Ivy League Prep Academy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

College Visits: When & How To Do Them Right Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

What time of year is best?
What age/year in school is the best time to visit colleges?
How do we make the most of those college visits?
How do we make sure we demonstrate interest?
What questions should we ask while on the tour? While on campus?
What else will we wish we knew sooner?
There are a lot of important questions around making the most of college visits and college tours. Today we go over the fundamental ideas that can help you understand HOW to make the most of your visits.
Take the challenge!
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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

Party Your Way Into The Ivy League Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

Sound too good to be true?
Infusing fun into difficult tasks is one of the keys to success before, during, and after college.
Longtime listeners of this podcast are already aware of the science that clearly shows we perform significantly better in a positive emotional state compared to a neutral or negative state... so how do we create that positive emotional state when we are tasked with boring assignments?
You are the only one who can decide to bring the party, because infusing fun into your life is an INSIDE JOB.
Learn how and why to party your way into your dream college in today's episode!
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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

On Winning, Losing, & Ivy League Admissions Mar 07, 2022

Show notes

Take a peek into a zoom class in the Ivy League Challenge.
Do you ever find you hold yourself back in order to keep yourself safe? Imagine you were a boxer. Would you decide to tie one hand behind your back, just to make sure there was no risk of creating evidence that you aren't good enough at full strength? After all, if you win, you must be incredible! You won with only one hand! And if you lose... well, of course you lost, you only used one hand...
My students created a valuable conversation around understand fear and how we respond to fear that I wanted to share with my audience.
The truth is that when we have enough self-awareness around our strengths, or fears, and our values, we can make better choices. We also enjoy the benefits of greater mental health.
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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

Happiness in College Prep Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

Gallup polls show that the two most common words teens use to describe school were "bored" and "tired".
It doesn't have to be this way.
Dr. Arthur C. Brooks is a Harvard professor who teaches the class "Leadership & Happiness." He teaches that there are three key ingredients to happiness.
When we look at those key ingredients, we can quickly identify ways teens can achieve greater happiness while in school, particularly while preparing for college.
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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

Personal Statement Tips- How to Write a Great Essay Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

After reading through tens of thousands of college application essays, professional admissions officers say they see many of the same mistakes resurfacing every year.
DO NOT MAKE THESE COMMON MISTAKES!
Instead, follow the tips I give to show that you are the kind of thoughtful, complex, nuanced candidate that your dream college wants.
To gain access (FOR FREE) to the journal I referenced in the podcast, go to TILC.to/essay
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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

How to Think About (and Get Into) BS/MD Programs Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

If you have dreamed about becoming a doctor since early childhood, is a Direct Medical Program (BS/MD) the solution?
It seems so perfect, apply once, and be guaranteed admittance to both college and medical school at the same time!
But there are some serious drawbacks if it turns out to be a poor fit.
Before you commit, be sure to understand the options that are out there, as well as the pros and cons of selecting one of these programs.
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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

How to Do Well, Even When You Aren't Interested in Your Class Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

Nearly everyone at some point needs to study something they don't enjoy, but still need to find a way to perform well.
By middle school and high school, students often have enough self-awareness to know what they like and what they don't, but they don't yet have the autonomy to make many choices about how to use their time.
But when you apply to college, your entire GPA is considered, not just the classes you are interested in. So how do you perform well in classes that you aren't interested in?
To purchase my course "Defeating Procrastination" at the discounted price, go here: Buy "Defeating Procrastination" now
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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

How Summer Programs Impact College Admissions Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

Should you attend the summer camp held on your dream college's campus?
Will attending that camp give you a leg up when you apply later?
How should you decide which of the many different opportunities will be the best use of your valuable time?

It turns out that some of the answers to these questions are quite clear, while other answers depend significantly on your situation and your core values and interests.
Listen in to learn more about the pros and cons of summer programs, and become more informed about how to choose the best activities for you.
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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

In Their Own Words: What Students Say About the Ivy League Challenge Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

With about 48 hours before registration for the Ivy League Challenge closes, listen the answers my students gave me at the end of the last cohort when I asked these four questions:
1. What issue or problem were you facing before you discovered the Ivy League Challenge?
2. Having finished the Ivy League Challenge, what would you say is different now?
3. Take us to the moment when you realized the Ivy League Challenge was actually working to solve your problem.
4. What does your life look like now that you have been through the program?
While I love to see the success students are having in networking with professors and creating impressive impact projects, I am most pleased with the personal growth and increased confidence that I see in them.
Listen to hear their answers to those questions.
Registration will close on January 30. Be sure to enrol right away so you don't miss out.
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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

Make Success Easier by Shaping Your Environment Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

Your environment-- the peers, mentors, teachers, and other adults you surround yourself with-- is more important than you realize.
If you are the only ambitious person in your community, trying to work for your goals can feel like swimming upstream.
But if your peers are also ambitious, and everyone supports you and cheers you on, it is just like swimming with the current, where you can moving in the right direction even when you don't swim as hard (or at all).
The Ivy League Challenge is one opportunity to work with like-minded peers who cheer you on and help you along the way.
Listen to learn how you can do more than you perhaps previously realized to create the environment that will support your ambitions and lead to your success.
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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