PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 28 | Do I Still Have to Take the SAT (and other misguided questions)?
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...
PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 26 | Going Back on Shark Tank
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...
PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 25 | Dumber by the Day
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,...
PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 24 | How the Coronavirus Just Increased Your Child's College Prospects
Mar 13, 2020
Show Notes:
In today’s episode, I provide a blueprint to help motivated juniors in high school who need a plan (or a backup plan) for Spring Break - especially for those who just had their college campus visits canceled.
If your child planned to spend Spring Break visiting colleges, cruising around campuses, eating in the student cafes, taking tours, and gazing up at the pretty buildings - they will be disappointed. It's likely that these plans will be canceled. The good news? My proposed backup plan will be better than the trip would have been in terms of your child's readiness for the college admissions process. If your child does even 1/2 of what I’m proposing, they will significantly increase their chance of getting into more colleges.
Now, your child probably won’t think this is such a great deal, because given the choice between going on a 10-day college tour boondoggle versus doing what I’m about to propose, most...
PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 23 | The Guidance Counselor
Mar 06, 2020
Show Notes:
In today’s episode, I explore an often overlooked secret weapon in the college admissions process - the high school guidance counselor. Guidance counselors represent a wealth of information, resources, connections, and opportunities that often go underutilized by students and families. Though many guidance counselors are overwhelmed with caseloads 2-3X larger than they should be, they can still play a pivotal role in a student’s success in the college admissions process.
Today’s show discusses why colleges rely so heavily on guidance counselors’ opinions and what students can do to maximize their time with their counselors.
Here is what I discuss in this episode:
0:02:00 Why colleges care about guidance counselor comments
0:03:09 Guidance counselors' subjective input
0:05:09 Why guidance counselors are so credible
0:06:30 Why students should invest in their guidance counselor
0:10:15 How to...
PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 22 | A Message For Your Teen
Feb 29, 2020
Show Notes:
In today’s episode, I go right to the source - your teenager. In a departure from the usual format, I bring what I normally reserve for inside PrepWell Academy, directly to you and your child.
Part of the reason for this experiment is because many parents have told me that they enjoy listening to the podcast with their children in the car.
I thought I’d try to enhance that experience by producing a podcast that was actually meant to be listened to together in the car.
I hope my message resonates with your child, or, at a minimum, opens up the dialogue between you and your teen.
Today’s topics include: (1) the amazing opportunities that high school provides every teen, (2) a frank discussion about preparation versus procrastination, and (3) the impact of split-second decision-making on long-term success.
Here is what I discuss in this episode:
0:02:37 Who is Phil Black and why should I care?
0:10:56 Topic...
PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 21 | How involved should you be as a parent?
Feb 21, 2020
Show Notes:
In today’s episode, I talk about how much input (or, how little input) parents might want to have in their child’s college admissions journey. What should your strategy be? How much should you get involved? When should you get involved? When you should back off? In other words, how to thread the needle, to make sure your child - and you - have a positive and productive experience.
Of course, there is no right or wrong answer here - every child, parent, and dynamic is unique - so there is not a one-size-fits-all answer. Instead, I will discuss 3 strategies that you, as a parent, might consider when dealing with this important period of time in your teen’s life.
We’ll start out with the extreme strategies - parents who provide a ton of input and direction - and then move to those who provide little-to-no direction. And then we’ll explore the middle-of-the-road case,...
PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 20 | How To Help Your Child Develop a Theme
Feb 14, 2020
Show Notes:
In this episode, we dig into what it means for a college application to have a “theme”? A theme is an overarching framework that highlights what your child is interested in, what they’re good at, what they may want to major in, may want to pursue a career in, or maybe just a field they want to work in.
How do their classes, grades, extracurriculars, clubs, letters of recommendation, summer experiences - all come together to create a compelling and memorable theme? Can you describe the theme with a word, phrase, or sentence?
I cover the following themes in this episode: (1) Medicine, (2) Math, (3) Business, (4) Engineering, (5) Environmental Science.
Here is what I discuss in this episode:
0:01:25 What is a college application theme?
0:03:40 What is the application reader thinking?
0:04:43 What’s the catch?
0:07:08 Case Study Theme: Medicine
0:12:16 Case Study Theme:...
PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 19 | How To Help Your Child With Their Summer Plans
Feb 09, 2020
Show Notes:
In this week’s show, I try my best to help you, help your child, figure out what to do this summer. If you’ve been following this podcast for some time, it shouldn’t take much to convince you how important summer experiences can be for your child - not only to make their college application look better - but for real life as well.
I know, it’s not easy to figure out what to do with teenagers over the summer. Especially if they don’t drive, or work, and you do work, and everything seems so expensive. That’s why I’m recording this podcast - to give you some ideas. Yes, this is challenging time - and yes, colleges are expecting bigger and better things from students as competition grows. It means that it will take more effort and planning on our part. No problem. I’ll show you how to make it happen. I believe the effort will be worth it - no matter how things end up in the college admissions process.
...
PrepWell Podcast - Ep. 18 | How is Your Child Wired?
Feb 01, 2020
Show Notes:
I’ve identified three different types of teenagers and likened each one to a lightbulb: (1) Bright Bulb, (2) Flickering Bulb, (3) Dim Bulb. Where does your child fit into this paradigm? How can you use their status to help them through these formative years?
Here is what I discuss in this episode:
0:01:40 What are the three different types of teenagers?
0:04:35 The Bright Bulb
0:07:45 The Dim Bulb
0:10:45 The Flickering Bulb
0:16:02 How are the Bulbs distributed?
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