The Truth about College Admission | Alex Chang | TEDxSMICSchool

As an expert in the field of college application, Alex Chang discusses the secret behind successful college applications. He explains colleges’ mindset when looking through the applications, and how grades are not as important as what most people believe. He also talks about how it is important for the applicants to “be awesome” and be unique in order to get into “dream colleges.” Alex Chang is the founder and CEO of Ivy-Way Academy. He received his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Harvard University and continued his studies at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. He started his own company in his senior year of college, and left his role as the Head Teaching Fellow at Harvard University in order to focus on education. Now, with 12 years of teaching experience, Alex looks forward to share his knowledge on college application processes.
TEDxSMICSchool 2018 was organized by a team of 19 students at the SMIC School in Shanghai, China led by executive team members Wesley Ding (Lead Organizer), Kai Yi Mok (Communications), Jay Jung (Finance), and Victoria Liu (Design). Learn more about our mission to spread ideas at www.TEDxSMICSchool.com. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@TheCinderellaPrincess]

He's not saying not to work hard but to be authentic.

[@kandhu6066]

Deborah Tulloch i think hes saying that you shouldnt work hard at what youre not passionate about, to seem like some savant, but more to work hard at your passion, and you will be more authentic

[@clawmansegele1988]

The two of you are both getting at the right idea. Just wanted to remind the idea he brought up about wasting your life for college and ending up not getting where they wanted.

[@kevinyoussef9821]

That’s more reasonable.

[@theotherway1639]

The book "Bad Biz: Your Guide to Starting a For Profit College" by Corin Devaso is an interesting read. It's satire that shows how some colleges scam.

[@ramonasaracila2717]

ll

[@jackrhea4175]

"Focus on what you're good at" *Bold of you to assume I'm good at anything*

[@AsdfghjkL-lv6kb]

Jack Rhea maybe you are good at self reflection, that’s something to start with

[@jihangirastra3851]

My names Bold

[@abbudi222]

bold eagle

[@dratuang2962]

@@jihangirastra3851 lol

[@dratuang2962]

Digital music is easy to get into

[@hadhamalnam]

My view: Top tier universities are businesses that are trying to build their brand as much as possible. You build your brand by having famous and game-changing alumni. So admissions are based on how much potential the university thinks you have to become one of those accomplished alumni.

[@noah4463]

Exactly right. Not only to build their brand, as you said, but also to increase the chances of getting that sweet sweet endowment money down the road once alumni become super rich.

[@dannyduncan5711]

Alex Thoppil illuminati confirmed

[@muabyt7333]

ETH is on place 6 in the world and is practically free. So it’s more an USA thing.

[@laylam6901]

MuabYT or its just one school out of many that happens to be out of the us😂

[@mustard8412]

Completely agree

[@justalemon8638]

My left ear enjoyed that opening

[@mmoncif]

JustaLemon I laughed.

[@weiwei8308]

Yes I believe that the gpa and say and act is the baseline for acceptance to get you considered whole talent is what seals the deal

[@vedantshah9480]

As did mine

[@TheKarmacola]

hahahahaha same

[@luckystar3641]

It also made it a little obvious that the clapping at the beginning is in the opening itself and probably not recorded directly from the event.

[@michaelkempany4859]

Thats why I play fortnite instead of volunteering, it's my passion

[@kingredrohan4009]

Michael Kempany baller 🔥🔥💯💯😂😂

[@electro_yellow9295]

Michael Kempany Ok I’m gonna have to stop you there

[@anthonycorrea3479]

Lmao😂

[@nhmk2355]

Hahahahahhaha funny 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🅱️🅱️🅱️🅱️🅱️🅱️👌👌👌👌👌

[@tdgray978]

People actually have gotten in to top universities writing about their passion for video games. Not sure what the exact topic was, but anything counts if you can spin it well enough.

[@madisonandretta8022]

The Truth About College Admissions: A lot of qualified people get screwed, but we try anyway because that's the people we are.

[@gladiatortoast4599]

Is it really qualified people get screwed? As in less qualified people get your spots. It’s silly to think that Ivy’s and other high level colleges would try and get kids that are all the same. These schools aren’t looking for the same kids because then they would have a ton of computer science and pre-med students. They want kids who can excel in those but they also want kids who excel in stuff like literature or philosophy or sociology.

[@huaiyuechen]

Roses are red Violets are blue There’s always an Asian Better than you

[@cristianaquinn631]

As an independent college advisor for 15 years, there is a MUCH bigger reality at play here that is not discussed. Top colleges want diversity among students--and that means students from every state, every country, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American. They usually want a percentage of first generation college students, recruited athletes, musical prodigies, faculty/staff children, legacy/VIP Donor children---just to name a few categories.....Its not as simple as demonstrating a passion. It certainly won't hurt, but it needs to be set against the context of the bigger picture of why getting into the top colleges is so competitive......

[@lonnisplace1459]

Is getting into a top college so special? I'm not smart enough, nor did I do enough, to get into an Ivy League school. But I always wanted to, so I can show people down here that they can do it. But it's tough working twice as hard as others and having that fear of paying out of state tuition. I wanted to go to Brown University and Cornell, but I know my average GPA during high school was definitely not high enough. I don't know everything that they take into consideration when deciding who gets accepted, but it's not like I had the knowledge nor did I realize how important and how fast reality would hit. I'm a Senior, and this year, I am doing much better in my classes than before, and I have a passion for writing poems and stories. But I don't think anyone is going to see that, because the ivy leagues want A students and people that volunteered and make 36s on their ACT and I'm not one of those people. I'm a chill, laid back kind of person that loves helping people, but I don't know where to start or how to do so. And whenever I ask, they always decline. I also love playing the cello. I don't have one, but I learned the basics of how to play it and read music over summer before this year and it was great. I have my passions, just not my smarts in subjects like history or math

[@plauerman]

@@lonnisplace1459 out of state tuition isnt a thing at private schools, jus so u know. also im going to brown next year, and trust me all you need to do is be lucky

[@lonnisplace1459]

@@plauerman I know. I'm not going there or to any private school for that matter. Life sucks, and doing bad school sucks even more😭😭😭😭😭😤

[@essraaljabery732]

Cristiana Quinn Hello, my name is Essra Aljabery and I’m currently entering senior year. Would you mind if I can contact you personally like through email because I have many questions for the upcoming application process.

[@Sora-pk7wg]

@@essraaljabery732 Are you an Arab?

[@thisguyagain7255]

I want this video to be a secret.

[@okgoogle999]

U are reading my mind right now 😂😂

[@fabiolasaint-hubert8161]

😂😂😂

[@30kUzi]

ThisGuyAgain whaat the secret ?

[@arianna2312]

Ooh just started this video, now I’ll be in on the secret 😉

[@dl-iy8jf]

why

[@bobsaget7315]

Screw getting into Ivy League schools or any top 15 school for that matter. I want to retain my sanity and enjoy my young life thank you.

[@Eman-ro2kj]

Amen

[@ShaferHart]

This is the right approach. He's saying that you shouldn't do the vanilla stuff and just be a superhuman instead (Winter Olympics lol). He's also a very bad example to put forward: good at math + 1450 SAT score I mean come on! He did all the things he said you shouldn't do but he only happened to like those things. Still, good and sober advice for the most part.

[@JohnNovakovich]

There's definitely some truth to this (I go to Northwestern). I graduate next year and then I'm going to prioritize experiences over money. I've been doing the traditional thing for too long and I want a change

[@adam3496]

Yeah, see that’s the problem, you’re not going to a good school because you have no idea of how to think for the future. I would love to spend my time goofing around and not studying, but you have to realize that being young is only 20 or so years, while life after youth is about 60 years. I would much rather spend my 20 and obtain the greatest status I can and be happy for 60 years than be happy during my youth and then worry for 60 years

[@10iStriker]

to be honest I have a friend that goes to harvard and he tells me it isnt that hard because than those people rich/legacy kids wouldnt be able to survive and would transfer out. compare to a school like mit or berkley.

[@anthonymarquez6493]

Or you could donate a small loan of a million dollars and get in that way

[@KKHighlights]

Anthony Marquez that’s the truh

[@juliasall2871]

I was WAITING for this comment😂

[@juliacherkmsp2450]

Yeah ofc just ask Olivia Jade she knows all about it 😂

[@cooperwatkins6063]

Unfortunately I dont have that small amount

[@alexandremoreau1300]

🍵

[@wellohkaiden]

Lots of truth to what he’s saying about being absurdly talented in a single area of life. The hard part is that most people don’t know who they want to be or what they want to do until after high school because they are still exploring their options. Furthermore, for people who are passionate about lots of different things, it can feel impossible to choose a single path and stick to it so that you become “awesome” at it.

[@i_v-ro4of]

I agree with you.

[@IvyWayAcademy]

Hi, speaker here. Thanks for the comment! You're absolutely right that you should explore once you have different interests. I never realized this video would go international (🙌), and the target audience was to the Chinese students in the audience. If you grow up in a non-Asian country and especially the US, it's common sense to have hobbies or passions, but in Asia, those are secondary to good grades, and in many cases, they are nonexistent. Therefore, my talk was directed to these students who didn't know they're allowed to have even one passion 😱

[@i_v-ro4of]

Ivy-Way Academy ah that makes much more sense now. Thank you for clarifying that!

[@thanhdohuu9473]

Some people like me still hasn't figured out what I really want to do or become after graduating from college.

[@juliette9146]

Thats why people should pursue higher education when they know themselves rather trying to find themselves in college.

[@mjl7810]

"just be damn talented in anything"

[@todd9016]

Asians, Stay away from Harvard. The Gig is up , They have been found out. Harvard does not like Asian people so QUIT killing your Asian kids to get in DAMN IT!!! White Liberal Harvard Admin has spit on you but you keep begging them to take you in.. Where is your self respect?????

[@itsraymond2295]

@@todd9016 There was a asian gal who got accepted into Havard with a full ride grant tho

[@alexkim3084]

Can’t relate😂

[@alisalexter4072]

the reason why middle class parents (the involved ones) push their children to excel in at least one thing outside of studies, ie; sending them to gymnastics class or music class etc. Not rich enough to donate, but just the right amount of money to let them have something to add on their resume

[@julial6789]

@@todd9016 I’m a mediocre asian student, why tf would I think of going to Harvard lol

[@abcdef-zs1zq]

i almost died of stress just watching this

[@marissaann1290]

strategy #2 isn’t that easy. people who don’t have a lot of money or natural talent or know their exact passion that don’t live in extraordinary circumstances are put at a huge disadvantage and they both become stressful af strategies

[@charliekim2894]

haha he never said everyone has to go for strategy #2

[@ejej_shej7958]

I Agree

[@IvyWayAcademy]

Hi Marisa, speaker here. Thanks for your comment! There's no extra money involved in pursuing many talents. You have internet, and you use KZbin; both can teach you everything, right? 😉As to finding your exact passion, I have done several informal talks on them already. Invite me to your local TEDx talk, and I'll share the strategy to that 😊

[@erickcastellanos6814]

Marissa Ann YES... what if you’re interested in a lot of things and you’re not sure what you like yet... you’re still experimenting.

[@izzydandrea7548]

I completely agree, I have had the privilege to have a mom who sacrafices so much so I can play volleyball for the travel league and my highschool. Volleyball is my passion but if someone can’t spend 1700 plus uniform, plus travel expenses, plus tryout fee, I don’t think they are less passionate they just really can’t do it. I would sggest volunteering it’s free and many people do end up liking it. I volunteered at a food pantry every Sunday before I worked, or had practice (before the pandemic) and I genuinely loved it. If I couldn’t play volleyball I’d do that more often.

[@MithoThoup]

Man, wish this video showed up in my recommendations in 7th grade

[@samial-asady2082]

Watching this as a rising senior -_-

[@theapollodump5781]

8th grader here, trying to follow his advice.

[@Wisemenity]

It did for me...

[@viv1593]

Apollo Fernandes good job starting early. I put off thinking about colleges Cuz it made me nervous. And now I a senior. yikes.

[@tamiwu0346]

rising junior here, and i'm already beginning to doubt myself...

[@Pizzatoes556]

Being a sophomore and already halfway through my high school career, I would give anything just to go back into time and focus on things I’m passionate about.

[@kaishang6406]

Still got time

[@kags4506]

so how are you now?

[@t4n410]

Point being, I am a high school student How in the world am I supposed to know what i want to do for the rest of my life?

[@Manny29]

That is something you figure out in high school or very early in you 20s just take your time and find it

[@IvyWayAcademy]

Hi, speaker here! I have done a few talks and workshops on finding your passion in high school. Invite me to your school's TEDx talk, and I'll share... 😉 -Alex

[@easonwang6654]

Well at least u should know what u like to do at the moment so focus on that first. If it changes in the end that’s fine I think it’s important to make urself stand out in a group of people going the standard way to get to a good college

[@GiovanaSimmer]

That is why high school students should use their several breaks (Winter, Mid-Winter, Spring) and Summer vacation to volunteer, attend workshops, take courses, internships, etc. The more you put yourself out there, the more you discover and learn about your different options. You may end up doing things that you don't like at all, but you might also find your passion.

[@evilerroryt8448]

That's what I thought as first (I'm still I'm high school). When I was younger I've always wanted to be an artist because I was very confident about my creative capabilities overall. When I went into highschool I started to see it might be a bit more difficult then expected, so I decide to go into anything that has any relevance to my previous interest. In art you create things, so I decide to dive into Physics, programming and Art and see how it goes. Then I discovered I loved to programming as well. Then afterwards I started to look for something that combines both, the closest I got was game designer and I really do love games. Though it's not a super secure job so I keep options up to back myself up.

[@itsjustme3279]

as a current high schooler running varsity cross country, orchestra, hours of community service, a 4.0 gpa and an almost perfect SAT score, this makes me want to get my hours of sleep back

[@JE-dj5zf]

r/humblebrag

[@parkerjones6598]

Said every cross country nerd in the history of the sport

[@cokeymoster]

It's Just Me at least you can brag about yourself in KZbin comments...

[@michaeltran8965]

odd flex but ok

[@williamsmith6585]

Trying to brag about your “smarts” on KZbin so that you can reassure yourself. Lame.

[@CptTierOps12]

Lol I found Waldo in one glance... still not getting into MIT

[@kandhu6066]

christopher garcia Hahahahahah

[@nathanferreira2694]

i found waldo instantly too

[@Justin-ev8nn]

MIT is missing out an opportunity for not admitting you

[@GusZiliotto]

this particular pic is easy because hes on the top left, which we look at first because of reading conditioning

[@thiagogregory1]

LMFAOO

[@serenah6214]

But finding an interest is rly hard. I feel like my interests change weekly.

[@wendysinche1722]

Same

[@joshuajoe1419]

Same and that’s on the weeks I get time to think about my interests

[@serenah6214]

@@joshuajoe1419 Omg I totally feel that. School started up again and now I don't even have time to read or watch tv

[@arifs9739]

This misses one important point. Most kids don't know what they want or are passionate about

[@GiovanaSimmer]

That is why middle and high school students should use their several breaks (Winter, Mid-Winter, Spring) and Summer vacation to volunteer, attend workshops, take courses, internships, etc. The more they put themselves out there, the more they discover and learn about their different options. You may end up doing things that you don't like at all, but they might also find their passion.

[@katelynleung1936]

@@GiovanaSimmer We are kids, it's not so easy to do all of these things and we are kids. We kind of just want to enjoy ourselves.

[@Liya653]

@@katelynleung1936 I mean if you want to find out what you're passionate about then go out and find internships, it's not as hard as you might think. Also you keep saying, "we are kids" well yeah obviously, that's why prestigious universities are so selective and accept KIDS that know what they want and are well rounded. If that's not you then don't worry about, you don't have to go to an ivy college to become successful.

[@gowrinandhana5008]

@@GiovanaSimmer but there are people like me, who come from really poor backgrounds and villages where such opportunities are not available at all, we dont have places to go work or the money to take courses.

[@GiovanaSimmer]

@@gowrinandhana5008 Are you in the US? Because I was 100% referring to US citizens, since I know that this culture doesn't necessarily exist everywhere else. I'm from Brazil and there's NO WAY Brazilian students would be doing any of those things. It's just not our "thing". We weren't raised to think in those terms. We go to school for only 4 1/2 hours a day, and then we just want to have fun and enjoy our teenage years! 🤷‍♀ Now in the US these opportunities are readily available, so students should take it.

[@sparkle0859]

As someone who just got back from a trip building toilets in Ghana, this kind of felt like an attack 😂😂😂

[@alexkim3084]

Sparkle08 lmao

[@ivi122]

Sparkle08 lol 😂 😆

[@honjokun0615]

Hi. I work in global health, so major props to you for working on increasing access to improved latrines in West Africa! The insights and experiences from that trip will stay with you and move you forward in life, regardless of your college admissions results :)

[@SoAS26]

Seriously.....if people actually followed this in my country, children will be so much happier. Study all subjects and get great marks in ALL and do this and do that. We become robots who forget who we actually are. It ruined me for two years. The best thing to happen to me was that my freaking highschool got over.

[@mohdfaisal2635]

I wish you not talking about jee prep.😐

[@Kabutoes]

Who is Ted and why does he talk?

[@haylietucker3978]

Kabutoes now we’re asking the real questions

[@abinashutsav3414]

Most underrated comment of this decade

[@peterlee9048]

He is the final talk

[@shahilmagar8034]

Ted is Luke and Penny’s father. He just wanted to share his short forward story of how he met their mother.

[@javiernino-sears7145]

My philosophy is that I want schools to want to have a conversation with me

[@nabilbaugher]

I agree with the basis of this argument but it still seems like he puts too much of an emphasis on getting into the most elite schools. Your education is what you make of it. Sure, the top 20 schools will offer more resources and opportunities, but success in college is really about what you choose to do with your time and energy. In other words, the name of the college you get into is far less important than the things you do, the people you meet, the experiences you have, and the knowledge and wisdom you choose to gain.

[@GiovanaSimmer]

Well, he focuses on these school because those are the ones his students want to attend. We should talk about what we know (specially in TED Talks). He can't talk about what it's like to be an average student and attend an average school, because he's got no experience in it.

[@mariapp4825]

Going to elite schools has a great advantage: you'll gain connections with reach people, and that is always a good idea.

[@Ash-uf4fv]

Even then you dont have to do what some of the examples of kids did to get into a t20 school, doing those things will just guarantee you to get into one of your dream schools.

[@jocelyn9058]

He has to because he is catering to his audience and he comes from Harvard. The truth is having great stats and high caliber activities, and being awesome is expected if you want to attend those school's. It's just reality

[@jocelyn9058]

You contradicted yourself with experiences some schools don't have the same curriculum and experiences as other top universities do. Thus making it difficult for the student to have the best learning experience (not everything can be found online )

[@pugzmcstewson5603]

God forbid that the hard working smart kids get into college.

[@neo5020]

KZbin Customer Support I’m not entirely sure what kind of high school you went to, but in mine, the kids with the best grades generally take the hardest courses at their school, courses that require students to actually have an understanding of the of the topics that are being taught. (I’m talking about AP BC Calc, AP Lang, AP US History, etc.) If a student cheats on a test or copies someone else, it’ll probably: 1. not be enough to help them, and 2. make them confused for the rest of the year in their classes since they didn’t bother trying to understand what was being taught, making them have significantly lower grades than the students that knew better than to cheat.

[@user-su4dd9kp7l]

KZbin Customer Support It’s pretty clear you are not a top student then if that’s what you believe. Just because you can’t do good without cheating doesn’t mean other people can’t.

[@HemstitchedIrony]

They get into college they just don't get into ivy leagues because they're not interesting or unique. Thousands of people get a 4.0 and smash the SAT, only a small handful of people start a successful business in highschool, or compete at an international level in their sport, or preform in front of crowds of thousands of people monthly, While also maintaining great GPA's and doing well on their SAT.

[@yorak6793]

Working hard without working smart means nothing. Why is it surprising ivy leagues want creative, but also smart, kids who aren’t going to simply follow a mold because they’re told to? Do you think they want to have a reputation for factory workers?

[@iskerop]

@KZbin Customer SupportIt's not false that cheating is a prolific issue in high school, but at most schools, cheating will only get you so far. You cannot be at the top or near the top of your class by trying to BS through AP (and other higher level classes). From personal experience, I would say cheating is in some cases easier in higher level classes (because teachers are more trusting), but is less likely to occur because many students will protect their answers as if their lives depend on it and students attempting to cheat will realize that the higher level of understanding necessary to get good grades, can't be obtained from copying someone else. I do understand why you are concerned though, and most colleges do look at more than just grades. Some of my teachers have told me stories of how they were average students and got into some schools that would require many more qualifications today, like extracurriculars and the attributes mentioned in the video. So grades regardless of if they are gamed or not don't count as much as they used to, and the people who cheat are in for rude awakening when college rolls around and they are responsible for their own work.

[@manasis5557]

Tip: Colleges look for students that have their own niche, somehting that they have been working on for many years and have surpassed the average amount of work/experience in...these students have a better chance of getting into their reach/fit schools that well rounded students that dont have any focused projects/activities

[@mango-strawberry]

That's the difficult part. What should I do that's really special and unique?

[@mango-strawberry]

Man I'm so confused. I've ideas but I don't how to execute them

[@jocelyn9058]

@@mango-strawberry find what your passionate about, do activities that show that passion and really EXCEL at them. Reflect on what you've learned

[@jessicaliu1754]

so college-ready isn't enough for me to get into college now? i have to be CAREER-READY? IS THIS A JOKE? ARE YOU SERIOUS? GUESS WE GOT MORE WORK TO DO MY DEAR FELLOW STUDENTS...

[@adrianasuniverse6909]

Jessica Liu Yep

[@aslipperysnake]

that's not what he was saying. he was saying to follow your passion first then school second

[@MatthewChenIsAwesome]

@@aslipperysnake I think she's being sarcastic.

[@Collin-uv9bi]

F a c t s

[@omarh8731]

psh, americans.

[@kaitlynleonard3140]

Just so everyone can learn from my mistakes: it doesn’t matter if you have a 4.2+ GPA if you have a SAT score below 1300. It’s a sick disadvantage for poor test takers

[@nataliem5425]

The scores are weighted the way they are because of grade inflation at certain high schools, it's an unfortunate system but it's the only way we have as of rn to combat gpa inflation

[@jerrylin6756]

@@nataliem5425 GPA inflation is countered by class ranking. If everyone is inflated, your prowess can still be determined based on your relative performance compared to others.

[@user-sj5pc6pg5e]

Jerry Lin some highschools doesnt provide their class rank like my highschool

[@kiky.mp4]

@@user-sj5pc6pg5e my high school doesn't provide class ranking too because it's a policy published by the ministry of education to prevent unhealthy competition. But, my school has a profile with all the grade statistics available. This way, colleges can see the average, lowest, highest grades of the class. Make sure your school has one and submit it in lieu of the ranking system.

[@connorlee1406]

Fr fr I got that 4.1 gpa but I need to study act I guess

[@astrotist6926]

That's why the admission process is corrupt. It becomes subjective and there is no objectivity when it comes to getting accepted. So it is more luck at that point.

[@GuyswACam]

Take this as you will, but at some point it feels like college admission standards are more of a joke than anything else.

[@galepark1261]

I've been told this a billion times but never once has it been explained to me how to go about pursuing my passions

[@laser4beam430]

"dont follow checklist" gives separate reworded checklist

[@katiehowe3764]

My passions include not being stressed about college admissions

[@arushik1612]

The secret is enjoying life, not school titles. When you enjoy life, you go out and do things you enjoy, you find inspiration, amd most importantly, you meet people. Networking is the number 1 thing, people. Don't push people away and destroy yourself just for a school. Shine where you can, don't torture yourself. You will be fine. Edit: obv still work hard. Just know the difference between hard work and self destruction.

[@stimulus7222]

This made me much more confident about my application. The sat and gpa are very important but it makes me glad that I am doing other things too! Appreciate the y’all thanks!!💎💎

[@chiefsed4473]

Roses are red Violets are blue There’s always an Asian Better than you

[@dejectd2972]

Magnus carlsen

[@Cyber-FrieGab]

Justin Liu Steve Jobs parents were from Asia

[@awesokestephen3494]

This Asian found a better way than the Asian way. The truest of Asians

[@tristan4149]

Not in sports

[@mbsgamerpro]

Nahhh False

[@katspov9945]

I started exposing my kid to all kinds of interests and activities at a young age. Once I figured out their passion I made sure they became the best they could be at it. Once they're in middle school it can be too late sometimes. Too many parents have their kids spread thin with activities. I think making them specialize in one area is the most productive. Sports, dance, music, art, acting, chess, building, creating, arguing. Whatever it is! Help them stand out.

[@IvyWayAcademy]

That's great parenting! It's good to spread and try different things at a young age, but once they get older and find their interest, they should hone in and be amazing at it :D

[@lakasude9804]

You sound like a good parent :)

[@kristofinpo2691]

I don’t know if this really works for everyone. My mom tried doing the same thing to all three of her children when we were 7-8: enrolling us in swimming, basketball, hip hop dancing, karate, guitar and piano lessons. It turns out those things actually costed a bit of money, so when mom fell on some financial troubles due to some issues (custody battle), none of those things ended developing into anything more than tedious after school activities. We just dropped out of them with a vague sense of regret but without the commitment (or the resources) to invest in them for ourselves. There was no specialty per se that either of my parents could work with by the time high school began, and so I’m basically a hobby-less college freshman that doesn’t have a chance of standing out anymore. Funny enough, the middle brother got lucky and found a talent (and a passion) in acting after our parents forced us into an arts school (because of the charter title). So yeah, you either find it or you don’t. Doesn’t mean I can’t live a happy average existence

[@3dm1n49]

@@kristofinpo2691 I felt that

[@dungbui1341]

Is your child ok with all that? I sometimes wish my parents did that but I don't think it works for every kid

[@derangedzone]

As a teenager my passion was depression :)

[@user-jv9oj5sk5v]

This is me too

[@kei5985]

I’ve already watched this talk when I was in secondary, so like 14 or 15 years old, but I’m rewatching it now, 17 years old. I realise I should’ve listened more

[@TheBweis88]

While he has some good points, I disagree with his whole career-ready approach in high school. High school should be a time when individuals expand their knowledge in a variety of areas, not identify their strengths and hone their skills in one area. College is very similar! Unless you have your heart set on a specific career path, I recommend that college students take a liberal arts approach. Even after college, most people are unsure where they fit in the world, both professionally and socially. Your 20s should be spent trying out different things and finding your passion. Let kids be kids. Don't force more pressure on them by making them choose a path early on. Just my opinion.

[@matchasketch8224]

Brad Weisberg I wish we had more specialized options in high school. I already knew what I want to do in the future, and I don't think a liberal arts approach allows us to explore the subject we truly enjoy in depth.

[@donovanm1021]

“Expanding your knowledge” should not take 13 years plus college. It should also not take up thousands of dollars in student loans and your entire 20s. That’s a waste.

[@kayleemorgan5640]

I absolutely agree with you that young adults/teens should keep their options open and explore different interests! I am a big personal believer in finding an enjoyable personal career. Except I do not think that pushing students to go to college to explore career variety is a good idea. If someone jumps into college without a clear pathway they usually end up completing general classes, which may or may not help their future career. Instead of being uncertain about whether what they are accomplishing is purposeful, I suggest that highschool graduates survey their community opportunities such as technical education programs, privatized classes, and community jobs and events. :) that way kids do not accrue debt while trying to find their passion but yet do not "waste their time" before college.

[@adrianasuniverse6909]

But some kids know what they want to do early(myself included) we shouldn't hinder them.

[@becketw7867]

Sounds fun but spending 6 figures on exploration and finding your passion and identity is not the most economically sound advice

[@mionnepallidare8116]

Idk...but this demotivated me even more. I'm just a less than average student and still don't know what I want and who really I am. It's freaking hard to study at school because besides having low self-esteem, the teachers aren't focusing that much on students who are always shy, inactive, and have poor performances.

[@gheller2261]

Don't worry. Less than 3% of college students are at highly selective colleges (50% acceptance rate or less). There are hundreds of good colleges in the U.S. The idea that one must attend an Ivy to be successful is nonsense. Not everyone is their best person between ages 14 andx18. Good luck to you.

[@jimw8615]

Life is not a race. Be yourself. Stop comparing. It doesn't end.

[@sohamkarmakar9663]

" Pretending vs Actually doing it " And I'm sure this was thing which turned us all on

[@riwksen9501]

Watch on 1.25 playback speed

[@joshuaw5671]

Riwk Sen omg thank you

[@bharatmadhok6773]

I watch at 2x

[@charge8039]

I really glad I watched this. I have relatively high grades, but I’m a horrendous test taker. My PSAT scores and my GPA were not telling the same story. I also was worried that I don’t do enough things to get into college. As a person, I find it hard to do things that I don’t like. I’ve tried out most sports and instruments, but lacked the motivation to push forward. After watching this, I’m glad that I kept at my passions( debate, teaching, and choir). I am still uncertain what I want to do, but this video really relieved a bunch if stress.

[@samcivi]

Such an inspiring TED talk and so helpful for teenagers looking for the truth behind college admissions!

[@SWonYT]

This video genuinely eases my mind, as my junior year has been hectic.

[@IvyWayAcademy]

Hi Sammy, speaker here. Glad to hear! I hope you have a great, rewarding high school life doing things you love. Good luck! -Alex

[@SWonYT]

@@IvyWayAcademy Thanks Alex! IB is stressful, and I'm aiming for Duke. I'll update you when I get to the next stage.

[@Tornnnado]

You get into Duke?

[@EricE168]

I was talking to my wife about how to raise our two boys today. And we both agree that here in US, choosing the occupation is probably more important than choosing the school.

[@chinchillout3533]

The way it works is you're supposed to have an internship at your dream job, 18 college credits and 1000 hours of community service by 8th grade then you'll be all set for admissions by senior year.

[@jasonpeng5798]

lol

[@venivenu5286]

The one thing that I learned from this is "learn how to be express and not to impress!"..❤

[@saraowski]

I love this! During high school, I was enthusiastic about AP English, the school newspaper, and Peer Listening, but I wasn't especially athletic and sure as heck wasn't good at math. Students and people in general need to remember what really matters in life: being genuine. It leads to inner satisfaction.

[@ayeshas7907]

This guy had some really good points. The last point especially was 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@TheHeroCrunchy]

No one: Literally no one Alex: bUiLdInG hOuSeS iN cAmBoDiA

[@IvyWayAcademy]

Hey Ney, speaker here! It's funny you mention this; I've also never heard of teenagers' bUiLdInG hOuSeS iN cAmBoDiA because it's unheard of in the states and the concept having underaged and inexperienced teenagers build "houses" in 2 weeks is not only absurd but also illegal. However, it's an extremely common $3000+ extracurricular activity in Asia, and everyone-literally every one-in the audience knew what I’m talking about. In fact, during the Q&A at the end of my talk, a teacher said her school does that and criticized my criticism of such activity, to which she said it’s an amazing opportunity to show students’ kindness towards less privileged (I’m sure you believe that too....). Please do a quick google search on “Cambodia high school volunteering houses” and you’ll be saddened by the number of organizations that are running this.

[@samwaelarmoush2321]

For those which it applies to: when writing your college essay make it really good, express your self and make yourself different than the rest be an individual

[@serenalizinnqui8474]

Breath of fresh air for this high school junior! Thanks so much, Alex Chang!

[@isthisfeitan]

I wish I saw this before I was in high school. My parents are Chinese immigrant; their idea of success in highschool was checking all the boxes Alex described early on, as was mine. I'm glad I have one rare extracurricular, but I feel like I could've done much more in highschool.

[@mango-strawberry]

What's your rare one? Gimme some ideas. I've literally nothing.

[@dreadful4684]

He isn't saying at all that if you are unique and passionate with bad grades you are going to get in. You still will need good grades for the most part, but not outstanding

[@KingTheRat]

In HS, I focused intensely on Math and Science, and was able to get into a top engineering school. However, after I graduated and obtained a job, I realized I am missing a lot of the soft-skills necessary for a successful career. Simple things like public speaking, and even some social skills to be able to navigate through a corporate organization. As a result, I ended up being stuck in relatively low engineering positions for a long time, and never received much promotions (and not much raises to go with it.) My pay wasn't bad as most engineers, even base level, are paid well. And my life was comfortable. However, I see others getting promotions and was not able to get one myself despite having a lot of the hard skills and definitely able to do the work and was probably one of the most productive engineers in terms of work output. So the right way is to be balanced, learn social skills and leadership skills as much as you focus on STEM topics. The key is balance. I was a really unbalanced person at the end of college. Someone who knows how to code, but outside of that, not much else. Don't be like that.

[@paulm6059]

Thanks for being so honest, TC. I think this is why we need students to take classes in social sciences and the humanities, where they learn how to agree to disagree and question their own beliefs. It is hard to learn humility and intrapersonal skills from C++.

[@mango-strawberry]

How to learn leadership skills? Start your own venture?

[@somerandomguy7458]

@@mango-strawberry socialize

[@mango-strawberry]

@@somerandomguy7458 yeah I'm working on that. I've started hanging out more often.

[@EricE168]

The key is “imperfect”. Accept it and learn from it. Imagine if you don’t have tech specialty, you might just work at a random store and just could barely survive.

[@zahraammadani]

Thank you I really do learned a lot of things from him but he seemed to be so stressful !

[@lxpwsk139]

So glad I passed all this stuff 2 years ago... my advice to all to-be college students: be humble, be human, be yourself... no brand or admission to a brand will give you back the lost time invested in a false identity. Not even piles of cash.

[@WriteYourAcceptance]

This is a really good ted talk that helps students during the college application season!

[@theschoolofweirdness3874]

This is very good talk. Well done 👍 and thank you for spread the words. 🙏

[@KulisII]

Very insightful. Thank you for this!

[@pidge8408]

this kinda is a feel good way to make people who don’t get in feel good about themselves

[@norgepab2802]

This video has been on my mind from when I first watched it in seventh grade. Just admitted to UPenn. Thanks man

[@swatiyadav640]

Really!??!! Congrats !!!. Any essay tips?

[@gabrielrondon665]

JUST WOW!!! I am going to college and this...totally change my point of view

[@JustAnotherLokiStan]

This made me feel so much better about myself. I haven't ever done any internships, I did very little research work in HS, and practically no volunteer work. But I did spend a lot of time focusing on my strengths (writing and science.) So... I probably shouldn't freak out over all the common app guide videos where people talk about all the internships and community service hours?

[@obeytweety]

This is amazing and so so needed in my life right now

[@jhoydavidson]

Thanks, you really got me change my mind to prepare for my future.

[@geoffreyrothwell2707]

I did do well in high school, except I was weak in French. I continued taking French and now live in France. Try to improve your weaknesses and focus on a s couple of strengths. Note that none of this talks discuss how important selecting a supportive mate.

[@chloeulrich4497]

This theory of his aligns with Erik Erikson’s stages of development. As an adolescent, you are supposed to be discovering your identity. This is the most important stage according to Erickson, as every stage beforehand leads up to this, and every stage afterwards relies on this identity. Waiting until college or even after college to figure out who you are leads to slower development, and ultimately a life that wouldn't be as happy as it could’ve been

[@IvyWayAcademy]

Hi Chloe, speaker here. You're absolutely correct! 👍"College admissions" is an amazing and rewarding process when done right because it's the first time most students discover themselves. Preaching about Erikson would make high school students in audience fall asleep, but when I sugarcoated it with "college admissions," they're all ears 😉 -Alex

[@gkmwheelspin1207]

One of the only times I have seen someone praise the US education system.

[@laurefacon6497]

It really just boils down to being passionate, genuine, and capable

[@victoriafarjon858]

Great presentation!

[@Michael-lp9bg]

Good info but I don’t know what I’m passionate about lol.

[@carissa4551]

me neither and it stresses me out

[@IvyWayAcademy]

Hi Michael, speaker here. I have done several informal talks on finding your passion. Invite me to your local TEDx talk, and I'll share the strategy 😊 -Alex

[@cheesywiz9443]

explore ... try new stuffs that you've always wanted to do or you are interested in and see if you really enjoy them or not...

[@shraves05]

Bro same

[@chiarabarsanti4124]

"it's really hard to find waldo" two seconds later *finds waldo*

[@takioyagin7945]

No matter I learnt late but I will not give up just be myself love myself what I'm

[@thetrackersofdescentpropos2434]

I had 4 GPAs, 1600 in SATs and was an international badminton player and a science olympiad gold medalist..... I made my way into Harvard AND my asian parents told me to TRY HARDER.

[@johnsonsubedi1193]

That's a straight lie

[@user-nm4pq4kc3u]

@@johnsonsubedi1193 how

[@Simon-tc1mc]

My advice to kids is to not worry about it too much. You're only a kid once, cherish those years and memories. Try your hardest to have fun and love your time being a kid. College is college. Stressing yourself out like crazy about applying to college isn't worth it. Your socio economic status is mostly what's going to determine where you go to college, not how hard you work. We are lead to believe in "the American dream" that anyone can get anywhere with hard work, but it really does not change much. For instance, for myself, I got the grades and test scores to get into better colleges than the one I ended up going to, but the reason I went to a lower ranked college was because I knew no matter what I could never afford going to a higher ranked school. All of my siblings also went to local low-tier colleges even though they had even better grades and test scores than me, and once again, it's because we were from the same socio economic background. This is why you can clearly see difference in tiers of colleges people go to based on their wealth. Where you end up going to college is already well determined before you even think about it. So, go have fun, see your friends and enjoy yourself. Where ever you end up for college, you'll be okay.

[@julietming-waichui5784]

Me, a Chinese, watching him say that a 1450 is a failure with my 1430: 😧

[@Happyajammer]

Me with a 1300 and is a rising senior and is also chinese :,)

[@georgemendez6760]

asian dad meme activate XD

[@zhangzhanhong671]

I only got 1050 as chinese

[@dolecrash5802]

roxanne SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK OMG SIS PERIDOT LIKE WOW OMG LIKE BEYONCÉ EPIC HAHAH LOL 😂

[@haotianxie6684]

Juliet Chui worry not. 1430 still gets you into good school. I’ve seen freshmen here at Berkeley with 1300 ish sat.

[@ggs2759]

WHAT. OMG. Literally the first thing I see is that “high school students are stressed” checklist, and I literally have all of those. It’s honestly the truest thing ever.

[@wendyfong4674]

You have to focus on your ACT/SAT scores and GPA because thats what gets you in the door. How do you show passion? That part will be in your essay but they aren’t going to read it if your GPA and ACT/SAT scores are low. And if you can’t handle the stress of high school…you won’t be able to handle the stress of college. Stress is a part of life. How you handle it is key.

[@abrahamalatorre1429]

Strategy #1 is how to get into a UC

[@grakamoli]

I didnt know this, but strategy #2 was exactly what i did. I dont have a good sat score (1380 but i waived it hehe), and i'm most definitely not the top of class (top 3%, but i have a few B's in there). I know im not "smart," i just work hard. Definitely did not volunteer, and had limited leadership opportunities Stats wise, i would not have made it in WashU. So many more people are gifted than me. But i... i got into my dream school! I personally think it was how my application was me being true to myself. I spoke of my weaknesses as a human, and overcoming them. I spoke of a passion i was legitimately passionate about. I genuinely enjoyed my essays, which I believe is the number one most important thing in an application. If YOU cant enjoy your essays, then how can a person who has read some thousands of essays enjoy your essay? Do NOT force things--your writing exposes it; the reader knows. Be you. You might not be able to locate a passion, but its there. For some, it may be communication due to a passion to break free from societal norms, or even the fear of doing so (you want to break free from it). For others, it may be because you want to use your acquired skills to prevent others from going through what you did. theres something to talk about deep within you; the hardest part about college apps is locating what that "thing" is. once you find what that thing is, the paper writes itself. and you love it.

[@GokuBlack-yg5kc]

I recommend The Perfect Date for people who want to go to college, it shows that it's better to be yourself and enjoy life in high school than just living for numbers on a screen

[@aaronhuang6967]

Lol, I am a student from SMIC Shanghai. It's great to see my school in such a great video.

[@BowTie8Bit]

If you have rich parents who can "invest" in a new computer lab for the university, then you are "awesome" and will get in.

[@tenniscourt5831]

Darn, my parents spent my Trust Fund.

[@nightlight3169]

Good thing I’m watching this 3 days before my Harvard ea decision

[@cybergamer2329]

bro did you get rejected?

[@Mike_Deng]

Thanks for the content.

[@jennifernettles387]

I will be taking some of this information and applying it to the medical school application process...

[@AB-co8me]

The thing is, my passion is debate and speech but because many excellent students are doing it out of obligation and to spice up their applications, my passion doesn't seem impressive at all and I don't have anything else I'm truly passionate of :(

[@angeliquereg]

thank you for this

[@varunahlawat9013]

I'll see this video every morning till my January deadline :)

[@sarai8790]

Me sitting here watching this having already gone through most of upper secondary school and having done none of the things he mentioned :D

[@murked8707]

same im in my junior year rn

[@gillowens24]

I love to do college public speak it would so good for talking in front everyone .

[@miabryan7986]

All y’all complaining, GO TO A DAMN STATE SCHOOL. But if you wanna go to Harvard or Yale or Stanford this is the reality🤷🏾‍♀️

[@theleftuprightatsoldierfield]

The problem with that is I live in Illinois and want to go into engineering

[@dkim51]

@@theleftuprightatsoldierfield go to uiuc

[@theleftuprightatsoldierfield]

Esos my point is that the engineering program there is insanely hard to get into

[@babyboo9252]

The left upright at soldier field So you want to go to the ivies that’s even harder? Umich is good for engineering and Cornell is easier to get into than the rest of the ivies

[@hboig8676]

state schools are too expensive for me lol. SUNY at Bing doesn't pay for my housing and the state pays for tuition. Top schools pay for both

[@jianjunjia8898]

Move to the left, don't block your own slide show.

[@IvyWayAcademy]

Hi Jianjun, speaker here. My apologies! I didn't realize the camera's positioning, and since there's a red circular carpet, I thought I was confined by it 😜 If there's anything that's not clear, I still have the slideshow from this talk, and I'm happy to share. Please just reach out! 😊 -Alex

[@brickmcwankerville5463]

He’s supposed to stay within the damn red circle on the floor

[@alyciarodrigues2942]

It's very interesting, thank you for this video