20. The Surprising Benefits of Risk-Taking In School and Beyond with Fulbright Scholar, Professor Anna Krakus
The Trailblazer's Guide To College Admissions
Release Date: 09/17/2021
The Trailblazer's Guide To College Admissions
Is "meeting students where they're at" actually doing more harm than good? 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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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I’m so excited to be joined by none other than Mary Esposito on today’s episode of The Bold Student Podcast. Mary is a 19-year-old entrepreneur and financial literacy TikToker. She’s always been an entrepreneur at heart, juggling business and academics while in high school. Today, she helps Gen Z’ers sharpen their financial literacy skills through her educational TikTok content, runs her company called Money with Mary, and is a full merit scholarship college student. In this episode, Mary and I discuss her early journey through entrepreneurship. She also shares her experience of...
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In today’s episode, I’m joined by a very special guest, Nikhil Desai. Nikhil is a recent college graduate currently applying to med school, and he happens to be a TikTok and Instagram phenomenon as well. We have a raw conversation that breaks down the stereotypes of success, pursuing a non-traditional route as a student, and the importance of being intentional with your time (no matter how you spend it). Nikhil shares his journey to college and being a non-traditional pre-med candidate, being open-minded about learning from others’ success, and why it’s so important to...
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In today’s episode, I am keeping it short and sweet as I discuss a few important things to consider as you begin your college admissions journey. Speaking from years of research as an admissions counselor, my own experience in college and my students’ experiences, I share the best way to approach your own decision-making process. There is a lot to consider as you enter this very important stage of your life and learning journey. Tune in now for some tips on how to make the best decisions for you so that you can create the successful life you dream of. What We Cover: What is...
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How do we develop confidence and assertiveness in all aspects of our life? In today’s episode, Talia Bombola, a licensed therapist in the state of California and a Confidence and Assertiveness specialist joins us to help us navigate this conversation. From what she does as a confidence and assertiveness specialist to the ideal ways in which parents can cultivate a not-so-harsh inner critic in their children, Talia shares her wisdom on these important topics. This is an important conversation for anyone who is interested in psychotherapy, developing more confidence, and...
info_outlineAre you going through life choosing the safe option? Whether it’s the college you’re applying to or the career path you think you want, there’s no guarantee that the safe option is the right one for you. Sometimes, not knowing what your trajectory will look like can be the catalyst to finding your greatness and creativity. When in doubt, opt for the road less traveled because there are so many different ways of getting to where you want to go.
In this episode, I’m talking to Professor Anna Krakus, professor, writer, Fulbright scholar, and previous admissions committee member at the University of Southern California. Professor Krakus is currently the assistant professor at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies at the University of Copenhagen and has previously taught Slavic and Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California.
During our conversation, Professor Krakus talks about her life’s trajectory and how her brave choices have positively impacted her university experience. We also discuss the power of embracing discomfort, why being brave might look like choosing the road less traveled, and believing that every new thing will be better or different or more exciting than what you have now.
What We Cover:
- Picking the safe option vs. exploring and taking risks in college
- What a Fulbright Scholarship is & how it can open doors
- Why big-name universities aren’t always the right fit
- How to be an impressive student wherever you go to college
- The benefits of choosing the road less traveled
”What most people don't understand is that it's you that is going to succeed, that's going to get the job, that writes the book, that starts the business. It's not Harvard. Harvard isn't sitting in the library until midnight writing a book or applying for jobs. You are doing that and you can be successful regardless of where you go to college and whether or not. It's up to you.” - Professor Anna Krakus
Connect With Professor Anna:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ucph_eastern_europe/
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LINKS MENTIONED:
If you’re a high school, college, or even post-graduate looking for direction, join my Life Skills Bootcamp course covering time management, decision-making, mindset, manifestation, and money.
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:
I cover mindset and manifestation in more depth in my 5-month program for 9th-11th graders, The Admitted Mastermind.
The next round starts in September, and you can apply here.
Follow Cathleen on Instagram & DM with any questions @lifeandcollegecoach