What actually helps a student stand out in competitive college admissions? In this episode, Shellee Howard talks with College Ready student Seth Skaff about the strategy behind his successful college application journey. Seth shares how leadership, meaningful extracurriculars, early essay preparation, thoughtful major selection, and a cohesive application story helped him earn acceptances to multiple University of California campuses—including UCLA—as well as Regents Scholarships and honors opportunities. Seth also shares what he wishes he had started earlier, how College Ready helped him prepare for the admissions process, and how students can use AI responsibly as a tool for brainstorming and feedback without losing their authentic voice. For parents wondering how to help their teen prepare for college admissions without turning high school into a frantic checklist, this conversation offers a student's perspective on what made the biggest difference.
What separates a strong college application from a collection of good grades, activities, and accomplishments?
College Ready student Seth Skaff joins Shellee Howard to share what he learned while navigating a highly competitive college admissions season. Seth is a high school senior involved in student government, Model United Nations, his school newspaper, Academic Decathlon, and varsity golf. Academically, he has taken an extensive schedule of AP exams and community college courses.
But Seth's story demonstrates an important lesson for families: standing out isn't simply about doing more. It's about pursuing activities you genuinely care about and creating a cohesive story around who you are.
Seth shares how he approached his applications strategically, including choosing majors based on his experiences and goals, researching individual universities, preparing for essays early, and considering the opportunities and career outcomes different colleges could provide. At the time of this conversation, Seth had already earned acceptances to multiple UC campuses, including UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Irvine's honors program, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, UC Merced, and UC Santa Cruz, with Regents Scholarships at UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara and a scholarship at UC Merced.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
One of Seth's biggest lessons for younger students is simple: you probably can't start too early. College planning isn't about knowing your entire future in middle school or freshman year. Starting early gives students time to explore their interests, develop meaningful experiences, understand themselves, and eventually tell a much stronger story when application season arrives.
🎧 Listen to hear about the college admissions process directly from a student who has just lived it and what he believes made the biggest difference.