Destination YOUniversity

Every parent wants the best college options for their child. The problem is school counselors are not easily accessible until late junior year.  At Destination YOUniversity, we know families need key information and actionable to-dos in order to access top 100 colleges. That is why I started the podcast, Destination YOUniversity. Every Wednesday, I interview former parents, school leaders and coll...

Full Disclosure Friday: My father was not perfect. But, by the grace of God, we mended oure relationship before he passed. This photo represents the Colon Girls! My sisters and two bonus sisters. Thank you, Dad!  In today’s episode I share the heartbreak and the love I learned from my very imperfect father.  This episode is for every parent who has ever struggled with their relationship with your...

If you’ve ever been curious as to how the waitlist works in college admissions, this episode is for you.  If you or your child is just months or about a year away from applying to college and you want to avoid the waitlist, this show is definitely for you!  In this episode, I dish about what goes on in the admission office during the month of April and May. Who gets the winning “lotto” ticket off...

OMG! You know I love all things collegiate sports, so to record this episode in the middle of March Madness was a dream!! WE are all in for a TREAT!I’m chatting with Coach Moore who knows ALL things College Basketball!  Coach Ryan Moore is one of my favorite highlights of being a school Principal. Coach Moore is a Husband, Father, Teacher, Mentor, and Coach!! He is currently at Crespi High School,...

I’m not a fan of everyone “wins a medal,” I mean, not everybody actually “wins.” Right? Or do they. After much reflection, I decided that a marathon is much like the college admission process. Everyone DOES win a medal, and I love that. You might be thinking, “But I didn’t get the medal I wanted.” I get it. But, let’s just say, this time of year, I count any medal as a huge win!!   Enjoy these les...

TIP: Top Academics punches your ticket to the dance. Impact Leadership gets you admitted. TALE: When you take a look at the March Madness brackets for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s tournament, you learn that they ALL have winning records. These are the AQs: Academic Qualities. They are the best in their athletic conference, be it Pac 12, Big 10, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big East, etc. The...

Well, it’s Ivy Week and all the college acceptance letters have come, are coming, or… not. In a time where college admissions has become more and more competitive, it’s time to think about what to do and how to stand out. Think of it this way, how many people are on IG and TikTok? How many catch your attention? Not many.  Today, Vince Garcia joins me to talk about why students need a passion proje...

Full Disclosure Fridays.  I talk about my MOM a lot on my podcast and in my social media posts. It took a long time for us to have the relationship we do now, so that’s something I’m proud of and happy about.  What you may not know is that she is a hairdresser. And her favorite thing is coloring hair, including her own. I’m calling this episode pink hair don’t care, because literally, the first ti...

Every fall a family comes to me and wants me to review a college essay their daughter or son drafted and give feedback before it’s submitted. 99% of the time, the essay is no bueno. By “No Bueno,” I mean, please do NOT turn this in.  The worst is what I call the kitchen sink essay. It’s got too many topics wrapped in one essay and it is way too confusing for the reader.  In today’s episode , Dina...

We are talking about all things College Visits! Does anyone remember when the pandemic hit? Nobody could go anywhere and we were forced to visit colleges online and make college decisions, one of the BIGGEST decisions of your life, forced to decide based on the internet.   Thank goodness that is behind us. Today I’m going to talk about TWO types of college visits: ONE: For families with younger st...

Full Disclosure Fridays.  Does anyone know Amy Porterfield? Please comment if you do, because I am obsessed with all things Amy.  If you are a goal setter, dreamer, someone who loves a good planner and color-coded office supplies – you are with your people today!!  Today I’m sharing a few lessons I learned from Multi-Millionaire entrepreneur: Amy Porterfield. Best Selling Author . TEDx Speaker. Co...

TRUTH TALK THURSDAY!! THIS IS A GOOD ONE!!  TODAY YOU’LL LEARN:  1 - 5 Academic Food Groups: What are the 5 subject areas admission officers are looking for on your transcript that will help increase college admission success? 2 - An example of an Academic Plan and tips for how to plan your own. 3  - Your Major. If you listened to yesterday's episode, Coach Vince told you the FIVE most popular...

Today I’m joined by Coach Vince Garcia. OMG! Coach Vince has over 20 years of College and  ADMISSIONS​ & APPLICATION READER​ EXPERIENCE at Occidental, Pomona, Cal Lutheran, UCLA, and UC Berkeley. He knows a thing or two about which majors to avoid, how to select majors that help increase success and still help students achieve their long term goals. He is my go-to person when I have a question...

Have you ever been to a Farmer’s Market? That’s what Mom and I did on a Saturday morning in San Diego. It was HUGE! I mean, it rivaled my favorite farmers market on Sundays in Hollywood, it goes on for blocks and blocks! There we were with no choice but to walk the entire farmers market while we waited two hours to have brunch at Morning Glory. The great advantage of having time to kill meant that...

You might know by now that I use sports and dating as metaphors to all things college. And although I never actually went to one of those speed dating events, I remember the episode with Miranda on “Sex And The City.”  OK, I digress. If you listened to my episode two weeks ago about how I hate inefficiency, you’ll understand why I came up with a speed date exercise for my students. Bottom line is...

IF YOU are like most parents and students, you might not have even realized that some application deadlines for summer programs have passed. Yep - that’s right. When students talk about one of those Stanford, MIT, Johns Hopkins summer programs, they often come with an application due before Valentine's day. But don’t fret, we’ve got you. Our guest today, Julia Byrd, is going to offer some hot...

Nothing happens overnight. Success does not come quickly. It is a slow process, but to the observer of the final outcome, it can seem “easy.”  Becoming a TEDX speaker took six years for me to finally get on stage.  In today’s episode I share what happened six years ago to put me on this journey. I reveal exactly the steps I took, what I needed, who I needed, and how I finally landed a TEDX invitat...

The power of a college essay is the simplicity. A simple, simple topic can often make the best essays. Ironically, we tell our essay campers to NOT go home and tell their parents their essay topic. By Day 2, we’ve already labeled the essays by the topic, “The Cheese Essay,” or “The Taco Bell Essay,” “The Chocolate Essay,” etc. Without the context, parents often don’t get it and underestimate the b...

When I interviewed my TEDX speaking coach, Ken Starks I asked him this simple question, “What is the one tip you give to all your speakers? What does every speaker need to have?”  “Authenticity.” He paused and in that pause I thought, “Well, duh.” But then the words that fell out of his mouth floored me, “Because they don’t know where authenticity lives within them.” Mic drop.  YESSS! OMG YESS! So...

I may not have ever shared this, but I’m a huge fan of Amy Porterfield. She is thorough, efficient, and my kind of a minute-to-minute girl.  The term “Time Batching” came from her (I think), however, as an educator, who was part of the team when we moved the academic schedule from 6 periods a day to block schedules, I get it. It makes sense.  People ask me how I get so much done in one week. Well,...

Every senior has a story to tell. The problem is, they just don’t know how to get started. More than that, students do not understand that the college essay is NOT written in the style of an English or research paper. After 20+ years in the business of college admissions, we’ve developed a teen proofed and battle tested formula that helps every student turn their story into interesting, engaging a...

Every parent wants the best college options for their child. The problem is school counselors are not easily accessible until late junior year.  At Destination YOUniversity, we know families need key information and actionable to-dos in order to access top 100 colleges. That is why I started the podcast, Destination YOUniversity. Every Wednesday, I interview former parents, school leaders and coll...

Full Disclosure Fridays: After rejection: I ate my weight in chocolate. Today I’m sharing how I recently took a huge blow to my ego!!  I lost. Big Time! A huge rejection shocked the shit out of me.  Yep. Sure did.  If you’ve ever lost a big game, a big competition, had your heart broken, or been rejected from anything you’ve dreamt of, this episode is for you. Best Selling Author . TEDx Speaker. C...

Every senior has a story to tell. The problem is, they just don’t know how to get started. More than that, students do not understand that the college essay is NOT written in the style of an English or research paper. After 20+ years in the business of college admissions, we’ve developed a teen proofed and battle tested formula that helps every student turn their story into interesting, engaging a...

Have you ever “accidentally” been on the other side of the tracks? All of a sudden you realize how the “other” side lives? I was in Kansas City recruiting for Vassar and I was at the right address, but on the wrong side (I was east instead of west or vice versa). As I finally drove up to the correct address, the guard greeted me, and as I drove past the brick buildings and manicured lawn, I found...