In this podcast series, America’s top admissions consultant and audition coach, Michael Justin Lee interviews current students and recent graduates of elite American universities. Each episode covers the unique story of a guest, their childhood, a meticulous account of how they tackled each aspect of the college application process to their dream university, and how their life and studies at that university have shaped them.
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21 recent
April 24, 2025Episode 1038 min
From Nigeria to Hotchkiss & Brown : Elaine Oghoore
Elaine Oghoore is a junior at Brown University, where she is pursuing a degree in Business Economics. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, she is passionate about a career in financial services. Before attending Brown, Elaine graduated from The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut. In addition to her academic pursuits, she co-founded Sweet Rush Nigeria, a homemade bakery known for its delicious banana bread. Elaine is committed to combining her entrepreneurial spirit with a strong interest in finance to make an impact in the financial services industry.https://www.theivydream.com/
March 23, 2025Episode 932 min
Fighter Jets to Stanford & Knight-Hennessy: Jasper Burns
Jasper Burns is a Stanford Law student and Knight-Hennessy Scholar. He served 8 years in the U.S. Navy, flying EA-18G Growlers, deploying aboard the USS Carl Vinson, and later supporting the intelligence community in D.C. He also served as a White House Social Aide and concluded his Navy career as a Military Fellow at McKinsey & Company. He graduated from Boston University with a double major in Computer Science and Economics, interned at the White House, studied Chinese in Shanghai, and won the largest committee at World Model United Nations in Rome.https://www.theivydream.com/
March 12, 2025Episode 10 min
Unique Stories of Ivy League Students
Michael Lee, member of the AIGAC & an Ivy League-educated Professional American Filmmaker, helps you weave an authentic story that leaves the admissions committee in awe!The Ivy Dream LLC is the only admissions consultancy that refunds 50% to clients if they don’t get in to one of their preferred schools.In this podcast, we humanize Ivy League students for you by sharing their unique journeys and struggles!We hope that this podcast gives you the audacity to fly and to “aspire” to get into a top school.https://www.theivydream.com/
January 7, 2025Episode 832 min
The Ambitious Armenian | Columbia Undergrad & Harvard JD : Danielle Mikaelian
Danielle Mikaelian is a Columbia University graduate with a BA in English Literature. She occupied positions on over ten Columbia executive boards, being named Columbia's 2021 Student of the Year, a King's Crown Leadership and Excellence Award Recipient for Community Building, a Robert Harron Award recipient, an Alumni Prize Finalist, and a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary. Some highlights of Danielle's Columbia experience included serving as Wellness Chair for Columbia's undergraduate and graduate schools, being elected to the board of Columbia's Undergraduate Law Review, overseeing all student publications as Head of Publications for the Activities Board, and acting as President of the Columbia Armenian Society. She also interned at SAGE Publications, a major publishing company, for two summers in a row. Danielle built off her editorial experience at SAGE by becoming Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Women in Law and Politics Journal and acting as an editor for the Columbia Journal of History and Columbia Journal of Global Health.Danielle Mikaelian is currently in her third year at Harvard Law School. At Harvard Law, she is a Dean's Scholar Prize Recipient and an executive board member of the Harvard Association for Law and Business. Danielle Mikaelian has also worked as a Student Attorney for Harvard's Cyberlaw Clinic, Entrepreneurship Project, and Recording Artists Project. She has served as Co-Managing Editor for the Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law, a Submissions Editor for the Human Rights Journal, an Editor for the Business Law Review, and an Editor for the International Law Journal. For the past semester, she has been working alongside the Federal Reserve of Boston as a Legal Fellow. Outside of school, Danielle Mikaelian is a published poet who has been named a 2024 Akerman Scholar, a 2024-2025 Ms. JD Fellow, a two time Huys Foundation Scholar, an Armenian Bar Association scholarship recipient, an Arisdine Krikorian scholarship recipient, a WhoWeAre scholarship recipient, an ArmeniansForSuccess scholarship recipient, and a Ms. JD Law Student Limitless Leadership Award recipient. She plans to move to New York after graduating to work in transactional law and is dedicated to mentoring the next generation of law students. Danielle Mikaelian has spoken at schools like Columbia, UCLA, Berkeley, and USC to help provide advice to aspiring law school applicants. https://www.theivydream.com/
November 5, 2024Episode 755 min
Breaking Barriers from South Tucson to Oxford & Yale: Bill De La Rosa
Bill De La Rosa is a JD/PhD candidate at Yale Law School and Oxford University, Hurst Horizon Scholar, writer, and public speaker. Raised in South Tucson, Arizona, he became the primary caregiver for his family following his mother’s removal from the United States during his sophomore year of high school. Bill graduated from Bowdoin College Phi Beta Kappa with degrees in Sociology and Latin American Studies, receiving notable awards such as the Dell, Gates Millennium, and Truman Scholarships. He was also named the 2016 national Hispanic Scholar of the Year.As both a Marshall and Clarendon Scholar, Bill completed two master’s degrees at the University of Oxford—one in Migration Studies and another in Criminology and Criminal Justice—and is now pursuing his PhD in Criminology, where he focuses on the human impact of U.S. border security policies. With extensive experience advocating for immigrant rights, Bill continues to advocate for immigrant rights and hopes to inspire others through public service and legal scholarship.https://www.theivydream.com/
October 9, 2024Episode 632 min
The Master in Music (MM) Student from NYU Steinhardt : Kenzie Elizabeth
Kenzie Elizabeth is a performing artist who is currently earning her MM in Vocal Performance: Musical Theatre at New York University. In 2018, she attended American Musical and Dramatic Academy (LA & NY campus) for a year before transitioning to Western Oregon University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Acting. Her original music has an Alt-Pop feel with similarities to artists such as Sara Bareilles, Regina Spektor, and Fiona Apple. She also takes inspiration from Lizzy McAlpine and WILLOW.She has a 260k+ following on TikTok.IG/TikTok: @kenzieeofficial https://www.theivydream.com/
September 24, 2024Episode 526 min
The Milken & Coca Cola Scholar at NYU : Lesley Yupa
Lesley Yupa is a first-year student at New York University studying psychology and global public health. Passionate about health and education equity, she hopes to pursue a career within the medical field as a physician.Lesley worked in the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she helped verify physicians and practices membership databases and payments throughout the COVID-19 vaccine support program and assisted in the Data Collection for Equity Program. She conducts DNA Nanotechnology research at the NYU Ned Seeman’s Lab and is an active volunteer trainer at Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital. Lesley is also a 2024 Coca-Cola Scholar, Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar, Milken Scholar, and a recipient of the BigFuture Scholarship. In her free time, Lesley enjoys dancing, listening to podcasts, and learning how to rock-climb. https://www.theivydream.com/
August 29, 2024Episode 429 min
The Teenage-Techie from Turkey: Kuzey Kantarcıoğlu
Kuzey Kantarcıoğlu is a first-year student at Stanford University with an interest in computer science and linguistics. Fascinated by the function of language in both humans and computers, he aspires to advance AI language models. Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, he was an international college applicant. Outside of academics, he enjoys learning new languages and playing guitar, drums and trumpet. You can get in touch with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkuzey/https://www.theivydream.com/
July 19, 2024Episode 325 min
The Entrepreneur/Musician from Brown: Ben Hokenson
Born in New Jersey and raised in Mexico and Philadelphia, Ben is a senior at Brown University studying International and Public Affairs and Entrepreneurship. He also serves as a mentor and business advisor to graduate student founders in Harvard Business School's Field X and Field Y courses. Ben has experience building companies, including his own, in industries such as technology, social media, entertainment, and education. He has performed internal risk management consulting for Goldman Sachs in New York City and marketing consulting for Soulsight. Ben is a passionate musician and has experience as a professional singer. Ben is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s Summer Venture in Management Program, was a Latitude Fellow at D.E. Shaw & Co., an MLT Career Prep Fellow, a 2021 Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar, and a Bridging the Gap Power Awardee. He also studied at the University of Edinburgh while pursuing his undergraduate degree. In his free time, Ben enjoys traveling, playing tennis, scuba diving, and cooking.https://www.theivydream.com/
July 14, 2024Episode 246 min
US Army Ranger turned Entrepreneur at Harvard : Andrew Steen
Andrew Steen is the Founder of Laptis, a tech-enabled platform that streamlines access to effective substance use treatment. Andrew started Laptis as an extension of his deep desire for public service and social impact after he left the military.Andrew is also a rising fourth-year JD/MBA student at Harvard University and a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he got his B.A. in Mathematics. Prior to Harvard and Laptis, Andrew was an Army Ranger. https://www.theivydream.com/
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