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

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 racism from college admissions. Recently named a “Global Game Changer” by Facebook, Marie is a national leader in college admission redesign and reform. In 2018, ACCEPT received the Excellence in Education Award from the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, awarded to “those who use their prominence to advance equity and access in education”. Marie’s lifelong commitment to racial justice has informed her professional path. With almost 25 years in the college admissions ecosystem, Marie has served on the Board of Directors for the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC); as Vice Chair and Director of Communication for Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS); and on the Board of Directors of Texas Association of College Admissions Counseling (TACAC). Marie entered admissions at her alma mater, Washington University in St. Louis (Class of 1995), where she earned a BA in Political Science and Women’s Studies and a minor in Glassblowing. She served as Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Washington U, as Associate Director of College Counseling at Riverdale Country School (NY), and as Director of College Counseling at The Bishop’s School (CA), Greenhill School (TX), and Isidore Newman School (LA). Follow Marie at https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-bigham-accept/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/.

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 misinformation. On top of this, recent immigrants and first-generation applicants are particularly impacted by an unfamiliarity with the American way of getting into college, which–let’s just say it–is stressful and confusing for everyone, no matter their background.Today’s episode is a recording of a panel discussion with renowned experts on admissions reform, standardized testing, race-conscious admissions practices, and Asian American politics. Bios:Akil Bello - Senior Directory of Advocacy and Advancement, FairTest. https://www.linkedin.com/in/akil-bello/Marie Bigham - Founder and Executive Director, ACCEPT. https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-bigham-accept/Suzi Nam - Former Admissions Officer and DEI Expert.https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzi-nam/Professor Janelle Wong - Asian American Studies Program Director, University of Maryland.https://www.linkedin.com/in/janelle-wong-0619a4105/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/.

Dr. Ellen Braaten, author of 'Bright Kids Who Couldn't Care Less: How to Rekindle Your Child's Motivation', discusses the reasons behind children losing interest in school and other activities. She explores the demotivating effects of academic pressure, the mismatch between parents' expectations and students' preferences in college admissions, and the importance of uncovering assumptions and focusing on pleasure. Dr. Braaten also emphasizes the significance of sleep and basic needs for children's motivation.

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 learners, from students with executive function deficits and learning differences to high performing students who want to reach a new level of reflection and growth. Tune in for a deep dive on vision, mindset, and the power for reflection in helping students achieve their academic goals.Jay's Bio:Jay is the CEO of Signet Education. He has taken a broad academic path that encompasses both the sciences and the humanities. Jay is values-driven in his approach to both tutoring and running Signet. He believes that education and career are twin pillars vital to building a meaningful life. Jay continually experiments with how best to promote deeper learning and personal growth for himself, his staff, and the students who work with Signet. When he’s not at the office, Jay can be found at his home in Somerville, finding new and better ways to make a cup of coffee and spending time with his family. Follow Jay at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaybacrania/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/.

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 in the episode: • Semester Reflection • Weekly Review • Time Diary • Life WheelAccess 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/.

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, EdD is Head of Upper School at the Miami Valley School in Dayton, Ohio. Blair’s career spans teaching, administration, college counseling, and leadership. His pedagogy is inspired and informed by engaging young people in authentic, experiential learning, and his leadership style blends authenticity with deep care for others. Follow Blair at https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-munhofen-eddAccess 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/.

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 the waitlist. 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/.

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 outcomes instead. Additional helpful resources from Akil:https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-reckless-rankings-gamehttps://wordinblack.com/2022/11/why-high-school-students-dont-need-sat-anymore/https://akilbello.com/2020/10/16/dont-believe-the-hype/https://www.forbes.com/sites/akilbello/2022/01/31/the-college-board-announces-the-best-sat-since-the-last-sat/Akil's bio: Akil Bello is an educator, speaker, entrepreneur, and testing expert. Akil has worked at every level of the supplemental education industry, advising universities, launching multiple companies, developing dozens of admissions and test preparation programs, training hundreds of instructors, and helping thousands of students achieve success.Akil was founding partner and CEO for Bell Curves, a test preparation company that focuses on helping public schools, non-profit organizations, and community-based organizations understand admission systems and policies and develop affordable solutions for their students. After leaving his position as Director of Equity and Access for an international test preparation corporation, Akil worked as a consultant, providing institutions with a deeper understanding of how to successfully support underserved students. Akil holds a bachelor's degree from university in Brookly, NY and is currently the Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at Fairtest, working to end misuse and overuse of standardized tests. Follow Akil at https://www.linkedin.com/in/akil-bello/.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/.

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 Researching a CollegeAccess 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/.

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 checking boxes - doing standardized tests, ignoring their mental health - and being pushed towards decisions that could affect the rest of their lives.But let's also talk about the bright side. Instead of seeing it as THE goal, let's see college and the process of getting there as an amazing, empowering tool to help young adults achieve THEIR goals. Now, the process is the process for the foreseable future, but let's make it work for your kid and your family. And the more you know about how the machine works, the more you can do that. So that's what you're going to learn on this podcast. I'm Sheila. I have two PhDs, and I live and breathe this stuff. I run a company where we walk families who are unfamiliar with the US process or are just really stressed about it through all of this. And I'm going to bring in a bunch of my friends to talk to you about all of these things. You'll hear from experts in admissions, executive functions & study skills, standardized testing, the business side of higher education, and so much more.And most importantly, because I know how overwhelming this can be, you're going to learn practical strategies and tactics from all of them, so you can get through this without losing sight of yourself, your kid, or your sanity.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/.