The Game: A Guide to Elite College Admissions

Families with younger students often treat building a college candidacy as a long, low-intensity process simply because the deadline is far away. 

But, in this episode, we explain why this common mindset destroys one of the most precious competitive advantages––and any hope for differentiation among extremely talented applicants––when it comes to earning admission to elite colleges.

We argue, instead, that top outcomes don’t come from spreading effort thin over many years but rather from urgency, intensity, and compounding skills long before pressure forces action and everyone also starts “trying their hardest” as well.

Usi...

Duration: 00:54:26

In this episode, we discuss the strategic implications of “school fit” and “college preferences” for students who are specifically aiming for admission to highly selective colleges.

When competitiveness and admissions strategy are layered in, many students end up with a highly fragile candidacy and a high risk of striking out on many, if not all, top colleges when their “preferences” end up eliminating too many colleges, especially those that are most viable.

Finally, we argue that weaker candidates with more flexible top college preferences often earn better outcomes than superior candidates whose preferences tend to be much more...

Duration: 00:47:42

In this episode, we discuss one of the most strategic schools every applicant to top colleges should consider adding to their list and that may make or break their candidacy.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellence, with 100% of its students gaining admission to a top-choice school in the 2024–25 application cycle.

Its students have recently gained admission to...

Duration: 00:42:58

Why do elite colleges consistently reject “strong” applicants with impressive but scattered resumes? In this episode, we explain the strategic framework admissions officers use when evaluating applications—and why focus has become the dominant signal at top colleges.

Drawing on admissions psychology and institutional incentives, we outline five reasons focused applicants outperform well-rounded ones.

Finally, we address why not all focus is equally valuable: in oversubscribed areas like engineering, computer science, biology/pre-med, and business, focus alone is insufficient, and applicants in these areas must further differentiate their candidacies.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam...

Duration: 00:24:07

In this case study episode, we analyze the profile of a high-achieving junior targeting Yale and other top colleges, with strong grades, near-perfect test scores, and a deep set of extracurriculars spanning environmental conservation, theater, and ethics.

Despite an impressive volume of resume activity, however, the student’s profile currently lacks the level of scarcity and scale required to truly compete at the Yale tier.

These problems are compounded by further strategic liabilities, such as the particular strength of Yale’s environmental and humanities-focused applicant pool, as well as other demographic headwinds (over-represented minority and over...

Duration: 01:58:06

In this case study episode, we analyze the profile of a high-achieving 10th grade student targeting top engineering and STEM programs (MIT, Princeton, and Georgia Tech), with strong grades, advanced math/STEM coursework, and some early depth in STEM-relevant activities.

Despite a solid foundation, however, the student’s extracurricular profile currently lacks a clear, differentiated through-line, as well as activities and awards that are necessary for benchmarking the level of technical ability required for elite STEM programs.

We reorganize the student’s activities into thematic clusters and walk through several strategic paths—engineering depth, as well a...

Duration: 00:39:02

In this case study episode, we analyze the candidacy of another high-achieving 10th grade student near the top of their class, with 7 AP courses by sophomore year and near-perfect test scores. 

However, despite their strong metrics, we highlight the biggest constraint in the student’s candidacy: their “hook” and resume-building. We dive deep into the student’s primary passions and academic strengths, including both music and math, and present several strategic paths forward with tactical steps to significantly improve the student’s resume and candidacy at top colleges.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought...

Duration: 01:23:19

In this case study episode, we break down the profile of an academically high-achieving 10th grader, with excellent “stats”: straight As in highly accelerated and multiple grade-ahead course rigor and a 1550 SAT before beginning sophomore year.

Despite this student’s extremely strong metrics, however, their resume significantly lags behind and has the typical characteristics of most rejected profiles at top colleges: a broad number of highly common/cliche activities lacking any clear “hook” or compelling through-line supporting a focused and differentiated passion.

We analyze these current deficiencies that will significantly hurt the student’s chances of admission...

Duration: 00:39:30

The most selective colleges do not admit normal applicants; they admit exceptional applicants. And in order to be exceptional, students must first be an exception—or not like their other high-achieving peers, the vast majority of whom will be rejected by top colleges.

In this episode, we cover six of the most common and cliché activities—sports, music, and more—that continue to fill the resumes of top college applicants, causing their applications to come across as bland, unremarkable, and easy for admissions officers at highly selective colleges to reject.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell...

Duration: 00:31:33

Want to have us analyze your current profile for top colleges in an upcoming episode? Email us at info@greatmindsadvising.com

Unfortunately, despite possessing excellent grades, course rigor, and test scores, the vast majority of applicants to top colleges lack the type of compelling resume outside the classroom that actually differentiates accepted from rejected students.

In this episode, we unveil the costly and potentially candidacy-ending resume mistakes that tend to beset many otherwise high-achieving students aiming for highly selective colleges. 

In particular, we discuss the case of junior year students who very often f...

Duration: 00:52:03

Want to have us analyze your current profile for top colleges in an upcoming episode? Email us at info@greatmindsadvising.com

Early decision, or placing a binding commitment, is the strongest possible signal of demonstrated interest at any top college and is often rewarded with a significant increase in a student’s chance of admission. 

In this episode, however, we consider how colleges at which a student is not applying early decision view their applications and what other signals a student who is not applying ED should or should not send.

I...

Duration: 00:29:08

Top colleges look to admit students with focused passions or “hooks” that they’ll uniquely contribute as part of the incoming freshman class.

However, not all hooks—or the intended college majors they’re associated with—are created equal. And certain hooks/academic areas may even jeopardize students’ ability to earn admission to a top college at all.

In this episode, we spotlight what we deem the “worst major” or hook for getting into a top college. We identify nine different reasons this area of interest is so strategically disadvantaging and discuss the many pitfalls to beware—and navi...

Duration: 00:45:43

In this episode, we dig into early vs. regular decision acceptance rates, what a deferral in the early round signals about a student’s chance of admission in the regular decision round, and how to understand and correctly analyze deferrals at various top colleges before potentially making other high-stakes decisions.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellence, with 100% of its stude...

Duration: 00:23:21

Top colleges fundamentally look to admit future high-impact scholars and leaders. In this episode, we analyze three characteristics or “signals” top colleges aim to identify in their applicants that are highly predictive of future promise. 

We explain why different components of the application should showcase different traits, and why sending the right signals in the right places can be the difference between acceptance and rejection.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into th...

Duration: 00:56:20

In this episode, we break down one of the most misunderstood topics in college admissions — how many times you should take the SAT or ACT. 

We cover the ideal test scores for top colleges, explain why retaking the tests carries virtually no downside, how to think about risk vs. reward, and why one top college’s “submit all scores” policy doesn’t change the strategy for most students.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic in...

Duration: 00:25:48

For the first time, we reveal the anatomy of a “perfect” activity when applying to top colleges. Using real past examples, we illustrate why this activity is so differentiating and leaves almost every other resume-builder for elite admissions in the dust.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellence, with 100% of its students gaining admission to a top-choice school in the 2024–25...

Duration: 01:16:55

Assuming you haven’t been living under a rock since the 90s, you (hopefully) know by now that top colleges no longer want “well-rounded” students. The same old boring applicant admissions officers at top colleges see in droves––the student who plays sports, the violin, is editor of the school newspaper, and class president. 

The type of profile that makes admissions officers at highly selective colleges fall asleep.

But there’s a catch: one part of a student’s candidacy where admissions officers do expect a high degree of well-roundedness and balanced proficiency. 

And we cover it...

Duration: 00:21:18

In this episode, we upack what top colleges actually expect from your math track. While many students targeting top colleges will have similar course rigor, we introduce a simple “two-slider” model to determine more precisely what math and other course levels are optimal.

We consider a particularly difficult case study to further illustrate additional constraints on course selection—such as admissions officers’ strong expectation students complete four years in all core subjects—and candidacy nuances such as overall time allocation to course rigor vs. hook and resume-building. 

Ultimately, we reveal how admissions officers at top colleges vi...

Duration: 00:53:43

In this episode, we dismantle the mythology of overrated concepts in admissions counseling such as “demonstrated interest.” We show why most of what students and families are told when it comes to applying to top colleges barely moves the needle and can even hurt a student’s candidacy by diverting attention from higher-priority concerns. 

We share a simple two-factor analysis for evaluating admissions guidance—particularly for students targeting highly selective institutions—and reveal some simple calculations that get to the heart of a student’s candidacy, how it will be viewed by admissions officers, and why many common admiss...

Duration: 00:21:29

Masterclass Registration – Oct 15th @ 7pm ET (Zoom)

In this episode, we tackle the question of whether “gifted and talented” programs and designations like Johns Hopkins CTY or Davidson Young Scholar actually matter to top colleges. While these labels may sound impressive, we break down why admissions officers may view them as redundant with other more relevant components of a student’s application and how they can even backfire if framed poorly. 

Ultimately, we emphasize that students applying to top colleges––regardless of whether they’ve been labelled “gifted and talented” or not––should instead focus on demonstrating the pr...

Duration: 00:24:41

Masterclass Registration – Oct 15th @ 7pm ET (Zoom)

Elite college admissions isn’t just about “getting to apply to Stanford” or “taking your shot at Penn”—it’s about layering every possible decision and advantage so that when the time comes, you’re not playing a lottery like everyone else.

In this episode, we challenge students and families to reverse engineer the process from the perspective of a senior applying to college and understand how just like a savvy poker player or investor, winning candidates compound optimal moves and progress over years to mitigate risk and stack the deck in...

Duration: 01:48:19

In this episode, we analyze the application strategy of a high-achieving student preparing to apply Early Decision in the 2025–26 cycle. We evaluate her academic and extracurricular profile, explore how to elevate her thematic positioning around identity, language, and global impact, and cover which colleges offer the best strategic fit for her ED choice.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellenc...

Duration: 03:09:58

In this episode, we break down the profile and application of a top student deciding between Yale/Stanford for early action in the upcoming 2025-26 application cycle.

We analyze both the strengths and weaknesses in her profile, identify admissions hooks that portray the most compelling view of her resume, and overhaul the initial draft of her application, optimizing critical themes and through-lines while removing potentially costly errors that could jeopardize her chances of admission to top colleges.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Mi...

Duration: 04:15:00

Much of what students and families worry about or hear in college admissions actually matters less than they know. 

In this episode, we expose the most overrated pieces of the process—and traditional guidance—from the importance of leadership, service, and GPA weighting to launching “passion projects” or communicating with admissions officers.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellenc...

Duration: 02:40:50

In this episode, we flip the script and walk through the 10 fastest ways to sabotage your college admissions chances—so you can do the opposite. 

From staying “well-rounded” to avoiding commitment to a hook, we discuss common traps that smart students fall into. We cover why being passive and waiting for permission or perfection when it comes to resume-building are silent application killers—and how trap essay prompts, misaligned majors, or poor testing strategy can hurt student candidacies. 

By emphasizing the most frequent ways students jeopardize their odds at selective colleges, we shed light on how you ca...

Duration: 00:31:12

In this episode, we answer three listener questions on the following topics:

how to best strategically position a pre-law studenthow to take college courses that improve your candidacythe role of legacy at top colleges and early application strategy

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellence, with 100% of its students gaining admission to a top-choice school in the 2024–25 application cycle.

<...

Duration: 02:15:04

In this episode, we reveal three common pieces of misinformation that admissions officers often convey to applicants and their families, breeding a false sense of complacency and a dangerously naive view of admissions at top colleges. In particular, we cover:

how applications are actually reviewed, with many being discarded long before they are given a “holistic review” as admissions officers purportthe great myth of “test optional,” or that students failing to submit strong scores are not at a disadvantagehow the limitations of students’ high schools––such as lacking course offerings, missing high-value extracurriculars, or issues such as grade deflation––can...

Duration: 01:23:33

In this episode, we perform a case study analysis on acceptance/matriculation data from one of the top private high schools in the U.S. and a well-known Ivy League “feeder school.” We cover the following:

Most Recent Year and 5-Year Ivy League MatriculationsIvy League Acceptance Data for “Unhooked” Students (i.e. non-legacy/donor, recruited athletes, etc)Hooked vs. Unhooked Student Acceptance Rates & GPAs

Drawing upon this data, we argue that alluring college track records at many top US high schools—particularly top private high schools—often derive not from the school’s “name brand” but rather from a disp...

Duration: 00:46:05

In this deep dive episode, we analyze the profile and application of a current high school senior applying to Stanford. We pinpoint critical strategic mistakes affecting the quality of the student’s presentation across both the Common Application and the Stanford supplements––errors that are very often committed by top academic students in general and students targeting Stanford in particular.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the compa...

Duration: 05:41:13

In this episode, we return to the popular online forum Reddit to answer college admissions Qs from students across the country. In particular, we cover the following topics:

Additional Information Section: Good or Bad?Including A Third Teacher or Supplementary RecommendationEarly Action Plans That Prohibit Early Decision To Other CollegesHelp With My Vanderbilt Essay!Strategic Implications Of Parent Colleges & Backgrounds

Send Us A Question: info@greatmindsadvising.com

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program an...

Duration: 01:30:39

For the first time, we analyze the profile of a current HS senior targeting three top colleges: WashU, Vanderbilt, & Michigan.
While the student possesses a strong academic foundation (perfect GPA in 15 APs, 34/36 ACT, ranked #1 in HS class), he significantly lacks the type of extracurricular profile, depth, and admissions “hook” that will differentiate students targeting highly selective institutions. 
Given the student is already in the process of applying to colleges and cannot fundamentally alter much of his profile at this very late stage, what can we do to help?
In this deep dive episode, we devise a compr...

Duration: 04:01:05

In this episode, we cover ten primary ways students can build their admissions hooks to differentiate their applications at top colleges, the pros/cons of each activity type, and several common activities that tend to contribute minimally to—and even potentially jeopardize—a student’s odds of acceptance.

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellence, with 100% of its students gaining...

Duration: 02:06:16

In this episode, we break down the timeline and significance of the PSAT and various National Merit awards associated with strong PSAT scores:

PSAT for students in grades earlier than 11th (e.g. PSAT 8/9 + PSAT 10)The PSAT/NMSQT exam in 11th gradeScore ranges for juniors who might be in play for National Merit awards connected to their PSAT/NMSQT scoresTimeline for PSAT/NMSQT score returnCalculation of the National Merit “Selection Index” that determines National Merit awardsCommended Student and National Merit Semifinalist Awards & How Score Cutoffs Are Determined For Each Timeline for Notification to SeniorsHow Significant Are National Merit Award...

Duration: 01:19:38

In this episode, we dive into the many different types of “demonstrated interest” and the particular case of contacting admissions officers:

Why “demonstrated interest” is generally overrated and over-discussed compared to other candidacy-building factors for students targeting highly selective colleges“Strong” vs. “weak” demonstrated interest: defining highly strategic forms vs. mere “checkbox” itemsOther types of “quasi-demonstrated interest” or “yield signaling” that can affect admissions odds80/20 rule for demonstrated interest and maximizing leverageThe poor risk-to-reward ratio of admissions officer contact and why it constitutes “weaker” demonstrated interest at top schoolsIdeal vs. less ideal conditions for contactYale admit example

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“The Game” is...

Duration: 01:21:55

Admissions Masterclass

In this episode, we cover the much more strategic attitude—versus a purely “instructions-following” mindset—students should take into the application process for each and every piece of information admissions officers will view, including components that might seem like pure “data entry.”
We highlight negative perceptions and various red flags that can be associated with variables such as (1) parent occupations, (2) students' future plans/career interests, (3) inclusion of social security numbers, (4) description of activities and accomplishments, and (5) writing style.
Taken together, we show how subtle variations in a student’s responses can alter the...

Duration: 00:47:00

Admissions Masterclass

Think college summer programs are helping your case for admission to highly selective schools?
Think again.
In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the widely popular—and vastly overrated—college summer programs in which so many high school students enroll and why almost all of them fail to actually impress admissions officers at top colleges.
We discuss several critical issues with these programs, including why they are often looked down upon by selective colleges, the significant opportunity costs associated with not pursuing other higher-value and more impressive activities, and why...

Duration: 01:25:49

Admissions Masterclass

In this episode, we dissect the candidacy of a student from the Wall Street Journal piece, "To Get Into The Ivy League, Extraordinary Isn't Always Enough These Days."
The piece spotlights Kaitlyn Younger, a Texas high school senior with a 3.95/4.0 unweighted GPA in 11 AP courses, 1550/1600 SAT, top marks on AP exams, and a rank of #23/668 (top-3%) in her graduating class.
Younger applied to 12 colleges, was rejected by 9, waitlisted at 1, and only earned admission to two safety schools, including Arizona State, which she now attends.
We highlight several critical errors or failed opportunities...

Duration: 01:07:15

In this episode, we respond to questions in the popular online forum Reddit from students across the country. In particular, we cover answers to the following:

Which letters of recommendation do I send?How important is course rigor freshman and sophomore year?How do you come up with your college essay topic?Which GPA do colleges use?What are my college chances?

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process ha...

Duration: 01:35:46

Many students and families heavily rely on the college acceptance data (GPA/test scores vs. college outcomes) of past applicants from their high school to make high-stakes decisions about their school list, selection of early decision colleges, and likely overall college outcomes. 

In this episode, we break down how past college acceptance data is reported at many high schools, and the significant limitations and shortcomings of using such data for students applying to the most selective colleges. In particular, we cover the following:

The Limited Predictive Power of GPA/Scores When Applying to Top CollegesThe Necessity o...

Duration: 01:06:31

Many students and families heavily rely on the college acceptance data (GPA/test scores vs. college outcomes) of past applicants from their high school to make high-stakes decisions about their school list, selection of early decision colleges, and likely overall college outcomes. 

In this episode, we break down how past college acceptance data is reported at many high schools, and the significant limitations and shortcomings of using such data for students applying to the most selective colleges. In particular, we cover the following:

The Limited Predictive Power of GPA/Scores When Applying to Top CollegesThe Necessity o...

Duration: 01:06:31

In this episode, we review the profile and applications of a premed student who was rejected from both of their early decision schools, roughly top-25 to top-35 national universities. This student attended a top-1% US high school, possessed a 3.9 unweighted GPA, 99th percentile test scores, took 15 AP/honors courses, and had what many would consider an excellent resume filled with many “leadership positions” and “service activities.”

In our case study, we break down several of the student’s application weaknesses and errors, including the following:

The Difficulty of Premed PositioningThe Importance of All HS Grades...

Duration: 00:51:23

In this episode, we cover many factors—including costly mistakes, myths, and traps—related to students’ school selection. In particular, we address the following:

School Visits

Why it doesn’t make sense to visit highly selective colleges before mid-11th gradePrioritization of best and best-fit colleges for visits, especially schools that offer binding/restrictive early plans (such as Early Decision)

Decision Plans

Different types (ED1/2, REA/SCEA, EA, RD) and how much each improves your admissions odds

How your decision plan may improve/hurt your odds of admission more than mer...

Duration: 01:05:49

In prior episodes, we’ve determined that top colleges seek not only students with excellent grades, course rigor, and test scores but also students with compelling admissions “stories” or “hooks” related to their academic/intellectual passions and how they will contribute to their future college—and hopefully, the world—in some specific, unique way. 

However, just as with students’ “metrics” (grades, rigor, scores), a focused resume is still not necessarily sufficient for gaining admission to highly selective schools. And many students build their “hooks” in areas that are the most competitive, highly common, and may lead admissions officers to question whet...

Duration: 01:37:15

She was the Valedictorian of her high school. Perfect GPA in over twenty advanced classes, taking Calculus BC by 10th grade and college math courses by 11th grade. All perfect/near-perfect test scores, tennis captain, multiple leadership positions, a scholarship to a prestigious math program, and state math champion. To boot, as a female applying for math/engineering, she was an underrepresented applicant and hailed from a U.S. state that might be seen as contributing to campus diversity.

Yet, this student was rejected from each and every Ivy League school to which she applied, Stanford, and...

Duration: 00:36:37

Summer is upon us, and many rising seniors—if they haven’t already—are turning their attention to college applications. Among the most important components they will be tackling is the Common Application “Personal Essay”, often simply called “the college essay.” For almost all students, this will be the most important essay colleges read, and for some, it may even be the only one they read.
But there’s just one problem: almost every student writes the wrong type of essay.
In this episode, we break down why the title “Personal Essay” is itself misleading and fails to tap into what man...

Duration: 00:56:32

College admissions has never been more competitive: high GPAs, strong test scores, and a well-rounded resume—once sufficient for an acceptance—are now common features of most applications to highly selective colleges. 

In this episode, we reveal what top colleges nowadays seek: students with compelling admissions stories centered around a focused academic passion, or “hook.” Using the process we’ve employed with our own students to help them gain admission to top colleges, we break down how students need to go about identifying their own unique narrative, how to build and continually reshape it over time, and how their a...

Duration: 00:45:35

When many parents applied to college around three decades ago, college lists and outcomes assumed a fairly predictable, linear order. You had your “safeties,” schools to which you were almost certain to be admitted, your “targets,” schools to which you could reasonably expect to be admitted, and “reaches,” schools to which you would most likely not be admitted.

Nowadays, however, college outcomes seem less predictable than ever, with students often being rejected or waitlisted even at schools that might be classified as “safeties” and “targets.” 

What is going on? In this episode, we distill the variation in outcomes...

Duration: 00:26:26

You’ve probably heard of Early Action, but do you know what Single-Choice and Restrictive Early Action are? Seven of the top colleges (Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, CalTech, Georgetown, and Notre Dame) offer one of these unique sub-types of Early Action that place significant restrictions on the other colleges to which students under these plans may apply.

In this episode, we analyze what these plans entail, why Single-Choice and Restrictive Early Action are often confused, and what they can mean for your admissions prospects if you are targeting one of the schools above.

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“The Game” is...

Duration: 00:21:07

While many students and parents are caught up with AP exams, senior course selection, college visits, college essays, requesting teacher letters of recommendation, in this episode, we reveal the one thing that absolutely every high school junior must do right now if they want to ensure they are on the path to admissions success at top colleges.

And spoiler alert: you’re probably not doing it.

Admissions Masterclass

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“The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising.

Great Minds Advising’s unique, hand...

Duration: 00:40:04