you approached your college admissions process like the other Olympian? What if you cared less about winning the medal and were instead thrilled for the opportunity to go to college at all?

The Olympian who’s happy just to be there isn’t necessarily settling for less. Like the gold-seekers, they are among the best in the world at what they do. They’ve worked incredibly hard to get where they are. And they still have their chance to turn in a good enough performance to end up on the podium. Underdogs win medals all the time.

But just getting to the Olympics is an accomplishment most people will never experience. Why base your fulfillment on whether or not you win a medal? Why not just enjoy that you’re participating in something special?

If you work like an Olympian to get into college, you’ve already won. Wherever you end up, why not be thrilled just to be there?