You’ve made it to the end of AP season—or you're just about to. So… what now? In this episode, I share what successful students actually do after their exams are over to prepare for college applications. These are the same strategies used by Ivy League, Stanford, and MIT admits—and they’re simple, clear, and powerful.

You’ll learn:

• Why the summer after junior year is a “bonus semester”
• The two questions your application must answer
• What aligned action looks like (with real student examples)
• How to recover, reflect, and move forward with purpose
• A simple 3-step plan you can start this week

Whether you’re feeling burned out or just unsure of your next step—this episode will help you reset your direction and use your time wisely.

💡 Want a personalized plan?
Book an Application Audit to identify your strengths, gaps, and strategy—while there’s still time to make your summer count.

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To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents

Are you feeling pressure to make the most of summer—but not sure what actually matters for college admissions? In this episode, Steve Gardner breaks down the three most common mistakes high-achieving students make when planning their summer... and shows you how to avoid them.

You’ll meet:

• Sophia, who overloaded her schedule trying to impress colleges
• Daniel, who created a meaningful project from a single question
• And Bryanna, a real student whose summer project led to research, grants, and scholarship offers

Whether you’re feeling behind or just overwhelmed, this episode will help you create a summer that builds not just a stronger application—but a stronger you.

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To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents

Steve sits down with Tessymol Jose — the inspiring mother of Erica, one of our incredible students — to tell the full, raw story of their college admissions journey.

This isn’t a sugar-coated success story. It’s a front-row seat to the overwhelming pressure, confusion, and heartbreak that so many ambitious students (and their families) experience when they follow the wrong roadmap to college admissions — the "just do more, be more impressive" roadmap that leads straight to burnout.

🔹 Tessymol shares how Erica — a top student involved in leadership, orchestra, tennis, and volunteering — still felt like she was falling behind. Despite all her accomplishments, despite the straight A's, despite the sleepless nights and sacrifice, she was left asking: "What more can I possibly do to stand out?"

🔹 You’ll hear how endless stress, migraines, ulcers, skipped meals, and emotional breakdowns finally led them to seek a different answer — an answer they found inside the Ivy League Challenge.

🔹 You’ll learn how Erica shifted from the Impressiveness Trap to aligning her college prep around her core values — and how that transformation (not overachievement) led to her acceptance at Dartmouth College, one of the most prestigious and life-changing undergraduate experiences in the world.

This conversation is emotional. It's honest. And it’s a powerful reminder that winning at college admissions — and more importantly, winning at life — doesn't come from sacrificing your health and happiness at the altar of "impressiveness."

It comes from clarity, core values, and smart, strategic action.

If you’re a parent or a student feeling the pressure, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.

Key Topics:

• The dangers of the Impressiveness Trap
• How Tessymol and Erica realized they needed a different path
• The power of core values in college admissions
• Why top colleges care about who you are, not how many activities you can juggle
• How real transformation — not just more stress — leads to Ivy League success

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To register for the Ivy League Challenge, visit our website
To follow on Instagram: @TheIvyLeagueChallenge
To join us on our Facebook group for parents