
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 Un... more
| Publishes | Twice weekly | Episodes | 55 | Founded | 2 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Education for KidsKids & FamilyParenting | |||

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 year AP class in which a student has a B average.
more
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 summer programs that fail to impress top colleges.
—— more
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 actually drive top college acceptances, from demograp... more
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 parents—are used to.
The core idea is simple: admissions out... more
People also subscribe to these shows.



Every hater on Sam’s tough love who says “let kids be kids” makes me laugh because their kid will do great at state school. But if your kid is tough, ambitious and focused, no one is more specific on strategic advice than Sam.
I am many years away from my kids going to college. However, I figured it was not too early to just start listening, and I started listening based on the recommendation of my sister, whose son is applying to college this year. I so appreciate how the host is a straight shooter and does not mince his words. Incredibly helpful and insightful. I have learned so much. Bravo!
It's truly rare to get the kind of information that you'll find from this podcast. Very thorough and very insightful podcast for sure!
Love this podcast for navigating the college admissions process… This is beneficial in my humble opinion for all levels, especially for elite schools
Appreciate the honesty and no nonsense approach to college applications.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #51 | |
Apple Podcasts | #117 | |
Apple Podcasts | #245 | |
Apple Podcasts | #67 | |
Apple Podcasts | #116 | |
Apple Podcasts | #119 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
The podcast explores the intricacies of elite college admissions, providing listeners with insightful strategies and critical insights to enhance their chances of gaining acceptance into top institutions. The discussions center on various aspects of the admissions journey, including the significance of an applicant's unique narrative, strategic course selection, and the importance of a well-rounded yet focused profile. Listeners can expect to hear about practical advice on resume building, common pitfalls to avoid, and detailed analyses tailored for students seeking admission to prestigious universities across the U.S. With a focus on actionable takeaways and real-world examples, the series stands out for its no-nonsense approach to the com... more
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:
1. Inside the Admissions Office: Advice from Former Admissions Officers
2. The Truth about College Admission
3. The College Admissions Process Podcast
4. Your College Bound Kid | Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews
5. Admittedly: College Admissions with Thomas Caleel
this podcast launched 2 years ago and published 55 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.