“Maxxing.” It’s all the rage in 2026—looksmaxxing, protein maxxing, now even tan maxxing. One need not look beyond the local gym where creatine-infused young people incessantly flex in front of the mirror. The shelves of the local grocery store are stocked with supplement-boosted sparkling water, coffee, ketchup, marshmallows, and popcorn. If it is edible, they are probably adding protein to it. In the latest social media trend, the quest for the darkest tan has people forgoing sunscreen and seeking peak ultraviolet ray exposure. Maxxing involves individuals ignoring the potentially harmful consequences of their actions in pursuit of unrealistic and often thwarted ideals of self-improvement.
It is within this culture of optimization–and the mentality that more is better–that students arrive at the college admission experience, and it shows. Applicants mistakenly believe that they need to do everything and be everything to be admitted to college. It is not surprising given the adage in journalism, “if it bleeds it leads,” where sensational stories dominate the space, exploiting the fears and insecurities of young people and their supporters at a vulnerable time of transition. The headlines often focus on uber-selective colleges and universities, the lengths students and parents will go to access them, and the parts of the process of applying that evoke the most anxiety. Social media is riddled with advertisements from companies and consultants promising the secret formulas to maximize odds of admission.
The reality is that college admission can be joyful, simple, and fulfilling—a celebration of one’s strengths and values as they are, and not how society tells them they should be. In truth, admission professionals are not seeking flawless, excessive resumes from superhuman applicants. In fact, these applications often land as inauthentic and induce eye-rolling from those reviewing them. Rather, colleges are hoping to admit students who have found meaning in what they do and are ready to engage and contribute to a vibrant campus community.
Yet, increasingly young people are application maxxing. As a counselor, I see this optimization play out with students in two primary ways. In an attempt to best position themselves for acceptance, they default to misguided cultural hype and social media advice about the “need” to publish research, secure an impressive internship, and stack classes and extracurricular activities so high that they leave little room to be teenagers.
Meanwhile, students build application lists that often exceed twenty schools. They fail to do the hard work of research and discernment around an intentional and balanced list of colleges and universities that would be a good match for their strengths and interests. Instead, increasingly, students throw in applications to a long list of reach schools. This “spray and pray” approach to admission relies on faulty math—that the more colleges, the better the odds of acceptance. This is not how selective college admission works. Ultimately, they end up only maximizing the extra work on applications and supplements and, in the end, the amount of disappointment about decision outcomes.
I asked admission leaders to reflect on the trends they see as they work with prospective students and what they would like to see change. Here is what they had to say:
Jordan Pascucci, vice dean and director of admissions at The University of Pennsylvania, explains, “The trend I would like to see take hold is students upholding integrity by celebrating who they really are.” She adds, “The advice out there, and the application format itself, suggests that big moments—the award stage moments—are what get rewarded. But that isn’t true. The students who stand out write from a place of gratitude for who they already are and excitement for who they are becoming.” Pascucci says, “That comes from paying attention to the ordinary moments—the hallway moments—when no one is watching, and finding ways to include that perspective in your application.”
Matthew Hyde, vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid at Trinity College, agrees, saying, “I would love for all college aspirants to know that they are enough…as they are.” He points out that “optimization of process, practice, and the leveraging of resources (including time and human capital) is an important concept to value,” but says “the idea of maxxing self and outward reflections of perceived success make me sad. Certainly for the humans that imprison themselves with their reaches for perfection, but also for humanity.” Hyde argues, “We are supposed to be messy and imperfect—there’s strength, character, and joy to be found when we fully embrace our messiness and prioritize our happiness.” He adds, “I would love for more of the teenage species to be less concerned about how others perceive them and more in-tune with their search for self and how exceptional they already are…and can continue to be.” He tells students, “Zero value should be assigned to others’ assessment of you–their desires to judge, opine, and degrade are unfortunate, but also an expression of their weakness.” He admits that he is an idealist with a “proverbial glass that usually over-flowing,” but says, “I feel strongly that individuals have control of their attitude, spirit, and the efforts they make to be a good human. And the sharpness of one’s jawline, the glow to one’s skin, and the prestige of one’s college has absolutely no bearing on one’s presence as a healthy and productive human.”
Peter Wilson, dean of college admissions, associate vice president, enrollment and student advancement at The University of Chicago, has a great way of framing admission for applicants. He says, “Rather than ‘admissions-maxxing,’ students should be ‘interest maxxing.’ Take the class because the description sounded good. Keep your summer job. Stay in the band that isn’t going to produce a platinum record. Spend time and have fun with your friends. Those unscheduled hours are where students actually stumble into what they love and practice curiosity.” He adds, “When a student writes and talks about something they genuinely care about, it comes through in their application. Students who practice and learn genuine curiosity and show it throughout their application vs. trying to complete a checklist they think colleges will want to see, are the ones who truly thrive at places like UChicago.”
Jennifer Wallace is the bestselling author of “Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It” and “Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose.” When asked about maxximizing trends in college admission, she says, “Optimization has become so seductive because it seems to promise certainty. If I take one more AP class or perfect one more part of myself, then maybe I’ll finally be enough.” She points out that “the admissions process has unintentionally reinforced the idea that young people must earn their worth. What students need instead is the confidence that they are already enough and have something unique to contribute.” Wallace adds, “Parents and schools can reinforce the idea that they are valued for who they are, not just what they do, by getting a PhD in them—getting to know them for who they are deep inside, their strengths, talents, and the contributions that are uniquely theirs.” She explains that “in this way, parents and educators play a critical role: to convince the young people of their worth outside of a system that tells them they need to earn it. What they need are adults who remind them that they matter because of who they are at their core—the friend they encourage, the teammate they support, the curiosity they bring.”
Wallace advises that “One way parents and schools can help dial down the pressure is by changing the questions they ask. Instead of ‘How did you do on the test?’ ask, ‘Where did you make a difference today?’” She says, “What we ask young people about signals when we value. When we shift our questions and attention, we move students away from feeling like they have to prove their worth toward recognizing their impact. This shift offers them a far healthier foundation for both well-being and long-term success.”
Jim Rawlins, the associate vice chancellor of enrollment management at The University of California—San Diego, addresses unchecked college list “maxxing.” He says, “Ideally, I would love for Common App to limit the number of apps to 15 rather than 20 but understand that’s highly unlikely.” Despite reports about the increase in total applications to college nationwide, Rawlins explains, “We know there are increasingly fewer students simply applying to more places. That makes it as hard on universities as it does a family.” He also highlights that “The rise of ‘college expert’ influencers isn’t helpful either,” saying, “They seem to be making sure every school is profiled in a reel so families are left uncertain about what is real and what isn’t in terms of whether a school is truly a strong academic and social environment.”
Tony Cabasco, vice president of enrollment at Colorado College, advises students to take a step back and be more thoughtful about their college lists. He says, “This can be challenging because admission decisions seem more random and erratic to them. The answer is a short list of colleges and focusing on what truly interests them.” He adds, “It’s much easier to thoughtfully discern and articulate why 10 colleges may be a better fit than applying to 20+.” As an extreme example, Cabasco says, “I had a mom admit that their daughter applied to 66 colleges!”
Going to the gym, eating enough protein, or even enjoying the glow of a healthy summer tan are all well and good when done with intention and moderation. Likewise, taking challenging courses, engaging in summer research, interning in an area of interest, or pursuing an extracurricular activity deeply can all be meaningful endeavors. So too are holding a summer job, taking care of a younger sibling or elderly grandparent, and being involved in clubs, sports, or performance at school. These are all part of being a good high school student and an indication of commitment to one’s personal growth.
The scale tips to unhealthy, however, when taken to extremes. Some students and families feel like they have to pay for expensive summer programs and other experiences that they perceive will give them a leg up in the admission process. Others rush from activity to activity, leaving little time to relax together as a family, sleep, or just sit and read a good book. Being a compelling college applicant is not about presenting an appearance of having maxxed out every facet of life. Those who are successful in admission tell a story–not of how much they can do and be but of what is important to them, who they are in a community, and how they honor their curiosity.
