Don't Force It: How to Get into College without Losing Yourself in the Process

Today, I sit down with Dr. Arundhati Ghosh, a great friend of Signet's, to talk about her journey in medicine, and how she advises students interested in pursuing the medical path. This episode is a must listen for any parents and students thinking about this path! Dr. Arundhati Ghosh currently works at the Cambridge Health Alliance, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, and is the s...

In today’s episode, I recap the SCOTUS decision on affirmative action and break down what it means for students and families, particularly when it comes to writing essays on “diversity” and related topics. Tune in to learn how colleges are reacting to the decision, what we expect they will do as we move forward, and how to address these tricky essay questions that many colleges are adding this yea...

Welcome back everyone! Today, I kick off back to school season with an interview with my dear friend and colleague, Holly Schrieber. Holly is one of the few people at Signet who does “all the things” - and this makes her an incredible insightful advisor and supporter for parents and students alike. Tune in to hear about the life experiences she draws on to connect and build trusting relationships...

We’re on a break for all of July, but I just had to pop in to share some brief thoughts on the affirmative action ban’s impact on college admissions. We’ll be back in August - enjoy your summer!  Access free resources and learn more about Sheila and her team at Signet Education at signeteducation.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilaakbar/ .

This week, I sit down with scholar, author, leader, and mom Urvashi Bhatnagar to talk about her educational journey and the importance of learning skills and knowledge from outside your career silo. Bio As a mission driven strategist, Urvashi advises clients in the private and government healthcare sector on how to stay ahead of key industry trends, identify opportunities to become more efficient,...

More and more, our kids are anxious, afraid to make mistakes, and deeply shame-filled when they do. Our kids are refusing to try, and shutting down when things feel hard. What's a parent to do? I'm pleased to host fellow Chief and resiliency specialist Talia Kovacs to the podcast to discuss her work and her Resilience Building Framework. Bio Talia Kovacs is a former teacher, CEO of LitLi...

Today, I talk with Signet's Director of Operations and senior academic coach, Andrea West about the benefits of combining traditional college admissions consulting with coaching. Coaching can not only improve a student's academic performance, but it can also shift them into more of a growth mindset and self-knowledge, two things which are vitally important in having a positive experience...

Today, we’re focusing on the dreaded college essay (that doesn’t have to be so dreaded). We’ve brought together some of our most experienced and educated writing coaches to walk us through some of their greatest tips and tricks for tapping into your passion zone as you write your college essay. Join us as we discuss the personal essay, the supplemental essays, brainstorming, editing, and even the...

Does standardized testing help or hurt your college admission chances? When it comes to standardized tests for college applications, your high school Freshman or Sophomore has choices looming in front of them you never had to face, and you’re not sure how to help them make the right decision. Should they take the SAT or the ACT? Or both? Or neither? What about the digital SAT? Do colleges prefer o...

Marie Bigham, Founder & Executive Director of ACCEPT, joins to talk with us about issues of equity and access in college admissions, and the work that her non-profit has undertaken to make the system work better for everyone. Bio: Marie Bigham is the Founder and Executive Director of ACCEPT (Admissions Community Cultivating Equity & Peace Today), a nonprofit organization that is removing r...

As their children approach the college process, some families face a uniquely challenging question: does the model minority myth help or hurt their students in college applications? Given the cases before the Supreme Court, the lack of transparency in the admissions process, and differing values around education, this discussion is overshadowed by strong opinions, confusion, and deliberate misinfo...

“He’s so smart, but he’s no longer interested in school—or any 'offline' activities.” “She used to love sports, but now she just mopes around.” “My kid has turned into such a slacker!” If this sounds like your child, you need to listen to this episode! This week, my friend @Dr. Ellen Braaten shares insights from her new book, Bright Kids Who Couldn't Care Less: How to Rekindle Your...

Today, I welcome Jay Bacrania, CEO and co-founder of Signet Education, onto the podcast. Jay’s passion is enabling and supporting personal growth - in himself, his colleagues, and his students. We discuss the foundations of Signet’s academic coaching program, through which we help students develop and pursue an inspiring vision for their lives. Our Five Keys framework can support a wide variety of...

Towards the end of my conversation with Jay, our CEO, last week, we started getting really tactical around various tools that can help build students’ awareness of their challenges and move them towards solutions. In this episode, we talk through calendars, digital distractions, time management, and a tool for examining how non-academic factors impact academic performance. Links to Tools Mentioned...

How does your high school college counselor support your application to college? And what can a private college consultant do that your college counselor might not be able to? Today, I sit down with an old friend and former Signet admissions consultant, Blair Munhofen, to discuss how high school counselors and private consultants strive to support their students. Blair's Bio: Blair Munhofen,...

With all the college decisions that came out in the last week of March, I'm getting so many questions about how to navigate the waitlist. In this episode, I talk about what the waitlist is used for, how waitlist use has increased recently, and what students who are waitlisted should do to both move forward with the acceptances they do have AND put themselves in the best position to get in off...

Today, I’m joined by Akil Bello, a standardized testing expert and Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest. We talk about equity issues stemming from standardized testing, why colleges are moving away from standardized testing, and the challenges posed by college ranking lists. Akil leaves us with some practical wisdom on how to avoid the prestige trap and focus on tangible outcome...

In my first “tactical” episode of the series, I walk you through my method for building a college list and share valuable tools and advice for understanding preferences, organizing information, conducting research, and refining the list. This is a must listen for sophomores and juniors!   Resources here: Personal College Inventory Sample College List Template Top Questions to Answer When Researchi...

As I was envisioning this podcast navigating high school and the college admissions process and thinking about what I really wanted to pull the curtain back on, I pictured a conveyor belt leading to a set of mechanical jaws, just waiting to chew up our kids.  It was really dark! But here's the reality: in a lot of ways, our kids ARE on a conveyor belt - food for the system, mindlessly checkin...

Meet Liz - one of Signet's rockstar academic coaches. In today's episode, Liz shares her approach to coaching, what kinds of challenges coaching can help with, and how to tell if your child is ready for coaching or not. Learn about how a coach puts students at the center of identifying and solving their own challenges and what parents can do to support their kids with executive function...