I speak regularly on various aspects of the college application process to students, parents, and educators at schools and community organizations. I also facilitate interactive seminars and workshops.
Below are several of the topics on which I regularly speak. I am also happy to work with you or your organization to develop a custom presentation tailored to your needs. Please email me for more information.
Topics:
- Harnessing the “Superstar Effect” in College Admissions
The competition is fierce. Grades and test scores alone won’t guarantee admission to top colleges. Trying to be the perfect “well-rounded” applicant is a recipe for being a “jack of all trades, master of none.” Instead, in this winner-take-all system, colleges are seeking applicants who focus on becoming the best in one specific area.
In a keynote based on my personal experience (featured in the best-selling book, How to Be a High School Superstar), I present a blueprint for how to succeed in the hyper-competitive college admissions process.
The key: think and act outside the box when seeking your unique “hook.” In other words, set yourself apart by finding that small pond where you can be the big fish. While you don’t have to travel half-way around the world or start a non-profit organization, you do need to find a niche that you can call your own.
In this keynote, you will learn the admissions strategies that can make your application stand out. This is a bold presentation on setting yourself apart in a competition where every successful applicant is “special.”
- Crafting a Winning College Essay
College admission officers read thousands of applications each season, and often have only a few minutes to review each application. After a certain point, they all start to blur together. How can you write essays that will make you a memorable applicant? The solution: Stop thinking of admission officers as officers and start thinking of them as people.
Based on the techniques I employed to gain admission to Columbia University, I explain in this keynote how to craft a winning college essay from start to finish. You’ll learn:
- What all the most compelling essays have in common.
- How to transform weaknesses into strengths you can showcase.
- Why you must build a consistent “personal brand” throughout your application.
- How to develop a unique hook that resonates with admission officers.
Through interactive workshops and keynotes, this is the college admissions framework that will help students gain acceptance to the schools of their dreams, delivered by one of the field’s most engaging speakers.
- Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
With acceptance rates at top colleges lower than ever, students are under increased pressure to be “perfect.” Unfortunately, this desire for perfection often leads students to engage in negative self-talk, ultimately preventing them from achieving their fullest potential in the college admission process.
One of our tasks as educators is to help students overcome the sneaking suspicion that they are “impostors.” Instead, we must help these students to see themselves as the “superstars” they truly are. Only then will they possess the confidence necessary to highlight their most impressive qualities throughout the college admission process.
My background uniquely qualifies me to deliver this entertaining keynote. I speak from my own personal experience while also drawing upon several years of working with students.