The Trailblazer's Guide To College Admissions

What if the one thing standing between you and true success is your own upper limit?

Ever feel like every time things start going really well, something inevitably goes wrong? Maybe you land the dream client, but then self-doubt creeps in. Or you finally hit a financial milestone, only to sabotage yourself with burnout. If this sounds familiar, you might be hitting your upper limit—without even realizing it.

Dr. Gay Hendricks, author of The Big Leap, is here to break it all down. He'll show you how to stop the self-sabotage cycle and step into a life of abundance, creativity, and success without fear holding you back.

• Why we unconsciously hold ourselves back from success and happiness.
• The key signs that you're hitting your upper limit (and what to do about it!).
• How to shift into your Zone of Genius and unlock your full potential.
• The surprising way to create lasting transformation in your personal and professional life.

It's time to break free from self-imposed ceilings and step boldly into your greatness!

Website: www.hendricks.comInstagram: @hendricks.gay Book: The Big Leap – Available on Amazon and bookstores everywhere.

🎯 Start here: An Admissions Strategy Session where we'll identify your student's unique path and create a custom roadmap for their success. No generic advice—just a personalized strategy that works.

🚀 Go deeper: Apply for The Roadmap—our signature consulting experience that turns uncertainty into clarity (and acceptances to dream schools). We work with just a handful of families per year.

📧 Stay connected: Get our weekly newsletter with insider admissions strategies that traditional counselors won't tell you.

👑 Follow along on Instagram or TikTok

🌟 If this conversation sparked something for you, leave a review—it helps more families, educators, and students discover the show and start rewriting their own success story.

Is your college list based on what you actually want—or what someone else told you to want?

If the idea of an Ivy League school has taken over your college admissions strategy, you're not alone. The allure is real. But when the prestige of a name outweighs the actual experience and alignment, you (or your child) could end up in the wrong place, chasing someone else's dream.

Too many students build their college list backwards—starting with a dream school instead of a dream experience. Counselors push, parents pressure, YouTube raves, and suddenly, you're sinking time, energy, and thousands of dollars into a goal that may not even make sense for you. This episode will help you break free from that Ivy tunnel vision and build a strategy that actually fits your life.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

• Why Ivy League prestige doesn't guarantee career success (and the real stats behind the myth)

• How your school counselor's advice might be driven by their priorities, not yours

• The surprising red flags that your "dream school" may not be the right fit

• A 3-step process to build a college list based on alignment, not assumption

Whether you're a student navigating this process or a parent supporting your child, this episode is your permission slip to ditch the default Ivy obsession—and choose with clarity, confidence, and intention.

🎯 Start here: An Admissions Strategy Session where we'll identify your student's unique path and create a custom roadmap for their success. No generic advice—just a personalized strategy that works.

🚀 Go deeper: Apply for The Roadmap—our signature consulting experience that turns uncertainty into clarity (and acceptances to dream schools). We work with just a handful of families per year.

📧 Stay connected: Get our weekly newsletter with insider admissions strategies that traditional counselors won't tell you.

👑 Follow along on Instagram or TikTok

🌟 If this conversation sparked something for you, leave a review—it helps more families, educators, and students discover the show and start rewriting their own success story.

What if your child's struggle in school isn't about effort—but about how they're wired to learn?

So many students (and their parents) assume academic challenges stem from laziness, distraction, or not trying hard enough. But what if the real issue is that their learning style simply isn't being supported—or even understood?

In this episode, Dr. Samantha, a clinical psychologist and Educational Architect breaks down how we're missing the mark when we try to fit all students into one academic mold. She shares why identifying a student's learning profile is the secret sauce to unlocking potential, reigniting passion, and guiding students toward futures that actually excite them.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

• Why students don't need to "fix" their weaknesses—but double down on their strengths
• The powerful role learning profiles play in navigating school and life
• How passion + perseverance is a formula for real-world success
• What Taylor Swift, LeBron James, and a tree-obsessed philanthropist can teach us about grit and purpose

If you've ever worried your child isn't reaching their full potential, this conversation is your permission slip to reimagine success, education, and what it really means to thrive.

Are you ready to help your student find what lights them up?

🎯 Start here: An Admissions Strategy Session where we'll identify your student's unique path and create a custom roadmap for their success. No generic advice—just a personalized strategy that works.

🚀 Go deeper: Apply for The Roadmap—our signature consulting experience that turns uncertainty into clarity (and acceptances to dream schools). We work with just a handful of families per year.

📧 Stay connected: Get our weekly newsletter with insider admissions strategies that traditional counselors won't tell you.

👑 Follow along on Instagram or TikTok

Know a student who's struggling in school—or a parent or teacher who's feeling helpless trying to support them?

Send this episode their way. Dr. Samantha's perspective will shift how they see learning differences—not as deficits, but as powerful clues to how a student is wired to thrive.

Let's stop forcing kids into boxes that were never built for them. The more we talk about learning profiles, the more we empower students to succeed on their terms—not by working harder, but by working smarter with who they truly are.

🌟 If this conversation sparked something for you, leave a review—it helps more families, educators, and students discover the show and start rewriting their own success story.

What if everything you thought you knew about finding your path in life was wrong?

We've all been told the same story: pick a career, follow a straight line, and check off the boxes of success. But what if that rigid path is actually what's keeping you from living a life full of meaning, joy, and purpose?

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, I sit down with Ryan, a Fulbright Scholar and PhD candidate from New Zealand, to talk about the myths we've been fed about happiness, potential, and purpose—and why real self-actualization isn't about reaching the top of the mountain but learning how to walk the path that's right for you.

Because let's be honest—if you've ever felt like you're behind, lost, or like you missed the memo on how to "figure it all out," you are not alone. And Ryan's journey—from a small hometown in New Zealand to the halls of Harvard—is proof that there's another way forward.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

• Why self-actualization isn't just a buzzword—and how to define it for yourself
• How your "ideal self" can become a compass for making aligned, purpose-driven choices
• The reason most people never reach their potential (and how to avoid that trap)
• What elite institutions get right—and wrong—about making life-changing knowledge accessible

This episode is an invitation to rethink what it really means to live a meaningful life—and how to bring big ideas back down to earth so they actually serve you.

🎯 Start here: An Admissions Strategy Session where we'll identify your student's unique path and create a custom roadmap for their success. No generic advice—just a personalized strategy that works.

🚀 Go deeper: Apply for The Roadmap—our signature consulting experience that turns uncertainty into clarity (and acceptances to dream schools). We work with just a handful of families per year.

📧 Stay connected: Get our weekly newsletter with insider admissions strategies that traditional counselors won't tell you.

👑 Follow along on Instagram or TikTok

Know someone who feels behind, lost, or stuck trying to "figure it all out?" Share this episode with them. Ryan's story is a powerful reminder that purpose isn't found by climbing someone else's mountain—it's created by walking your own path.

Let's rewrite the narrative that success has to look a certain way—and help more students, parents, and dreamers find the freedom to define it for themselves.

🌟 If this conversation opened your eyes or heart, leave a review—it helps others discover the show and join this much-needed conversation.

If you've ever heard the question, "What do you want to do with your life?" and felt a pit in your stomach—or worse, watched your child shut down in response—this episode is going to change the way you think about college admissions.

The truth? Most students don't know what they want at 16 or 17—and that's not the problem. The real issue is that traditional college counseling assumes they should know... and builds a future based only on who they've already been.

What if we stopped projecting certainty onto students and started creating space for curiosity, confidence, and growth?

• Why starting with GPA and test scores can be a dead-end
• The #1 mistake most counselors make—and how it crushes self-esteem
• A real-life story of a student who turned a "silly" interest into a compelling college theme
• The power of building a path based on curiosity, not performance
• The 3-step framework we use at The Edvisory to help "undecided" students create authentic themes that admissions officers remember
• Why the students who seem "behind" often end up at their dream schools

Ready to stop asking "So... what are you going to do with your life?" and start building a roadmap to college that actually fits who your student is becoming?

🎯 Start here: An Admissions Strategy Session where we'll identify your student's unique path and create a custom roadmap for their success. No generic advice—just a personalized strategy that works.

🚀 Go deeper: Apply for The Roadmap—our signature consulting experience that turns uncertainty into clarity (and acceptances to dream schools). We work with just a handful of families per year.

📧 Stay connected: Get our weekly newsletter with insider admissions strategies that traditional counselors won't tell you.

👑 Follow along on Instagram or TikTok

Know a parent who's tired of asking their teen "what are you going to do with your life?" Tag them and share this episode. Let's change the conversation around college admissions, one family at a time.

⭐ Leave a review if this episode shifted your perspective—it helps other families find us who need to hear this message.

Today on the Bold Student Podcast, we're joined by my very special guest Isaac Lubert. Isaac is a former transfer student of mine who is currently pursuing music, business and psychology at NYU. In today's episode, we talk about Isaac's journey from Indiana University to Santa Monica College to now NYU and how our work together encouraged him to pursue his current path.

Isaac shares wisdom around navigating change, not being afraid to try new things and how working with a private college counselor pushed him in the right direction (even when it meant pushing him outside of his comfort zone). If you ever wondered how working with an admissions counselor could benefit you, you don't want to miss this episode!

What We Cover:

• Isaac's original plans for college and how they changed

• Isaac's current path and why it's the perfect fit for him

• Cathleen's role in helping Isaac discover and pursue his path

• The importance of trying things out

"I wouldn't change what happened with me, because that ended up working out well. So I'd say do what you want to do. Do what you think you're supposed to do and you'll figure it out." - Isaac Lubert

Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, subscribe and listen to The Bold Student Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to spread the word by leaving a review or sharing this podcast with your friends!

Want to join a group coaching experience to help you develop a roadmap for living your wildest dreams, on your own time and on your own terms? Not to mention one that will WOW colleges and help you get admitted? Join our next round of Theme Queen™: https://theedvisory.thrivecart.com/theme-queen-november-2023/

WORK WITH THE EDVISORY:

If you're a high school student in 9th-12th grade or the parent of one, I work with a small cohort of students annually and help them develop the core traits I discussed in the podcast and apply to selective colleges. You can apply to work with me below:

Apply to Work with Cathleen

Follow Cathleen on Instagram & DM with any questions @lifeandcollegecoach

Today on the Bold Student Podcast, we're joined by none other than Donald Jolly. Donald is our very own essay coach, but he's also a first-generation college student who studied English at Dartmouth, and has an MFA in dramatic writing from the University of Southern California. He's also a Los Angeles-based writer proudly hailing from Washington, DC.

As a playwright, he wrote the historical drama, Bonded, which was nominated for the Los Angeles stage Alliance Ovation award for playwriting and the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Los Angeles theatre, and winner of the 2013 Archon Bruce Brown Playwriting Award for LGBT historical place.

In today's episode, Donald shares his experience as a first-generation college student and why he decided to major in English. He also talks about his love for using storytelling as an agent that inspires change. Donalds shares why he decided to go to Dartmouth and his collegiate experience, including how he found his space while navigating college life.

What We Cover:

• Being a first-generation college student and why he decided to major in English
• Donald's love for using storytelling to inspire change
• Why Donald decided to go to Dartmouth, and what was his experience there like?
• Donald's advice for navigating collegiate life and finding your space

"There are so many people who don't get to have this very special privilege that I have. And there's so much sacrifice that has gone in to get me here, whether it's my teachers in school, my grandparents who fled the Jim Crow South. The donors who gave money after school, American taxpayers for the Pell Grants, or Stafford loans, and financial aid, there were a lot of sacrifices made. And I felt it my responsibility to make the most of it. And that meant to explore what, meet new people, try new things, do my best in my classes, and ask for help when I need it." - Donald Jolly

Connect with Donald:

• Website: https://www.d-jolly.net/

Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, subscribe and listen to The Bold Student Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to spread the word by leaving a review or sharing this podcast with your friends!

Learn about our group program, THE COLLEGE ESSAY EXPERIENCE™:

https://theedvisoryla.kartra.com/page/CEE

WORK WITH THE EDVISORY:

If you're a high school student in 9th-12th grade or the parent of one, I work with a small cohort of students annually and help them develop the core traits I discussed in the podcast and apply to selective colleges. You can apply to work with me below:

Apply to Work with Cathleen

Follow Cathleen on Instagram & DM with any questions @lifeandcollegecoach

I'm so excited to introduce you to today's guest, Ilona Barnhart. Ilona is a human design reader who blends insight and inspiration from multiple sources to create something entirely new so that you can embrace and accept more parts of yourself.

In today's episode, Ilona shares what human design is and the events that led her to become a human design practitioner. Ilona also talks about living in an energy-based world and what that means. Then, we discuss the different types of human design and how understanding human design allows you to connect to your own unique intuition while helping you understand those around you.

This is a very special episode that you won't want to miss. So tune in to hear all about human design and how it can help you connect to your intuition.

What We Cover:

• What is human design?
• How Ilona's life shifted and how she became a human design practitioner
• Living in an energy-based world and what that means
• Understanding the different types of human design
• How human design allows you to understand how you and those around you work
• How human design allows you to connect to your own unique intuition
• Where to start if you're interested in human design

"Learning about the different (human design) types is really fun, because then you could potentially start playing with showing up differently." - Ilona Barnhart

Connect with Ilona:

• Website: https://www.ilonabarnhart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unravelbliss/

Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, subscribe and listen to The Bold Student Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to spread the word by leaving a review or sharing this podcast with your friends!

Learn about our group program, THE COLLEGE ESSAY EXPERIENCE™:

https://theedvisoryla.kartra.com/page/CEE

WORK WITH THE EDVISORY:

If you're a high school student in 9th-12th grade or the parent of one, I work with a small cohort of students annually and help them develop the core traits I discussed in the podcast and apply to selective colleges. You can apply to work with me below:

Apply to Work with Cathleen

Follow Cathleen on Instagram & DM with any questions @lifeandcollegecoach

Today's guest has such an interesting and inspiring story for anyone who has dreams of overcoming their circumstances and becoming more than what they have always known. Marvette Lacy is an aspiring engineering student, turned student affairs doctoral student who started her business all while finishing her dissertation in THREE MONTHS!

Now, Marvette runs a multiple six-figure business as a coach and in today's episode she shares all of the pivots that she made in her journey to get to this place. Marvette's story is one that will encourage you to always be flexible and to remember the importance of dreaming. Tune in now - you don't want to miss this conversation!

What We Cover:

• About Marvette and her education journey
• The importance of mentorship and support in her journey to higher education
• Her decision to attend a small liberal arts college over Northwestern
• Her journey into entrepreneurship while pursuing her PhD
• Deciding how you want to contribute to the world & being a catalyst for change
• Marvette's advice if you are overwhelmed but inspired by her story

"I want you to know you have so many options in front of you and that you already have the skills."

Connect with Marvette:

Website: https://marvettelacy.com/

Full Time Educators Program: https://marvettelacy.com/full-time-educators

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marvettelacy/

The Happy, Free and Paid Podcast: https://marvettelacy.com/podcast

Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, subscribe and listen to The Bold Student Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to spread the word by leaving a review or sharing this podcast with your friends!

Learn about our group program, THE COLLEGE ESSAY EXPERIENCE™:

https://theedvisoryla.kartra.com/page/CEE

WORK WITH THE EDVISORY:

If you're a high school student in 9th-12th grade or the parent of one, I work with a small cohort of students annually and help them develop the core traits I discussed in the podcast and apply to selective colleges. You can apply to work with me below:

Apply to Work with Cathleen

Follow Cathleen on Instagram & DM with any questions @lifeandcollegecoach

On June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Whether you're a parent to a soon-to-be-applying student, a junior or senior applying to college, or an international student coming to the US – this decision affects you.

In this episode, I want to make some predictions on how this decision will impact college admissions and how to actively prepare to still get into your dream college despite the changes that this decision may bring.

Even with these predictions, I believe this next generation will reshape our world into something better and brighter – and with intentionality, research, and planning, future students can get accepted to and attend a college where they'll thrive, grow, and feel safe. And I'm here to help them every step of the way.

What We Cover:

• Why this decision affects every college student
• Looking for the benefits and opportunities through hardship
• The positive changes that could emerge as a result
• Why our greatest challenges produce the greatest heroes
• Deciding how you want to contribute to the world & being a catalyst for change
• Being intentional and doing your research on state laws
• Predicting an increase in applications for urban areas and blue states
• Why it's so important to commit to intentional education

"Whatever your goal is, make it wild and bold and audacious and pursue it, and don't give up."

Thanks for listening, and if you like what you've heard, subscribe and listen to The Bold Student Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Don't forget to spread the word by leaving a review or sharing this podcast with your friends!

SIGN UP FOR THE FREE CREATE YOUR COLLEGE ROADMAP LIVE WORKSHOP:

https://theedvisory.thrivecart.com/create-your-college-roadmap-workshop/

WORK WITH THE EDVISORY:

If you're a high school student in 9th-12th grade or the parent of one, I work with a small cohort of students annually and help them develop the core traits I discussed in the podcast and apply to selective colleges. You can apply to work with me below:

Apply to Work with Cathleen

Follow Cathleen on Instagram & DM with any questions @lifeandcollegecoach