He said most students try to get in based on their accomplishments (SAT, grades) when most colleges are looking for students who have done what he calls “abnormal teen activities” or something. These include starting a business or nonprofit, flying to India on a one way ticket and spending 10 weeks figuring out how to earn enough to fly back, developing a friendship with a professor and participating in research, etc. Basically, schools are looking for students who have demonstrated the ability to find success using their own hard work and ingenuity.

Here’s a link to the podcast if anyone’s interested: