Elite American admissions systems seem shrouded in mystery. Plummeting acceptance rates suggest that even the most stellar academic record no longer suffices to differentiate a candidate from the rest of the applicant pool.
The personal essay is an exercise in self-marketing, in underscoring your authentic value-add to a college campus. Without the right frameworks and insights on how to approach this task, many applicants miss the opportunity to convey something profound about themselves.
After a decade of studying what works for the world’s most selective admissions committees, we’ve crystalized the elements that distinguish winning essays from those cast upon the dreaded “rejected” pile.
Through in-depth analyses of 25 Common Application Essays that have succeeded at Ivy League and “Ivy+” (Stanford, Caltech, UChicago) universities, you’ll discover the transformative journey of composing an outstanding college essay that leaves a lasting impression. And beyond the samples, you’ll gain actionable tools and concrete exercises in our workbook to compose your very own.
As the first Indian woman diplomat stationed in Islamabad, Ruchi Ghanashyam unveils the intricacies of cross-border relationships and the relentless drumbeat of history as witnessed through the prism of political upheavals. From 1997 to 2000, Ghanashyam and her husband traversed the labyrinthine corridors of Islamabad, bearing witness to seismic events that shook the region to its core. From the thunderous echoes of the India-Pakistan nuclear tests to the harrowing shadows of the Kargil conflict, their tale unfolds against the backdrop of geopolitical upheaval. In a riveting twist, A.R. Ghanashyam, the author’s husband, unveils his first-hand account of the tense moments preceding the Indian Airlines flight IC 814 hijacking, offering a gripping glimpse into the heart of crisis management.
Yet, amidst the tumult, Ambassador Ghanashyam’s narrative delves deeper, unravelling gender dynamics in a society steeped in tradition and inviting us to contemplate not just the challenges facing Pakistan but also the boundless potential for change and understanding. Through her discerning analysis, she exposes the layers of tradition that shape societal norms, offering a compelling examination of the challenges and opportunities inherent in the region’s sociopolitical landscape.?
This timely and compelling work stands as a testament to the enduring power of diplomacy in navigating the currents of global affairs.
A unique biography that explores and celebrates the life of a Dalit sports icon who fought against social injustice.
‘Does anyone really win when not everyone gets to play?’
Right from his childhood, Baloo loved cricket. But he lived at a time when the rules of the game weren’t fair. Despite being a great bowler, he wasn’t allowed on the team because he was from a lower caste. Not one to give up easily, Baloo worked hard and was eventually picked to play on the team. But even after this, he wasn’t allowed to mix freely with his teammates.
Could Baloo overcome this obstacle and change the game of cricket?
Discover the simple three-part self-care system that will help you stay calm in class, enjoy a good work–life balance, and keep doing the job you love.
It’s a cliché but it’s true: teaching is the best job in the world. So why are more teachers leaving the profession than ever before? Thanks to staff shortages, accountability pressures, and heavy workloads, teachers are burning out fast. This raises the question: How do you stay happy and keep teaching?
Michelle Auton has the answer. Drawing on both her own 20+ years in the profession and the experiences of her many teacher friends, Michelle has developed a three-part system to help you not just survive, but thrive in teaching. In What Happy Teachers Do, she takes you through these three principles:
1. Self-care: You’ll learn how to deal with the unique highs and lows of the teaching year and practice good self-care every day.
2. Mindfulness: Michelle explains the neuroscience and benefits of mindfulness, and details short mindful practices that can help you in times of stress, overwhelm, exhaustion, or judgment.
3. Tapping: Tapping is an alternative treatment for physical pain and emotional distress, and can help to restore balance to your body’s energy. Use these tapping—aka Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)—scripts in both your personal and teaching life, such as when you’re having difficulty sleeping, preparing for a lesson observation, or worried about an awkward conversation with a parent.
This book will help all teachers, whether you’re in your first or thirty-first year of teaching, to reduce stress, prioritize self-care, and feel empowered. This is what happy teachers do.
Reclaim ownership of your life, heal your inner child, and learn to thrive beyond narcissistic abuse with the guidance of trauma-informed coach and somatic therapist Caroline Strawson.
How to Heal after Narcissistic Abuse will support you to release inner shame, heal at a deep nervous system level, and reconnect with your true self. This book integrates trauma-informed practices with positive psychology to educate and inspire you to heal from trauma, turn pain into purpose, and step into your strength. You will learn:
• to understand your core emotional wounds and begin to heal from your past
• practical tools and exercises for engaging with the impact of narcissistic abuse, such as nervous system regulation, internal family systems theory, and the SELF Navigation Map
• regulation techniques to mitigate any potential triggers and develop compassion and kindness towards your inner child, such as grounding practices, somatic self-leadership, and meditations
• how to grow in strength and resiliency with positive psychology interventions
How to Heal after Narcissistic Abuse is a practical toolkit full of education, inspiration, and hope. It will remind you that you have the power to successfully process and integrate your experience into your own powerful story of personal growth and resiliency.
Breathwork guide and meditation teacher Matteo Pistono offers a how-to book for upgrading your nervous system to live your optimal life physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Do you want to calm your racing thoughts before lying down for a restful night of sleep? Or raise your energy levels before your morning exercise or spin class, and have laser focus before an important meeting? Are you overwhelmed from the flood of information from your social media and news feed? Any time your emotional state is out of balance, there are time-tested, practical methods to breathe your way back into the state of being you want.
Too often books and breathwork coaches do not teach the actual mechanics of breathing. Instead, they guide one-off sessions, teach protocols, or direct you to an app. The consequence of just following a protocol without understanding breathing mechanics leaves the student disempowered and dependent on the teacher. Instead, in Breathe How You Want to Feel, learning functional breathing becomes the basis upon which you gain control of your well-being—it’s the secret tool behind resiliency. Breathe How You Want to Feel, offers you a psychophysical tool kit that includes:
• awareness building,
• understanding the dials of your nervous system,
• the importance of nasal breathing,
• how breath holds (even when very short) are a superpower, and
• how to integrate optimal breathing throughout your everyday life, especially when you’re sleeping.
You’ll use these tools to optimize your breathing to overcome being tired, wired, and uninspired. You’ll learn how to breathe optimally during your workday, while exercising, when entering meditative and flow states, and for deep rest. And you’ll partner with your breath to discover deeper meaning in life. This book meets you, the breather, where you are with step-by-step actionable tools to improve your health, sleep, and well-being.
The concepts in this book bring the worlds of coaching and trauma healing together. We can acknowledge the past, honor all our parts, and grow our capacity to perform better and optimize our lives.
In this book, Mastin Kipp, the pioneering force in the field of trauma-informed coaching, presents a transformative guide to overcoming trauma and embracing positive change. With an unmatched track record of over 20,000 clinical hours guiding clients, Mastin stands as a leading authority in the integration of Polyvagal Theory within the coaching field, having taught its principles longer than anyone else in the coaching field. Mastin, with his unique approach and vast experience, dives deep into how our nervous systems hold the key to not just healing from trauma but also to designing a life filled with unlimited potential.
Far from being fluffy sentiments, acts of kindness – whether given, received or witnessed – are potent elixirs that have a profound and lasting impact on our mental and physical health.
From boosting happiness to soothing the soul, kindness isn’t just a feel-good notion – it’s a powerhouse. It relaxes your nerves, lowers blood pressure, reduces inflammation and even slows down ageing at the genetic level.
This book serves as a beacon of light, urging you to spread kindness like wildfire. Because in a world where apathy reigns, giving a f*ck is revolutionary. And when we do, we not only enrich ourselves but bring joy into our communities and the wider world.
Do you always show up for everyone else, get praised for your strength, and look like you have it all together while secretly experiencing intense worry, self-doubt, or fear of failure? Do you work hard to please others while feeling disconnected from the ‘real you’?
People with high-functioning anxiety (HFA) often appear competent and accomplished on the outside, but internally, it’s a very different story. HFA is rooted in fear – the fear of others seeing the ‘real’ us – and can lead to a cycle of overworking, overthinking, and self-criticism.
Award-winning psychologist Dr Lalitaa is here to tell you that you don’t have to live like this anymore. Weaving together scientific research with practical exercises and case studies, Dr Lalitaa offers a five-step plan that will radically shift how you see yourself. You’ll discover:
• the main symptoms of high-functioning anxiety and how they emerge in daily behaviour
•the two sides of high-functioning anxiety: how you see yourself vs. how you present yourself to the world
•how to release old modes of thinking and habitual thought patterns and replace them with healthy attitudes
•practical methods for creating and sustaining long-term lifestyle changes, so that you can calm the inner panic, find balance, and thrive
This transformational book will show you how to break the toxic cycle of high-functioning anxiety – for good.
In today’s hyperconnected world, our lives have become increasingly intertwined with the technology we interact with. While innovations like smartphones and the Internet have brought unprecedented convenience and connectivity, they have also introduced new risks and challenges.
In The Human Algorithm, Dr Robin K. Mathew takes readers on an eye-opening exploration of the complex digital landscape and our ever-evolving engagement with it. With chapters delving into smartphone addiction, the impact of technology on cognitive development, threats such as cyberbullying, online predators, and the dark web, this book shines a revelatory light on the often-overlooked aspects of our online existence. This comprehensive work also dedicates chapters to the internet’s role in fuelling anxiety and hypochondria, the emergence of cyber dating and romance, and the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), among other crucial topics.
All in all, this richly researched and compellingly argued compendium will equip you with the knowledge and insights to navigate the digital age with awareness and resilience.
