To say this isn’t a hotly contested topic in the college admissions community is a gross understatement. I’ve heard countless people on both sides of the argument, all with various credentials that make it very difficult to see what is “right” or “wrong”. I think what makes this even more challenging is that there isn’t really a “right” or “wrong” way to approach college admissions. It’s very individual, and you’ll never know how another philosophy would’ve worked unless you go to college twice.
To the best of my knowledge, I am putting in the right effort and right thinking into this process. I also acknowledge that my philosophy always has room to change and I am willing to change my mind. To imply that I have a narrow mindset and am not taking college admissions seriously is simply not true. If that were the case, I wouldn’t be on CC asking for advice - I would be doing it on my own.
I would greatly appreciate it if you could point me towards pieces of evidence that support your claim. From my personal experience, I’ve seen both - the well-rounded student and the student with a spike - get into elite colleges.
I am trying my absolute best and trying to learn as I go. Tearing people down like this isn’t helping anyone.