All episodes

S5E31: Pay-to-Play College Admissions: When Summer Programs & Research Actually Help (And When They Hurt)

S5E30: The Return of Standardized Testing: What PSAT, SAT, & ACT Scores Mean for 2027 Admissions and Beyond

S5E29: Early Decision in 2026-2027: What's Changing, Why it Matters, & How to Approach Your Applications

S5E28: Your Student Is Exceptional, But Are They Competitive? | A Hard (But Necessary) Conversation About Highly Selective Admissions

S5E27: Silicon Valley Wants You to Rethink Your Education | Opportunities, Tradeoffs & the Risks of Betting on Tech

S5E26: What 22 Years of Tutoring Teaches You About Students: Motivation, Mastery, and Finding Your Voice (With Advantage Testing's Sarah Bernbach)

S5E25: How to Choose Your High School Classes for College Admissions | AP, IB, A-Levels & More

S5E24: How to Start High School the Right Way: A 9th Grade Walkthrough to College Admissions

S5E23: How to Approach Your College Application Essays (What Admissions Officers Notice & What to Avoid)

S5E22: Are You Taking the Right Classes? How Course Selection Shapes Your College Admissions Chances

S5E21: How College Transfer Admissions Really Work | Strategy, Timing, & What Top Schools Look For

S5E20: The Middle School Advantage | How to Build the Right Foundation for College Admissions

S5E19: Can AI Tell Your Story For You? | AI, Authenticity, & the Human Storytelling That Connect Us All

S5E18: The 6 Pillars of a Successful Common Application | The NEATER Framework

S5E17: What Makes a Great College Essay? Storytelling, Authenticity, & Finding Your Voice | Interview With Charles Loxton From Advantage Testing

S5E16: Class of 2027: Summer Strategy, Essays, & The Mistakes That Derail Applications | Admissions Advice For Rising Seniors

S5E15: Admissions Essays Explained: What Admissions Officers Are Actually Looking For (& What Most Students Get Wrong)

S5E14: What 20+ Years Inside Admissions Taught Me: From Wharton MBA to Competitive Undergraduate Admissions

S5E13: Why Passion Projects, Research, and "Founder" Titles Are Failing Students (And What Admissions Officers Actually Value)

S5E12: Why Leadership Titles Are Losing Value in Modern College Admissions (And What Matters More)

S5E11: How Top Applicants Approach Extracurriculars: What Stands Out, What Blends In, & The Mindset That Actually Matters

S5E10: ADHD, Executive Functioning, & College Readiness: What Parents Need to Know Before Senior Year

S5E9: How to Recover Your Admissions Strategy If You Fell Behind in High School (Course Rigor, GPA & Strategy)

S5E9: What Exceptional Applicants Actually Do: How 5 Unique Students Beat the Odds in Ivy League Admissions

S5E8: Inside the Minds of Elite Admissions Officers: How AOs Are Trained To Review Your Application (Interview with Former Duke AO)

S5E7: Why I Built Admittedly After 20 Years in College Admissions — and Where We're Going Next

S5E6: What Parents Should Know About Academic Tutoring & Test Prep: Fit, Timing, & Real Progress

S5E5: The Ivy+ Roadmap: How to Plan Ahead for Competitive Admissions (From 8th-11th Grade)

S5E4: Am I Doing Enough? The Right (And Wrong) Way to Approach Extracurricular Activities in Highschool

S5E3: Raising Resilient Kids: Nature Connections, Mental Health, and College Readiness with Mario Mendez of Wilderness Youth Project (WYP)

S5E2: Junior Year College Admissions Strategy: Balancing Academics, Counselors, and Activity Planning for Success

S5E1: New Year, New Goals: How to Take Control of College Admissions in 2026

S4E43: 10th Grade Check-In: Grades, Extracurriculars, and Planning for Competitive College Admissions

S4E42: Inside the Mind of a Top Tutor: Why Students Struggle and How to Help Them Thrive (With Advantage Testing's Michelle Chasin)

S4E41: Freshman Year Check-In: The Essential Guide to Grades, Activities & Summer Planning

S4E40: Results Guaranteed? The Real Story Behind Stats, Success Rates, and College Consulting Claims

S4E39: How to Plan a Strategic Summer (Before It's Too Late)

S4E38: The Hidden Half of College Admissions: What Students Overlook (and What Actually Matters)

S4E37: The 3 Biggest Mistakes Students Make in High School (And How to Fix Them Before Senior Year)

S4E36: No, College Admissions Aren't Getting Easier in 2026: Here's What You CAN Control

S4E35: Confidence, Clarity, and College Admissions: Global Tutoring Insights with Advantage Testing's Matthew Demmer

S4E34: Inside the Review Room – How Admissions Officers Read Applications

S4E33: Do The SAT and ACT Still Matter? Test Optional Policies and the Ivy League Explained

S4E32: Applying to Columbia: How to Write Your 2025 Supplements For Success

S4E31: Cracking the UPenn Supplements: Thank-You Note & Community Essay Tips

S4E30: Applying to Yale: A Guide to the Short Answers and Essays

S4E29: How to Approach Harvard's 2025 Supplemental Essays for Admissions Success

S4E28: Stanford Supplements 2025: How to Approach Them (and What to Avoid)

S4E27: Complacency or Commitment: The Choice That Defines Ivy+ Outcomes

S4E26: The Joy of Tutoring: Arun Alagappan on Reducing Anxiety and Unlocking Potential

S4E25: The 2025 Admissions Reality — How Funding Cuts, Student Visas, and Campus Culture Will Shape This Cycle

S4E24: The Road Starts Early — Middle School Advice With Dr. Peggy Burich Smith

S4E23: The 2025 Common App (What to Know Before You Start)

S4E22: Applying Early to College (When It Helps—and When It Hurts)

S4E21: Playing to Win—How Student Athletes Get Admitted

S4E20: The Additional Info Section—What to Say (and What to Skip)

S4E19: Don't Write Your Essay Yet (Start Here Instead)

S4E18: Sophomore Year Done Right (Q&A for Rising 10th Graders)

S4E17: Rising Seniors: Planning, Positioning, and Building Your Edge

S4E16: Harvard, International Students, and How We Got Here

S4E15: The Introvert's Guide to Standing Out in College Admissions

S4E14: The 'Passion Project' Trap (And What Actually Works)

S4E13: The Truth About Competitive Admissions: Hard Work Isn't Optional

S4E12: Admissions Are Changing for International Students: What You Need To Know

S4E11: Your Summer Fell Apart… Now What?

S4E10 End-of-Year Check-In: Are You on Track for College?

S4E9: Can One Mistake Ruin My College Chances?

S4E8: Real Students, Real Success: How They Beat the Odds in College Admissions

S4E7: Maximizing College Guidance: School Counselors & Outside Experts

S4E6: Doing Extracurriculars Right (and Wrong)

S4E5: Are Safety Schools Actually Safe?

S4E4: Who IS Thomas Caleel? Revisiting Our 'Why'

S4E3: What's The Deal With Deferrals?

S4E2: Expanding the Ivy League Isn't That Simple

S4E1: Let's Talk About Transferring

S3E26: You Asked, We Answered

S3E25: College Admissions Have Changed. But How?

S3E24: Managing Stress in College Admissions

S3E23: Is an Ivy League Education Worth It?

S3E22: Don't Be Afraid of Your Admissions Essays!

S3E21: Why (and How) You Should Plan Ahead

S3E20: Getting the Most out of Undergrad Interviews

S3E19: College Application Planning Tips for Juniors

S3E18: Getting Creative with the UChicago Supplement (2024)

S3E17: How to Get into Brown University (2024)

S3E16: Answering the Johns Hopkins Supplement (2024)

S3E15: Tips for the Stanford Supplement (2024)

S3E14: How to Answer the Yale Supplement (2024)

S3E13: The Best Approach to the Cornell Supplement (2024)

S3E12: How to Succeed with the Penn Supplement (2024)

S3E11: How to Approach the Harvard Supplement (2024)

S3E10: How to Ace the Columbia Supplement (2024)

S3E9: How to Choose Between MBA Programs

S3E8: Benefits to Dual Enrollment and Middle Colleges with Delenn Ganyo

S3E7: How to Succeed on the Common Application

S3E6: Is Boarding School the Right Choice?

S3E5: How to Respond to Disciplinary Trouble During College Applications

S3E4: How to Build a College List

S3E3: How to Decide Junior Year Summer Activities

S3E2: How to Prepare for College Admissions During Junior Year of High School