Hi there, thanks for sharing your thoughts about the episode! I completely agree — the college admissions process is very opaque and stressful these days. Just as you’ve observed, I agree that EQ is hugely important for career and life success. I regularly tell my students to have fun, meet up with their friends, build relationships, etc. Thank you again for taking the time to write and I wish you and your loved ones the best. ~ Warmly, Alice

Hi Jennie, Thanks for sharing about how you felt about the episode! I’m sorry the episode caused fear – that was the exact opposite of my intent. I completely agree with you — college admissions is very stressful these days. That’s why I am teaching my own children, and my students, that they don’t need top schools to succeed. Families who come to me tend to want to aim for these schools so I support them, but I am constantly telling my students they will succeed wherever they end up. I definitely want to preserve the mental health and exploratory period of my students, which is why I don’t typically accept students until 11th grade. I wish you and your family the best! ~Warmly, Alice

Hi there, thank you for listening and I appreciate the feedback! I completely agree that there are a lot of colleges out there, and many options for everyone. Yes, I do support a certain population of teens, because those are the families who are referred to me by their friends. Personally, I hope to alleviate the stress around college admissions. For my own children, and the teens I serve, I try to focus on what we can control (building life skills / process) rather than end results. And yes, I think it would be great for Laura to have another episode on typical college admissions. Best wishes to you and your family! ~ Warmly, Alice

I agree! I think Laura asked great questions, but something about the interview (not due to Laura!) (and maybe the whole current college admission process) rubbed me the wrong way. What is the point of getting into a really selective school if your child has to jump through all of these hoops that are not even related to grades or test scores, and because of the sheer # of students applying even fantastic applicants who check all the boxes (grades, scores, impressive activities) don’t get in? And don’t get me started on the emphasis on activities – how many teenagers really create useful apps or are curing cancer? It frankly seems like a lot of B.S. And I say this as someone who applied to selective colleges and cared very much about the process back when I was applying.
Also, frankly, after working 20 years in a competitive industry in NYC it is very clear to me that the “prestige” of college or grad school really doesn’t matter in terms of earning potential – what is important is personality and work ethic.