ServeWell Podcast
Phil Black discusses the strategies and tactics that will help your child earn: (1) service academy appointments, (2) ROTC scholarships, and (3) acceptances to their top-choice colleges. If your child is pursuing any of these ambitious goals, this podcast is for you. With hundreds of success stories, including Phil’s own three sons (Yale Navy ROTC x 2, USNA), this podcast is a must-listen. Lessons are drawn from ServeWell Academy’s 4-yr online mentoring program detailing what students should do every week starting in 9th grade. Learn about the program here: https://www.servewellacademy.com/
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 14 minutes
- Episodes
- 61
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Ep. 61 | The SAT matters more than ever
Service academies and ROTC scholarships never went "test-optional," even in the depths of the COVID-19 panic.
The SAT or ACT have always been "test-required" and for good reason.
With hundreds of mil…
Ep. 60 | No jobs for recent grads? Says, who?
BusinessWeek published an article last week calling 2025 the worst job market for college graduates in decades.
They cited the following reasons:
- economic uncertainty
- artificial intelligence
- increas…
Ep. 59 So you want to be a pilot, eh?
I meet with a lot of students who claim they want to be pilots in the military.
In helping them prepare for interviews, I learn a lot about their upbringing, motivations, and experience.
One of the b…
Ep. 58 | What happens if you get rejected from a service academy
Despite your child's best efforts, preparation, and focus, they may fail to get an appointment to their preferred service academy.
Their active participation in ServeWell Academy will certainly reduc…
Ep. 57 | All-Things-PSAT
This week, I review some important facts about the PSAT and whether it matters when it comes to service academies and ROTC scholarships.
- What is the PSAT?
- Do colleges care about it?
- Do service acade…
Ep. 56 | Which students should consider service academies?
This week, I share a conversation that I have had with hundreds of parents over the years. In this case, a mom.
The mom gives me the following rundown about her son:
- smart (AP classes, high GPA, PSA…
Ep. 55 | Mid-Summer Check-In
Can you believe we're already halfway through the summer?
This week, I review the most important summer tasks your child should be doing right now.
Please don't assume that your child is doing these …
Ep. 54 | The new job market (American Dynamism)
When it comes to defense technology and investing, the United States has taken on a much different posture today compared to 5 years ago.
- What has changed in the investment world?
- How will your chil…
Ep. 53 | AP Exam scores are in. Now what?
If your child took an AP Exam(s) in May, they probably just received their scores a few days ago.
- Do service academies care about AP exams?
- Do ROTC programs care about AP exams?
- Does anyone care ab…
Ep. 52 | How to "pre-study" over the summer (9:32)
Junior year will be your child’s most challenging “academic” year.
Beyond academics, they will also face high expectations, leadership demands, standardized tests, AP exams, and extracurricular commi…
Ep. 50 | How to prepare for the SAT/ACT
In this episode, I review how your child should prepare for the SAT or ACT.
Historically, these strategies didn't change much.
Today, the strategies change by the month.
If you are the parent of a …
Ep. 51 | Rapid Fire Q&A (Test Yourself)
In this episode, I read through a bunch of questions that I've collected over the last few weeks from social media, 1-on-1 calls, private coaching calls, DMs, etc.
My answers are short, to-the-point,…
Ep. 49 | How to square the circle
In this week's episode, I attempt to reconcile two common (but diametrically opposed) pieces of advice often given to college graduates.
1. Save as much money as you can in your twenties in order to …
Ep. 48 | How to talk to your child about the summer
Summer is the perfect time to prepare for the service academy and ROTC application process.
What’s the best way to approach your child to make sure they are making the most of these critical three mo…
Ep. 47 | What happened to Air Force ROTC?
In today's episode, I review the problems plaguing the Air Force ROTC programs.
- fewer scholarships
- rise of non-scholarshipped candidates
- cancellation of scholarships halfway through college
- q…
Ep. 46 | 25 Reasons to Consider ROTC Programs
In this week's episode, I walk through 25 reasons to consider ROTC scholarships as one of your college pathways.
1. you want structure and discipline, but not that much structure and discipline
2. yo…
Ep. 45 | 25 Reasons to Consider the Service Academies
In this episode, in 19 minutes, I rip through 25 reasons to consider applying to a service academy.
- you want to be challenged
- you love STEM
- you have no money
- you are athletic
- you want to serve your …
Ep. 44 | Is your sophomore on track?
By sophomore year, your child should be well on their way to achieving certain milestones. Listen to this episode to learn what should be happening before the end of sophomore year.
Also, if you have…
Ep. 43 | What happens when colleges lose federal funding?
In this episode, I predict the fallout from the recent freeze (or cancellation) of billions of dollars of federal funds once earmarked for several prominent colleges (e.g. Harvard, Princeton, Cornell…
Ep. 42 | The SAT & ACT are back!
In this episode, I try to convince students (and parents) that the SAT and ACT matter again - maybe now more than ever.
The 5-year "test-optional" experiment failed.
Colleges that admitted certain st…