Behind the scenes: What my most successful students did differently
There’s a cost that sneaks up on families — quiet at first, but brutal when it lands. And by the time it shows up, it’s too late to fix it with a quick brainstorm or a flashy new activity.
It hits in senior year, when the applications open and your teen finally sits down at their desk, laptop glowing, cursor blinking…
...and nothing comes out.
They’ve done the things—honors or IB classes, club meetings, maybe even a leadership title that sounds mildly impressive.
But now it’s essay time, and nothing’s coming together. Because deep down, they’re realizing they’ve been busy... but not story-building busy.
This is the moment when even the most confident kids (and parents!) feel that slow, sinking “uh-oh.”
All those AP classes, volunteer hours, leadership roles—they took effort. But effort doesn’t always translate into something a college admissions reader would consider noteworthy.
And just like that, the dinner table talk shifts from “We’ve got time” to:
“We should’ve started this earlier.”
So if your teen is heading into 9th, 10th, or 11th grade, consider this your early-access pass to avoid that scramble.
Honestly, this might be the most important email I send you all year.
☀️🌵
The $3,000 Summer That Didn’t Deliver
Let me tell you about a student I worked with.
She was already attending Chapel Hill as a sophomore when she came to me. But she wanted to get into Chapel Hill’s highly competitive undergrad business school. She was smart, motivated, and had just spent a month doing a pricey summer business program — at Chapel Hill.
She assumed (and who could blame her!) that would be her ticket.
Except it wasn’t.
Even with great grades and strong writing, she didn’t get in and had to change her major. 😰
You see… those summer programs — while useful in some ways — don’t always create the kind of impact that stands out. They’re designed to teach, not to transform.
And colleges can tell the difference between a student who learned about leadership… and one who actually led.
🏋️♂️
Meanwhile, Others Were Busy Building
One student I worked with started two nonprofits before age 17 and one of them had a half-dozen employees on payroll.
I had another young man who built a Facebook group during COVID that now has 150,000 members. It's still active, still moderated, and still his.
Or take my student intersted in AI. His school didn't offer anything to help fuel his passion, so he cold-emailed 20 professors, got 19 non-responses and one “Sure, let's talk.” That turned into an internship and this youngster has his name on a paper being published by a leading researcher in the field!
These weren’t résumé-padding activities. They were scrappy, self-led, passion-fueled projects that required vision, consistency, and heart.
That’s what colleges notice. 👀
🏅
Even My Own Kid
Got This One Right
My son got on YouTube one day and decided to start a window-washing business. 💦🧽
He bought some squeegees, watched a few tutorials, and started knocking on doors.
Eventually, he realized power washing paid better. So he sold the window-washing gear to his buddy and pivoted, even running ads to get new clients.
He made close to $20,000 that summer — enough to cover all his “fun” for freshman year.
And naturally, that’s what he wrote about in his essay.
Not a class, a camp, or a pre-college program. His own idea, executed with heart and hustle.
This is my son Greg!
🔍
The Truth About “Early”
Most families think they’ve got time.
They don’t.
By junior year, what you’ve done matters more than what you plan to do.
And if the essay brainstorming starts with “So… what have you been up to the last three years?” and the answer is mostly homework and club meetings... you’ve got a problem.
Not because your teen isn’t amazing — but because there’s no story yet.
✨📖
Where the Magic (and Strategy) Really Happen
The best college essays don’t come from a summer camp or a perfect GPA. They come from student-led, curiosity-driven, heart-fueled action that starts before the pressure kicks in.
When your teen has time to explore, pivot, mess up, regroup, and stick with something they actually care about — that’s where the gold is.
This is how it plays out:
🌱 Freshman and sophomore years are for planting seeds.
🌿 Junior year is when that growth turns into a story.
🎓 Senior year is when colleges read it and say, “Yes. This one.”
Wait too long to start, and you’re not shaping a story — you’re scrambling to find one. And no amount of clever writing can make up for what isn’t there.
🎯
Just Because It’s Expensive Doesn’t Mean It’s Strategic
That $3,000 summer camp at Harvard or Duke might look shiny on paper — but if your teen spent four weeks sitting in lectures and following a syllabus, it’s basically just another school with a fancier logo.
It might check a box. But it doesn’t create a story.
Instead, let’s talk about the kind of stuff that does.
🎙️ Launching a podcast.
🐝 Bee-keeping for 5 years and selling honey-pops at the local farmers market.
📬 Editing a student-run newsletter built in Google Docs.
That’s the kind of scrappy, soul-led doing that turns into the college essay admissions officers actually remember.
🚦
Read This Like a Nudge
If your teen is in 9th or 10th grade… amazing.
You’re early. And that’s powerful. 🙌
Let’s make sure the time you’ve got gets used wisely. As you move forward, keep this lens in mind:
✨ Create, don’t consume.
✨ Do, don’t just attend.
✨ Build, don’t wait.
The families who start thinking this way now are the ones breathing easier senior year — with essays that almost write themselves because the story was already there.
You don’t need a certificate or a $500 summer badge. You need purpose, a little courage, and a project that starts small and gets real.
At this point, your priority should be making sure your teen’s story is set in motion — so when it’s time to tell it, all they have to do is open the door and invite the reader in.
With you early, smart, and heart-first,
Christy
👋 Hi, if we haven't met yet, I'm Christy. I help students craft standout essays so they can submit their best possible applications with confidence.
Wanna chat? www.calendly.com/easiercollegeessays/30min
