Whether applying to an elite university or building a business, success hinges on telling a singular, compelling story that sets you apart from the competition.

Every December, while many of Ivy Coach‘s students celebrate acceptances to their first-choice colleges, our inbox buzzes with emails from families whose children weren’t so fortunate. These students didn’t work with us. They received deferrals or denials and want to know what went wrong.

We call these sessions PostMortems. And, boy, do we find mistakes. Some took AP Statistics instead of a real math class (it’s no substitute for BC Calculus or beyond!). Others pursued scattershot extracurricular activities that impressed nobody. Still others wrote essays about sports, music, community service, grandparents, travel or illness. We call these third-rail topics.

But the biggest mistake is almost always the same. Despite boasting competitive profiles, they failed to tell a singular, compelling story that dared an admissions officer not to admit them. The lesson applies equally to business.

Here’s what families misunderstand about elite college admissions. Highly selective universities aren’t seeking well-rounded students. Instead, they’re building a well-rounded class comprised of singularly talented individuals.

They want the extraordinary poet, the groundbreaking science researcher, the recruited soccer player. Together, these students form a well-rounded class. The applicant who dabbles in everything but excels at nothing? That’s a tougher sell. Businesses make the same mistake.

I see competitors making the business equivalent of the well-rounded applicant’s mistake. Some advertise that recent college graduates can guide students through the highly selective college admissions process.

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