Another college application season is arou nd the corner\, and stress is already beginning to ratchet up for teens an d their parents. You&rsquo\;re invited to join us for this must-watch talk by Irena Smith\, Ph.D. You will hear about constructive and healthy ways to approach the college application process\, preserve your relationship w ith your teen and help them define success on their terms instead of chasi ng the elusive &ldquo\;golden ticket.&rdquo\;
\nIrena is a former St anford admissions officer who has spent 18 years advising accomplished\, t ightly-wound students in Palo Alto and around the world. She saw firsthand the extreme measures parents took to help their children gain admission t o highly selective colleges and the toll it took on the children as well a s on their parents.
\nAt the same time\, Irena&rsquo\;s own children struggled with developmental delays\, learning differences\, severe depre ssion and anxiety. She kept her double life &mdash\; successful college co unselor at work\, anxious mom at home &mdash\; tightly under wraps for yea rs until a stunning realization: she was exactly like the anxious parents of the students she worked with\, all of whom were equally terrified about \;their \;children's future. Irena&rsquo\;s memoir\, "The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays\," which candidly explores her pers onal as well as professional life\, was published in 2023\, and she has si nce devoted her time to speaking out about hard things: the heavy burden o f generational expectations\, teen and young adult mental health and the i mportance of embracing a broader\, more generous vision of what it means t o succeed. Register now to learn more about Irena&rsquo\;s personal experi ence as a parent and professional experience as a college admissions offic er. You'll leave with tips on how to help your child approach the applicat ion process in practical\, healthy ways.
\nAdults. \;Register to receive a link \;f or viewing this online event.
\nAbout the Author: Irena Smith is an author\, former Stanford admissions officer\, indepen dent college counselor and mother of three extraordinary children. She emi grated from the former Soviet Union with her parents when she was nine yea rs old. In spite of her fierce insistence that she would never\, not ever\ , learn English\, she went on to earn a B.A. in English and then a Ph.D. i n comparative literature (both from UCLA\, where she received a Distinguis hed Teaching Assistant award and Dissertation Year fellowship). Irena taug ht literature and composition at UCLA and Stanford before transitioning to college admissions\, college advising and writing. Her recently published memoir\, "The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays" is the winner of the Story Circle Network's Gilda Award\, named in honor of comed ian Gilda Radner to recognize honest\, authentic writing that "makes us la ugh even when we want to cry." It's been described by Forbes as &ldquo\;ca ptivating and smart&hellip\; a potential antidote to the fevered belief th at being admitted to an elite college will spell the difference between a successful life vs. a doomed future.&rdquo\; \;
\nThis event is part of \;DBRL's \;Online Auth or Series\, supported by David Lile honorarium funds. A recording will also be available for later viewing on the \;author series site.
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