Ivy League Prep Academy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How to Begin Your Impact Project with Corey Fischer Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Corey Fischer is only a few weeks into the Ivy League Challenge, and I've invited him to speak about how he decided on his impact project, and what steps he has taken so far.
-----
To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website.
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here

What Can I Do to Have a Better Chance of Getting Into Harvard? Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

If you've been thinking about what you can do today to increase your chances of getting into a GREAT college (like Harvard), I can give you some practical advice that will work today.
You have the power to increase your chances of getting into your dream college.
To do this, learn to truly love learning.
Love school.
Become unusually resourceful due to your unusual love of school and of learning.
By the way, learning to love learning will continue to pay off long after you've finished high school...
-----
To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website.
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here

Greater Growth, More Fun Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

How do we take students who are struggling in school-- teens who are so disengaged that they are actively sabotaging classroom learning, into cheerful collaborators or curios creators?
We have to stop thinking that we can create this kind of transformation by focusing on marginal improvements in classroom performance.
Instead, we need to shift our perspective completely.
Effective education should be creating problem solvers and bridge-builders.
But most of the hours teens spend in the classroom do not lead to greater critical thinking or problem-solving.
Just like the best way to learn something is to teach it, the best way to train for problem solving is to begin working to solve problems.
Listen in to learn more about how to begin this process with your teen.
-----
To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website.
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here

Why you should lean in to challenges Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

I ran for my middle school cross country team.
I learned some surprising things.
Because I never ran a single race where I didn't desperately look for a rock to trip on, or a bump to roll my ankle on, so that I can fake an injury and wouldn't have to finish the race.
But I never faked an injury.
And I never quit.
In fact I learned to lean in when my leg muscles started screaming at me to find a way to quit, I could lean my body forward, and just keep one foot in front of the other to keep upright.
I learned that my body can handle more than it first appears to be able to handle.
During middle school, I lived in Billings, Montana. My home was surrounded by cows (literally-- they grazed in my back yard), and I was a short drive from Yellowstone, where I regularly saw buffalo.
Interestingly, cows and buffalo respond to storms in opposite ways.
A cow will look for dry ground and will lay down until the storm has passed. But a buffalo is different. When the winds are strong enough, buffalo face the wind and begin walking into it. They lean in.
This week, join me.
I want to be the buffalo.
I want to walk straight into the storm rather than lying down or faking an injury.
Storms come when I try new things, or do things that really matter to me.
And so I'm okay with storms coming my way. I just want to make sure I treat them like a buffalo.
-----
To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website.
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here

Why working with teens makes me more optimistic Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

I recently overheard a conversation that inspired me to set the record straight.
This conversation was about how difficult it is to lead new employees in the workplace, because these young adults are too selfish, too self-absorbed, too lazy, too... whatever.
But I have worked with teens all day, every day, for a loooong time.
And the longer I work with these amazing humans, the more optimistic I am for the future of this planet. Tomorrow's leaders are in high school right now, and I am privileged to be able to work with them full time.
This generation is exceptionally diligent, focused on equity and fairness, and is going to lead the planet to a better future.
Listen in to learn where my confidence comes from.
-----
To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website.
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here

The Power of an Impact Project Combined with Research Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

I was recently asked to speak to Lumiere students to hep them understand how to use the academic research they are doing to help them stand out in college applications.
We discussed how powerful it can be to combine academic research with an aligned impact project.
I also invited them to join me this week in a Hacking College Admissions workshop.
You can register for that workshop at TILC.to/hack
-----
To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website.
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here

The Mother's Perspective: Janice Kim Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

Janice Kim is the mother of four children, and enrolled her youngest daughter in the Ivy League Challenge.
Because she saw such extreme success guiding her own children to earn admittance to multiple outstanding schools (they attended MIT, Yale, and Harvard, respectively), Janice has helped many families prepare to get admitted to great colleges.
Today we discuss why she wanted to enrol her daughter in the Ivy League Challenge, and what her experience was.
We also discuss some of the most important mistakes to avoid in college prep, and how we can provide the support our teens need to succeed.
-----
To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website.
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here

The Early Years Masterclass (grades 4-7) recording Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

I help teens to figure out their core values and then work to solve problems in their community that violate their core values.
It is very meaningful work, and I love every minute of the journey.
And I have noticed over time, that some teens are ready for the challenge, and others can struggle with the friction and ambiguity of trying to solve real problems in the real world.
A growth mindset, being a responsible decision-maker, and establishing the necessary academic foundation are all critical to healthy, happy teenage years.
And we shouldn't wait until 13 or 14 to learn these foundational traits and skills.
This masterclass goes through how we can support this age group as parents, teachers, and adult mentors.
-----
To join the Early Years Course: register here
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here

The Golden Eggs of College Prep Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

Every loving parent wants their children to be happy.
But happiness can be elusive-- sometimes seeking happiness seems to push the happiness away, but getting lost in another activity and forgetting about pursuing happiness can produce great joy and happiness.
Similarly, many parents and teens want to get into a great college.
And the motivation that teens feel to get into a great college can be exactly the gift they need to do the work to lead a better, more meaningful life.
Along the way, some teens and families of teens find that motivation to get into a great school turns into desperation.
Once that energy has shifted to desperation, college prep shifts from being a healthy, amazingly motivating gift-- to a toxic, overwhelming nightmare.
But it doesn't have to be this way. Listen in to learn how this happens and what we should focus on instead in order to keep college prep both healthy and effective.
-----
To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website.
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here

Removing Desperation from College Prep Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

The current college prep environment creates desperation.
But it doesn't have to.
We can replace that desperation with curiosity.
When healthy ambition pushes you to try hard, to take risks and do your best, it leads to wonderful things like skill development, increased confidence, and success.
But when ambition spills over into desperation, anxiety replaces ambition, and comparison replaces reflection. Eventually, desperation will lead the teen to feel that they are not good enough.
Listen in to learn how we can guide ourselves from toxic desperation back to healthy ambition using the three magic words.
-----
To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website.
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents:
Or schedule a meeting with Steve here