PrepWell Academy prepares you for high school, college, and life

Ep. 178 | The 6 categories of colleges

prepwell podcast Apr 26, 2023

Show Notes:

In this episode, I walk through the 6 most common categories of undergraduate colleges and universities. Here they are:

community college
average, state college/university
highly-acclaimed state college/university
average, private, liberal arts college/university
highly-acclaimed private, liberal arts college/university
most prestigious private, liberal arts college/university

I address the types of schools that fall into each category, how much they cost, who gets in, how they get in, and general pros and cons.

If you are curious about where your child might fit in on this continuum, give this episode a listen.

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Ep. 172 | How to secure a leadership position

Uncategorized Mar 16, 2023

Show Notes:

In this episode, I discuss 4 strategies that a student can adopt to secure a leadership position during high school.

With rampant grade inflation, watered-down course rigor, optional SAT/ACT tests, and ChatGPT-written college essays and teacher letters of recommendation, college admissions officers are desperate for something to help them differentiate among a sea of similar-sounding students.

Once institutional priorities have been met (e.g. DEI, athletes, children of donors, etc.), what else will help colleges separate the wheat from the chaff?

My answer: "leadership".

Leadership is becoming a hot new "theme" in many applications. Listen to this episode to learn the best strategies to secure legitimate leadership positions that colleges will appreciate.

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Ep. 167 | How do I prioritize so many competing issues?

prepwell academy Feb 10, 2023

In this episode, I try to help families focus on the issues that matter most when it comes to college admissions. In my experience, some families get too hyped-up about the wrong issues. Despite their good intentions, misplaced energy and focus sometimes lead them astray. Listen to the 4 issues that should be emphasized more and the 4 issues that should be emphasized less. With so many issues competing for our attention, I don't want you to waste any precious time or resources on low impact activities.

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Podcast Host:

PrepWell Academy's Founder, Phil Black, has spent a...

Ep. 163 | ChatGPT and the future of the college essay

prepwell academy Jan 13, 2023

Show Notes:

In this episode, I share my thoughts on the emergence of ChatGPT - the cumbersome name of a new AI platform that is re-writing how we write. How will this new technology impact college admissions, college essays, and the future of writing itself?

If you want to support the show, here are three immediate steps to take. Subscribe to the podcast where ever you listen to podcasts

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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 (2X), etc.

Learn More About PrepWell:

Inside PrepWell Academy, Black teaches...

PrepWell Podcast Ep. 154 | Checking your child's grades

prepwell academy Oct 28, 2022

Show Notes:

In today's episode, I propose some ideas on how to deal with your child's grades. Should you check up on them? How often? What do you say (or do) if they're good, bad, or middling? What are the pitfalls to avoid? Learn the 5 Rules when assessing your child's grades.

0:00:58 Elementary school

0:01:40 Middle school

0:03:20 Grades: Bs and Cs?

0:04:06 Slippage in middle school

0:05:30 High school

0:05:55 Grade portals for parents

0:06:30 Rule #1

0:08:55 Rule #2

0:10:25 Rule #3

0:14:00 Rule #4

0:15:55 Rule #5

0:18:00 Summary

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PrepWell Podcast Ep. 149 | How to build and "rebuild" your ECA list

prepwell academy Sep 24, 2022

Show Notes:

Today's episode reveals how an engaged PrepWeller took my advice to heart. With some help from me, "Rick" built his extracurricular activities "straw man" over the summer and got to work. Then, after learning more about himself and refining his vision for the future, he and I worked together again to update, upgrade, and re-ignite his list. As a rising junior, Rick has set himself up for success. If he can execute his plan, the sky is the limit. Find out how we tweaked Rick's list for maximum effect.

0:01:25 Review of activities

0:02:05 Follow-up

0:06:36 Should I include piano?

0:07:57 Do I include every club?

0:11:27 Internship (TBD)

0:12:40 Job shadowing (TBD)

0:13:55 Ski Club President

0:14:25 Freshman baseball

0:15:47 Science Fair?

0:17:20 Lifeguard

0:18:32 Ongoing ECAs

If you...

PrepWell Podcast Ep. 148 | How to overcome procrastination

prepwell academy Sep 17, 2022

Show Notes:

Today's episode addresses why teenagers procrastinate so much and how to break them free from this habit. I also make a distinction between chronic and acute procrastination (both equally destructive). Learn how to help your teenager conquer this drag on their productivity and accomplishment.

0:02:25 Chronic procrastination

0:04:30 Acute procrastination

0:06:27 Unclear objectives

0:08:10 Fear

0:09:12 Vision

0:10:15 Swallow the frog

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

Subscribe to the podcast where ever you listen to podcasts
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Give us a review
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Enroll your 9th or 10th grader in the program

Podcast Host: PrepWell Academy's Founder, Phil Black, has spent a lifetime cracking the code...

PrepWell Podcast Ep. 145 | 3 ECA buckets (Extracurricular Activities)

prepwell academy Aug 26, 2022

Show Notes:

In today's episode, I offer a way to think strategically about your child's extracurricular activities (ECAs).

Why does this matter?

As most of us know by now, ECAs now have an outsize impact on college applications because of: (1) rampant grade inflation (which does little to help differentiate student ability), (2) optional SAT/ACT tests (which allow students to hide their ability to perform on nationwide tests), and (3) a movement to eliminate teacher letters of recommendation (which offer a 3rd party perspective from a trusted adult).

What's left? Extracurricular Activities

If you're looking for a way to stand out in an otherwise generic process, listen to this episode where I break down ECAs into 3 discrete buckets that each need to be optimized...

0:02:15 The 3 ECA buckets

0:02:50 5 dimensions of ECAs

0:04:50 A perfect ECA

0:09:26 "In-school" ECAs

0:10:57 "Summer" ECAs

0:13:07 "Ongoing" ECAs

...

PrepWell Podcast Ep. 143 | Selecting a sport

prepwell academy Aug 20, 2022

Show Notes:

In this episode, I discuss how important it can be to steer your child into a sport that maximizes their potential. In particular, their potential to use sports as a lever to get into a college of their choice. These days, college admissions has become such a black box, that being a recruited athlete has become one of the most predictable ways of securing a spot at one of the growing list of untouchable colleges and universities. What sport would be best for your child? When should you begin to steer them in that direction? What if they don't take the bait? When is it too late? How much of a role does their physical attributes play? What about geography?

0:00:55 Youth sports at age 5

0:01:15 Which sport is best?

0:01:55 Soccer

0:05:20 Basketball

0:06:54 Baseball

0:09:15 Pay attention early

0:10:05 What's a parent to do?

0:11:25 Consider these items before...

PrepWell Podcast Ep. 144 | 10 toughest questions for your teen

prepwell academy Aug 10, 2022

Show Notes:

In this episode, I review the 10 toughest questions a teenager must grapple with while going through the college admissions process. The sooner these questions can be answered, the easier the college search will become. While listening to these questions, ask yourself whether your child would have any clue how to answer them.

0:04:55 Do you care about what college you go to?

0:06:45 Are you going to college for the experience or the skills?

0:09:25 Do you know what you want to study?

0:11:36 How challenged do you want to be?

0:14:00 How much do you care about rankings, prestige, brand name?

0:16:32 Do you want to play Div I, II, III sports in college?

0:17:45 What will make you stand out in the college admissions process?

0:21:30 How much debt do you want to get into (if any)?

0:24:05 Do you have a safety school that you love?

0:26:05 Have you thought about your life's trajectory?

...

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