![TED Talks Daily (SD video) show](https://d3dthqtvwic6y7.cloudfront.net/podcast-covers/000/026/759/small/tedtalks-video.png)
Summary: As if college applications aren't stressful enough, disadvantaged youth are often encouraged to write about their darkest traumas in their admissions essays, creating a marketable story of resilience that turns "pain into progress," says politics student Tina Yong. She brings this harrowing norm to light, exploring its harms and offering a more equitable process for colleges everywhere.