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About This Podcast
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 is a published scientist, having spent four years as a neuroscience researcher at Columbia University. Building upon his experiences in research and academia—as well as over a decade in educational services—Sam spearheaded the Great Minds Advising program, a premium college consulting service based in the New York Metropolitan Area and serving students nationwide from NYC to Silicon Valley.
Great Minds Advising’s unique, hands-on mentorship program and its deep strategic insight into the application review process have earned the company a nation-leading track record of excellence, with 100% of its students gaining admission to a top-choice school in the 2025–26 application cycle.
Its students have recently gained admission to Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Penn, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Duke, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, Rice, Northwestern, UC-Berkeley, and WashU (among many others) and are admitted to the Ivy League at a rate 14x the national average (90% when applying early).
For the first time, in this podcast, Sam and his team reveal the secrets and strategies they have used to help their students consistently beat the game of elite college admissions.
Web: greatmindsadvising.com
Contact: greatmindsadvising.com/#contact
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Email: [email protected]
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Recent Episodes
S3E9 Admissions Q&A: Hard Truths the Internet Won’t Tell You (Part 2)
In this episode, we answer five different college admissions questions from students and families, including how class rank affects students’ candidacies at top colleges and whether to drop a junior…
S3E8 Admissions Q&A: Hard Truths the Internet Won’t Tell You
In this episode, we answer four different college admissions questions from students and families, ranging from self-studying for AP exams to why so many college counselors continue to recommend…
S3E7 2026 Acceptances at America’s Top High School
In this episode, we analyze 2025–26 early admissions data at arguably America’s most famous high school, Phillips Exeter Academy. Drawing upon the Exeter data, we reveal the hidden advantages that…
S3E6 5 Rules Of The Elite Admissions Game
In this episode, we reveal five “rules of the game” of elite college admissions and why the process is fundamentally different from almost every other performance domain students—and their…
S3E5 Avoid This Hidden Course Selection Trap
Course selection has arrived for many students and is just around the corner for many others. In this episode, we shed light on a particular “hidden trap” that many students fall into when beginning…
S3E4 Why Hobbies Are Admissions Cheat Codes
Many applicants to top colleges obsess over “activities” and significantly overlook the value of more informal pursuits such as hobbies. In this episode, we break down seven major advantages of a…
S3E3 5 Admissions Worries That Waste Time
Many students and families waste time solving the wrong “problems” or worrying about the wrong things in admissions.In this episode, we debunk five common anxieties that don’t meaningfully move…
S3E2 The Real Cost of “We Have Plenty of Time” in Elite Admissions
Families with younger students often treat building a college candidacy as a long, low-intensity process simply because the deadline is far away. But, in this episode, we explain why this common…
S3E1 How “School Fit” May Ruin Your Top College Odds
In this episode, we discuss the strategic implications of “school fit” and “college preferences” for students who are specifically aiming for admission to highly selective colleges.When…
S2E25 The Top College You May Regret Not Visiting
In this episode, we discuss one of the most strategic schools every applicant to top colleges should consider adding to their list and that may make or break their candidacy.——“The Game” is hosted by…
S2E24 The Logic of Elite College Decisions
Why do elite colleges consistently reject “strong” applicants with impressive but scattered resumes? In this episode, we explain the strategic framework admissions officers use when evaluating…
S2E23 Evaluating A Junior’s Profile For Yale
In this case study episode, we analyze the profile of a high-achieving junior targeting Yale and other top colleges, with strong grades, near-perfect test scores, and a deep set of extracurriculars…
S2E22 Crafting An Elite STEM Hook For 10th Grader
In this case study episode, we analyze the profile of a high-achieving 10th grade student targeting top engineering and STEM programs (MIT, Princeton, and Georgia Tech), with strong grades, advanced…
S2E21 Building An Ivy-Caliber Resume For 10th Grader
In this case study episode, we analyze the candidacy of another high-achieving 10th grade student near the top of their class, with 7 AP courses by sophomore year and near-perfect test…
S2E20 Fixing A High-Achieving 10th Grader’s Profile
In this case study episode, we break down the profile of an academically high-achieving 10th grader, with excellent “stats”: straight As in highly accelerated and multiple grade-ahead course rigor…
S2E19 The 6 Most Cliché Activities In Elite Admissions
The most selective colleges do not admit normal applicants; they admit exceptional applicants. And in order to be exceptional, students must first be an exception—or not like their other…
S2E18 5 Resume Mistakes That Kill Top College Dreams
Want to have us analyze your current profile for top colleges in an upcoming episode? Email us at [email protected], despite possessing excellent grades, course rigor, and test…
S2E17 How Top Colleges Evaluate Your Application Strategy
Want to have us analyze your current profile for top colleges in an upcoming episode? Email us at [email protected] decision, or placing a binding commitment, is the strongest possible…
S2E16 The Worst Major For Getting Into Top Colleges
Top colleges look to admit students with focused passions or “hooks” that they’ll uniquely contribute as part of the incoming freshman class.However, not all hooks—or the intended college majors…
S2E15 The Truth About Early Decision & Deferrals
In this episode, we dig into early vs. regular decision acceptance rates, what a deferral in the early round signals about a student’s chance of admission in the regular decision round, and how to…
Frequently Asked Questions
The Game: A Guide to Elite College Admissions has published 55 episodes since May 2024, covering topics in Education, Kids & Family.
The Game: A Guide to Elite College Admissions is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 55m.
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