Before we get too far into the new school year, I encourage you to perform an extracurricular activity audit with your 8th, 9th, or 10th-grader. Sounds like a blast, right?

This will either reinforce that you're on the right path, or open your eyes to a world you never knew existed.

Extracurricular activities are a critical component in the college admissions process - especially for very or most-selective colleges (Top 75).

Admissions Screen #1

There are 3 primary factors that determine whether or not your child will pass through the first admissions screen:

1. GPA
2. Rigor of course work (number of AP, Honors, IB classes)
3. SAT or ACT score

As you move up the selectivity scale, the holes in the screen get smaller and smaller.

Admissions Screen #2

Once your child gets through Admissions Screen #1, admissions officers will then review their extracurricular activities:

• sports
• clubs
• theater
• music
• family support (child or elder care)
• job
• summer experiences
• internships
• shadowing
• volunteer...

Show Notes:

In this Episode:

This podcast explores the life and times of freshmen in high school today. What are they up to? What's going through their minds? How motivated are they? How motivated should they be? Are we expecting too much or too little? How do we guide our freshman so that they start off on the right foot?

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:

What Happened to All the 3-Sport Athletes?

These days, many parents (and their children) are feeling pressure to specialize in a particular sport earlier and earlier.

The pressure can come from coaches, parents, trainers, kids, or the media. A billion-dollar industry has emerged to meet this growing trend. 

In some cases, a child's first taste of athletic success (at age 5) will send a parent on two wheels to Dick's Sporting Goods. The sales associate sees this parent from a mile away. Hello daily sales quota!

I know it's flattering when the volunteer coach tells you that Ricky or Samantha has a "big league swing". You wonder, "Could it be? Could my son/daughter be that special athlete? Could I be the next Archie Manning?"

But before quitting soccer and dance and buying Ricky a $299 T-ball bat or Samantha a $199 softball glove, consider whether specializing so early is in their best interests?

This blog post makes the case for a slower transition to specialization - or no...

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

Here are the questions I answer in this episode:

As you probably know, there is a lot hype surrounding the college admissions process - probably too much.

Yes, it can be tricky if you wait until junior or senior year to start the process. The "wait-and-see" approach can lead to anxiety and broken dreams.

It doesn't have to be that way.

As you know, my deep conviction is that the college admissions process should be introduced to teenagers gradually beginning in 9th or 10th grade.

This early introduction puts families in the driver's seat.

Here are three steps you can take to help demystify the process.

STEP 1: CAMPUS VISITS THAT INSPIRE

How can we expect our children to care about college if they've never stepped foot onto a college campus?

Campus visits can often spark interest and curiosity in the process. Motivation can be triggered by the strangest things - a certain vision, feeling, or personal encounter they experience during their visits.

Of course, there is no guarantee that visiting colleges will motivate your child, but...

Show Notes:

1. Has your child ever been coached in a sport?
2. Has your child ever had an instructor for a musical instrument?
3. Has your child ever had a tutor to help with school work?
4. Have you ever hired a plumber?
5. Have you ever used an accountant?
6. Have you ever engaged a lawyer? 

1. Put your child in charge of their own preparation
2. You take control of your child’s preparation 
3. Pay an advisor for a 1-time assessment
4. Enroll in PrepWell Academy

1. ...

Would you want your son to experience this?

On a cool Friday afternoon in San Diego, CA, 36 high school lacrosse players (9th - 12th) were leisurely stretching out on a well-manicured grassy knoll 300 yards from the Pacific Ocean.

This was the group's final day of tryouts for the JV and Varsity lacrosse team. The participants were told to show up with a t-shirt and running shoes and to be prepared for a 3-hour workout.

Halfway through their stretching routine, two other former Navy SEAL Instructors and I emerged from of our cars and walked over to greet them. This was no ordinary greeting.

Here's how the next four hours unfolded for the group:

Activity: Introduction and (Dis)orientation

With bullhorn in hand, we told the group that the original plan had changed. The 3-hour workout had been extended to a 24-hour Hell Night where they would be tested with a series of mental and physical challenges that would last until the next day. This was not true, but we had to get the athletes...

Show Notes:

In this episode, I talk about the elusive "full-ride” athletic scholarship to college. Does it really exist? Who gets one? What are my kid's chances? Are all athletic scholarships created equal? What are the pros and cons of a scholarship? Is it even worth pursuing? Why does it seem that everyone knows someone who’s on a full-ride scholarship somewhere?

If you’re curious about college recruiting and scholarships, Operation Varsity Blues, fake athletic profiles, and the mythical full-ride scholarship, then stick around. I’ll address all of these issues and more during the show. I will cover how athletic scholarships work so that you and your child can make informed decisions - while it’s still early enough to matter. 

One of the big takeaways (spoiler alert), is that many parents (unknowingly) wait too long to realize that their child's dream of playing sports in college is unrealistic. And, unfortunately, by...

Show Notes:

In this episode, I take you “inside” a check-in session with one of my private PrepWell students (we’ll refer to him as John). John, who is just beginning his junior year, has been enrolled in PrepWell Academy since freshman year and has positioned himself well for the college admissions process. He has a 4.5 GPA, takes challenging AP and Honors classes, plays a varsity sport, engages in student government, and scored well on his PSAT 10 in sophomore year. That’s the good news.

What’s the bad news? John has revealed that he aspires to attend a Top 10 colleges. This puts John in competition with some of the most motivated high school students in the country. As I audit his extracurricular activities, it becomes clear that his current path will not get it done. John is a bit surprised. He thinks he’s been doing everything right. What more can he do in the next 10-12 months to be competitive?

This episode...