Demystifying College Admissions: Insights from SK CEO Harpal Kochar

Harpal shared insights on navigating the college application process, emphasizing personal essays, recommendation letters, and strategic planning. He also discussed the importance of identifying and showcasing personal qualities, managing time, and prioritizing creativity and personal branding. Additional topics included understanding the admissions process, building a strong classroom, using humor and emotions, and showcasing empathy and strengths for students with vision disabilities. Overall, the speaker emphasized the need for students to be proactive and strategic in their college applications to stand out and increase their chances of admission.
Action items
• [] Finalize college lists by June
• [] Complete brainstorming for personal essays between June-July, allocating 12 hours
• [] Review Common App essays between July-August
• [] Develop supplemental essays from September-October
• [] Submit majority of applications, including reaches, by November 15th deadline
Outline
Writing impactful college essays for top-tier applications.
• the importance of personal essays in college applications, their emotional and empathetic aspects.
• He advises students to focus on their personal growth, maturity, and journey, rather than just their achievements and activities.
• Admissions officers typically have liberal arts or humanities backgrounds.
• Applications must communicate empathy and responsibility to this audience.
College admissions, yield rates, and pleasing professors.
• Harpal Kochar advises on how to impress admissions officers at top universities.
• Harpal Kochar explains how colleges prioritize pleasing professors and deans over students in admissions.
College admissions, essay writing, and personal growth.
• Harpal Kochar explains game of blind dates for college admissions, emphasizing yield.
• Harpal Kochar shares his personal story of overcoming challenges related to vision disability in college.
• He emphasizes the importance of empathetic processes in brainstorming essays and defining one's values.
• Harpal Kochar explains his method for helping students create compelling college applications by first identifying unique stories about their lives and experiences.
• Kochar's team uses a structured process to help students brainstorm and develop these stories, starting with basic questions about themselves and their experiences.
College admissions process, interviews, and essays.
• The speaker advises students to prioritize their college list and break it down into categories (reach, target, safety) to increase chances of admission.
• The speaker warns against procrastination and emphasizes the importance of creativity in the college application process, particularly in the fall semester.
• Harpal Kochar explains the importance of interviews in college admissions, highlighting their role in preparing for applications and showcasing a student's personality.
• Interviews with college admissions officers or professors can provide valuable insights for students, helping them stand out in the application process.
College admissions, emphasizing authenticity and unique experiences.
• Colleges look for intellectual curiosity beyond grades, including recreational learning and personal growth.
• UC schools prioritize building students' potential for future success and donations, rather than just academic achievement.
• The speaker discusses the challenges of writing college applications, including the lack of authenticity in many essays.
• The speaker advises against using clichéd topics and instead encourages students to share their unique experiences and perspectives.
College admissions, essay writing, and the application process.
• Harpal Kochar argues against the Costco essay, saying it's not a good essay and there's a system set up to tell students they're not good enough.
• Kochar shares his success rate in helping students get into top universities, including Berkeley and UCLA, with a hit rate of close to 30%.
• Admissions committee uses two readers to evaluate applications, with a third reader overruling decisions.
College applications, essays, and personal growth.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of the "bottom part" of an application essay, which includes the "why" and "how" of a personal story, and encourages listeners to be authentic and specific in their writing.
• The speaker recommends using the "STAR method" to create a baseline story and apply it to the essay, focusing on the situation, the task, the action, and the result.
• Harpal Kochar advises student on how to handle AP courses and grades in college application.
• Harpal Kochar provides guidance on college applications, emphasizing the importance of summer programs and mentorship.
• Kochar shares examples of how to demonstrate interest in a college, including volunteer work and personal projects.