Go Ivy or Go Free

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast! In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with Ruben Stephen, a current MIT student and one of the most compelling comeback stories in elite admissions, for a conversation that challenges everything you were told about what it takes to make it to a top school. If you grew up believing that only perfect students end up at places like M...

Welcome to Episode 8 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast! In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with Hannah Maruyama — co-founder of Degree Free and one of the most outspoken voices in the alternative education movement — for a conversation that challenges everything you were told about the path to success. If you grew up believing that college was the only way forward, this episode will...

Welcome to Episode 7 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast! In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with serial entrepreneur, author, and Head of Founder Development at Alpha School, Nat Eliason — the man betting that the future of education isn't a diploma, it's a million dollars. Nat is launching Founders School, a first-of-its-kind entrepreneur high school built on the most audaci...

Welcome to Episode 6 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast! In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with QuestBridge National Match recipient, content creator, and Gen Z strategist Youssef Hasweh — the scholar who went from never expecting to attend college to earning a full-ride to one of the most academically rigorous universities in the world — to hear how he cracked the code on elite adm...

Welcome to Episode 5 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast! In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with entrepreneur, investor, and education disruptor Joe Liemandt — the visionary founder behind Alpha School — to hear how he's completely reimagining what school can look like for the next generation of builders, creators, and leaders. If you think the only path to a successful future ru...

Welcome to Episode 4 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast! In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with content creator, startup operator, and USC dropout Eric Ou (aka @ ericcouu ) to hear how a top high school student ended up at community college, transferred into USC, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, Emory, and more—and then made the bold decision to drop out and go all-in on startups and social...

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast! In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with Stanford student and founder of Project Connect Forum, Andra Campos (aka @projectconnectforum), to hear how a first-generation, low-income student from Southern California built two organizations from scratch and landed acceptances to Stanford, Columbia (likely letter), UCLA, UC Berkeley,...

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast ! In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with former Princeton Teaching Fellow and elite admissions expert Kate Stone to uncover why checking all the traditional boxes is no longer enough to get into top-tier universities. If you think a perfect GPA, AP classes, and generic volunteer hours will guarantee your spot in the Ivy League,...

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast ! In our inaugural episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with writing expert and Stanford alum Mark Hernandez (aka @englishwithmarkh) to decode the ultimate black box of college applications: the admissions essay. If you think stuffing your personal statement with SAT vocabulary is the golden ticket to the Ivy League, think again. In this...

Welcome to Go Ivy or Go Free , hosted by Andreas Stamatakis ! Most people are playing the game blind . Traditional college admissions advice is broken and ignores the deeper systems that actually determine long-term success. This podcast was created to expose those systems and show how college can be used as a strategic tool, not just a credential. Go Ivy or Go Free goes far beyond college applica...