Don't Force It: How to Get into College without Losing Yourself in the Process
By Sheila Akbar, PhD
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Episodes: 95
Description
For all the stressed-out parents trying to help their teenagers navigate the complicated world of college admissions.
Each episode offers insightful and in-depth conversations with admissions experts and professional educators with practical advice for getting through the process without losing sight of yourself, your kid, or your sanity.
From building a strong academic and extracurricular profile, developing the college list, managing standardized tests, to crafting the perfect essay, we've got you covered. Whether you're a seasoned high school parent or a first-timer, join us for candid conversations and expert guidance on making it to, through, and beyond college.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
Let’s Get Tactical: What do you need to know about the new ACT?
|
Oct 08, 2025 |
|
Your College Admissions Roadmap: Plan Ahead Now to Position Your Kid for Success
|
Sep 25, 2025 |
|
35 College Essays?! The Overlooked Prompts that Unlock Acceptance
|
Sep 11, 2025 |
|
The Complete Guide to College Transfer: Find Your Ideal School, Maximize Your Credits, and Earn Your Degree
|
Aug 28, 2025 |
|
Live Coaching: Why this school?
|
Aug 14, 2025 |
|
Protect Their College Options: What Rising Juniors Must Do Around Testing This Summer
|
Jul 03, 2025 |
|
Standout College Essay Secrets: What Parents Must Know by June of Junior Year
|
Jun 18, 2025 |
|
Elizabeth Hamblet: Seven Steps to College Success
|
Jun 05, 2025 |
|
Alison Slater on College Interviews
|
May 22, 2025 |
|
The Insider’s Guide to College Visits: What Parents Must Know
|
May 08, 2025 |
|
Surviving High School with a Teenage Son
|
Apr 24, 2025 |
|
All the Questions about Extracurriculars
|
Apr 10, 2025 |
|
More Testing Changes?! Decoding What Colleges Want in 2025
|
Mar 27, 2025 |
|
Anjalee Galion, MD: The Importance of Sleep for Teens
|
Mar 12, 2025 |
|
Live Coaching: Anxiety about the ACT
|
Feb 27, 2025 |
|
How to Help Middle Schoolers Prepare for High School and the College Process
|
Feb 13, 2025 |
|
Inside the Black Box: How College Apps are Evaluated in 2025
|
Jan 30, 2025 |
|
Mental Health for Asian American Students
|
Jan 16, 2025 |
|
Aliaa Remtilla - Following Your Heart’s Desire
|
Dec 19, 2024 |
|
Early Application Notifications and How to Handle Them!
|
Dec 12, 2024 |
|
You Need A College List
|
Dec 05, 2024 |
|
Jamie Beaton: Comparing Systems of Higher Education
|
Nov 21, 2024 |
|
Live Coaching: Using Early Apps to Prepare for Regular Decision
|
Nov 14, 2024 |
|
Stop the Shame Spiral
|
Nov 07, 2024 |
|
Get your Ducks in a Row
|
Oct 31, 2024 |
|
Rachel Leja: College Planning for Neurodiverse Students
|
Oct 25, 2024 |
|
Sachin Jain: Threading Values, Interests, and Expectations
|
Oct 16, 2024 |
|
Danny Tejada: College Access and the ROI of Higher Education
|
Oct 09, 2024 |
|
Hacking the Hidden Obstacles to Your Kid’s Best SAT/ACT Score — Even if They’re Bad at Test-Taking
|
Oct 03, 2024 |
|
Let’s Get Tactical: Early Application Alphabet Soup
|
Sep 18, 2024 |
|
Rick Weissbourd: Making Caring Common
|
Sep 12, 2024 |
|
High Performance in High School
|
Sep 05, 2024 |
|
Kelley Challen: Transitions for Kids with Learning Differences
|
Aug 29, 2024 |
|
Jay Bacrania: Skills for Sailing thru High School
|
Aug 22, 2024 |
|
Let’s Get Tactical: Supplemental Essays
|
Aug 15, 2024 |
|
Don McMillan: Boarding Schools
|
Aug 07, 2024 |
|
What Really Matters in College Admissions
|
Aug 01, 2024 |
|
Team Signet: The College Essay
|
Jun 26, 2024 |
|
Eric Endlich: Learning Differences & the College Process
|
Jun 20, 2024 |
|
David Hawkins and Tom Bear: Character in College Admissions
|
Jun 12, 2024 |
|
Chris Davis: Harvard Extension School
|
Jun 05, 2024 |
|
Jenny Meanwell: Using Intuition in Tutoring and in Life
|
May 30, 2024 |
|
Patricia Bannan: Burnout
|
May 22, 2024 |
|
Aneesh Raman: Finding the Thread
|
May 15, 2024 |
|
Let’s Get Tactical: Academic Excellence Without Burnout
|
May 09, 2024 |
|
Holly Schreiber: Watershed Parent Coaching
|
May 06, 2024 |
|
Let’s Get Tactical: What do you need to know about the digital SAT?
|
Apr 25, 2024 |
|
Joy Meserve: Leading with Joy
|
Apr 18, 2024 |
|
Let's Get Tactical: How to Navigate the Waitlist
|
Apr 11, 2024 |
|
Joanna Graham: Expertise, Authenticity, and Purpose
|
Apr 04, 2024 |
|
Shereem Herndon-Brown: The Black Family's Guide to College Admissions
|
Mar 28, 2024 |
|
Van Tran: Embracing the Pivot
|
Mar 21, 2024 |
|
Let’s Get Tactical: How to Build a College List
|
Mar 14, 2024 |
|
Emmaline Cook: Learning for the Sake of Learning
|
Mar 07, 2024 |
|
Evan Mandery: How Elite Colleges Divide Us
|
Feb 29, 2024 |
|
Ned Johnson: The Self-Driven Child
|
Feb 22, 2024 |
|
Dr. Neha Pathak and Dr. Joyce Varughese: Education and the Children of Immigrants
|
Feb 15, 2024 |
|
Andy Friedman: Word Nerd
|
Feb 08, 2024 |
|
Let’s get tactical: How to Plan your Summer
|
Feb 01, 2024 |
|
Samara Bay: Permission to Speak
|
Dec 21, 2023 |
|
Let’s Get Tactical: Early Results Are Coming Out
|
Dec 12, 2023 |
|
McKenzie Carver: What is a Co-Op program?
|
Dec 07, 2023 |
|
Elaine Taylor-Klaus and Diane Dempster: Supporting Parents of Complex Kids
|
Nov 30, 2023 |
|
Jay Rosner: Bias in Testing and College Admissions
|
Nov 16, 2023 |
|
Let's Get Tactical: Now That Early Apps Are Done
|
Nov 08, 2023 |
|
Chris LaTempa: Recruited Athletes & College Admissions
|
Nov 02, 2023 |
|
Jaime Smith: Transfer & Homeschool Admissions
|
Oct 25, 2023 |
|
Annie Tulkin: Accessible College
|
Oct 18, 2023 |
|
Don’t Force It: An Intentional Approach to College Admissions
|
Oct 12, 2023 |
|
Hanna Stotland: Educational Crisis Management & Admissions
|
Oct 05, 2023 |
|
Tag team: Holly and Sheila discuss applying to graduate school
|
Sep 27, 2023 |
|
Sharon Genicoff: Personal Branding in College Admissions
|
Sep 20, 2023 |
|
Alberto Naviera: STEM tutoring
|
Sep 13, 2023 |
|
Bob Schaeffer: Fairtest.org
|
Sep 06, 2023 |
|
Mai Moore and Yumi Ndhlovu: Navigating College Admissions as a Woman of Color
|
Aug 31, 2023 |
|
Dr. Arundhati Ghosh: Medicine as a Career Path
|
Aug 24, 2023 |
|
Let’s Get Tactical: Affirmative Action & How to Write a “Diversity” Essay
|
Aug 17, 2023 |
|
Holly Schrieber: Relating to Teens with ADHD as an Educator
|
Aug 10, 2023 |
|
Thoughts on the SCOTUS Decision
|
Jul 10, 2023 |
|
Urvashi Bhatnagar: Why Cross-Functional Learning is Essential for Success
|
Jun 29, 2023 |
|
Talia Kovacs: Building Resilience in Our Kids
|
Jun 22, 2023 |
|
Andrea West: The Power of Reflection in College Admissions
|
Jun 15, 2023 |
|
Signet Writing Experts on the College Essay
|
Jun 08, 2023 |
|
Let’s get Tactical: Standardized Testing for the class of 2024 and beyond
|
Jun 01, 2023 |
|
Marie Bigham: Equity and Access in College Admissions
|
May 25, 2023 |
|
Panel: Do Asians face a higher bar in College admissions?
|
May 17, 2023 |
|
Ellen Braaten: Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less
|
May 10, 2023 |
|
Jay Bacrania: Skills for High School Success
|
May 03, 2023 |
|
Bonus Episode: Tools for Academic Skill-Building and Accountability
|
May 03, 2023 |
|
Blair Munhofen: The Counselor’s Role in College Admissions
|
Apr 26, 2023 |
|
Let's Get Tactical: How to Navigate the Waitlist
|
Apr 05, 2023 |
|
Akil Bello: Standardized Testing and its Discontents
|
Mar 30, 2023 |
|
Let's Get Tactical: How to Build a College List
|
Mar 30, 2023 |
|
Don't Force It - How to Get Into College Without Losing Yourself In the Process (Trailer)
|
Mar 27, 2023 |
|
Liz Mazzola: How to Achieve an Academic Turnaround
|
Mar 24, 2023 |