Prepwell Podcast - Ep. 1 | Waiting Until 11th Grade To Prepare For College Admissions Is Too Late

Show Notes:

If your child does what most students do - and waits until 11th or 12th grade to begin thinking about and planning for college - they will be leaving 70% of their application up to chance. For students who aspire to the most selective colleges - this is not an option. This is a recipe for disappointment, frustration, and missed opportunities. 

If you have a child who is considering Ivy League or near-Ivy league schools (like Duke, Stanford, MIT, Vanderbilt), or a service academy, or is seeking an ROTC or athletic scholarship, please encourage them to engage in the process now - and by now - I mean 9th or 10th grade.

Good news: Given how few people understand how this new reality works, your child can use this knowledge to their strategic advantage when it comes to college admissions. This episode walks you through my thesis and uncovers why most people (including guidance counselors) continue to use 20-yr old advice. 

And, if your child really wants to get ahead, you should encourage them to listen to this episode themselves and then enroll them in my online program, PrepWell Academy, which teaches 9th and 10th graders how this whole process works - in a series of short videos delivered to their phone every week. 

If you want to support the show, here are three immediate steps to take.  

1. Subscribe to the podcast where ever you listen to podcasts
2. Follow me on Instagram or Facebook
3. Give us a review
4. Join our mailing list
5. Enroll your 9^th or 10^th grader in the program

What I discuss in this episode: 

0:01:36 My most important (and controversial) insight

0:01:52 What do I consider "competitive programs”

0:02:16 What happens if your child waits until 11th grade to start?

0:03:00 The worst advice that you'll hear from friends

0:03:20 Why guidance counselors often give the wrong advice

0:05:42 Why some students don’t need to prepare early?

0:07:04 The “old system” and why it’s dead

0:08:00 Why it’s easy to fall into the procrastination trap

0:08:46 Why would I target such a niche market?

0:09:32 My bold prediction for the year 2030

0:09:55 Why I don’t focus on the mass market?

0:10:33 What types of families I like to work with

0:10:44 Why 9th and 10th grades are the most important years

0:11:27 Why every student should be ready to apply early?

0:12:25 Why senior year is irrelevant

0:13:35 Only have 3 years to build your body of work

0:14:13 Top 10 Regrets of parents with juniors

0:15:09 What it’s like to talk to a junior about college admissions

0:15:33 How do we avoid the stress and anxiety?

0:15:53 Why should the number 66% scare you?

0:16:26 Why does everyone ignore these years?

0:16:46 What happens in 9th and 10th grade?

0:17:48 Will your child be able to use sports to get into college?

0:19:41 When should your child study for the SAT?

0:20:12 70% of your child’s body-of-work is complete before junior year

0:20:51 Why 11th grade should be easier than 9th and 10th grades

0:22:02 What happens when everything gets pushed to 11th grade

0:22:30 Summary thoughts

Follow us: 

• Enroll in PrepWell Academy
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Podcast Host: PrepWell Academy's Founder, Phil Black, has spent a lifetime cracking the code on the world's most competitive programs: Yale University, Harvard Business School, Navy SEALs, Goldman Sachs, Entrepreneurship, Shark Tank, etc.

Inside PrepWell Academy, Black teaches students everything they need to know about the college admissions process in a series of expertly-timed, 3-5-minute, weekly training videos starting in 9^thgrade and continuing through 12^th grade [Note: this program can only be joined in 9^th or 10^th grade]. My specialties include military service academies, ROTC scholarships, Ivy League, and student-athletes.