You&rsquo\;re invited to join us for this must-watch talk by Irena Smith\, PhD. You will hear about constructive and healthy ways to approach the college application process\, preserve your relationship with your teen\, and help them define success on their terms instead of chasing the elusive &ldquo\;golden ticket.&rdquo\;
\nIren a is a former Stanford Admissions Officer who has spent 18 years advising accomplished\, tightly-wound students in Palo Alto and around the world. S he saw firsthand the extreme measures parents took to help their children gain admission to highly selective colleges and the toll it took on the ch ildren as well as on their parents.
\nAt the same time\, Irena&rsquo \;s own children struggled with developmental delays\, learning difference s\, severe depression\, and anxiety. She kept her double life&mdash\;succe ssful college counselor at work\, anxious mom at home&mdash\;tightly under wraps for years until a stunning realization: she was exactly like the an xious parents of the students she worked with\, all of whom were equally t errified about \;their \;children's future. Irena&rsquo\;s memoir\ , \;The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays\, which candidly explores her personal as well as professional life\, was pu blished in 2023\, and she has since devoted her time to speaking out about hard things: the heavy burden of generational expectations\, teen and you ng adult mental health\, and the importance of embracing a broader\, more generous vision of what it means to succeed. To learn more about Irena&rsq uo\;s personal experience as a parent\, professional experience as a colle ge admissions officer\, and leave with tips on how to help your child appr oach the application process in practical\, healthy ways&ndash\;register n ow!
\nAbout the Author: \;Irena Smith is an aut hor\, former Stanford admissions officer\, independent college counselor\, and mother of three extraordinary children. She emigrated from the former Soviet Union with her parents when she was nine years old. In spite of he r fierce insistence that she would never\, not ever\, learn English\, she went on to earn a BA in English and then a PhD in Comparative Literature ( both from UCLA\, where she received a Distinguished Teaching Assistant Awa rd and Dissertation Year Fellowship). Irena taught literature and composit ion at UCLA and Stanford before transitioning to college admissions\, coll ege advising\, and writing. Her recently published memoir\, \;The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays \;is the winne r of the Story Circle Network's Gilda Award\, named in honor of comedian G ilda Radner to recognize honest\, authentic writing that "makes us laugh e ven when we want to cry." It's been described by Forbes as &ldquo\;captiva ting and smart&hellip\; a potential antidote to the fevered belief that be ing admitted to an elite college will spell the difference between a succe ssful life vs. a doomed future.&rdquo\; She has given a TEDx talk on human izing the college application process and writes about parenting\, college admissions\, and redefining success in her weekly Substack newsletter\,&n bsp\;The Golden Ticket (is not what you think). \;You can als o find her on Substack at \;Personal Statements. \;
\nThe views expressed by presenters are their own and their appear ance in a program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitut e an endorsement or recommendation by Dedham Public Library.
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