Everyone knows the struggles of getting into college: the countless nights and endless hours spent in pulling all-nighters, investing in extracurricular activities, and completing applications, the four years of high school stretched to accommodate a good number of AP courses among other formidable achievements that are bound to look impressive on your application. Though in hindsight, college is merely one of the many milestones in your life, in the hectic years of adolescence, it seems that all four of your high school years lead up to graduation and, ultimately, college admission. It's an immensely trying time, more for some than others. This summer, as I visited colleges along the East Coast and inquired into many more, I noticed three recurring points that nearly every college admissions officer emphasized upon getting accepted to the college he or she represented, all of which are vital lessons not only in admission to college, but also life in general.

1. Know who you are

Self identity is an entity discovered through a lifelong process of trial and error, of reflection and composition. College is undoubtedly a place where you undergo more or less the most change, with one foot still stuck in the door of adolescence and another in the threshold of adulthood. It fosters a vital period of transition, during which you encounter new experiences, ideas, and people. By graduation, you expect to emerge better prepared for life outside of school, where you can truly claim to be “your own person,” informed and confident enough to defend your views, values and beliefs. Knowing this, at first glance, it seems unfair that from the beginning of the application process, all colleges seem to be screaming the question “Who are you?” Besides, how could they expect you to tell them who you are, when you are in the process of figuring out yourself? Isn’t college the place to figure it out?

However, though you are not expected to have planned out your life down to every single detail (many colleges don’t even require you to declare a major until the end of sophomore year), what they do want you to identify is your values, priorities and passions. They want a window into your life to clearly see your character through the pursuit of your passions, and how far you are willing to take them to the next level. They want verification that you not only have what it takes to survive a rigorous curriculum academically, but also the ability to contribute to society.

An important step in learning who you are is asking yourself specific questions like “What kind of learner am I? Am I a deliberate thinker? Do I enjoy sitting down, thinking things through, exploring topics in depth and searching for answers through critical thinking? Or am I a fast thinker? Does my mind work in numbers or words, in concepts or instructions?"

Ultimately, knowing yourself saves time and ensures you to make the best decisions for yourself. By having a definite set of beliefs, priorities, and means of self identification, you are not only letting colleges know who you are; you are putting into practice the important concepts of individualism and selfhood. And of course, the importance of knowing yourself extends to beyond simply college admissions. It’s an important part of life and in identifying the path you want to take beyond college. Having defined your values and having acquired an insight of self perception, you will be more prepared in walking down a path that is best for you.

2. Don’t confine yourself.

Because colleges themselves are tools for students to achieve their goals, it loses value when you take away the core ingredient to a quality education at a quality institution: passion. The last thing you want to do is to confine yourself into a generic mold of “the perfect student,” for it often means compromising your passion in attempt to fit the image of the “ideal [insert college of your choice] student".

According to many admission officers, one of the most frequently asked questions is "What can I do to get into college X?" This is a question that can't be answered by admitted students and officers alike, for colleges acknowledge that every student is different and that each has something different to bring to the table. For this very reason, there is no perfect formula or rigidly defined checklist to get into a choice college despite popular misconceptions. Knowing this, the most a university can ask for of you as a student can be summed up in an analogy to diving. It wants you to show how deep you dive, how willing you are to explore your passions. And contrary to actual diving, it wants to see how big a splash you make in contribution to your community through such exploration. And ultimately, it wants to know how you plan to make a splash into a cannonball by attending its specific colleges.

In light of the importance universities place in staying true to yourself, especially the more prestigious ones, they often allow flexibility and autonomy for students in choosing courses to gear it towards their specific interests. This is in belief that the students they admit will make the best decisions for themselves according to their particular needs. They expect their students to have the drive and wisdom, a strong foundation of self awareness and an even stronger desire to learn and seek what they are passionate about. And that’s key.

It’s important to remember that colleges are made for and by the students. And though colleges initially choose students, students ultimately choose colleges. Put yourself out there and assume a take it or leave it attitude. Be genuine in who you are and what you do. For faking it till you make it won’t get you anywhere. Not into college, not to graduation, and definitely not anywhere near to self-fulfillment.

3. It's not where you go, it's what you do.

What exactly is the difference between an Ivy League college and a state university? The answer is nothing if you don’t take your college experience into your own hands. Top tiered colleges offer opportunities to make lifelong connections with not only peers and professors, but also with distinguished alumni and sponsors. They offer access to innumerable resources and pathways to further enhance your education. Thus, of course attending a more prestigious college gives you a higher chance of obtaining a better education. However, the bottom line is, no matter where you go, if you do not take initiative and seek out everything your university has to offer, your college experience is simply reduced to receiving a diploma, as opposed to acquiring connections, knowledge and skills that will carry you through a lifetime.

This is an important lesson to apply beyond school life. You are not limited by your circumstances, but rather by what you make it out to be. Maximize your resources to further experiences in various fields, investing in not only your education, but also your future. For learning to be proactive in your given environment to seek out all available opportunities is key to enhancing your experience in any given place, at any given time.