Ivy League Student Reacts to TRASH College Admissions Advice

This genuinely might be one of the most informative videos I've ever posted on my channel. Make this the best 24 minutes and 33 seconds you've invested into something in your life.
When there are so many myths on the internet surrounding college admissions, videos like the one I'm reacting to only add fuel to the fire. I'm here to clarify at least a few of these misconceptions. Stay woke people.
Contents:
0:00 - Reacting to TRASH college admissions advice
1:26 - STAY WOKE: sh*tty marketing
2:23 - Real talk - high school courses, gpa, stats
4:23 - Standardized testing LIES (and the truth)
8:16 - my USEABLE college essay writing advice
10:27 - a NO-BS recommendation letter guide
13:34 - A weird way to get rejected: demonstrated interest
18:40 - watch me lose my mind over extracurriculars
20:22 - the unfiltered section (putting y'all on fr)

[@meeraathreya4297]

It would be very helpful if you could provide a link for the website you recommended for the essays. The video was very helpful. Thanks

[@preachingp]

www.cracksat.net/college-admission/essays/?doc

[@nicolasbambrick]

The funny part is that my schools guidance counselor unironically showed this to us as the majority of information of the college process for us 💀

[@Saturnius]

Goated counselor

[@hjcyvugvjgcjgc9021]

@@Saturniusi think he meant that the counselor showed them the video that was being reacted to

[@Saturnius]

@@hjcyvugvjgcjgc9021 oh shit 💀

[@haydenlocke75]

I feel as though due to grade dilution, AP test score matter even more so. With A's in AP classes being more and more common, a 4 or 5 on the test carries more value, showing that you didn't just meet the schools requirements but also the universal standard as well.

[@joeshmoe1215]

Completely agree

[@shreyasbolla5048]

Aight, enough motivation for today. Going into monk mode.

[@preachingp]

W subscriber

[@LovefromUSAtoBD]

where are u now?

[@shreyasbolla5048]

@@LovefromUSAtoBD I’m at NJIT’s 7 year BS/MD with NJMS

[@jayantkumar1881]

@@LovefromUSAtoBD At your house!

[@saltshaker3171]

I watched this halfway through writing my admission essay, you're actually so funny not going to lie.

[@blueshark1771]

I like your honesty and positivity! Keep it up! Thx for the cheerful video!

[@arkitcomedy3851]

Honestly, I disagree. I applied to 9 colleges total and got into UVA, Vanderbilt, UMich Honors, Georgetown, Yale, Duke (my oldest brother went there though so I had like secondary legacy), and Cornell, but got rejected from Northwestern and UChicago.For me, my extracurriculars were meh and my academics were slightly above average. My essays were hugely important because I spun my extracurriculars to the very best and I connected those to my hopeful future undergraduate/career work. In doing so, I connected it heavily to how I almost "need" that specific school to satisfy this desire, demonstrating my interest very well in the process. Northwestern and UChicago were where I did this the least because I half-assed them which is likely why I didn't get in. Essays themselves aren't the "most important," but they are what make your weaknesses strong and your strengths even stronger. By doing that I was able to finesse my way into colleges simply by marketing myself well through the essays.

[@idkwhattoputhere1495]

drop the essays pls 🙏 (if you can)

[@Eli-pt9ft]

What were ur stats and drop the essays

[@jaz6507]

plss drop the essays

[@scottjackson163]

Your silence following the quavering voice delivery in # 3 was hilarious. 🤣

[@donkeybros8734]

You can find out if a school cares about things like demonstrated interest through the college’s common data set

[@alenizi07]

lmaoo bro i love this video and the attitude in the vid. super helpful as well

[@austinf9238]

Dope video: as a school admin this is crucial. Authenticity and having the accumen to dedicate yourself to the stuff that matters to you is so key! In Highschool you should know your strengths, lean heavily into those, dabble with meaning where possible and do all you can to protect yourself and avoid burnout.

[@giadinhbeo]

Just for statistics: University of Georgia admission in 2023 said 98% of admitted students took AP/ IB. So, it's really important in Georgia.

[@eriklosure2781]

He meant scores on AP exams, not if they took ap at all

[@YS-pb5nc]

He said taking AP or IB is important, but exam scores are not

[@johnluin6793]

He’s completely wrong about AP Exams. Your AP Exam is THE way of showing whether or not there exists grade inflation. It’s actually one of the ONLY subject specific ways to prove or disprove grad inflation/deflation. And he’s talking about other people’s logic? How ironic.

[@Insomnia_tic]

But how many got 5s? And how many took a bunch? And whats the acceptance tate in general?

[@nebula2339]

@@johnluin6793 Usually you sent AP Exams AFTER you get accepted into the school, they are not at all important in the admissions process...

[@solr.gallardo]

8:44 never fails to get me, but seriously, I'm a new subscriber and your content is rly good, thanks dude

[@GhosteryIsDead]

I greatly think (from personal experience) the worth of a college essay is dependent on your background. A lot of FGLI (first-gen low-income) students come from schools with little-to-no extracurriculars, subpar standardized tests, yet generally ideal GPAs and all. From there, one of the biggest ways you can set yourself apart here is your college essay / recc letters. Personally, I, among a few other friends I know on my campus, applied using no extracurriculars, yet their essays were filled with their personal stories (some to the level of Tina Yong's mention of the trauma essay). While not having extracurriculars is not the best, I do think the position of the essay was accurate especially for a lot of low-middle class students. If you are well-off and rich (compared to FGLI students), sure, an essay does not matter as much, your essay is easily perfect, but also likely will not be a trauma essay. If you cannot be the academic student, you will be forced to market yourself as the "fixable" student or the student who is be made into a "success story."

[@shhhyourtooloud257]

FACTS. Honestly I have great extra curriculars as an FGLI but are probably similar to the thousands who's applying to the same stuff (I know the descriptions helps but it's still too similar). I'm relying on my essays and free responses to set me apart ‼️

[@gxld629]

@@shhhyourtooloud257 How did it go?

[@shhhyourtooloud257]

@@gxld629 yoo thanks for asking, i got into umich

[@shhhyourtooloud257]

@@gxld629 yoo I forgot ab this comment, but I got into umich. Ty for asking

[@gxld629]

@@shhhyourtooloud257 damnn that's great, basically a t20, congratulations

[@oliverminkov7603]

bro kept it so real and that's what all the AO's dont do 😭😭

[@jayb1809]

great info PP, please suggest those traditional premed programs you applied thanks!

[@SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand]

This video is really good. Thank you! 10/10

[@giovannajames8479]

I'm a high school counselor- thank you for this, it was great information. And my students are much more likely to listen to someone closer to their age.

[@sid-zb6zy]

hey pratik nice video! could you create a video for international students and how they should choose the colleges that they should apply for?

[@tianyuema4797]

Very informative video. I appreciate it.

[@ethanliu2956]

Thanks for the very informative video Pratik!

[@prabhasvemula4001]

slay

[@moneyourself5954]

this is actually gold

[@andreii.6094]

Funny and engaging. Thank you for the good laughs and your enthusiasm!

[@imauz1127]

bruh the voice cracks im WEAK

[@Leediaa]

Mans your confidence reminds me of me 😂

[@JohnMorganelliJr]

This bro ain’t wrong - the consulting industry is mostly fake. That said - The algorithm he is referring to is not real outside of athletes. And AP exams do play a role. Bro ain’t informed. But I like his style.

[@GavishRaptor]

Thanks P I was having a hard time not making it to Rhodes but I'm over it 🤣

[@mitchellharding2423]

Bruh, the level is distain and animosity you show towards a guy who is *directionally* aligned with you is wild.

[@kidistshif8845]

This is good, very informative...like really informative superb

[@whatwherethere]

Great summation.

[@FrankBatistaElJibaro]

very informative.

[@Pandora234able]

Do these adults forget that you’re still a maturing kid from 14-18 and you’re not going to have the adult level focus to get all A’s?

[@Andres.Duran.J]

Some are just blessed

[@NothingNowhere69420]

Bro 8:44 had me DYING 💀

[@elenazhang8999]

My school doesn't offer AP/IB exams, only dual enrollment classes. Will this affect my college application?

[@jayeshgupta9568]

Nope ! You could try show initiative by figuring out how you can take those exams outside of school which will be very impressive but if your school doesn’t offer it then it’s fine. Just take the most challenging classes you can

[@jayb1809]

hey Pratik can you suggest premed programs that you have applied to? Thanks

[@preachingp]

I applied to these four liberal arts pre-med schools: Carleton College, Reed College, Denison University, & Whittier College. I was set on BS/MD programs, so these schools were meant to be a backup option.

[@bruh_bie]

i cant man XD, youre face at the mention of ECAs XD

[@okayq]

This brother is thoughtful!

[@I-used-to-be-orcaz]

18:42 bro spazzed 🤣

[@has-been-hot3l]

5:00 I just got an A the entire year for Calc BC and then got a 1 on the AP test and this made me feel better lol

[@nilo866]

how do u even manage to do that

[@has-been-hot3l]

@@nilo866 that is a wonderful question 😭

[@donkeybros8734]

Teacher must’ve been massively curving tests

[@antiview]

@@nilo866cheating on hw

[@yeetyeet8577]

Your school is waaaaay to generous in their grading lol. (They gonna want to see the Ap scores as well).

[@Marmaleyde]

Hi, how did you study for the SAT?

[@rooksman64]

you’re not an Ivy League student lol stop the cap

[@rooksman64]

@@Robian_ SOURCE/PROOF?

[@rooksman64]

@@Robian_ that he’s at Stanford he’s not at Stanford he’s at RPI he got into one Ivy...Brown and that was about it you didn’t prove a reliable source unfortunately

[@qwjk1]

@@rooksman64 yeahh but his videos are useful

[@AFTR2025]

He got into Brown

[@dnsjtoh]

He’s wrong a bunch, such about the essay. Most schools weight it more than ECs. For example, UIUC, per their common data set weights it more than ECs in admissions.

[@vantagepoint5414]

Hi! I only took the SAT once and got a 1370. Would you recommend sending this score to a t10 school that is marketed as test optional? I've applied early action already, and I'm just pending on sending my score. Or even could taking the ACT on November 10th be smart?

[@jyl123]

do take the act if ur confident (34/35/36 score). otherwise i would say dont send score

[@bruceyu1059]

don't

[@hmmhmm-gd3iv]

dont send this, retake sat or consider the act

[@GhosteryIsDead]

i sent a 1210 SAT score and got into my dream school. It just depends.

[@randrebwar5939]

@@GhosteryIsDead what university? what year did you apply?

[@haaniaahmed4690]

Is this advice also applicable to students who wanna go for grad school?

[@praneshkrishnaa7343]

Where'd you get your glasses from? Other than that, great content

[@user-dr1qo4zz9q]

I am very skeptical on your reasoning for AP exams. Seriously , who care if this is your fault or your teachers fault. You sucks that is what matters. I know a lot of test blind schools actual do highly rely on AP score to determine your level. Remember your GPA can be inflated , an A student from a AP class may fail the exam at the same time and it happens a lot , this only make the AP score more important since this is more objective.

[@Rayaabban]

was waiting for someone to say this

[@TheRealArcher-gn6wo]

If the teacher failed the student, the AP score is therefore no longer indicative of what the ap student is capable of

[@user-dr1qo4zz9q]

@@TheRealArcher-gn6wo what do you mean? You fail you suck. It's very indicative

[@TheRealArcher-gn6wo]

@@user-dr1qo4zz9q Lets say, you are in a AP course commonly considered difficult where you cant just problem solve the material, AP Biology. This teacher is directly out of college, barely having passed their own classes. Then, they proceed to actively teach you wrong information about biology, clearly not understanding the fundamentals themselves or they just flat out neglect to teach you, sitting on their phone all period rather than doing instruction. How are you going to expect a student to succeed when the teacher A. Has not taught any of the material and B. The student has never been introduced in any way to the formatting of the exam? Natural intelligence can go a LONG way but it cannot make up for such massive shortcomings on the side of the teacher.

[@user-dr1qo4zz9q]

@@TheRealArcher-gn6wo you don't understand why AP is valuable,one reason is college board need to approve teaching plan so there is a assumed qualifications for every AP class. Also, you can convince yourself left and right why you fail,but for college you failed that is the only thing matters

[@pranavayyappan4512]

Hello, I go to an IB school. Do you think it’s a good choice to take 4 HL (bio,chem, econ, AA) if i wanna get into a BSMD? Or should i go for 3 HL and try to maximize my GPA and use the extra time to build extracurriculars?

[@Metrofn44]

Extracurriculars are superrrrr important. I am taking 3 HLs now and I think its the best decision I could have made since I have had more time outside of school to really build my profile.

[@love-risa]

I’m choosing to go for 3 HL to take time for extracurriculars (balance is key) & I’m going into Junior year

[@markvel8605]

@@love-risaWhat’s HL?

[@love-risa]

@@markvel8605 higher level - sometimes they are longer than SL (standard level) but that’s not always the case

[@allysondinh2854]

You are so real bruh

[@maithamhadi7249]

PLEASE KEEP UPLOADING VIDEOS TO HELP STUDENTS SEE THE TRUTH

[@thesupersteel3429]

18:45 bro literally turned into a horse 💀

[@Pe1ayo]

at my school if you get a 5 they raise your letter grade for 2 semesters of a class and if you get a 4 they raise your letter grade for 1

[@pallavigiri3691]

Hey bro, could you please make a video for international students…… Me and a lot of other students would really appreciate it

[@TheHappychickadee]

Actually you are wrong about GPA - you don’t have to have a 3.8 or above. You have to have good grades but your course rigor and your need to challenge yourself intellectually matters.

[@HurricaneJahya]

Yeah, a lot of his advice came from the complete wrong angle. He's not an admissions counselor, so listening to him is just ad unhelpful as listening to the guy in the video.

[@rushilpatel309]

Can you be my personal college admission counselor? You’re too good

[@prodigyfreeman3935]

No ROB's were hurt during the make of this video! xD ROFL

[@hollyyuyi]

Silence @ 8:50 was literally deafening

[@rehabmd]

you need to chill

[@josephklipp7807]

Awesome! Just tellin' it how it is. ^-^

[@brightknight0623]

Stanford isn’t an Ivy League

[@johnluin6793]

You’re completely wrong about AP Exams. Your AP Exam is THE way of showing whether or not there exists grade inflation. It’s actually one of the ONLY subject specific ways to prove or disprove grad inflation/deflation. And you’re talking about other people’s logic? How ironic.

[@rehabmd]

that is BS never took AP exam still got into top IVY took all ap classes and graduated with 4.2. doing the course work well is proven to be the best predictor and NOT STANDARIZED TEST!!!!

[@Beck-Stein]

So i am a little confused on the ap exam dilemma. If the high school gives a weighted gpa without taking the ap exam. Do you advise not taking the ap test?

[@TurboPacks]

Nah you should always take the test

[@jeffreyugochukwu1942]

AP exams only matter for getting college credit when transferring your scores to your school of choice. It doesn't affect your GPA nor does it affect college admissions. I would say take them if you feel confident to get at least a 3 on them for college credit.

[@SamyDob]

You are so true😎

[@SportCavee]

“Ivy League student” can someone tell him that Stanford isn’t in the Ivy League?

[@sebatsionEEE]

18:55. so not at all

[@Itz_JoshDM]

14:41 you could just Check the schools common data set…

[@dnsjtoh]

Yeah he’s confidentially wrong on this and essays lol.

[@meharbrar3132]

you can learn writing by practice because I promise you, authors have the hours to prove it.

[@brianfang2804]

nice

[@sohae.r9495]

Common app vs collition app which is better?

[@preachingp]

tbh I didn't have to use coalition app once lol. Common app is going to be more useful in general, but there is a chance that one of your schools might only be available on coalition app. If that is the case, don't sweat it. All of the information can be transferred over pretty easily, it's just a bit of busy work.

[@sohae.r9495]

Thank you very much

[@diegoperezpalomino1737]

you remind me of akhil nadithe

[@FuadHasanIrfan]

Fr you just wanna be like hamza 🗿

[@vn10tv9]

You if you black you can just walk in

[@rehabmd]

🤔🤨😮

[@nickolasmorales5856]

youre a g

[@siddhantrathi3034]

u r wrong.

[@minhanhnguyen2250]

you might j wanna play w ur own future by not submitting act or sat

[@Pedro-bi3iu]

𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘮 😳

[@shwetadisrupted]

Glad I stayed till the end. Thanks, bro🤍🤍