Episode 134: Summer Hack: Getting In on Your First Try - Here’s the Proven Strategy

In this solo episode of Success Unlocked, Dr. Adrienne Shnier gets real about why summer is your most underused advantage when it comes to academic success, test prep, and application strategy.

From unplugging in Portugal to building hell yes applications that don’t rely on pressure or AI, Adrienne walks you through exactly what to do now to get ahead, before deadlines, burnout, and self-doubt take over.

This episode is both an invitation and a roadmap: to stop cramming, start building, and take your future seriously, with joy, clarity, and intention.

 What You’ll Learn:

• Why summer is the best time to work on your goals, not just your tan
  
  
• How procrastination is a symptom, not a personality trait
  
  
• The truth about AI and why it can’t write your application for you
  
  
• How early preparation leads to better writing, scores, and confidence
  
  
• Why Adrienne and the AYG team don’t do cookie-cutter or cramming
  
  
• How to build real momentum before September hits
  
  
• What admissions committees are really looking for (and how they spot last-minute work)
  
  
• Why your future self will thank you for starting now, not later
  
  

Episode Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome Back to Success Unlocked
00:42 – Feel Good First: Why Joy Helps You Achieve More
02:57 – Portugal Reflections + Learning to Unplug
04:03 – Adrienne’s New Role as Tenure-Track Professor
06:05 – What’s Your “Portugal”? Finding Summer Joy
07:00 – Why “Just Read Ahead” Isn’t Strategic
08:30 – Real Preparation vs. Busy Work: Reading with Intention
09:40 – Summer = Strategic Advantage (Not Dead Time)
10:20 – Why You’re Not Procrastinating - You’re Just Missing Info
11:14 – Stop Waiting for Pressure to Kick In
13:26 – The Value of Starting 6–12 Months Early
15:01 – The AI Myth: Why It Can’t Replace You
16:50 – Why We Don’t Use AI at Apply Yourself Global
18:08 – Real Applications Require Real You
18:52 – Test Prep in the Summer = Less Stress, Better Scores
19:41 – Why Cookie-Cutter Schedules Fail
21:12 – Adrienne’s Neuropsych Background + Smart Study Design
21:33 – What Happens If You Start Today?
22:35 – What Happens If You Don’t? (Burnout, Regret, and More)
23:26 – The Downward Spiral of Last-Minute Work
24:17 – Why You Must Write from Your Best Self
25:30 – Getting In Is Just the Beginning
26:26 – Adrienne’s Unmatched Success Rate + Insider Knowledge
27:01 – Book a Call, Use Code “HELL YES”
28:29 – Weekly Live Coaching: Here’s When & Where
29:00 – Final Call: Don’t Wait for Life to Slow Down -Start Now

 Tune in now to reframe your summer, unlock your potential, and build the life and career you’re dreaming about, one strategic step at a time.

Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission is now open for you to complete your applications in 12-weeks! With live coaching, you develop your applications & gain insights into your applications processes like never before. Join us now using this link to enroll!

Connect with Adrienne!

Looking for support with your graduate or professional school applications? Connect with us at Apply Yourself Global™! Email me personally at [email protected]. You can also DM me on Instagram @applyyourselfglobal.

Ask the Expert

Have any questions on applications, success, test prep, and more? Send your questions us, or you can submit an audio file via Instagram DM and we can feature you on the podcast!

Work with Adrienne

💫 Calling all applicants! Learn more about our signature course, Mastering Academic Applications: From Scratch to Submission and how you can complete your applications — with clarity, support, structure, and strategy with Dr. Adrienne Shnier, an Admissions Committee Member. Book your Strategy Call HERE to learn more about how AYG can help you Get In.💫