The college application season starts all at once. On Aug. 1, 2025, I woke up to more than 100 emails from colleges announcing their applications were open. I applied to 27 colleges: two I felt confident I'd get into, four where I had a realistic chance and 21 highly competitive schools — including four Ivy League schools. I was doubtful that I had done enough to prepare. But to my surprise in early spring, I was accepted into three of the four Ivies: Yale University, University of Pennsylvania