14 Years Ago Today I Got into Vanderbilt...14 Lessons Learned Since
May 2nd, 2010
That's the date I was accepted to Vanderbilt University.
At the time, I was an 18 year old who thought he knew everything, but really knew oh so little. (As I type this, as a 32 year old...will I be saying the same thing about my 32 year old self as a 46 year old? I feel like that's how life works...)
In fact, here's what 18 year old, senior-in-high-school Jack looked like (yellow shirt):
I remember it like it was yesterday. My Mom called me while I was at school and said there was a message on the home phone (yep, that will show you it really was 14 years ago!). I left school, drove home, listened to the voicemail, heart racing. It was an admissions rep from Vanderbilt who said he wanted to talk. I called back.
A few pleasantries later, standing in my kitchen, home phone pressed to my ear, the admissions rep said, "Today is the first day we're offering spots to students on the waitlist. In fact, you're call #1. We'd like to offer you admission to Vanderbilt."
For those who have followed along for awhile, I've described in detail the whole "you're call #1 off the waitlist" thing. In fact, my results I experienced on May 2, 2010 would later serve as the foundation to my decade-long 'Waitlist program'...but that story is for another day (if you're reading this and have a student who is waitlisted or know a student who is waitlisted, my team and I now give 100% of our waitlist advice away for free...see here for more info).
Little did I know just how much that call, on May 2nd, 2010, would influence the next 14 years of my life.
And so, without further ado, here are 14 lessons I've learned since that date. Keep in mind, these are just my internal lessons. They're things I've held onto, many of which I learned during my four years at Vanderbilt. You may like some of them, hate others, or even disagree with many. That's okay. The bigger theme of the lessons below is to share a bit of gratitude.
May 2nd, 2010 was a big, big day for me...whether I truly knew it at the time or not.
Let's dive in. Some lessons below will have explanations. Others, I'll purposely leave without and let you fill in the blanks. If any resonate with you, reply and let me know...or even better, share with your high schooler.
14 lessons over 14 years (in no particular order)
Don't underestimate the value of your peer group: When I think back on my four years of college, there are so many memories, so many learning experiences. But what I truthfully feel Vanderbilt gave me was the opportunity to have 4 years surrounded by some of the most incredible, hard-working, self-motivated, FUN peers I've ever had the chance to meet. As Jim Rohn said, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with." I could not agree with this more.
Take a moment, smell the smells, see the sights: If you don't college (and life) will go by real quick
Remember names: You may just become great friends with a dining hall worker or the cashier at the munchy mart (shout out Anne if you're reading this!)
If you know you're good at something, tell people...and offer to help them for free because you enjoy it: It's crazy to think about my job these days. After all, look at that kid up top in the yellow t-shirt. He's just a kid! And today, I'm really just a guy! But 19 year old Jack realized something--he knew college admissions. He had just gone through it himself and realized there were certain levers one could pull to drastically increase admissions chances, decrease stress, and enjoy the process along the way. So he told people. Then he told more people. And then those people told more people. Fast forward 14 years, and thousands of families later...and here we are (yep, it's more than just me now).
Parents are the best: Tell them so.
Remember the 3 week rule, especially in your 20's: Go on that impulsive road trip with your friends...3 weeks from now you'll be very, very happy you did
College teaches you how to learn...once you know how to learn things, and acquire skills, the world is your oyster
When you find good people in your life, keep them around: There's a reason we invite our top students to work for us (Sneak peak - another will be joining our team here shortly!)
In a world of distraction, focus is a super power: There's a reason one of our very first lessons we teach all of our students is our famous 50/10 study lesson...it's that powerful. And as the world continues to trend towards 24/7 distraction, this skill alone is a cheat code
Embrace that you'll never have it all figured out...but be willing to take action anyway...it's liberating.
Be authentic...if you've got quirks, embrace them: When we coach students, we coach them to be 'authentically unique' (ex: our HS senior, Emily was absolutely, 100% authentically unique, and it paid off!)...colleges want to see students who fit this bill..but guess what? It applies to more than just college. Embrace being authentically unique (not fake unique...there's a big, big difference), and watch the opportunities that arise
Smile...this act alone can change your mood for the rest of the day
You can learn nearly anything these days almost for free. The internet has changed everything. Learning is a cheat code in life. Learning for free is an even bigger cheat code.
Mindset is real: A quote to end...To be honest, I'm not sure where I first saw this, but I now look at the quote every day:
"People achieve about what they expect to achieve. Could be a little more. Could be a little less. But you end up in the ballpark of the expectations you set for yourself. It’s almost uncanny the way this plays out in life."
If you're a high schooler out there and you've got dream college ambitions but look at single digit acceptance rates and think "I'll never get in..." I implore you to change your thinking. You CAN get in. But you need to truly, deeply feel it. Once you feel you are worthy of acceptance, it's amazing how your actions self-align with this belief.
It might not be easy. It might not happen right away. It might take all the way until May 2nd of your senior year of high school...but it is possible.
Just ask that kid in the yellow shirt up there.
To your college planning success,
Jack Delehey
Founder, CollegeConsulting.us
P.S. - Have a high-performing high schooler w/ a 3.7 GPA or higher? We'll help get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges...and if we don't get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges, you don't pay us a penny. Seriously. College admissions isn't rocket science...but it is a science. And we've cracked the code...year, after year, after year. You can learn more about our world renowned all-inclusive, start-to-finish college coaching here and to see if your family qualifies for an introductory call.
P.P.S - Our most common question is "When should we start?!" The answer is, if you truly care about giving your high schooler the best chance of college planning success, you should start NOW. 9th grade is not too early to start! 10th grade is certainly not too early to start! And 11th grade is far, far too late! (supporting data here to show just how much of an advantage you give your child by starting the process early).
