Ken chats with Marie Bigham, founder and co-leader at ACCEPT: Admissions Community Cultivating Equity & Peace Today, and one of the masterminds behind Hack the Gates, whose goal is to "Radically Reimagine Admissions." Learn about the power of learning, listening, enjoying the ride—and also how Pearl Jam, Prince, Self-Care Sundays, and carrying a file folder confidently can make all the difference.

Shout-outs

• Nanette Tarbouni—former director of admissions and Marie's boss at Washington University of St. Louis, now a college counselor at John Burroughs High School.
• Marjorie Jacobs—former college counselor at Scarsdale HS in New York who invited Marie to be on a panel early in her career. Now a college counselor at SAR.
• Jim McLeod—was Marie's champion at Wash U when he was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. (He passed away in 2011.)
• Brandi Smith and Steve Frappier, co-leaders of ACCEPT.
• @ACCEPTGroup, @HackTheGates

Links and lists

• ACCEPT was featured in a Chronicle of Higher Education article by Eric Hoover: The Admissions Activists are Here to Make You Uncomfortable. (Aug. 11, 2019).
• Marie referred to Amy Poehler's "Smart Girls Ask Amy" series on YouTube, specifically this episode about courage in the face of a risk.
• She's loving the NYT 1619 Project

Rapid Descent

• Marie's walkout song: Rollout (this one's the PG version) by Ludacris
• Best thing she's read lately: How Does It Feel, a 2016 New Yorker article by Patti Smith
• What she's eager to read next: Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia
• What she uses to take and keep notes: Lechturm 1917 A5 Hardcover notebook with dot grid (find it here) with notes written in black ink with a Pilot G2 Ultrafine .38mm pen
• Memorable bit of advice: "Walk with confidence and carry a file folder... people will think you know what you're doing."
• Bucket list: Alaska. It's the only state she hasn't visited.

The ALP is supported by RHB, a division of SIG. Music arranged by Ryan Anselment