In this episode of Demystifying College Admissions, I’m interviewing Steve Schwartz, a professional college admissions consultant for over a decade, who is also the host of the “College Admissions Toolbox” podcast. Steve also shares a snippet of his personal college admissions journey and how he got accepted into Columbia despite not having perfect numbers.   WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:   The importance of picking something compelling to craft your story with. Creating a space where you can compete in, that others might not even know exists (yet!) Doing what you can, in your control, to help you get closer to where you really want to go The key to getting into your dream college! Words of wisdom regarding the importance of researching which schools will be a good fit for you. You have a fair shot with the resources you already have in front of you. The college application process is a lot more holistic than you think, and there are many pieces that play a role - i.e. extracurriculars, college essays, and recommendation letters. The importance of being authentic with yourself and why you want to go to a specific school.   NOTABLE QUOTES:   “But there are still people who get into college without the power, without the money, because they focus on what matters to them and what their values are.” “Let’s not feel powerless! Instead, this should be a wakeup call for us to be even more authentic with ourselves.” “You have to find your own way to compete in your own space.” “You may actually instead find that upon doing the proper research that a school ranked 25 is a better fit for your student than one that’s ranked 15.” “Getting in is not the end; getting in is really just the beginning of something else altogether.” “The test scores aren’t everything; there are many components to the application aside from that.” “Don’t overly focus on prestige. Find the colleges that are the best fit for your child.” “If you are authentic, genuine, and if you prepare early, then you will be able to hit the goal that you want, whether that is getting accepted into Brown or USC or Reed College or wherever.”   SHOW NOTES: https://juliekimconsulting.com/podcast/   STRATEGY SESSION: http://www.juliekimconsulting.com/now