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Ivy League Prep Academy Podcast
Equipping you to successfully pursue the college of your dreams. I believe that the world needs every student to reach their full potential. College admittance shouldn't hold you back. I'm an educator and Harvard grad who has been in your shoes. I designed this podcast to accompany the Ivy League Challenge (my online course) to support my listeners. I've met with graduates, admissions officers, and professors to identify the criteria used to select candidates. I've crafted a road map for success and can share it with you.
Episodes
296 episodes
Why Strong Student Still Miss the Mark in Supplemental Essays
If you’ve been following this podcast, you already know that college admissions isn’t about being the most impressive student.But what does a truly strong essay actually look like?In this episode, Steve shares a clip from...
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Season 2
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Episode 255
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32:53
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Inside Yale Admissions: How to Stand Out
What actually helps a student stand out to Ivy League admissions officers?In this episode, Steve Gardner sits down with Bilal, a Yale student and student ambassador in the Yale Undergraduate Admissions Office, to discuss wh...
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Season 2
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Episode 254
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21:29
Emerging Researchers Incubator with Saisha Pal
Saisha Pal joins me to discuss her journey through the Emerging Researchers Incubator and how she transformed an interest in mental health and criminal justice into meaningful, real-world action.Saisha shares how she moved learned that p...
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Season 2
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Episode 253
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32:07
Bottlenecks to High Performance in Teens pt. 3: Fear
You’ve committed to aiming high.You’ve accepted the hard work.So why does something still feel tense beneath the surface?In this final episode of the series, we uncover the third bottleneck to high performance: fear. Specif...
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Season 2
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Episode 252
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22:41
Bottlenecks to High Performance in Teens pt. 2 Time Management
Most teens don’t need more hours in the day, they need to stop losing the hours they already have.In Part 2 of this 3-part series, we tackle the second bottleneck to high performance: time management.You’ll discover:Wh...
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Season 2
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Episode 251
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20:40
Bottlenecks to High Performance in Teens pt. 1
Why do some teens seem to effortlessly rise to the top—winning scholarships, earning Ivy League acceptances, and excelling in everything they do—while others with similar stats struggle to stand out?In this first episode of a 3-part seri...
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Season 2
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Episode 250
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25:14
How My Students Got Into Yale and Other Top Schools
What if college admissions isn’t about being more impressive, but about being more clear?In this episode, I break down why so many hardworking, high-achieving students are rejected from top colleges, and what actually separates ...
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Season 2
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Episode 249
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22:07
Supporting an Ambitious Teen with Karen DiNapoli
What does it actually look like to support a highly driven teenager—without controlling, pushing, or burning them out?In this episode, I sit down with Karen DiNapoli, mother of nationally ranked speaker and Ivy League Challenge al...
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Season 2
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Episode 248
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35:20
How can I Make an Impact?
In the last few episodes, we’ve explored the many ways students can lead through innovation, dialogue, and action.We’ve seen, again and again, that when teens identify their core values and then make a meaningful impact aligned with thos...
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Season 2
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Episode 247
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20:03
High School Leadership Case Studies
Leadership isn’t about titles as it’s about noticing what matters and taking action.In this episode, three students show how real impact often begins close to home.Scarlett worked with her city to strengthen emergency aler...
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Season 2
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Episode 246
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37:29
Social Media & Teen High Performance
Is social media silently sabotaging your success?In this episode, Steve Gardner — founder of The Ivy League Challenge and Harvard Summer School instructor — shares the mindset and strategies that set high-performing teens apart. Discover...
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Season 2
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Episode 245
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21:50
What Matters Most During High School
Real innovation isn’t about being impressive or unique unless it’s also about being useful.In this episode, three teens show how curiosity and compassion can combine to create meaningful change.Illia Denisov uses robotics and AI to p...
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Season 2
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Episode 244
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26:31
The Kind of Leadership Colleges Can't Ignore
Most students think leadership starts with a title like captain, president, or founder.But true leadership doesn’t wait for permission.In this episode, two teens prove that real impact begins the moment you care enough to act.&nb...
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Season 2
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Episode 243
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29:08
Innovation-ish: How Anyone Can Create Breakthrough Solutions with Rich Braden
Harvard and Stanford educator and co-author of the bestselling book Innovation-ish Richard Braden joins me to discuss how his book can help my students. We explore how teens, parents, and aspiring innovators of all ages can...
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Season 2
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Episode 242
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46:10
Mastery Training from the Global Impact Council training
Most people romanticize mastery.They talk about "grit" and "passion" and "work ethic," but avoid the uncomfortable truth:Mastery is build by failing-- over and over again. In public, in private, both big and small failures. Failur...
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Season 2
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Episode 241
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27:02
Prof. Elizabeth Lee: How Aligning with Core Values Helps You Rock College
Dickinson College professor Elizabeth Lee joins us to discuss how the aligning your choices around your core values helps you prepare for college and for long-term success. We discuss why her daughter, a high school freshman, signed...
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Season 2
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Episode 240
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36:22
Personal Statement College Essay Workshop wk 2 Your Garbage Draft
You’ve done the hard thinking. You’ve found your insights, explored your contradictions, and reflected deeply. But now you’re stuck—staring at a blank page, unsure how to turn those ideas into a compelling college essay.In this episode, ...
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Season 2
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Episode 239
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13:46
How to Get your Personal Statement Done
If you’ve been putting off your college essay, dreading it like a monkey on your back—you’re not alone. But what if you could stop trying to sound impressive and start telling a story that actually matters?In this episode, I’ll ...
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Season 2
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Episode 238
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16:46
Essay Workshop Prep Episdoe
The personal statement can be one of the most confusing and stressful parts of the college application — but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode, I share a few key do's and don'ts to help you avoid common pitfalls and start your ess...
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Season 2
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Episode 237
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19:58
How to Get the College Essay Monkey Off Your Back — Before July
The personal statement is one of the most important — and misunderstood — parts of the college application. In this short, powerful episode, Steve Gardner explains why so many students struggle to get started, what the real purpose of the perso...
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Season 2
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Episode 236
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14:47
What Ivy League Admits Do After AP Exams
You’ve made it to the end of AP season—or you're just about to. So… what now? In this episode, I share what successful students actually do after their exams are over to prepare for college applications. These are the same strategies u...
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Season 2
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Episode 235
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23:22
Smarter Summer, Stronger Application
Are you feeling pressure to make the most of summer—but not sure what actually matters for college admissions? In this episode, Steve Gardner breaks down the three most common mistakes high-achieving students make when planning their s...
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Season 2
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Episode 234
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24:52
How My Daughter Got Into Dartmouth, by Tessymol Jose
Steve sits down with Tessymol Jose — the inspiring mother of Erica, one of our incredible students — to tell the full, raw story of their college admissions journey.This isn’t a sugar-coated success story. It’s a front-row seat to the ov...
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Season 2
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Episode 233
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48:13
Curiosity is a Skill to Develop
This episode is a special one — made especially for parents of Curiosity Lab students, but meaningful for anyone raising a curious preteen.Inside, Steve shares:Why curiosity is a skill, not a personality trait —...
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Season 2
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Episode 232
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23:36
How Passion Actually Works: From Disengagement to Mastery
Most teens today feel overwhelmed, burned out, or stuck in the race to be impressive — all while secretly wondering: “How do some students become so great, so young?”In this episode, we break down the real process of building pa...
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Season 2
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Episode 231
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1:03:37