Why Chasing Ivy League Dreams Starts With Action (Not Advice): A Relatable Guide to Goal-Getting

It started somewhere between a guidance counselor’s office and an awkward family dinner when everyone wanted to know—so, how are you going to get into the Ivy League? That question used to send shivers down my spine, too. Instead of bravely diving in, I found myself obsessively Googling ‘how to get into Harvard’ and asking every semi-wise adult I knew for their ‘secret.’ Turns out, overthinking and advice-hoarding were just sneaky forms of procrastination. Here’s what really changed my game (and maybe my sanity): a shift from advice-trawling to action-taking—and, funnily enough, a friend named Alex who couldn’t stop talking about running a marathon.

Stop Asking, Start Moving: The Advice Trap No One Warns You About

When it comes to Ivy League admissions or achieving big goals, most people fall into a trap that no one really talks about: the endless search for advice. I get it—I used to be that person, too. I’d ask, “How do I get into the Ivy League?” or “What’s the secret to a standout college application?” But here’s the truth: asking for advice is not starting. In fact, it can be the very thing holding you back from real progress.

Let’s be honest. Most of us aren’t just looking for tips; we’re looking for validation. We want someone to tell us we’re on the right track before we even take the first step. But seeking validation often disguises itself as advice-seeking. It feels safe to ask “how” instead of risking failure outright. But the reality is, you learn nothing by only theorizing.

"Half the time people ask for advice because they fear the embarrassment and failure that everyone went through to achieve their goals."

Think about it: Most high achievers faced their own messy failures. They didn’t get to the Ivy League or achieve their dreams by avoiding pain or embarrassment. They stumbled, learned, and kept moving. If you’re always asking for advice, you might actually be trying to avoid the discomfort that comes with starting something new. Fearing that pain can keep you stuck, and it’s a common roadblock in the journey to overcoming failure and reaching your goals.

Here’s a surprising insight: 99% of unsuccessful people are the ones seeking 99% of the advice. That’s not a coincidence. Most people looking for advice rarely achieve uncommon results because action is the missing ingredient. Outsourcing your learning journey—waiting for the perfect tip or the ultimate college application hack—prevents genuine progress. You can read all the college application tips in the world, but if you never actually start your application, nothing changes.

• Advice can become a crutch, stopping you from actually starting your journey toward ambitious goals.
  

• Many seek advice to avoid embarrassment or to feel validated, but this rarely leads to real results.
  

• It’s easier to ask “how” than to risk failure, but you only grow by doing, not just planning.
  

So, if you’re serious about achieving big goals—whether it’s Ivy League admissions or anything else—recognize when you’re using advice-seeking as a way to delay action. The real learning, the real progress, starts the moment you stop asking and start moving.

From Dreaming to Doing: Alex’s Marathon and the Power of Tiny Habits

Let me tell you about my friend Alex—well, let’s call him Alex. He was the kind of guy who always seemed to live in the shadows of his own potential. Like a lot of us, he had big dreams. For years, his biggest dream was to run the Los Angeles Marathon. Not just any marathon, but the LA Marathon—a goal that felt almost impossible given where he was starting from. For months, Alex would talk about it, almost to the point where it got a little annoying. But then, something changed. He decided to stop dreaming and actually signed up to run the marathon that same year—no more “someday.”

This is the first step in the learning process framework: having a conscious, meaningful goal. For Alex, it was the marathon. For you, maybe it’s getting into an Ivy League school or landing a full scholarship. The point is, big goals light the way. They give you something real to aim for, even if it feels out of reach.

But here’s the thing: Alex didn’t just wake up one day and run 26.2 miles. He knew that was a “pretty stupid idea.” Instead, he started building habits—tiny, daily actions that moved him closer to his goal. Every day, he ran. Some days it was a mile, some days more. He’d already been running cross country in high school, so he had a foundation, but the marathon was a whole new level. This is where habit formation comes in. Whether you’re prepping for the SAT, joining new clubs, or just carving out time to study, it’s the small, repeated actions that matter most. Waiting for the perfect plan or ideal circumstances? That’s just another form of procrastination.

Of course, setbacks are part of the journey. About six weeks before the marathon, Alex fractured his ankle. Most people would have quit right there. But after his recovery, he got right back to training. That’s the real secret: persistent recovery is more important than perfect circumstances. You might bomb a test, miss a deadline, or have to take time off for an injury. The key is to keep going anyway. As Alex said,

"Any meaningful goal that you have will never come easy—because why would it?"

If you want to achieve big goals—whether it’s the LA Marathon or the Ivy League—it’s not about grand gestures or waiting for the stars to align. It’s about the daily grind. Time management strategies like blocking out study time or sticking to a training schedule make a bigger difference than you think. In the end, it’s the tiny habits, stacked up over time, that turn dreams into reality.

Pain, Learning, and Rewiring Your Brain: Embracing Change to Unlock Success

Let’s get real: chasing big goals—like crushing the Digital SAT or aiming for the Ivy League—hurts. Not in the “I pulled a muscle” way, but in the “my brain feels like it’s doing push-ups” way. When you start swapping out old habits for new ones, it’s uncomfortable. You’re not just learning new test-taking skills; you’re becoming someone who can actually achieve those ambitious dreams. That’s why the first step in any learning process framework is managing the pain and emotions that come with change. Think of it as growing pains for your mind, not just your body.

I remember a friend who fractured his ankle and spent six weeks off his feet. The hardest part wasn’t the physical recovery—it was the mental battle of getting back to his old pace. He had to manage both the pain and the emotions that came with being “behind.” That’s the reality: the first days, weeks, and even months of real change will be tough. But if you can handle that discomfort, you’re already ahead of most people who give up when things get hard.

Upgrade Your Mental ‘Sword and Shield’

Here’s the thing: you can’t tackle new challenges with old knowledge. The information that got you to where you are now won’t get you to where you want to be. As I like to say,

"The knowledge that you have in your brain is like the sword and shield that you take out into battle."

When my friend was prepping for his marathon comeback, he didn’t just start running again. He spent a week watching educational videos—learning about pacing groups, mental segmenting, and advanced running techniques. That’s what you need to do with your SAT strategies. If your goal is to ace the Digital SAT, dive deep into what the new test looks like, the types of questions, and the best tips for answering them faster. This is how you program your mind with battle-tested tactics that give you an edge.

Experiment Until You Find Your 1% Advantage

Here’s a secret: there’s no single study method that works for everyone. If you just copy what worked for someone else, you’re missing out on your own edge. The real magic happens when you experiment with different techniques—timed practice, active recall, group study, or digital tools—and see what actually sticks for you. That tiny improvement, even just “1% better,” compounds over time. It’s your asymmetric advantage, your personal leverage point against the competition.

• Switching habits feels uncomfortable—embrace it as necessary for ambition.
  

• Programming your mind with new, goal-specific knowledge upgrades your test-taking skills.
  

• Personalized SAT strategies, not generic advice, create compounding advantages over time.
  

Remember, adaptability and self-driven learning always beat fixed routines. The journey to your Ivy League dream starts with action—embrace the pain, upgrade your knowledge, and experiment until you unlock your own success.

WILD CARD: If SAT Prep Was Like Running a Marathon…

Let’s be real: if prepping for the Digital SAT was like running a marathon, most of us would never get to the starting line if all we did was read about running. You can watch all the motivational videos, scroll through endless SAT advice threads, and ask everyone for their “secret strategy”—but none of that matters until you actually lace up your shoes and start jogging, bad days and all. That’s how I learned the hard way: action beats advice, every single time.

The Digital SAT format is a whole new race. It’s shorter and less tedious than the old paper version, but it comes with its own quirks—timed sections, digital annotation tools, and the ever-important “mark for review” button. At first, these features felt awkward, like trying to drink water while running for the first time. But as I kept practicing, they became essential, just like water breaks and pace groups in a real marathon. Getting comfortable with these digital SAT tools isn’t just helpful—it’s a game changer for your test-taking skills.

I wasted a lot of time early on, asking for advice just to validate what I already knew. It felt good in the moment, but it didn’t move me forward. What finally worked was focusing on the work right in front of me—logging into Khan Academy for official digital SAT resources, setting up real timed practice sessions, and reviewing my mistakes. I stopped worrying about having the perfect plan and started treating my prep like progressive training. Some days were rough, but every session added up, and the results started to show.

Here’s the truth: knowing how to get started is great, but treating SAT prep like a game or a sport is what gets you ten times the results. The Digital SAT isn’t just about what you know—it’s about how you use the tools and manage your energy. The night before the test, don’t cram new material. Instead, review familiar problems—let your brain rest and trust your training. Hydrate, move your body, and remember: your brain is in the race, too.

Preparing for the actual test means practicing with all the right tools and the right mindset. It’s not about perfection; it’s about steady, thoughtful effort and a little self-compassion when things don’t go as planned. The finish line isn’t just an Ivy League acceptance—it’s knowing you gave it your all, one step at a time. So, if you’re chasing big dreams, remember: action is what gets you across the line. Advice is just the warm-up.

TL;DR: Don’t overthink your goals—act on them. Ditch the advice trap, start building habits that matter, manage growing pains, become a lifelong learner, and experiment until you find what works. You’re more capable than you think.