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Three Reasons Colleges Turn Down Top Students That Admissions Officers Won’t Reveal and How to Fix It

College may not be for everyone, but if a career in science, engineering, or medicine is the plan, a college degree is a must. The challenge is gaining admission to the elite university of choice. Now more than ever, with competition and selectivity increasing, students need to recognize the intricacies of getting their applications accepted. 

Unfortunately, most parents and students cannot fully comprehend the preparation required to get into the top colleges and universities. Sean Ma is a graduate of Columbia University and Cambridge University and also the CEO of Ma Academy. In a recent interview with KATU-TV (in Portland) he shared, “Parents and students need to know what they’re up against and how competitive admissions are. Schools like Columbia University receive over 60,000 applications each year and only accept 2,000 students. That means there’s a 97% chance you’re not getting in — even with the highest GPA and perfect SAT scores. It’s a much bigger equation.”

So how can students get a competitive edge when applying to top colleges? Ma Academy, a leader in the education consulting industry since 2008, has developed a successful track record designed to help its clients navigate these specific complexities. They have a team of Ivy League graduates and former admissions officers with the inside knowledge to give parents and students a valuable advantage. “We have helped thousands of students get into their dream schools in the United States and around the world, including Ivy League and other top colleges,” Ma shares.

#1 – In a sea of exceptional students, college applicants need more than top GPA & SAT scores — they need to differentiate themselves from the competition. When students have a strong GPA and high standardized test scores, they are usually overly confident with their college placement prospects. So, how can top applicants differentiate from other students?

It starts with being a club founder rather than a club member. Namely, students’ activities must demonstrate leadership skills, including holding positions like Class President or Valedictorian, or other significant accomplishments like getting a research paper published in a prestigious journal, launching a successful business, or achievements that garner national media attention.

#2 – Parents and students should not obsess with top ranked universities or colleges that might not be the best overall fit for them. The competition to get accepted into the top-ranking schools is indeed fierce. “It’s a delicate balance to manage expectations without killing a client’s dreams,” Ma says, “but it’s more than that, since not every student is Ivy League material when they come to us. We work with them to help them step up to their highest potential and then advise them on how to determine the school that is the best fit for them. We’ve found that even when a student gets accepted into an Ivy League university, it’s not always the best match — and the student would be much happier and more successful at another comparably prestigious college or university.”

#3 – Students need a multi-faceted approach to gain college acceptance. Filling out college applications can be stressful, but it is essential that the application is not the first step. In fact, it should be a final step since the high school career lays the foundation for a successful college application submission.

Using a fitness analogy, Sean Ma says he finds the Six-Pack Abs Approach used as a model at Ma Academy to be very effective. “Colleges are looking for students that are more than their grades, but ‘fit’ with life balance as well. They will evaluate the student’s six pack abs to determine if the applicant is the right type of student for their college brand. This approach includes an Admissions Strategy, Application Theme, Extracurricular Activities, Course Selection, Recommendation Letters, and College Essays. Do not underestimate the weight of each of these, especially when it comes to activities and the essay. Through application essays, students can show their personalities, express their passions, and demonstrate their writing skills.”

Finally, Ma wants parents to understand that social media and social gatherings can be detrimental to parents when others brag about their child’s accomplishments. “It often evolves into a comparison competition where parents start to feel as if their own child is a failure when their child is really doing well. Parents should really think about dialing back on time spent on social media and events, so they’re not tempted to unrealistically compare their child to other students.”

During the stressful college application process, working with a company that understands the system is critical. The goal of companies like Ma Academy is to guide students and their families successfully into a college that is the right fit for each student’s personal development and academic success.

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The Four Biggest Cybersecurity Mistakes That Can Kill a Small Business

Small businesses and work at home entrepreneurs are being targeted by ransomware at an alarming rate and over 80% of businesses that pay a ransom will get attacked a second time. In fact, hackers, scammers and viruses are getting smarter every day and cybersecurity measures, to keep company information safe and secure, is one of the most overlooked investments small businesses skip and it can be a very expensive oversight.

Christopher Bartosz is a cybersecurity expert and the President and CEO of FVC Technologies that focuses on servicing small to mid-sized businesses across the nation as their outsourced IT department. His company provides not only IT management, but cybersecurity solutions that keep the company secure and he has identified four of the biggest mistakes small businesses make when it comes to cybersecurity.

#1 – Thinking a business is too small for an attack. No business is too small to be the target of a hacker including work at home entrepreneurs. According to Bartosz, “If you have a bank account, you’re at risk of a cyber attack. Fifty percent of small and mid-sized businesses have experienced at least one cyber attack in the past year.”

#2 – Not understanding most consumer anti-virus programs won’t protect them against all hackers. The typical anti-virus software, also known as anti-malware, is originally designed to prevent, detect, and eliminate malware and viruses. These programs usually run in the background to provide protection but with the explosion of other malware, antivirus software cannot always protect against the latest computer threats. Small business owners and work at home entrepreneurs think they’ve done everything they can to protect and make their laptop and computer systems secure when they are installed. However, according to a recent survey by Fortinet, 81% of small businesses report that new types of attacks have evaded their traditional security solutions including anti-virus software.

#3 – Thinking that IT and cybersecurity are the same thing or relying on a friend for IT Support. It’s great to have a friend who can be consulted for basic IT, or Information Technology, support, but one big mistake people make is thinking that IT and cybersecurity are the same thing. Bartosz says, “Basic IT support and cybersecurity are a completely different skill set. IT support can fix basic computer problems, but not necessarily close the holes hackers are trying to get in. Relying on a friend who knows ‘something about IT’ is just enough to be dangerous.”

#4 – Looking at IT security as an expense and not an investment. Small businesses and entrepreneurs think they’re protected with a consumer anti-virus program that costs around $70, but that is not always enough. In fact, according to Fundera, small and mid-sized businesses spend an average of $955,429 to restore normal business in the wake of successful attacks. Alarmingly, as many as 60% of companies go out of business six months after an attack.

Most small businesses are, unfortunately, vulnerable to cyber attacks, but there are preventative solutions to mitigate the risks. FVC Technologies takes a security first, not an ‘IT support’ first approach. According to Bartosz, “We provide a risk assessment that often reveals hidden doors for hackers to walk right on in and then show our clients this information so we can put together a plan to close and lock those doors.”

Bartosz also recommends investing in a professional and next generation endpoint protection program that scans in real time and catches vulnerabilities, “When we work with clients, we offer them an A.I. driven level of protection that is only available to IT professionals. Larger companies should expect to dedicate 7-10% of their IT budget for cybersecurity and smaller companies who do not have an IT budget should plan on spending 3% of their total budget on cybersecurity. It’s a form of insurance especially compared to the expense of a data breach or ransomware attack.”

Christopher Bartosz is the author of two books on cybersecurity including Why Your Business Must have Cybersecurity Risk Assessments and Cybersecurity Now and he provides education and security training to the companies he serves. He has extensive knowledge of multiple government regulations that he uses to ensure his clients who hold government contracts remain compliant and secure. Businesses can connect with Bartosz on LinkedIn and at FVCTechnologies.com.

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What Airline Passengers Don’t Know About What Happens Behind the Scenes with Air Traffic Control and Most Experts Won’t Reveal

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TheWashington, D.C. – Each day, an estimated 2,900,000 passengers fly in and out of U.S. airports and most have no idea what goes on behind-the-scenes. They don’t know what is involved to get them safely to their final destination or what decisions are made by air traffic controllers to safely navigate their flight. While most days are usually uneventful, situations occur that can be the difference between life and death, and that’s where people like Andy Watson come in.  

No ordinary pilot, Watson has been flying airplanes since he was eight years old, and has also worked as an Air Traffic Control (ATC) Specialist at many of the busiest facilities throughout the eastern United States for more than 14 years. In fact, he is one of only a select few pilots who has a multi-faceted understanding of aviation, which most pilots never realize. Watson’s experiences both as a pilot in the aircraft and professionally tracking planes on the air traffic control radar scope inspired him to write The Pilot’s Guide to Air Traffic Control, a collection of behind-the-scenes stories that places the reader right in the middle of real-life situations that bring the stress and urgency air traffic controllers deal with on a daily basis to bear.*  

Watson has written more than thirty chapters about his experiences as an air traffic controller with pilots in mind that includes an exclusive peek into an intense world which travelers rarely see, and dispels several myths about the aviation industry. 

#1 – How often does a passenger have to land a plane? Although this has been depicted in film more than once, this is actually an uncommon occurrence, but it does happen. Last month, an emergency took place when the pilot of a single-engine turboprop Cessna Caravan en route to Florida became incapacitated and the inexperienced passenger was doing his best to fly the plane. Luckily, an air traffic controller on duty, Robert Morgan, was also an experienced flight instructor. Once notified of the situation, he sprang into action. Despite himself never having flown this make and model of aircraft before, he was able to access a picture of the Cessna Caravan’s instrument panel to guide the impromptu student step-by-step on how to land the aircraft. “As I reviewed the incident,” Watson noted, “I thought it was absolutely brilliant that controller and flight instructor Robert Morgan printed a picture of the Cessna Caravan’s instrument panel so he could explain to the passenger over the radio exactly where to look in order to control the aircraft. I believe Robert saved the three lives on the aircraft that day!” Similarly, Watson’s book tells the story of another ATC save where the flight crew was suffering from hypoxia – a lack of oxygen – was rendered all but unconscious. A controller was able to get them to descend before they passed out. 

#2 – Why is Spatial Disorientation a Very Serious Inflight Emergency? Statistics show between 5 to 10% of all general aviation accidents are caused by spatial disorientation, 90% of which are fatal. Spatial disorientation was determined to be the probable cause of the crash that claimed the life of magazine editor & pilot John F. Kennedy, Jr. and more recently, basketball legend Kobe Bryant.  Watson remarks, “Spatial disorientation occurs when the body feels oriented in one direction, but in reality, it is oriented in a different direction. Literally, the pilot doesn’t know which way is up! It’s the same feeling kids get when they close their eyes, spin in circles, and then try to stand up straight, usually resulting in them falling down!”

Watson, who has worked in the FAA’s Air Traffic Safety Oversight office in Washington, D.C., has encountered several aviation accidents caused by this condition and says, “I realized I had received training on spatial disorientation as a pilot, but I did not remember any training on it as a controller.” 

#3 – What is a big mistake pilots make? Watson’s experience is that while commercial pilots are quick to declare an emergency when necessary, the pilots of smaller, general aviation aircraft are often more reluctant. It seems to Watson that most of them try to avoid declaring the emergency to the maximum extent possible. “I suspect because they are afraid of the FAA. I can tell you, if the thought of declaring an emergency even crosses your mind, then you probably should go ahead and declare it! I have heard pilots talk around the word ‘emergency’ specifically to avoid saying it. When an emergency is declared, air traffic gets extra help to assist you in whatever means they can. Phone calls for additional assistance are made, options are presented, and whatever else the pilot requests are made available. Don’t do it without good reason, but the FAA and ATC is truly there to help you effect a safe arrival.” 

Andy Watson will be on hand at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022, the Largest Airshow in the World, for interviews and to personally sign copies of The Pilot’s Guide to Air Traffic Control. The book is also available on Amazon and at atcStories.com. While the title may say it’s for pilots, this book also provides a view from behind the flight deck door of how almost three million passengers travel safely each day in the skies over the United States. 

*The perspective and opinions given in the book are that of the author alone and may vary from those of the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Can a Stressful Home Life Making to Illness? Don’t Ignore These Five Warning Signs of a Toxic Relationship

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Domestic abuse increased dramatically during the 2020 lockdowns. In fact, according to the National Commission on Covid-19 and Criminal Justice, domestic violence incidents rose in the United States by about 8.1% after pandemic-related lockdowns were imposed.

Phoenix based school teacher, Dr. L.R. Daniel, understands how the stress and impact of toxic relationships had severe consequences for students and their families during the lockdowns. Daniel discovered that teachers across the nation were hearing students’ shocking stories of their lockdown experiences that included economic hardship, physical and verbal abuse, stressed relationships, depression, and losing loved ones to death.

Dr. Daniel decided to do what she could to help herself, her colleagues, her students, and their parents because they were struggling on several levels. She and her peers realized that many of the victims didn’t have any idea what to do to change their situation. That is when she set out to write a book, Trash Can: Stop Being a Receptacle for Toxic People’s Waste, about how to identify the toxic relationships that hurt families and how to cope with them (especially if leaving them is not an option.)

“It’s difficult to recognize when a person is being toxic,” Dr. Daniel says. “A toxic person is never toxic on purpose. They may not have the intention to harm you. It is their internal turmoil that causes a change in their behavioral pattern. In extremely rare cases, a person behaves toxic on purpose but you are not equipped with the right tools to handle someone’s dark emotions.”

One of the first things to do in order to improve the situation is that a person must know how to recognize if they are dealing with someone who is toxic. Dr. L.R. Daniel recently shared says signs and behavioral patterns that help to identify a person with toxic traits in an interview with Sonoran Living. 

1. They are manipulative. Toxic people will go to any extent to achieve what they want. It’s all about their needs and wants. They will bend the truth, lie, and even exaggerate something completely irrelevant.

2. They like to play “the victim.” A toxic person will always think that they are being victimized. Even if it’s their actions that hurt them, they will shift the blame on someone else. They won’t take any accountability for their feelings. Rather, they find ways to project their feelings onto others.

3. They are inconsistent. A toxic person may say one thing but does something else. Their words and actions never match.

4. They look for drama and conflict. A toxic person can never handle peace and calmness for too long. They are uncomfortable feeling any happy or positive emotion or situation and actually thrive off pain, conflict, and drama. 

5. They are consistently negative. They are never grateful or content with what they have. They are extremely calculative in what they do and make sure that they get the maximum benefit from any situation. Even when they get the most, they complain about how they didn’t get everything they wanted.

Once the traits of a toxic person are identified, Daniel says that it’s important to not focus on the person that’s causing the problem, but take the energy being invested on the circumstance and redirect it toward self care. She suggests, “Own up to what you can work on and set small goals to create a life that will take you on a journey for wholeness.”

Research from 2020 identifies Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) for high school students and young adults as a significant health dilemma in the United States. A multifaceted approach is recommended to protect individuals from abusive relationships and Daniel’s book, Trash Can: Stop Being a Receptacle for Toxic People’s Waste provides steps to not only identify toxic behavior, but also ways to cope in the midst of these difficult situations.

Depending on what types of issues people are facing at home in their relationships, Daniel’s book may be able to help provide guidance and navigate solutions on how to work on the issues that are causing conflict. She says, “This book is extremely personal to me. I know what it’s like to be in this position and feel like there’s no hope for tomorrow. But if I can get out of something toxic, I’m sure you can, too.“

Dr. L.R. Daniel has taught middle and high school adolescents for over thirty years. According to Dr. Daniel, “Helping people free themselves from toxic situations and people is essential for me. It was how I managed to finally step into my own power and not waste my energy on people who never truly valued me.” Her book is available at TrashCanBook.com.

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Toxic Mistakes Dog Owners Make: Stop Feeding Dogs Table Scraps

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CINCINNATI – What pet mom or dad can resist giving their favorite pup a treat? Dog owners love sneaking food to their pets that are begging for table scraps and what may seem like a good idea at the time can, unfortunately, be deadly for dogs. Many people do not realize that dogs cannot eat certain human foods and innocent table scraps could land a precious pup at the vet with a very serious illness or worse.

Melinda Kirk Stenger has been cooking for dogs for over twenty years and she is on a mission to educate pet parents and says, “There are so many foods we eat at the dinner table that are toxic for dogs and you need to know which ones to avoid giving them. These include grapes, raisins, chocolate, and any food containing Xylitol like pre-packaged cookies and muffins or even gum.” 

Melinda, who is known as the Canine Caterer, was inspired to make homemade recipes for her dog, Bella, a Jack Russell mix who had allergies to many dog food ingredients like wheat, corn and soy. Her determination to keep Bella healthy began her journey to become an expert in dog health. Melinda’s passion led her to create PetCakes® that are do-it-yourself kits to easily make healthy treats for dogs. “People think it’s too complicated and time consuming to cook for their dog, so I invented PetCakes® mixes that have NO wheat, corn or soy to make it fast and fun to give your pets healthy, homemade snacks,” she shares. 

Each PetCakes® kit has everything needed to make homemade pet treats including a BPA free and re-usable bone-shaped pan for dogs (or a fish-shaped pan for cats). Just add water to the mix, pour the batter into the pan, and microwave it for less than three minutes. Melinda adds, “The birthday kits also come with a candle to add to the cake. When you cook for your animals, you bond in a fun way that creates lasting memories with them.”  

PetCakes® mixes also have no added salt, sugar or preservatives. Melinda warns, “Dogs specifically should never have added salt or sugar in their food because it contributes to health issues leading to a shorter life span.” 

Melinda Kirk Stenger has dedicated an entire page to a list of toxic foods in Paws & Brunch, a cookbook packed with a collection of delicious dog treat recipes inspired by human food like Woof Waffles, Canine Quiche, and even Barktown Biscuits. “Each recipe is designed with healthy, human-grade ingredients and are so easy, even kids can make them,” she says.

Melinda’s dog, Bella, is the official taste tester, mascot, and inspiration behind the recipes in her cookbook, “Bella was seriously injured in an accident and it required me to cook homemade food for her to help her recover. Cooking for her inspired me to go above and beyond and to make human looking food she’d love. When she got better, I expanded into planning extravagant birthday parties, high-end doggie brunches, and even dog weddings.”

PetCakes® are available online through Amazon or Chewy and you can follow and connect with Melinda on Instagram.  

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Can Cookies Really Change Lives? This Mom Turned Her Unique Cookies Into a 7-Figure Business.

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Not since Mrs. Fields turned her delicious cookie recipe into a multi-million dollar company has a mom turned her cookie baking skills into such a successful business. Do you want to know her secret? “It’s about the cookies, but not about the cookies at all — it’s about how it changes you into the woman you are meant to be,” says Lauren Anderson, founder of Lolly’s Home Kitchen that started in her home and has now grown into a seven figure business.

So how does a successful graphic designer with over 20 years of experience running various art departments and her own graphic design firm end up with basically a cookie business? Lauren discovered cookies during one of the most difficult years of her life, “I had a baby with a serious and life threatening medical condition called congenital heart defect (CHD) and my life changed in an instant. My son’s needs were so tremendous that I became his around-the-clock caretaker and as a result, I ended up having to leave my graphic design job. Eventually we found some stability, but something was missing. My mom was the one that noticed I needed something just for me, beyond being a mom and wife, and that’s when she introduced me to cookie decorating!”

Baking cookies is practically a rite of passage for moms, but most rarely venture beyond sugar and sprinkles. Lauren had always admired the decorated cookies with royal icing, sparkling sugar crystals, and even hand painted touches that she’d seen at special parties and on Pinterest, so she decided to play around with this as a hobby for herself.

She started baking cookies for school events and parties and people loved them so much that Lauren decided to open Lolly’s Home Kitchen. “My cookies brought so much joy and delight to my family and friends, and then I started marketing them on Instagram and taking orders – a lot of orders. What started as a hobby for a little ‘me-time’ turned into a thriving business,” Lauren shared. “But there’s more to it. Before I found fulfillment as a Cookier, I wasn’t thrilled with how motherhood felt. I loved my kids and we had a good life, but something was just missing. Then somewhere between the mixing bowls and the piping bags, I finally became the mother I’d always wanted to be. Who knew cookies could change my life?”

Beautifully decorated cookies, made by hand in the heart of a home, aren’t just cookies, they’re a family bonding experience that creates priceless memories. It wasn’t enough for Lauren to create cookies just for her business, she wanted to help other moms learn this special craft to share with their friends and families as well. She knew she was not alone and that there were other mothers who were looking to find themselves again. 

Since creating her very first cookie four years ago, she has taught herself all the do’s and don’ts of baking and decorating cookies through a lot of trial and error. “I’m obsessed with creating more joy in life and in the kitchen. That’s why I created Lolly’s Cookie Camp so every mom can learn to decorate sugar cookies like a pro. I make it about the result they get – not just cookies, but about changing your life with cookies and transforming women into the mom they want to be.” Then, Lolly’s Cookie Camp took off and Lauren started creating more courses as more and more moms joined, it grew into a seven figure business and it continues to thrive.

Lolly’s Cookie Camp has everything a beginner needs to know and was created to be easy, clearly laid out, and ready to learn with Lauren’s secret recipe for beautifully baked cookies right from the very first batch. She also includes her unique and simple cookie decorating design techniques inspired by her years of being a graphic designer.

Cookie Camp is available for just $47 because her goal is to inspire moms to jump in and choose to have more fun and joy in life—through cookies! You can connect with Lauren Anderson and learn more about creative cookie decorating on Instagram at @lollyshomekitchen.

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Former TV Producer Shares Secrets: How Entrepreneurs Can Get Talk Show Interviews

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Los Angeles, CA based Marianne Schwab is helping entrepreneurs crack the code on how they can get talk show interviews to promote their business. Building visibility for a company or product is one of the biggest challenges that an entrepreneur faces and they may seek to increase their brand’s exposure with such interviews. However, the issue is that they have no idea how to go about this. Fortunately, Marianne Schwab is a former network talk show producer and has decided to share some of the biggest insider secrets from the industry on how an entrepreneur can land a TV talk show interview.

“It breaks my heart when I see small business owners and entrepreneurs spend thousands and thousands of dollars on hiring a publicist and get little to no results — let alone land a talk show interview,” states Schwab. She notes that, unfortunately, most entrepreneurs are clueless about the steps they need to take, even though they usually understand how much they stand to gain if they are successful.

This inspired Marianne to launch a free training program to show entrepreneurs exactly what they need to know and consider before they even begin to pitch programs to get TV talk show interviews. In fact, she is on a mission to help experts and entrepreneurs get an edge over their competition and the only prerequisite is that they have a product or service they are ready to promote.

The training covers three things that all entrepreneurs must know to book an interview in order to avoid ruining their chances of actually getting on the show. When it comes to learning how to land talk show interviews, she states that the first step is to help experts and entrepreneurs understand how talk shows work behind-the-scenes. Marianne says, “I am not a publicist, but a producer who helps experts, authors and entrepreneurs get talk show interviews. My approach is as an insider who understands exactly what talk show producers need and want for their programs.”

The strategies that Schwab suggests are based on her experience as a TV talk show producer. Her program has proven quite popular due to her extensive experience in the field. Ngombe Mayunda, author of the book, Thank You America, shared, “I learned new strategies on how to land TV Talk Show Interviews for my book. I recommend this amazing training.”

Marianne’s free training also covers the one strategy that every entrepreneur should master that will increase their chances of getting an interview up to 90% of the time. She give insights on the types of guests that talk show producers need to book on their daily shows and how to become more appealing to them as a prospective guest on programs. She does caution that people can derail their shot at success if they only think how a talk show interview will benefit them instead of thinking about the types of pitches that producers want.

Marianne helps entrepreneurs refine their expert knowledge into talk show segment ideas that appeal to TV audiences. Ultimately the goal is to elevate them from an expert to an authority that will generate more clients and customers in the process. Schwab emphasizes, “Getting the interview is only the beginning. Hitting a home run with your interview is where I come in to ensure that my clients don’t dismantle their credibility with a bad interview.”

Those interested in taking the free training to learn how to promote their business on a TV talk show can connect with Marianne Schwab on Instagram. Through this space, they can make inquiries on the free training to determine whether they can benefit from it and if they’re ready for a talk show interview.