Episode 285 | Kevin McMullin | Collegewise | The EdisonOS Podcast

Episode Description

In this episode, Kevin McMullin, Chief Education Officer of Collegewise and founder who grew the company from 9 students in 1999 to serving over 30,000 families, shares insights from 26 years in college admissions. Starting at Princeton Review's corporate headquarters as their spokesperson, Kevin explains how he transitioned to driving to students' kitchen tables before scaling to the largest admissions consulting firm in the industry with 150+ counselors processing roughly 2,000 applications per available position—statistically harder to get hired than getting into Harvard. Kevin breaks down the brutal mathematics of highly selective admissions, explaining why Princeton could fill two and a half freshman classes with nothing but valedictorians, and reveals the surprising truth behind early decision statistics—Tulane admitted 68% of early decision applicants versus only 2.5% regular decision. He addresses the biggest misconception families have about college essays, explaining why admissions officers can spot when teenagers write "playing volleyball taught me many important lessons about hard work" instead of sounding like themselves, and shares the story of a successful applicant whose opening sentence was "the worst part about being the slowest runner on my cross-country team is that sometimes I fall so far behind I have to stop and ask spectators for directions." Kevin emphasizes that great college essays are "equal opportunity employers" where everyone starts with a blank slate senior year, unlike GPAs and test scores that can't be dramatically improved in one semester, and stresses that students should spend more time building on their strengths than polishing perceived weaknesses—the B-minus in chemistry after studying harder than ever before deserves celebration, not disappointment.