If your teen is getting caught in cycles of comparison, burnout, or avoidance while trying to “do enough” for college, this conversation offers a different perspective.

Emily talks with Ana Homayoun about her book Erasing the Finish Line and what really matters beyond grades, test scores, and prestige.

They walk you through unhealthy patterns in college admissions culture, how technology amplifies anxiety, and why most institutions actually accept the majority of applicants. Their conversation also reveals how long-term success depends far more on relationships and meaningful engagement than on brand-name schools.

Join Emily and Ana for practical strategies to help your teens build executive functioning systems, shift from time management to energy management, strengthen social capital through supporters and clarifiers, and rethink grind culture, including the role of youth sports.

Listen and Learn: 

• Focusing less on comparison and more on building your own strengths and systems for shaping both college outcomes and the kind of work you end up loving later
• How parents’ own fears and need for control shape the college process can undermine a student’s fit and well-being, and what it takes to step back so they can truly thrive
• How technology has reshaped college admissions in ways that make independent research, real-world exploration, and staying open-minded more important than ever for finding the right fit
• Why the most “competitive” colleges may feel that way by design, and how choosing the right environment and relationships over prestige can shape your future more than you expect
• Focusing on executive functioning skills to shape your teen’s long-term success in ways grades alone never reveal
• Making small shifts in structure, mindset, and environment to unlock a child’s ability to plan, adapt, and thrive without pressure or perfection
• How having friendships across different age groups quietly builds confidence, perspective, and real connection in ways most students do not expect
• Sharing and building social capital in small, everyday ways to quietly shape opportunities for teens and create unexpected outcomes
• Giving kids real choices, a safe space to fail, and multiple places to belong to builds the confidence, motivation, and life skills they carry into adulthood
• How shifting from managing time to managing your energy transforms focus, behavior, and motivation

Resources: 

• Erasing the Finish Line: The New Blueprint for Success Beyond Grades and College Admission https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9780306830693 
• That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9780399535598 
• Ana’s Website: https://anahomayoun.com/ 
• Connect with Ana on Social Media: 
• https://instagram.com/anahomayoun
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-homayoun-4783863/) 

About Ana Homayoun: 

ANA HOMAYOUN is the founder of Silicon Valley–based Green Ivy Educational Consulting and executive director of Luminaria Learning Solutions, which develops student programs focused on executive functioning and well-being. She is also the author of That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week, The Myth of the Perfect Girl, and Social Media Wellness. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Fast Company, and NPR and on Good Morning America and NBC News. Learn more about her work at www.anahomayoun.com. Her most recent book, Erasing the Finish Line, comes out in paperback on June 9th with the updated title, Getting in Is Not Enough: The New Blueprint for Success Beyond Grades, Test Scores, and College Admission. 

Related Episodes:

• 324. Toxic Achievement Culture with Jennifer Wallace
• 414. The Disengaged Teen with Rebecca Winthrop and Jenny Anderson
• 369. The Good News About Adolescence with Ellen Galinsky
• 332. Middle School Superpowers with Phyllis Fagell
• 272. Middle School Matters with Phyllis Fagell

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.