“Don’t make this college application mistake!”
“You’re behind on your college applications!”
“Do X and you’ll get into UCLA!”
Applying to college is already stressful enough. I have no idea how to write a personal statement or how to describe my activities and awards. Looking for college advice on TikTok was my first mistake. Suddenly, my feed is full of videos that are telling me I should’ve started a nonprofit at 10, have a minimum 4.0 GPA, studied for the SAT in elementary school, or I’ll NEVER get into a good school.
What makes it worse is that no one is given a detailed explanation from the admissions office as to why they were accepted. They assume that because they got in, they must have done everything right and therefore what they’ve done is the ONLY way you can get in. Accounts like @ultimateivyleagueguide thrive on fear, because fear leads to clicks, and clicks lead to money. In reality, most of them aren’t actually qualified nor experienced enough to be giving admissions advice at all.
In particular, @ultimateivyleagueguide, otherwise known as Elise Pham, has built her whole account on fearmongering highschool students. Her entire format is her shouting in 2x speed into the camera, trying to make every point feel urgent. She runs an admission consulting business that charges students thousands of dollars. People who’ve actually paid for her services have reported that it pairs you up with other inexperienced and unqualified ‘mentors’ that give generic advice.
In one video, Pham claims that the Common App uses AI detectors that would flag AI essays, close your account, and alert every college you applied to. It’s terrifying to think that possibly writing something that could get flagged could ruin all your chances. The reality? No one actually knows how Common App reviews the essays. The official Common App account made a video directly responding to Pham explaining how misleading Pham’s video was. They clarified that any real cases involving AI/fraud undergo a review process where students can appeal before any decisions are finalized.
My best advice was taking none at all. College admissions are complicated and subjective, yet many other content creators like Pham continue to thrive year after year by spreading fear and misinformation. Videos like that shouldn’t make you feel any less qualified or capable.
