Sara Harberson - Soundbite: The Admissions Secret that Gets You Into College and Beyond

P eople often ask me how I got the name Americas College Counselor. It sounds quite official, like someone anointed me with it, like a world leader or journalist. The truth is that I gave it to myself. Pretty bold, right? Yes, indeed.

No one can say it is not true. No one can say I cannot use it. I have simply taken three words from the English language and put them together. And no combination could be more accurate about me than those three words. I have the degrees, experience, and titles to prove it.

But what makes it so authentic for me is that there is not a day or hour that goes by when I am not actively being Americas College Counselor. Sure, I have private clients and an active subscription-based program, Application Nation, for families with college-bound children. But most of what I offer is free to everyone: monthly Facebook Live sessions, online guides, videos, a weekly blog, and weekly Instagram Lives for anyone who wants to follow me. I am the college counselor for all.

It is who I am, how I define myself, and how others see me. In fact, it is how I introduce myself in my Facebook Live and Instagram Live sessions. It is now part of my professional branding:

I am Americas College Counselor.

This sentence is my Soundbite. My identity. My daily motivation. My mantra. And I wont make any apologies for it because it is my truth. No one had to give it to me. I gave it to myself, and I work hard every day to live it.

As Americans, we focus on educational degrees, job titles, and leadership positions that others grant us, confer upon us, or elect us to. We wait for these milestones to happen in our lives. Finishing four years of college. Getting that promotion. Finally being recognized by peers that we are the top dog.

Why wait for others to give us something? Why wait for others to give us permission to make a positive impact?

No matter what initials precede or follow our names, they are simply a formality. Just because someone has an impressive degree or title doesnt mean they are using it to live a fulfilling lifeone that contributes to the greater good.

Consider the high school student who gets elected as president of student government by his peers. This might be the most coveted, traditional leadership role a college applicant could have on his application. Yet admissions officers (called AOs by insiders) would never know if the student leaned on his cabinet members to do all the work. The admissions officers would care only about that title, right? Wrong.

What happens if you are the person who makes the real contribution to student government or to the school? Would you let others take the credit or take charge? As long as it is the truth, the student who does the bulk of the work can list the tremendous impact she has made on her own applications activities list. I want her to recognize that it is about not only what she does but how she presents that in her application and to others. She could also make sure her college counselor and teachers writing letters of recommendation on her behalf know the real story as well.

What about the individual who gets into a highly regarded college because of money and lies? Or the person who ends up relying on family and connections to get professional opportunities instead of earning her way? It can seem so unfair to all of us regular folks.

Some say that is the way the world works. I say that is how the world works for a small fraction of the population. The rest of us need to navigate every step of our lives using our own ingenuity to achieve our goals. However, the process can seem so overwhelming and the prize of acceptance out of reach at times for regular folks like you and me.

Soundbite gives all of us not only hope but a real action plan to live our lives and achieve goals we have for our future. Once we identify the skills, traits, and experiences of our life that no one else could put together in exactly the same way, we have the beginnings of a Soundbite for ourselves. As long as we have the proof to back up our Soundbite because we are living it every day, we can be our own best advocate. It is the most empowering thing we can do for ourselves, no matter our age or individual goals.

The wondrous piece of the Soundbite is that it can be embraced at whatever stage of the process you are in. Whether the student is a high school freshman or a high school senior, Soundbite can help. In fact, adults who want to attend college, change careers, or pursue a fresh start can benefit from this approach. It is never too soon or too late to write, embrace, and live your Soundbite. I often say that I wish I had recognized and celebrated who I was much earlier in life. Now, I dont waste a day trying to be anything but my best self, my Soundbite.

By picking up this book and getting started, you are taking charge of a process that most people believe leaves little room for students to dictate their outcomes. Yet the more empowered students are, the more control they actually have. The key is understanding how to use the power effectively to determine your future. This book is for parents, students, college counselors, teachers, and anyone who values opportunity for themselves and the most deserving young people.

As I mentioned, I am the college counselor for all. I dont just help students who want to attend certain colleges; I help students who want to attend college.