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In this podcast series, we break down the complex game that is elite college admissions and the strategies and pitfalls students need to adopt or beware of if they hope to win admission to one of America’s top colleges. “The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising. Sam graduated from the University of Southern California and is a published scientist, having spent four years as a neuroscience researcher at Columbia University. Building upon his experiences in ...
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The TWITS series follows the adventures of Cyril Chippington-Smythe (Michael Urie), the world's richest man, and his mechanical manservant Bentley (Dakin Matthews) as they navigate a dystopian world in search of love and meaning. This is a world in which the great minds that should have discovered electricity went into the restaurant business instead, or decided to chuck the science game because their true passion was stand-up comedy. It is a world of hydrogen, steam-powered servants and fac ...
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In this episode, we review the profile and applications of a premed student who was rejected from both of their early decision schools, roughly top-25 to top-35 national universities. This student attended a top-1% US high school, possessed a 3.9 unweighted GPA, 99th percentile test scores, took 15 AP/honors courses, and had what many would conside…
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Episode 8 — School List Mistakes & Myths
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1:05:49
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In this episode, we cover many factors—including costly mistakes, myths, and traps—related to students’ school selection. In particular, we address the following: School Visits Why it doesn’t make sense to visit highly selective colleges before mid-11th grade Prioritization of best and best-fit colleges for visits, especially schools that offer bin…
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Episode 7 — Building An Admissions “Hook”
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In prior episodes, we’ve determined that top colleges seek not only students with excellent grades, course rigor, and test scores but also students with compelling admissions “stories” or “hooks” related to their academic/intellectual passions and how they will contribute to their future college—and hopefully, the world—in some specific, unique way…
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Episode 6 — Rejected Valedictorian Essay Analysis
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She was the Valedictorian of her high school. Perfect GPA in over twenty advanced classes, taking Calculus BC by 10th grade and college math courses by 11th grade. All perfect or near-perfect test scores, tennis captain, multiple leadership positions, a scholarship to a prestigious math program, and state math champion. To boot, as a female applyin…
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Episode 5 — The Biggest College Essay Mistake
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Summer is upon us, and many rising seniors—if they haven’t already—are turning their attention to college applications. Among the most important components they will be tackling is the Common Application “Personal Essay”, often simply called “the college essay.” For almost all students, this will be the most important essay colleges read, and for s…
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Episode 4 — What Top Colleges Look For & How To Build It
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College admissions has never been more competitive: high GPAs, strong test scores, and a well-rounded resume—once sufficient for an acceptance—are now common features of most applications to highly selective colleges. In this episode, we reveal what top colleges nowadays seek: students with compelling admissions stories centered around a focused ac…
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When many parents applied to college around three decades ago, college lists and outcomes assumed a fairly predictable, linear order. You had your “safeties,” schools to which you were almost certain to be admitted, your “targets,” schools to which you could reasonably expect to be admitted, and “reaches,” schools to which you would most likely not…
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Episode 2 — Breaking Down Single-Choice & Restrictive Early Action
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You’ve probably heard of Early Action, but do you know what Single-Choice and Restrictive Early Action are? Seven of the top colleges (Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, CalTech, Georgetown, and Notre Dame) offer one of these unique sub-types of Early Action that place significant restrictions on the other colleges to which students under these pl…
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Episode 1 — One Thing Every Junior Must Do Now
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While many students and parents are caught up with AP exams, senior course selection, college visits, college essays, requesting teacher letters of recommendation, in this episode, we reveal the one thing that absolutely every high school junior must do right now if they want to ensure they are on the path to admissions success at top colleges. And…
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Twits in Peril, Chapter 5 - My Short but Brilliant Acting Career
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When we last saw Cyril he was being carried on the shoulders of a mob bent on confronting the evil tycoon Cyril Chippington-Smythe. They little suspect that the heroic “Johny” who is leading their little uprising is, in fact, the very Chippington-Smythe they despise. Quite a sticky wicket for our hero, but every step is bringing him closer to the r…
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We left Cyril and Binky packed like sardines on a creaky old mattress. Binky has put his foot in it by passing himself off as a leader of the Welsh Underground in order to impress Judy. A new day has dawned, however, bringing with it the promise of new adventures... and pancakes! Judy has arranged jobs for them and they happily head off to experien…
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Twits in Peril, Chapter 3 - Wales is a Mysterious Place
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24:23
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We left Cyril horrified by the arrival of his Aunt Hypatia, Uncle Hugo, Cousin Binky and C. Langford Cheeseworth, who have come to join him in the amusing game they call, “Slumming”. Will they scuttle Cyril's chance to win his wager? Will he be forced to slink back to the Club in disgrace? The relatives retire to Cheeseworth's camouflaged land yach…
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Twits in Peril, Chapter 2 - I Eat a Cherry
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We left our hero in shorts and flip-flops, preparing to infiltrate a world without privilege. Can he survive for a week without cheesy eggs? without a girdle? Without Bentley? Ernie leads him into the topsy-turvey world inhabited by the working poor and Cyril's eyes slowly begin to open. A cherry causes him to re-evaluate his beliefs. NOW AVAILABLE…
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Twits in Peril, Chapter 1 - An Ill-Advised Wager
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Cyril is happily swilling down a Brandy and Prozac at the Club Bar when his old friends, Ford and Lincoln join him. The conversation turns to the gulf between the privileged class and the masses and Cyril is goaded into betting that he can pass for a member of the working class for a week. His cousin Binky arrives and places his bet on Cyril. Alas,…
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Cyril Chippington-Smythe (Michael Urie) never met a wager he didn't like. When his old friends, Ford (Nik Walker) and Lincoln (James Rana), bet him that he can't survive living like an average citizen named “Johny” for a week he jumps in with both feet and his cousin Binky (Christian Borle) jumps with him. Alas, Bentley (Dakin Matthews) must stay a…
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Twits In Love, Chapter 5 - Showdown at the Hydrogen Plant
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Alice has rushed off to keep a mysterious date with destiny and left Binky lip to lip with Pansy, much to Cyril's chagrin. At last Binky reveals Alice's terrible plan and the whole company races after her on Cheeseworth's mechanical caravan to save civilization from certain destruction! How will it all end? Join us now for the final chapter- “Showd…
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Twits In Love, Chapter 4 - La Commedia E Almost Finita
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We last left Cyril Chippington-Smythe preparing for a luncheon pregnant with complications. He pines for the beauteous Pansy, who is preparing for the performance of a lifetime as part of Binky's plan to win the hand of the toothy Alice Witherspoon once and for all. It all takes place under the terrifying gaze of Aunt Hypatia. Join us now for Chapt…
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Twits In Love, Chapter 3 - A Hot Time at the Old Chateau
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Things in town have gotten a little too hot. Time to escape to the country... but behind the swampy grounds of the country estate danger lurks. Cyril's peace is invaded, first by his imperious Aunt Hypatia and Uncle Hugo and then by the eccentric C. Langford Cheeseworth and his beauteous ward, Pansy. Binky is still struggling to win the dentally-ch…
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Twits In Love, Chapter 2 - A Beastly Day at the Club
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Cyril flees to the safety of his club, “Twits” but peace eludes him even there as he has failed to get the notice that hats are now required. The Club Hatter, Ahmed Ben Fitzwilliam educates him on the supreme importance of headgear. Binky appears, behaving in a most eccentric manner and invites himself and Alice to Cyril's country estate for the we…
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Cyril Chippington-Smythe awakes from a drunken stupor to discover that he may be engaged to the horrifying Alice Witherspoon, whom his best friend, Binky has been in love with for years. He appeals to his steam-powered valet, Bentley, to devise a plan to shift Alice's affections from himself to Binky. The ever-resourceful Bentley complies and the m…
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Cyril Chippington-Smythe (Michael Urie), eligible bachelor and the world's richest man is living a life of ease, attended by his resourceful steam-powered valet Bentley (Dakin Matthews). When the toothy Alice Witherspoon (Helen Cespedes) invades his breakfast room determined to marry him whether he will or no, Bentley concocts a scheme to transfer …
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