Ivy League Prep Academy Podcast
Episodes
How to Think About (and Get Into) BS/MD Programs
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you have dreamed about becoming a doctor since early childhood, is a Direct Medical Program (BS/MD) the solution?It seems so perfect, apply once, a...
How to Do Well, Even When You Aren't Interested in Your Class
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly everyone at some point needs to study something they don't enjoy, but still need to find a way to perform well.By middle school and high s...
How Summer Programs Impact College Admissions
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Should you attend the summer camp held on your dream college's campus? Will attending that camp give you a leg up when you apply later? How sho...
In Their Own Words: What Students Say About the Ivy League Challenge
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With about 48 hours before registration for the Ivy League Challenge closes, listen the answers my students gave me at the end of the last cohort when...
Make Success Easier by Shaping Your Environment
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Your environment-- the peers, mentors, teachers, and other adults you surround yourself with-- is more important than you realize. If you are the only...
Ivy League Challenge Registration Now OPEN!
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in 6 months, registration is now open for the Ivy League Challenge!Unlike other programs, we keep our cohorts small and intimate, i...
How The Ivy League Challenge Gets You Into Your Dream College
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
College admissions should be the impetus that inspires teens to take time to significantly increase self-awareness, to pursue interests, and to grow a...
To parents of Teens- The Teacher Who Cares Perspective
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I am not a parenting expert. But I can clearly see how teens who have been raised the way I support in this episode are far more willing and capable o...
The Student's Perspective; Ishita Anand, Pt. 2
03 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Get into the details of how Ishita figured out what her impact project should be. Learn how she progressed through the steps.You'll understand ho...
The Student's Perspective; Ishita Anand, Pt. 1
27 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder what students do in the Ivy League Challenge? Listen in to learn from Ishita. There are two parts to this interview, this is part 1.-----T...
Looking for a "Research Opportunity?" Listen First!
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As I continue helping more and more teens get into their dream colleges, and especially as I have become known as the person who specializes in helpin...
How My Harvard Peers Face Challenges
13 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Try something for me: think of your favorite movie. Next time you watch it, pause the movie 3 or 4 times and ask yourself "is the hero enjoying t...
Rejected? Accepted? Waitlisted? How to Respond to Admissions Decisions
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ivy Day is coming up. If you are one of the tens of thousands who has applied to these outstanding eight colleges, it will be a day of powerful emotio...
Yale Doctoral Candidate & Author Crystal Harrell
29 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Crystal grew up the 7th of 10 children in public housing. She didn't dream of attending a top-tier college until she was older, because she didn&...
The Little Things... Are the Big Things
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I recently asked Luke, the 17 year-old world-record holder for most burpees in a minute by a male, how he became the best in the world at doing burpee...
Kindness Can Get Me Into an Ivy League College?
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Harvard university created an initiative that has now been signed by all the Ivy League schools, MIT, Stanford, Duke, Michigan, Chicago, etc. and doze...
The Magic of Controlling Your Attention
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever sat down to get your work done, and because you were completely focused, you were able to accomplish more in 60 minutes than you could n...
The Ivy League Admit's Mindset
01 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
My students in the Ivy League Challenge are often surprised when I share stories about how 'normal' and 'real' many of my peers at...
The Hero on a Mission
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Nothing is as compelling as a hero on a mission.It is so easy to 'drift' through life.Especially for teens. Middle school and high school is...
Harvard Researcher, Teacher, Doctoral Candidate, Tessa Forshaw
18 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tessa Forshaw changed the way I teach high school students. After earning her BS degree in Australia, she came to the US and attended Stanford, where ...
Stanford/Harvard Teacher Richard Cox Braden
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Stanford Design school is world-famous and is universally considered the top design program in the world. Rich Braden is the CEO & founder of...
The Fire That Gets You Admitted
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Instead of asking "am I doing enough to get in?"We should instead be asking if we are spending our time and energy on the activities that ma...
Teen Leadership & Conflict
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Top students believe that the goal of conflict is progress, not proving yourself right. Conflict is important for growth and improvement, as well as...
Be the Hero of Your Story
20 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We all face challenges, including unfairness and injustice.But imagine your life was a movie or a great story. If you were playing the victim in this...
Should you be a "Team Player"?
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It turns out that nearly all of the students who get admitted to elite universities share a lot of common traits. No skill or strategy can compensate...
Elite College Admissions Made Easy
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It sure seems like everyone says if you want to get into a top-tier college, you need to:1. take the most rigorous coursework available at your scho...
When Hard Work isn't Working
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ambitious Ivy League hopeful, meet the law of diminishing returns. Grit and effort and a willingness to embrace the grind has helped you achieve grea...
How to Play Like an Ivy League Scholar
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of my best friends at Harvard had no less than a dozen nerf guns in his closet, and subscribed to Lego magazine. It turns out this friend was doin...
The Unexpected Key to Elite College Admissions Success
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Observing my peers at Harvard, interviewing and guiding outstanding successful applicants at many other amazing universities, I can say there is one t...
Don't think big, think momentum
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you think the key to success is to do it all, do it big, and do it now? Smart students don't. Listen to find out how "starting big" ...
Get Real & Get In with former Ivy League admissions officer Dr. Aviva Legatt
02 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Legatt attended a top tier school, worked as an admissions officer for an Ivy League school, and now the founder of Ivy Insight. Her new book Get ...
College Ready CEO Shellee Howard
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shellee Howard is the owner and president of College Ready. She is a college graduate and is a Certified Educational Planner. Shellee has a son who gr...
Courage Over Competence
19 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can you imagine getting bumped to first class on a flight back home, and spending over two hours together with Michael Jordan? My friend Cathy Heller ...
Harvard student & Ivy League Challenge coach Meryem
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Meryem Benkirane, a quadrilingual Harvard graduate student, gives great advice as she shares why she loves the Ivy League Challenge and has decided to...
When to Start College Prep
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Most teens (and their parents) delay college application prep until it is time to actually apply. I don't blame them. Because of bad advice, conf...
How to Gain Stand-out Confidence
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Studies show that nearly all students are disengaged in school. The ones who haven't tuned out their teachers are usually intensely pressured. ...
Should I Join The Ivy League Challenge This Summer? Pt. 3 from Debt Free Degree interview
25 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is part 3 of 3 podcasts from my interview with Debt Free Degree.I was asked what age student should begin thinking about college and how the Ivy ...
What Is the Ivy League Challenge? P2 from Debt Free Degree Podcast interview
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In part two, I am asked how the Ivy League Challenges so effectively equips students to successfully pursue the college of their dreams. I go into det...
My interview on Debt Free Degree
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With registration for the Ivy League Challenge closing at the end of June, this is the first of three podcasts taken from a recent interview I did wit...
The Athletic Path to Elite Universities with Akshay Maliwal
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you hoping to use your athletic talents to propel you into an Ivy League or top tier school? Akshay and his twin sister attended UC Berkeley and S...
Music & Scholarships with Trisha Craig
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are the best strategies for gaining scholarships through music or other impact projects? Trisha Craig is an expert who has helped students earn a...
How the Impact Project Leads to Admission to Dream College
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In previous episodes we talked about impact projects leading to successful admissions to Stanford, Princeton, Dartmouth, Harvard, and other amazing sc...
Teens, Your Relationships are Everything!
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Among the 5 fatal pitfalls middle school students should avoid if they want to be admitted into their dream universities is the failure to appropriate...
Registration is now open! Register for the Ivy League Challenge Today
04 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You know you are capable of getting into a world-class college.But let's be honest, the college admissions process looks daunting, and you have m...
Appreciate the Good Ole Days
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I record this just hours after I watched my grade 12 students, in tears, hugging and signing each other shirts and saying goodbyes on their last day o...
Real Strength-- How to Develop It
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Avoiding frustration and discomfort is not the ticket to a good life. Just as our immune systems would become weak in a sterile environment, our perso...
Ivy League Challenge: Accepted! Hear from a participant in the challenge, Ata
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ata participated in our most recent Ivy League Challenge (online version) and was willing to share his experience with us. You can get a feel for what...
3 Steps to Better Problem-solving
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the things that I heard over and over again at Harvard was "great solutions depend on great questions." If you want to get better ans...
What's Below The Surface? Discovering Your Core
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A few days after beginning classes at Harvard, I felt something that I later realized was common among my peers-- impostor syndrome. It took some time...
What Admission Decisions Are Really Like
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wondered what it is like in the room where admissions decisions happen? Understanding the process can be critically valuable in helping ...
How to Be More Confident Today
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If competence were a prerequisite for confidence, the world would be full of timid people. You don't need to know everything and you don't n...
Admissions Advice: Don't Be Well-rounded, Do This Instead
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Somehow the myth of the "well-rounded strategy" continues to thrive today. Don't buy into it. I've seen students drive themselve...
How to Actually Reach Your Goals (Really!)
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Sick of making and then breaking goals? You are almost certainly doing it wrong. Find out why most resolutions/goals are never achieved, and what you ...
Correctly Defining Success & Failure
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Correctly defining success and failure may be the single most important step on the road to success.We know that no one develops any meaningful skill ...
Get What You Want By Shifting Your Focus
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On more than one occasion in business classrooms at Harvard, I heard how important it is to measure the things that you want to improve. What you meas...
Expand Your Sphere of Influence
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Do you focus your energy on issues that are outside your control? Do you spend time thinking about how wonderful it would be if the things around you ...
How, Specifically, to Use Stress to Make You Better
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Following up on last week's episode about how helpful stress can be for us, this episode teaches you HOW to make use of stress. Each time you exp...
Why Stress Makes You Better
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You've heard that stress leads to health issues, strained relations, and premature death (among other things.) What compelling research now shows...
Nneka Faison, pt. 2 (advice for journalism-centric impact projects from Harvard journalism teacher)
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
My journalism class with Nneka Faison is legendary for how difficult it is to get into-- it is so popular at Harvard. When I was close to graduating a...
My Harvard Teacher (& Princeton, Columbia, Harvard Grad/Fellow) Nneka Faison, Pt. 1
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
My journalism class with Nneka Faison is legendary for how difficult it is to get into-- it is so popular at Harvard. When I was close to graduating a...
This One Tiny Pivot Will Make You Luckier Today
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of my favorite researchers in the world has dedicated much of his life to identifying the things that make some people luckier than others. I have...
The Only Thing All Successful People Have in Common
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I have been fortunate enough to spend time with some highly successful people. Perhaps surprizingly, there is one (and only one) thing that ALL of t...
The Tremendous Power of Mini-pivots
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Frustrated that you haven't stuck with your New Year's resolutions? Listen up. When our results don't measure up to our ambitious expec...
Play Like a Champion- Today (a Stress-defeating Hack)
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When stressful deadlines pile on top of each other and you begin to feel overwhelmed, use this quick and easy strategy to shift your mindset and elimi...
YOU are the Role Model
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I have a challenge for you; to help you begin a new habit you want to adopt, or lose a habit you'd love to ditch. Follow these two steps for the ...
Welcome to Season Two!
04 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We know that you are capable of getting into a world-class college. But let’s be honest, the college admissions process looks daunting, and you hav...
Purposeful Practice
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Much of the research that went into the book Outliers by Malcom Gladwell was actually done by a researcher named Anders Ericsson. Purposeful practice ...
An Updated Map to Admissions
07 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Let's say you were able to vacation in a city you had never before been to-- say, Paris. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be to try and f...
Ata Alic's Impact Project Interview
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Another amazing interview with an impressive student. Ata identified a problem with organization and communication at Model United Nations conferences...
Nicole & Ethan's Impact Project: how it impacted their college applications
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nicole and Ethan are waiting to hear back from Stanford, NYU, Georgetown, and several UC's, and in this interview they share the back story of th...
Deliberate Performance; why just choosing to focus is not enough
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the last episode (Pick your hard) we argued that doing excellent work is better and easier than doing mediocre work. I explained the virtuous cycle...
Pick your hard
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it easier to perform at a high level than a mediocre one? How can you get better grades and make a bigger impact while feeling less stressed, a...
The Challenge
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are you ready for the Ivy League Challenge? Enjoy a sneak peak into the Ivy League Challenge and see for yourself just how life-changing this program ...
Reflection from the 15 Laws of Growth by John Maxwell
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Experience is the best teacher only if you are able to pause and reflect on your experiences. This is more and more difficult in the age of social me...
Consistency from the 15 Laws of Growth by John Maxwell
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The key to personal growth is consistency. Listen to develop the mindset you will need to grow more consistently.The problem we face is that we think ...
(Don't fall for) The Downward Spiral
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Waitzkin's new book "The Art of Learning" teaches what it takes to become a world champion. Josh was the national or world champio...
Goal hack from world record performers
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How do you achieve your goals? What about the one that is not exciting for you, but you know you need to get it done?We hear about Luke Aikins, who ju...
Harvard research around healthy living: EXERCISE
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hate exercising but want to be a great student? These 16 minutes will tell you what to do.You can get tremendous increase in many "learning"...
Iris Fu, How I got into Stanford! pt 2
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Iris was just admitted to her dream school, Stanford University! Her amazing journey includes advice on time management, your impact project (her two ...
Iris Fu, How I got into Stanford! (pt. 1 of 2)
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Iris was just admitted to her dream school, Stanford University! Her amazing journey includes advice on time management, your impact project (her two ...
Importance of Sleep
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
As part of the Ivy League Challenge, our students commit to getting 9(!) hours of sleep each night. Why? What's the big deal with sleep?I discuss...
Dartmouth graduate & my classmate at Harvard, Maddie Koehler
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Maddie tells us about devoting herself to figure skating and academics ahead of applying for and being accepted to Dartmouth college. She shares her e...
My mentor & friend, Dr. Joe Vitale
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I think you’ll hear an extra level of excitement in this episode. There's a reason for that, I'm interviewing my hero-- and one of my best...
Teenage Student Wellness with HS Counselor Isabel Pacios
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
I discuss with High School/Middle School counselor Isabel Pacios wellness during these school years which can be very stressful and emotionally challe...
How to Get Straight A's
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The most practical guide you've ever heard about improving your grades. Advice from Harvard students.Here is a link to the Daily Planner training...
My Harvard Professor John Paul Rollert pt. 2
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we are so excited to have with us one of the most caring and competent people I’ve ever met. I was fortunate enough to sit in Dr. John Paul Ro...
My Leadership Professor at Harvard, John Paul Rollert, part 1
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hello everyone, today we are so excited to have with us one of the most caring and competent people I’ve ever met. I was fortunate enough to sit i...
What To Do With Fear
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
After an amazing class with my private students, I share the highlights of our discussion around the origin of fear, and what to do with the fear we f...
Extreme Ownership
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Steve and Nathaniel review Extreme Ownership by Jocko WillinkHighlights include:True leaders don’t shift blame to others. They own mistakes and fail...
See Value in Yourself from the 15 Laws of Growth by John Maxwell
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Law 3. The Law of the Mirror: You Must See Value in Yourself to Add Value to YourselfYou will not give yourself time to grow if you think you are not ...
Speed Reading
28 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Few topics we could discuss would be able to change someone's life as much as learning about metacognitive skills-- learning how to learn better....
Awareness: Know Yourself to Grow Yourself from the 15 Laws of Growth by John Maxwell
21 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Law #2 from The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John MaxwellAwareness; Know Yourself to Grow YourselfIdentify the gap between what you want to do and ...
Intention from The 15 Laws of Growth by John Maxwell pt. 2
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Law #1: Law of Intentionality; Growth doesn't just happen.Growth doesn’t just happen automatically. It is an intentional process.We discuss 8 m...
Intention from The 15 Laws of Growth by John Maxwell pt. 1
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Law #1: Law of Intentionality; Growth doesn't just happen.Growth doesn’t just happen automatically. It is an intentional process.We discuss 8 m...
Triumphs of Experience
31 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Nathaniel and Steve discuss Triumphs of Experience, by By George VaillantWhat if we could watch people from when they are teenagers to the time they d...
Extended Essay with Rebecca Stein
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Every student writing or preparing to write their Extended Essay (EE) and every supervisor should listen to Ms. Stein and her brilliant advice. After ...
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Steve and Nathaniel discuss The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. This is a book Steve read and discussed in his Managing Complex Teams class at Harvard. Y...
Atomic Habits, part 3
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Steve and Nathaniel discuss Atomic Habits, by James Clear. Highlights include:*Why goals (especially New Year's Resolutions!) often don't wo...
Atomic Habits, part 2
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Steve and Nathaniel discuss Atomic Habits, by James Clear. Highlights include:*Why goals (especially New Year's Resolutions!) often don't wo...
Atomic Habits, part 1
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Steve and Nathaniel discuss Atomic Habits, by James Clear. Highlights include:*Why goals (especially New Year's Resolutions!) often don't wo...