PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 34 | Misallocation of Time

prepwell podcast May 23, 2020

Show Notes:

In today’s episode, I discuss the challenges that arise when students misallocate their time.
Do you see anything wrong with the following scenario?
Sarah has spent over 5,000 hours participating in [enter common extracurricular activity here], an activity that will add only marginal value to her college application.
At the same time, Sarah is extremely reluctant to spend 30-40 hours this summer preparing for the SAT, a test that will have massive impact on her college application.

Here is what I discuss in this episode:

0:01:44 Calling all sophomores (Class of 2022)
0:05:45 Beat the deadline (May 30, 2020)
0:06:09 Our relationship with time 
0:07:04 How are you allocating your time?
0:08:42 Does your time allocation match your ambitions?
0:10:58 Case Study: Soccer star
0:14:20 5,000 hours of soccer vs 30 hours of SAT prep
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PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 33 | Letters of Recommendation

prepwell podcast May 15, 2020

Show Notes:

In today’s episode, I address the growing importance of letters of recommendation. What they are? When you should request them? Which teachers should you ask? How much do these letters matter? Do they matter more or less in light of COVID-19? What are the best strategies and tactics to secure the best letters of recommendation possible?

Here is what I discuss in this episode:

0:01:28 Why is this important for rising juniors?
0:01:45 Why early preparation matters so much
0:02:18 A tale of two juniors
0:03:21 How to set yourself up for success
0:03:52 What not to do
0:05:05 The Magic: Strategy + Tactics
0:06:04 Step 1: Teacher selection
0:07:55 Eight special factors
0:12:12 Step 2: Ask the teachers
0:13:13 How to ask your teacher 
0:15:14 Step 3: Send your brag sheet
0:17:20 How much do letters matter?
0:18:00 Why is this year different?
0:18:45 Why it’s important to finish strong 
...
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PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 30 | Student-Athletes' Summer Strategies 2020

prepwell podcast Apr 25, 2020
 

Show Notes:

In today’s episode, I focus on what student-athletes should do to begin, maintain, or improve relationships with college coaches during this unusual recruitment period. With the likelihood that Summer 2020 camps, showcases, tournaments, invitationals, and other in-person evaluation opportunities will be canceled, what can student-athletes do to stay in the mix when it comes to recruitment?

Here is what I discuss in this episode:

0:01:40 Do you want to get recruited?
0:02:15 The big questions
0:03:06 Assumption: Summer 2020 canceled
0:03:28 What does an athlete do?
0:03:52 Time-based sports
0:04:25 What if you play a team sport?
0:04:52 What sport do you play?
0:05:10 If you play a team sport
0:05:25 Highlight video
0:06:50 What if the summer disappears?
0:07:08 What do you not do?
0:07:30 What do you do?
0:07:57 What are coaches looking for?
0:08:32 How to stand out
0:08:55...
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PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 29 | How Does COVID-19 Affect Freshman and Sophomores

prepwell podcast Apr 17, 2020

Show Notes:

In today’s episode, I focus on how freshman and sophomores (and their parents) will be affected by COVID-19. I provide a macro-level analysis on the state of competition for in-state colleges and universities as well as tactical advice on what to do to counter the surge in selectivity. I also opine on how the economic downturn will affect parents and colleges alike. This is a must-listen for parents and of rising 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th-graders (as well as their children). 
 

Here is what I discuss in this episode:

0:01:38 June SAT canceled
0:03:23 Competition for in-state schools exploding
0:05:06 Private colleges get stingy
0:05:30 Colleges shutting down
0:05:52 Future of athletic scholarships
0:06:25 Students stay closer to home
0:06:46 Flight to familiar
0:06:47 Lowering admissions standards
0:07:45 The bottom line - more competition
0:08:06 A countervailing force?
0:08:40 Changing landscape...
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PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 28 | Do I Still Have to Take the SAT (and other misguided questions)?

prepwell podcast Apr 11, 2020

Show Notes:

In today’s episode, I address many of the most important questions that people are asking in light of the coronavirus shutdown. These are timely questions that cannot be ignored. The answers to these questions give immediate direction to juniors, who are most at-risk, as well as to sophomores who should do everything in their power to avoid related pitfalls.

I encourage parents and students to listen to this podcast together. While much of the advice is corona-related, it is 100% relevant to younger students coming up the ranks. These types of challenges are bound to happen again and again. My job is to prepare you for them. 

Here is what I discuss in this episode:

0:01:27 Congratulations to PrepWell Juniors

0:02:00 Stick to the Plan

0:02:20 My thesis on early preparation

0:03:00 Why are these students loving life?

0:03:55 Why should sophomores pay attention?

0:06:40 Should I bother taking the SAT or ACT?

0:09:46 Will it be easier to...

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PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 26 | Going Back on Shark Tank

prepwell podcast Mar 28, 2020

Show Notes:

In today’s episode, I announce the airing of my second appearance on Shark Tank where I pitch PrepWell Academy to the Sharks. The episode airs this Friday, 4/3/2020 8pm on ABC. I hope you’ll tune-in to join the fun. I also share the story of when I decided to re-apply to Shark Tank, what the casting call was like, and what I thought of my chances. 
 
The second half of the episode focuses on a private 1:1 mentoring student of mine whom I call “Sarah”. I help Sarah build a comprehensive semester-at-home course curriculum to help her demonstrate her initiative, curiosity, and ability to thrive under all circumstances - even at-home quarantine due to coronavirus. If your child is at home and not sure what to do - this is a must-listen.

Here is what I discuss in this episode:

0:01:10 When will I be back on Shark Tank?
0:01:35 My first appearance on Shark Tank
0:03:15 Getting a second bite at the apple?
0:04:00 How is Shark...
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PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 25 | Dumber by the Day

prepwell podcast Mar 21, 2020

Show Notes:

In today’s episode, I add some meat to the bone of last week’s podcast. In the last show, we discussed how important it was for your high schooler to keep their academic and personal development momentum going even during a quarantine. This week, I provide a tangible tool to help in this regard. 
 
Here's a template for a daily schedule that you and your child can fill out together. As a rule, children don’t enjoy long periods of unstructured time. They say they do, but they really crave to be on a schedule. This template will help them set goals, stay organized, and feel better about themselves.
 
Below is an example of what a completed template looks like. Remember, it doesn't have to be complicated. I know you may be getting inundated with new passwords and logins and platforms.
 
If you can't manage all of that, try to use this very simple method of carving out time across different disciplines. If it's not perfectly organized,...
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Procrastination

It was over two month's ago when I sat down with my 10-year old son to discuss the academic tasks he was assigned over the summer by his 5th grade teacher:

  1. Read 3 books (Hatchet, The Giver, A Wrinkle in Time)
  2. Create index cards for 300 vocabulary words
  3. Complete 300 math problems

At the time, nothing about these tasks seemed particularly difficult, especially with the "whole summer" to do it.

Preparer or Crammer?

He and I discussed two options:

"Chip away method" - this involved spreading the workload over the entire summer. We did the math, and it came out to roughly 2 pages of reading per day and 1 vocab word and 1 math problem every other day. This amounted to about 8 minutes of concentrated work per day. No big.

"Cram-it-all-in method" - this involved skipping the daily 8-minutes of work in exchange for a 3-week cram session at the end of the summer when all the work had to be completed at once.

We prepared a spreadsheet that mapped out 10 weeks of daily tasks. He could...

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How 9th & 10th-Graders Thrive Under Quarantine

early preparation Mar 18, 2020

As the estimates for quarantining seem to get longer by the day, what can your 9th and 10th-grader do to thrive at home?

They may not appreciate it, but this downtime gives them unprecedented opportunities to grow as a student, citizen, and person.

I've broken down my ideas into a few buckets. My hope is that your child will take some of these suggestions for action.

PREPWELL ACADEMY (College Prep)


Not enrolled in PrepWell Academy yet?

Now might be a good time to get started.

Freshman programs

Sophomore programs


PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

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How Your 11th-Grader Can Thrive in Quarantine

As the estimates for quarantining seem to get longer by the day, what can your junior PrepWeller do to thrive at home?

They may not appreciate it, but this downtime gives them unprecedented opportunities to get ahead in the college admissions process.

My guess is that they've been slammed with schoolwork since September and have found it difficult to keep up with all their PrepWell videos and Journaling.

Well, kiss that excuse goodbye.

With weeks and weeks of downtime ahead of them, a meticulous review of every PrepWell video is a must.

Here's how they should be thinking about the next few weeks and months:

Standardized Tests

As we all know by now, your child's SAT or ACT score is a key factor in determining what colleges to focus on. If they have a 4.0+ GPA, but no legitimate SAT or ACT score yet, it will be difficult to determine where they stand on the college admissions continuum. Lots of students have 4.0+ GPAs.

Until they secure a solid SAT or ACT score, they are in...

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