Overthinking and Overanalyzing - Weakness or Superpower?
You may have heard someone tell you, “You’re totally overthinking this.” There tends to be a negative connotation placed on the quality of overthinking or overanalyzing, but as a fellow over-analyzer, I believe this is a skill that can absolutely be used for good. Today, I unpack the characteristic of overthinking because I think it is a superpower, not a weakness to anybody’s character, or personality, or to who you are, or how you think, because it’s just the way your brain works.

Using Overanalyzing for Good, Not Evil
Overthinking or overanalyzing is the ability to think about your decisions, choices, and things that happen in the world at multiple, often microscopic layers. I believe this is an important human quality because it allows us to understand not only other people’s perspectives, but also the consequences and implications of our decisions. This skill of overthinking can actually help you get further faster if you use it in a positive way, and using this skill for good leaves room for analysis, growth, advancement, and a life beyond your wildest dreams waiting for you, one choice at a time. Here are some key takeaways from this episode:

• The ability to analyze (or overanalyze) at such a deep level and being able to unpack the different things happening at those levels is integral to your success - whether it’s your relationships, or what someone said to you, or overthinking a decision you made and whether it’s right or wrong, or an opportunity you may have access to or may pursue, there are layers to all of that - and all of these choices could dictate the rest of your life.
• Putting yourself first in a positive, healthy way (not at the expense of others) and respecting your own boundaries is not selfish. In fact, putting yourself first is so crucial to your skills building and advancement. 
• All the seemingly small decisions you make throughout the day add up to the way you are treating yourself, and prioritizing yourself and your goals. 

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

How to Be Productive Over the Summer
I often get the question: “How do I spend my time and be productive over the summer?” Are you thinking about applying to graduate schools, professional schools, job postings, volunteer positions, and more this summer? Then this episode is for you! 

Being Mindfully Productive Throughout Your Advancement Journey
When talking about being productive over the summer, it can look like doing anything that helps move you closer to your goals, or doing something you enjoy that positively contributes to your life. Productivity may look like working on your applications, volunteering, starting a summer job, taking summer classes, and more! Even taking time off and going on a much needed vacation can be productive. A crucial component as you go through these different experiences is to be mindful of them in the context of your own life and your goals towards advancement. Here are some key takeaways from this episode: 

• The idea of productivity should be holistic and considers not only what you have to do, but where you are in your journey and how you are feeling. You can’t work yourself to the bone until you burnout, because that is when we see high levels of substance use and unhealthy vices. 
• Productivity helps us to determine how much progress we`re making and whether or not we are moving closer to or further away from our goals.
• You have to mindfully think about what you’re doing in context of your life trajectory and goals.
• Be mindful about the choices you're making, and really think about what you want to do without external validation or other people’s expectations of you. When you’re being intentional about what you’re doing, then you’re getting the significance out of your experience as it is happening. 
• At Apply Yourself, we focus on health focused, sustainable strategies so you can be the highest version of yourself and to build a life beyond your wildest dreams while being healthy and sustainable throughout.

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Meet the Apply Yourself Community!
We're coming to you live from our weekly Mastering Academic Applications Group Coaching Call on Wednesdays at noon EDT! I'm so happy to have some of our wonderful members of the Apply Yourself Community on the podcast. Today, we are joined by Michelle, Jaylene, Farwa, Stephanie, Casey, and Olivia! 

Listen to Your Body: When to Slow Down
This episode is inspired by a great conversation we had about the importance of listening to your body in times of high stress in order to give yourself the time to restore, rejuvenate, and relax so you can continue to be productive and advance in your journey. We talk about what that means for each of us and the ways the Apply Yourself community has supported us throughout our advancement. Listen to this episode to learn more from our Apply Yourself Community members as we explore:

• What it looks like when we realize we need to step back and restore.  
• The ways our Group Coaching Calls differ from other forms of support, such as therapy. 
• The strategies and support members receive when they bring what they need to troubleshoot to the coaching calls in order to move forward. One skill we develop here is identifying what's holding you back.
• What it looks like to restore when you take time for yourself after periods of busyness. 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 20: Mastering Academic Applications With Casey B. In Our Founder’s Cohort!
Episode 41: “I’m Only Applying To One Program”
Episode 51: The Importance Of Taking Time To Think
Episode 54: How To Showcase Yourself In Your Law School Applications 

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

This week’s episode is a replay! Our guest, Gabe Fezza, is a member of the Apply Yourself community and is doing amazing and meaningful work. Gabe shared his insights on the medical school application process and his experience working together in our various programs. Tune in to learn more! 

Meet Our Guest and Apply Yourself Community Member, Gabe Fezza
This week, we’re joined by our guest and Apply Yourself Community Member, Gabe Fezza! Gabe is completing his second undergraduate degree, his Honours BSc in Global Health with a specialization in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. He is also a research assistant at the Cardiac E-Health Unit at the Toronto General Hospital and at the Global Strategy Lab at York University. Gabe is making amazing strides in his own work and as a member of our community. 

Showcasing Yourself in Your Applications
Gabe shares his experience working together on his applications in our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission, and our VIP 1:1 program. Through our work together, Gabe learned to showcase himself in his professional, medical, and graduate school applications, and received the structure and answers he was seeking for each of the programs he was applying to. 

Listen to this episode to learn more about:

• Our 5-Year Vision exercise and the ways it helped Gabe to solidify his narrative and showcase his repertoire of research, volunteer, and professional experience, 
• What it’s like to work on your CV and Resume and other written materials in Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission. These documents are tools to help you understand the significance of your experiences and in filling out other application components, such as the Autobiographical Sketch and Personal Statement,
• The importance of your written application materials. It’s not just about the score - real people are reading your work, and your materials have to showcase you and what you can bring to the table,  
• Our non-competition policy and the strategies that helped Gabe to focus on himself and produce written materials he’s proud of.

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Meet Our Guest and Apply Yourself Community Member, Jaylene!
I am so excited to be joined by this week's guest, Jaylene! Jaylene completed her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in criminology and psychology, and double minor in gerontology and human rights from St. Thomas University in New Brunswick. Jaylene and I first met during one of our Masterclasses, Showcasing Yourself in Your Graduate and Professional School Applications, with St. Thomas University. She currently attends court as a Shadow Student with a Crown Attorney lawyer, and is also applying to law schools in the Maritimes where she will continue to make an impact supporting survivors of sexual and physical violence. 

Showing Up for Yourself in Your Applications and Beyond
In this episode, we explore the process of creating law school application materials and the ways you can show up for yourself during and beyond the application. Jaylene also shares her experience working with us in our various programs, including Mastering Academic Applications and our higher-level coaching community, The Success Society. Jaylene has made amazing strides in our 5 months of working together and we can't wait to share more with you! 

Listen to learn more about: 

• Jaylene’s academic, professional, and volunteer background and the ways in which her experiences inform one another.
• Jaylene’s experience working together in our Masterclass and signature course Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission. Here, Jaylene developed her CV, resume, personal statement, and other written materials that she’s proud of and which showcase her narrative and experiences in a compelling, professional, and polished manner.
• The social, academic, professional, and mindset support our Apply Yourself community members receive and the transformative growth they experience, where they are able to show up for themselves and showcase their personal, unique experiences.
• Developing your graduate and professional school applications and the importance of showing up for yourself in order to showcase yourself. 

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Meet our Apply Yourself Community Member, Dorsa Lotfazar!
I am so happy to be joined by Dorsa Lotfazar, one of our amazing community members here at Apply Yourself. Dorsa graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Major in Psychology and a Minor in Law and Society. We actually became acquainted in our Masterclass held with the UBC Pre-Law Association! She has always had a passion for law and will begin her journey through law school in September. Tune in to learn about the kind of hard work it takes to navigate through law school applications and be admitted to the law school of your dreams.

How to Get Into Law School
Not only are we celebrating Dorsa's admission to one of her law school programs of choice, but all of the hard work she has put in along the way! Over our 6 months of working together, Dorsa has made amazing strides and now feels more confident, supported, and proud of her applications and the work that she does. Listen to learn about:

• Dorsa’s personal, academic, and professional journey and the ways her work is informed by her passions for law and advocacy for others,
• Insights into the law school application process, the Diversity Statement, applying to law schools across Canada, and the lessons and strategies Dorsa implemented along the way,
• What it’s like to be a part of the Apply Yourself community where we provide support, strategy, and clarity in a growth-oriented, non-competition based environment - even if application processes are competitive, the Apply Yourself community is not and that allows us to focus on you and what you bring to the table,
• Dorsa’s experience with getting support and strategy through our Mastering Academic Applications Content Hub and modules, our weekly Group Coaching Calls in both MAA and The Success Society programs, and our personalized 1:1 sessions,
• Showcasing yourself in your application materials and the growth, reflection, and positive mindset work that happens throughout and beyond the process. 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 55: Law School Chat Forums – Are They Useful?

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Meet Our Guest, Professor Kyle Brykman!
This week's guest is Kyle Brykman, Assistant Professor of Management at the Odette School of Business at the University of Windsor. Kyle holds a PhD in Management from Queen's University's Smith School of Business, a Master of Science in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management from Wilfrid Laurier University, and an HBA from the Ivey School of Business. His research focuses on employee voice, resilience, and conflict in teams. His mission is to help organizations, teams, leaders, and employees lead happier, healthier, and more productive lives. 

Seeking Happiness in Your Work and Finding Your “Why”
Determining the “why” in the work you’re doing or the work you want to do sets you up for success. Do you value the work? Are you passionate and interested even when it gets tough? Being proactive in seeking happiness and fulfilment in your work and workplace is a huge part of your advancement journey. Tune in to learn about:

• Kyle’s winding academic and professional journey and his research;
• The significance of choosing the right research question, graduate school supervisor, and committee; 
• The ways you can manage conflict that arises in personal, academic, and professional contexts and relationships;
• Authority vs. Leadership; and 
• The 5 Characteristics of Workplace Satisfaction:

1. The significance of your work - Is it personally meaningful and do you have a positive impact on others?
2. The variety of the work - Are you working on a variety of things, or one or two tasks? 
3. The autonomy in the work - Do you decide on what you do, when you do it, and how you do it?
4. The identity of the work - Do you get to see the full product or are you a small piece in the chain?
5. The feedback on the work - Do you have a good idea of how you're progressing and are you receiving feedback in a way that is constructive and meaningful? 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 35: Navigating Your Master’s With Eberechukwu Peace Akadinma

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

Obsessing Over the Test - Why I Fundamentally Disagree
Today, I unpack a trend that I’m seeing more and more on social media - that is, the concept of students and applicants needing to obsess over standardized tests in order to do well. 

I fundamentally disagree with this concept and fear-based marketing because I know it’s not true and I've been there, too. I’ve been an applicant for graduate and professional school cycles, I’ve been on admissions committees at every single level, and I work with students and clients who thrive and succeed in our non-competition-based community. As we know here at Apply Yourself: It’s not just about the score - it’s about you as a person and what you bring to the table. 

3 Things We Need to Avoid Obsession Over the Test
We need to focus on healthy, sustainable ways to advance and achieve - commitment, consistency, accountability, strategy, and focusing on you. You don’t have to obsess over the test to be successful.

1. We need support - You need support that is informed, up-to-date, and from someone who has actually been through these processes. You also need the support of people who are genuine and don’t focus on the competition.  
2. We need experience-informed strategy - Strategy involves determining your goals and breaking them down into manageable parts so you can take meaningful action. Continuously and consciously think about your goals, plans, and next best steps to achieve what you want in alignment with yourself.
3. We need to do the right strategy that aligns with us, not “whatever it takes” - Be mindful about the language of obsession and how it’s presented to you on social media and other unhealthy sources. Remember to trust your intuition, be analytical about your choices, and nurture a growth mindset. 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 2: Adrienne’s Professional Path
Episode 6: Advancement And Your Growth Vs. Scarcity Mindset

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

The Importance of Community for Our Growth
Today, I discuss the importance of community and the ways it can benefit our growth and advancement. Ultimately, you thrive as much as the people around you are thriving, and when we surround ourselves with a positive community,  we feel uplifted and supported in our advancement journeys.

3 Reasons Why Community Benefits Our Growth and Advancement
At Apply Yourself, we support our community members at all ages and stages of life in their advancement, because we believe that you absolutely should be happy with the decisions you make at every step of the way. Here are the 3 reasons why having positive, supportive community benefits our growth and advancement: 

1. The environment you’re in - physically, socially, and virtually - can facilitate or hinder your growth. It’s so important that you seek out and surround yourself with people who also want advancement and growth. The communities we belong to can propel us forward or hold us back, so don't limit yourself, even subconsciously.  
2. As you seek community, be aware of your actions and decisions, of who and what you surround yourself with, and what you're feeding your mind. When you find that community of supportive people, who are helping you succeed with their good energy, thoughts, reflections, and solutions, you feel heard and good about making your choices. Community should also translate to online spaces - Who are you following on social media? What kind of support and information is that providing you? Listen to this episode to try a litmus test for your social media feed!
3. Investing in yourself can help you thrive and grow with support, strategy, and clarity, and often much quicker than if you were to go through challenging processes alone. You can enjoy the process with the right support and the right people, and it's not shameful to get the support and help you may need. 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 39: Strategies To Boost Your Productivity In High-Stress Times
Episode 55: Law School Chat Forums – Are They Useful?

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫

The Controversy Surrounding AI and Personal Statements
Join me today as I unpack my thoughts around AI, personal statements, and the ways admissions committees value the applicant. Trust me when I say that admissions committees know the difference between your own work and that of AI. There's a time and place for AI, but we can’t strip away the humanness and authenticity of the application.

3 Reasons Why AI Can’t Give Admissions Committees What They're Looking For
Speaking as an admissions committee member myself, we want to get to know the applicant as much as possible - their goals, how they want to serve their community, where they see themselves in the future, and more! Here are 3 reasons why AI-generated statements can’t give the committee what they want: 

1. Personal statements produced by AI programs and apps tend to sound surface level and robotic. While the sentence structure and grammar may be correct, AI can't give the admissions committee any information about you as a person. Schools and programs are looking for written materials that are personal and speak to your experiences authentically, passionately, and professionally.
2. AI doesn't know what admissions committees are looking for. We aren't just looking for keywords or buzzwords - we want your experience, how you frame it, how you showcase yourself, and the significance of your experience and growth. There’s a required flow and substance between each line and paragraph of your written application materials that AI can’t replicate. 
3. Think about you as a person - your own integrity, the work you produce, and the kind of advocacy you engage in for yourself and others. Admissions committees take time to read written materials and to advocate for applicants, so give them something to read that is authentic and genuine. 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 55: Law School Chat Forums - Are They Useful?

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫