Lizzie Shacklett had every reason to choose Notre Dame.

Her parents went there. She grew up loving the school. She was admitted early. For most students, that would have been the dream ending.

But then Stanford and Yale said yes.

In this episode, Steve sits down with Lizzie to unpack how she went from dreaming about Notre Dame to choosing between some of the most selective universities in the world—and ultimately choosing Stanford over Yale and Notre Dame.

But this is not just a “college results” story.

Lizzie shares how a simple seventh-grade book donation turned into Literacy is Lit, an organization that has collected and distributed more than 75,000 books to children in underserved communities. She explains how she stepped outside the usual high school achievement game—clubs, titles, competitions, and résumé padding—and started building real impact with nonprofits, educators, legislators, and community leaders.

This conversation is a masterclass in what elite colleges actually notice: not just perfect grades or impressive activities, but clarity, values, courage, initiative, and evidence that a student is already making the world better.

You’ll hear how Lizzie built confidence, created momentum, handled the grind of senior year, and learned to trust her gut when making one of the biggest decisions of her life.

For any student hoping to stand out—and any parent wondering what “standing out” actually means—this episode is a must-listen.

What You’ll Learn

How admitted-student weekends helped her make the final decision.

How one small book donation became a 75,000-book impact project.

Why real-world impact matters more than another club title.

How Lizzie got adults, nonprofits, schools, and policymakers to take her seriously while she was still in high school.

Why “common sense is not common practice” became one of her most important success principles.

How students can escape the “high school bubble” and start doing work that actually matters.

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