176 episodes

Destination YOUniversity is a podcast for parents of college bound teens and the mentors and educators who support them. If you are looking to learn quality tips, true tales of real applicants, and candid behind-the-scene truths about the college admission process, you've come to the right place. College dreams and EXPERT college advice is distributed here, no matter who you are, where you live, or where your teen attends high school. Join us!

Destination YOUniversity Dr. Cynthia Colon

    • Education
    • 5.0 • 11 Ratings

Destination YOUniversity is a podcast for parents of college bound teens and the mentors and educators who support them. If you are looking to learn quality tips, true tales of real applicants, and candid behind-the-scene truths about the college admission process, you've come to the right place. College dreams and EXPERT college advice is distributed here, no matter who you are, where you live, or where your teen attends high school. Join us!

    #217 - The 5 Levels Of Student Involvement vs. Leadership

    #217 - The 5 Levels Of Student Involvement vs. Leadership

    TIP: Top Academics punches your ticket to the dance. Impact Leadership gets you admitted.

    TALE: When you take a look at the March Madness brackets for the NCAA Men’s and Women’s tournament, you learn that they ALL have winning records. These are the AQs: Academic Qualities. They are the best in their athletic conference, be it Pac 12, Big 10, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big East, etc. Their stats and overall winning records earned them a ticket to the “dance.”

    Was it a fluke that #13 seed Yale Men’s team beat #4 seed Auburn? Or that #14 seed Oakland Men’s team beat #3 seed Kentucky (with 8 National titles)? How about my Lady Trojans headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 30 years and will face the Baylor Bears who have 3 national titles under their belt? NO. These are the best teams around the country, and each comes with the “goods” of what it takes to win. So what is the difference?

    How a team shows leadership, endurance, and teamwork throughout the game is critical. Their preparation, work ethic, dedication, commitment, and longevity are paramount. The intangibles such as, passion, grit, belief, and how a team succeeds under pressure and adversity, are without a doubt instrumental to winning any game. These are the PQs, Personal Qualities of a team.

    TRUTH: When applying to college, every student shows up with the same “numbers,” high school GPA, test scores, and a transcript to show the rigor of the courses you chose. These “stats” are YOUR AQs. So what makes you stand out?

    Well, today is your lucky day! Like Coach Wooden had his Pyramid of Success, well, I have Dr. C’s Hierarchy of Co-curricular Involvement. I’m breaking down for everyone exactly what you need to do to stand out from among the other 2M students applying to 4-year colleges!!

    Best Selling Author. TEDx Speaker. College Admission Expert. Football Enthusiast.
    Dr. Cynthia Colón is the Amazon Best Selling author of Be Committed! Get Admitted., and the Spanish version, Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión! She is the national host of Destination YOUniversity podcast and founder of College Essay Bootcamp and Dream College Academy. “Cyndie” grew up with 14 Tíos and Tías with advice on everything except how to get admitted to college. Cynthia's immigrant mother had the courage to ask for help and changed the trajectory of her life. Because of Lydia (Mom), Cynthia is an alumna of USC, Columbia University, and UCLA. Dr. Colón is on a mission to help more public school students get private school service to access top 100 colleges. Dr. Colón delivered her first TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair,” in Los Angeles in 2023. She has been featured on KTLA, ABC, NBC, FOX 5, KCAL, WGN, WPIX.

    Be Committed. Get Admitted!: 7 Steps to College Admission Success: https://a.co/d/fq1xH3W

    Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión!: https://a.co/d/b91hMSD

    FREE Download: How Admission Officers Choose Who To Admit Or Reject: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/admit

    Book a Free Mini Strategy Call: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/schedule

    Download your FREE 10 Sample Essays: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/10-sample-college-essay

    Purchase 40+ Winning Essays To Top 100 Colleges: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/offers/2RyFN5AB/checkout

    Register for Dream College Academy (9th - 11th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/dca

    Register for College Essay Bootcamp (11th - 12th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/essaycamp

    Visit our website: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/

    TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFTU-Qg9sPY

    Follow On:
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drcynthiacolon
    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcynthiacolon/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cynthia-colon/
    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/2j5mudfkrzw2jjbeocvc0k0pnhsee5/?invite_code=d92e88ca0f6041ebaed391a763d4c075&sender=990299542970899812

    Essay Camp Dates 2024:
    JUNE: 17 and 24
    JULY: 15, 22,

    • 28 min
    #216: Why Students Need A Passion Project

    #216: Why Students Need A Passion Project

    Well, it’s Ivy Week and all the college acceptance letters have come, are coming, or… not. In a time where college admissions has become more and more competitive, it’s time to think about what to do and how to stand out. Think of it this way, how many people are on IG and TikTok? How many catch your attention? Not many. 

    Today, Vince Garcia joins me to talk about why students need a passion project. 

    Trust me, if you are (or have) a high school freshman, sophomore, or junior, you need to listen up!! 

    Enjoy!






    Best Selling Author. TEDx Speaker. College Admission Expert. Football Enthusiast.

    Dr. Cynthia Colón is the Amazon Best Selling author of Be Committed! Get Admitted., and the Spanish version, Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión! She is the national host of Destination YOUniversity podcast and founder of College Essay Bootcamp and Dream College Academy. “Cyndie” grew up with 14 Tíos and Tías with advice on everything except how to get admitted to college. Cynthia's immigrant mother had the courage to ask for help and changed the trajectory of her life. Because of Lydia (Mom), Cynthia is an alumna of USC, Columbia University, and UCLA. Dr. Colón is on a mission to help more public school students get private school service to access top 100 colleges. Dr. Colón delivered her first TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair,” in Los Angeles in 2023. She  has been featured on KTLA, ABC, NBC, FOX 5, KCAL, WGN, WPIX.

    Be Committed. Get Admitted!: 7 Steps to College Admission Success: https://a.co/d/fq1xH3W

    Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión!: https://a.co/d/b91hMSD

    FREE Download: How Admission Officers Choose Who To Admit Or Reject: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/admit

    Book a Free Mini Strategy Call: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/schedule

    Download your FREE 10 Sample Essays: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/10-sample-college-essay

    Purchase 40+ Winning Essays To Top 100 Colleges: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/offers/2RyFN5AB/checkout

    Register for Dream College Academy (9th - 11th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/dca

    Register for College Essay Bootcamp (11th - 12th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/essaycamp

    Visit our website: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/

    TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFTU-Qg9sPY

    Follow On: 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drcynthiacolon 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcynthiacolon/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cynthia-colon/ 

    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/2j5mudfkrzw2jjbeocvc0k0pnhsee5/?invite_code=d92e88ca0f6041ebaed391a763d4c075&sender=990299542970899812

    Essay Camp Dates 2024:

    JUNE: 17 and 24 

    JULY: 15, 22, 29

    AUGUST: 5, 12, 19

    #drcynthiacolon #author #tedxspeaker #collegeadmissionexpert #dreamcollegeacademy #collegeessaybootcamp #essaycamp #becommittedgetadmitted #highschoolparents #highschoolstudents #collegecounselor #collegedreams #top100colleges #publicschoolstudentsprivateschoolservice #destinationYOUniversity #collegecounselor #collegeadmissions

    • 31 min
    #215: Pink Hair. Don’t Care. My Mom Is All The Things And More.

    #215: Pink Hair. Don’t Care. My Mom Is All The Things And More.

    Full Disclosure Fridays. 

    I talk about my MOM a lot on my podcast and in my social media posts. It took a long time for us to have the relationship we do now, so that’s something I’m proud of and happy about. 

    What you may not know is that she is a hairdresser. And her favorite thing is coloring hair, including her own. I’m calling this episode pink hair don’t care, because literally, the first time she came to speak with me she had Pink Hair.

    She has a great message for any parent who did not attend college and therefore, doesn’t believe they can help their child get admitted to college. YOU can. In this episode, I share Mom’s secret.



    Best Selling Author. TEDx Speaker. College Admission Expert. Football Enthusiast.

    Dr. Cynthia Colón is the Amazon Best Selling author of Be Committed! Get Admitted., and the Spanish version, Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión! She is the national host of Destination YOUniversity podcast and founder of College Essay Bootcamp and Dream College Academy. “Cyndie” grew up with 14 Tíos and Tías with advice on everything except how to get admitted to college. Cynthia's immigrant mother had the courage to ask for help and changed the trajectory of her life. Because of Lydia (Mom), Cynthia is an alumna of USC, Columbia University, and UCLA. Dr. Colón is on a mission to help more public school students get private school service to access top 100 colleges. Dr. Colón delivered her first TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair,” in Los Angeles in 2023. She  has been featured on KTLA, ABC, NBC, FOX 5, KCAL, WGN, WPIX.

    Be Committed. Get Admitted!: 7 Steps to College Admission Success: https://a.co/d/fq1xH3W

    Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión!: https://a.co/d/b91hMSD

    FREE Download: How Admission Officers Choose Who To Admit Or Reject: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/admit

    Book a Free Mini Strategy Call: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/schedule

    Download your FREE 10 Sample Essays: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/10-sample-college-essay

    Purchase 40+ Winning Essays To Top 100 Colleges: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/offers/2RyFN5AB/checkout

    Register for Dream College Academy (9th - 11th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/dca

    Register for College Essay Bootcamp (11th - 12th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/essaycamp

    Visit our website: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/

    TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFTU-Qg9sPY

    Follow On: 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drcynthiacolon 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcynthiacolon/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cynthia-colon/ 

    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/2j5mudfkrzw2jjbeocvc0k0pnhsee5/?invite_code=d92e88ca0f6041ebaed391a763d4c075&sender=990299542970899812

    Essay Camp Dates 2024:

    JUNE: 17 and 24 

    JULY: 15, 22, 29

    AUGUST: 5, 12, 19

    #drcynthiacolon #author #tedxspeaker #collegeadmissionexpert #dreamcollegeacademy #collegeessaybootcamp #essaycamp #becommittedgetadmitted #highschoolparents #highschoolstudents #collegecounselor #collegedreams #top100colleges #publicschoolstudentsprivateschoolservice #destinationYOUniversity #collegecounselor #collegeadmissions

    • 24 min
    #214: The Before and After Winning Notre Dame Essay

    #214: The Before and After Winning Notre Dame Essay

    Every fall a family comes to me and wants me to review a college essay their daughter or son drafted and give feedback before it’s submitted. 99% of the time, the essay is no bueno. By “No Bueno,” I mean, please do NOT turn this in. 

    The worst is what I call the kitchen sink essay. It’s got too many topics wrapped in one essay and it is way too confusing for the reader. 

    In today’s episode, Dina Petringa and I unpack the “before and after” of the winning Notre Dame essay, otherwise known as the “Sports Journalism” Essay. Dina has worked with me for over 5 years and we’ve read thousands of essays.

    If you’ve ever wondered what the heck will my child write about? This episode is for you.

    If your child is thinking about writing about sports, and you’ve heard me say, “Do NOT write about sports,” This episode is definitely for you.

    Best Selling Author. TEDx Speaker. College Admission Expert. Football Enthusiast.

    Dr. Cynthia Colón is the Amazon Best Selling author of Be Committed! Get Admitted., and the Spanish version, Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión! She is the national host of Destination YOUniversity podcast and founder of College Essay Bootcamp and Dream College Academy. “Cyndie” grew up with 14 Tíos and Tías with advice on everything except how to get admitted to college. Cynthia's immigrant mother had the courage to ask for help and changed the trajectory of her life. Because of Lydia (Mom), Cynthia is an alumna of USC, Columbia University, and UCLA. Dr. Colón is on a mission to help more public school students get private school service to access top 100 colleges. Dr. Colón delivered her first TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair,” in Los Angeles in 2023. She  has been featured on KTLA, ABC, NBC, FOX 5, KCAL, WGN, WPIX.

    Be Committed. Get Admitted!: 7 Steps to College Admission Success: https://a.co/d/fq1xH3W

    Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión!: https://a.co/d/b91hMSD

    FREE Download: How Admission Officers Choose Who To Admit Or Reject: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/admit

    Book a Free Mini Strategy Call: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/schedule

    Download your FREE 10 Sample Essays: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/10-sample-college-essay

    Purchase 40+ Winning Essays To Top 100 Colleges: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/offers/2RyFN5AB/checkout

    Register for Dream College Academy (9th - 11th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/dca

    Register for College Essay Bootcamp (11th - 12th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/essaycamp

    Visit our website: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/

    TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFTU-Qg9sPY

    Follow On: 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drcynthiacolon 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcynthiacolon/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cynthia-colon/ 

    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/2j5mudfkrzw2jjbeocvc0k0pnhsee5/?invite_code=d92e88ca0f6041ebaed391a763d4c075&sender=990299542970899812

    Essay Camp Dates 2024:

    JUNE: 17 and 24 

    JULY: 15, 22, 29

    AUGUST: 5, 12, 19

    #drcynthiacolon #author #tedxspeaker #collegeadmissionexpert #dreamcollegeacademy #collegeessaybootcamp #essaycamp #becommittedgetadmitted #highschoolparents #highschoolstudents #collegecounselor #collegedreams #top100colleges #publicschoolstudentsprivateschoolservice #destinationYOUniversity #collegecounselor #collegeadmissions

    • 29 min
    #213: 5 Steps To Productive College Visits No Matter The Age of Your Child

    #213: 5 Steps To Productive College Visits No Matter The Age of Your Child

    We are talking about all things College Visits!

    Does anyone remember when the pandemic hit? Nobody could go anywhere and we were forced to visit colleges online and make college decisions, one of the BIGGEST decisions of your life, forced to decide based on the internet.  

    Thank goodness that is behind us.

    Today I’m going to talk about TWO types of college visits:

    ONE: For families with younger students, I’m talking middle school and early high school years. Or even as early as elementary school.

    TWO: For families with high school students, typically in sophomore and junior year. 

    Either way - I’ll give you the 5 Steps you need to be most productive on each visit.

    Best Selling Author. TEDx Speaker. College Admission Expert. Football Enthusiast.

    Dr. Cynthia Colón is the Amazon Best Selling author of Be Committed! Get Admitted., and the Spanish version, Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión! She is the national host of Destination YOUniversity podcast and founder of College Essay Bootcamp and Dream College Academy. “Cyndie” grew up with 14 Tíos and Tías with advice on everything except how to get admitted to college. Cynthia's immigrant mother had the courage to ask for help and changed the trajectory of her life. Because of Lydia (Mom), Cynthia is an alumna of USC, Columbia University, and UCLA. Dr. Colón is on a mission to help more public school students get private school service to access top 100 colleges. Dr. Colón delivered her first TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair,” in Los Angeles in 2023. She  has been featured on KTLA, ABC, NBC, FOX 5, KCAL, WGN, WPIX.

    Be Committed. Get Admitted!: 7 Steps to College Admission Success: https://a.co/d/fq1xH3W

    Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión!: https://a.co/d/b91hMSD

    FREE Download: How Admission Officers Choose Who To Admit Or Reject: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/admit

    Book a Free Mini Strategy Call: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/schedule

    Download your FREE 10 Sample Essays: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/10-sample-college-essay

    Purchase 40+ Winning Essays To Top 100 Colleges: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/offers/2RyFN5AB/checkout

    Register for Dream College Academy (9th - 11th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/dca

    Register for College Essay Bootcamp (11th - 12th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/essaycamp

    Visit our website: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/

    TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFTU-Qg9sPY

    Follow On: 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drcynthiacolon 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcynthiacolon/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cynthia-colon/ 

    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/2j5mudfkrzw2jjbeocvc0k0pnhsee5/?invite_code=d92e88ca0f6041ebaed391a763d4c075&sender=990299542970899812

    Essay Camp Dates 2024:

    JUNE: 17 and 24 

    JULY: 15, 22, 29

    AUGUST: 5, 12, 19

    #drcynthiacolon #author #tedxspeaker #collegeadmissionexpert #dreamcollegeacademy #collegeessaybootcamp #essaycamp #becommittedgetadmitted #highschoolparents #highschoolstudents #collegecounselor #collegedreams #top100colleges #publicschoolstudentsprivateschoolservice #destinationYOUniversity #collegecounselor #collegeadmissions

    • 21 min
    #212: Lessons From My Obsession with Amy Porterfield

    #212: Lessons From My Obsession with Amy Porterfield

    Full Disclosure Fridays. 

    Does anyone know Amy Porterfield? Please comment if you do, because I am obsessed with all things Amy. 

    If you are a goal setter, dreamer, someone who loves a good planner and color-coded office supplies – you are with your people today!! 

    Today I’m sharing a few lessons I learned from Multi-Millionaire entrepreneur: Amy Porterfield.

    Best Selling Author. TEDx Speaker. College Admission Expert. Football Enthusiast.

    Dr. Cynthia Colón is the Amazon Best Selling author of Be Committed! Get Admitted., and the Spanish version, Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión! She is the national host of Destination YOUniversity podcast and founder of College Essay Bootcamp and Dream College Academy. “Cyndie” grew up with 14 Tíos and Tías with advice on everything except how to get admitted to college. Cynthia's immigrant mother had the courage to ask for help and changed the trajectory of her life. Because of Lydia (Mom), Cynthia is an alumna of USC, Columbia University, and UCLA. Dr. Colón is on a mission to help more public school students get private school service to access top 100 colleges. Dr. Colón delivered her first TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair,” in Los Angeles in 2023. She  has been featured on KTLA, ABC, NBC, FOX 5, KCAL, WGN, WPIX.

    Be Committed. Get Admitted!: 7 Steps to College Admission Success: https://a.co/d/fq1xH3W

    Con Determinación. ¡Logra la admisión!: https://a.co/d/b91hMSD

    FREE Download: How Admission Officers Choose Who To Admit Or Reject: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/admit

    Book a Free Mini Strategy Call: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/schedule

    Download your FREE 10 Sample Essays: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/10-sample-college-essay

    Purchase 40+ Winning Essays To Top 100 Colleges: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/offers/2RyFN5AB/checkout

    Register for Dream College Academy (9th - 11th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/dca

    Register for College Essay Bootcamp (11th - 12th): https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/essaycamp

    Visit our website: https://www.drcynthiacolon.com/

    TEDx Talk, “College Admissions Is NOT Fair”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFTU-Qg9sPY

    Follow On: 

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drcynthiacolon 

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcynthiacolon/ 

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-cynthia-colon/ 

    Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/2j5mudfkrzw2jjbeocvc0k0pnhsee5/?invite_code=d92e88ca0f6041ebaed391a763d4c075&sender=990299542970899812

    Essay Camp Dates 2024:

    JUNE: 17 and 24 

    JULY: 15, 22, 29

    AUGUST: 5, 12, 19

    #drcynthiacolon #author #tedxspeaker #collegeadmissionexpert #dreamcollegeacademy #collegeessaybootcamp #essaycamp #becommittedgetadmitted #highschoolparents #highschoolstudents #collegecounselor #collegedreams #top100colleges #publicschoolstudentsprivateschoolservice #destinationYOUniversity #collegecounselor #collegeadmissions

    • 12 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
11 Ratings

11 Ratings

mom of 3 by the sea ,

💜💜💜highly recommend

She has heart & wisdom- a great combination to help me help my college bound teenagers. Great podcast!

Mark in Denver ,

Love it!

Dr. Colon’s tips and stories are empowering, practical and easy to follow! I recommend her podcast and all the knowledge she has to offer in her program.

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