“You NEED to change this part of your application, or you will get rejected from every university that you apply to.”

The international Ivy League admissions race haunts many high school students. 

With college counselors costing tens of thousands of dollars and acceptance rates at an annual drastic decline(s), the 400,000 students annually applying to these schools are willing to take any advice they can get. And for “T20” schools, that number becomes millions. 

So, when they, and admittedly I, hear these types of statements on the internet, we are likely to believe them. Now, who is spreading this misinformation? 

The users posting these videos have “college helper” in their social media bios and sell courses and resources for hundreds to thousands of dollars. They seem credible. They must have some experience in college counseling or admissions, right?

Most of the time, it’s quite the opposite; these videos are commonly posted by underqualified college students using exploitative fear-mongering tactics to gain capital while spreading misinformation.

This exploitation involves three main factors: misinformation, appeal to authority, and fear-mongering. 

These accounts will typically begin videos by sharing falsified facts and out-of-context statistics or, in many cases, straight lies. You must do this exact activity to get into college. You will be rejected unless you do this, this, and this.

Wrong!

Next, they appeal to authority. They got into Harvard three years ago. Yes, you are entirely different students with different demographics, “stats,” life experiences, and extracurriculars. But, if they can do it, you can too.

What? 

Last, they bring in the fear factor. You can “get in” to these schools if you do it with their guidance. Otherwise, you have no chance. Admissions officers are lying to you. College counselors are lying to you. You will be rejected. Nothing is as it seems. 

No! Do not listen. These videos are lies. Although they can have some truth, that truth is generally distorted to serve one purpose: income. 

Next time you hear that you need to buy an expensive course or have a letter of recommendation from the president to get into university, rethink the information that’s just been given to you. It’s okay to ask someone for their qualifications, which you should do when taking life-altering advice. 

And, above all things, the college you go to and the path you take does not define you. There are ways to succeed without going to prestigious universities. Follow your gut and do what is right for you. If that’s going to an Ivy League, do it. If not, that is okay.