If you are 30-something and reading this thinking your window has closed: The founders of Home Depot were 45. Colonel Sanders was 65. Stan Lee did not create the Marvel universe until his late 30s. Sam Walton opened his first Walmart at 44. You are not late. You are on time for the version of your life that requires the maturity you now have. The younger version could not have done this. Only you can.

One of the most common questions I get is: I have a 2:2, can I secure a fully funded scholarship? Or, I study Arts, can I get a funded Masters or PhD program? I think the issue here is that people have fallen into the danger of making one story THE definitive story. Applying to grad school is not like that. (Nothing in life is.) There are several factors that play into whether you get a fully funded graduate school admission or not. Think of your pursuit as a system, for instance, a football club, where different players are responsible for different parts. Ideally, you want to be strong in all areas. But that rarely happens. You play the hand you are dealt. The fact that you are weak in one arena (e.g. GPA) doesn't mean you can't still assemble a winning team/application. In grad school application, as in life, you won't have all the things you want but if you want it badly enough, you will find a way.