How My Daughter Got Into Dartmouth, by Tessymol Jose

Steve sits down with Tessymol Jose — the inspiring mother of Erica, one of our incredible students — to tell the full, raw story of their college admissions journey.

This isn’t a sugar-coated success story. It’s a front-row seat to the overwhelming pressure, confusion, and heartbreak that so many ambitious students (and their families) experience when they follow the wrong roadmap to college admissions — the "just do more, be more impressive" roadmap that leads straight to burnout.

🔹 Tessymol shares how Erica — a top student involved in leadership, orchestra, tennis, and volunteering — still felt like she was falling behind. Despite all her accomplishments, despite the straight A's, despite the sleepless nights and sacrifice, she was left asking: "What more can I possibly do to stand out?"

🔹 You’ll hear how endless stress, migraines, ulcers, skipped meals, and emotional breakdowns finally led them to seek a different answer — an answer they found inside the Ivy League Challenge.

🔹 You’ll learn how Erica shifted from the Impressiveness Trap to aligning her college prep around her core values — and how that transformation (not overachievement) led to her acceptance at Dartmouth College, one of the most prestigious and life-changing undergraduate experiences in the world.

This conversation is emotional. It's honest. And it’s a powerful reminder that winning at college admissions — and more importantly, winning at life — doesn't come from sacrificing your health and happiness at the altar of "impressiveness."

It comes from clarity, core values, and smart, strategic action.

If you’re a parent or a student feeling the pressure, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.

Key Topics:

• The dangers of the Impressiveness Trap
• How Tessymol and Erica realized they needed a different path
• The power of core values in college admissions
• Why top colleges care about who you are, not how many activities you can juggle
• How real transformation — not just more stress — leads to Ivy League success

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