Go Ivy or Go Free is a podcast hosted by Andreas Stamatakis, author of the Ivy League Roadmap, that is dedicated to helping students and families navigate the process with clarity, while openly challenging the systems, incentives, and narratives that shape modern education. Beyond test scores, college essays, and acceptances, we examine how we view education—questioning incentives, power structures, and the myths that fear-monger already anxious students. Each episode offers candid conversations and practical insight for those who want to approach college intentionally, and win.
Go Ivy or Go Free
Claim This Podcastby Andreas Stamatakis
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11 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Go Ivy or Go Free is a podcast hosted by Andreas Stamatakis, author of the Ivy League Roadmap, that is dedicated to helping students and families navigate the process with clarity, while openly challenging the systems, incentives, and narratives that shape modern education. Beyond test scores, college essays, and acceptances, we examine how we view education—questioning incentives, power structures, and the myths that fear-monger already anxious students. Each episode offers candid conversations and practical insight for those who want to approach college intentionally, and win.
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Publishing Since
2/23/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 16, 2026
How I Create my MOST Successful Students | Go Ivy or Go Free Ep. 10 w/ Aryana Altaha
<p>Welcome to Episode 10 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast!</p><p><br /></p><p>Most students spend high school joining random activities they hope will impress an admissions officer. Aryana Altaha spent it creating purpose projects that have an impact: publishing three books, building companies, giving a viral TEDx talk, and more — then walked into UC Berkeley and decided to graduate in half the time.</p><p><br /></p><p>In this episode, Andreas sits down with Aryana to reverse-engineer how she actually did it. They walk through her high school years and her college application piece by piece: what she prioritized, what she ignored, and how she positioned herself in a process designed to make everyone look the same. Then they get into Berkeley — how she structured her path to graduate two years early, and why she treats her degree like one project among many instead of the main event.</p><p><br /></p><p>The second half of the conversation is for anyone who wants to build something of their own. Aryana breaks down how she gave a TEDx talk that went viral — an Editor's Pick with 120,000+ views — and what separates people who dream about the red circle from people who stand on it. She and Andreas talk about entrepreneurship without the fluff: starting before you feel ready, growing audiences organically, and turning attention into a real business.</p><p><br /></p><p>Then the conversation goes somewhere most business podcasts won't. They argue that faith is the single biggest driver of success — not a side note to it. It's a perspective on money, ambition, and conviction you won't hear anywhere else in the admissions space.</p><p><br /></p><p>Whether you're chasing a top school or building your first company, this episode is proof you don't have to pick between the two.</p><p><br /></p><p>🎙️ About Our Guest: Aryana Altaha</p><p>Aryana Altaha is a TEDx speaker, author, public speaker, and serial entrepreneur who knows how to build large audiences. She grew her mental health platform, AskAryana, to over 50,000 followers. She scaled The TEDx Formula — where she coaches aspiring speakers on landing and delivering TEDx talks — to 10,000 followers in just two months. She also drives marketing for Whiz, an SAT/ACT test prep platform, growing its audience along the way. Her own TEDx talk was chosen as an Editor's Pick (top 1% of talks) and has been viewed over 120,000 times. She wrote and published three books while still in high school, and is currently completing her economics degree at UC Berkeley — two years early.</p><p><br /></p><p>🎙️ About Your Host: Andreas Stamatakis</p><p>Widely considered the #1 Ivy Admissions Advisor on Earth, Andreas Stamatakis has spent over a decade advising on elite college admissions and has built a social media empire dedicated to democratizing elite admissions advice, making top-tier Ivy strategies accessible to millions of students worldwide for free. Andreas started his consulting practice when he was just 18 years old, right after making the ultimate strategic move: turning down multiple Ivy League acceptances for a full-ride scholarship to Stony Brook University. Holding degrees in Physics, Pure Math, and Applied Math, he brings a first-principles approach to the admissions process, debunking the myths using hard facts and contrarian strategies that have helped thousands of students get accepted.</p><p><br /></p><p>🔗 Connect with Us!</p><p>Follow Aryana Altaha:</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetedxformula/</p><p>TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetedxformula</p><p>YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTEDxFormula</p><p>Website: https://stan.store/thetedxformula</p><p>Book: https://stan.store/thetedxformula/p/get-the-tedx-formula-now</p><p><br /></p><p>Follow Andreas Stamatakis & The Ivy League Roadmap:</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivy_roadmap/</p><p>TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ivy_roadmap</p><p>Website & Consulting: https://ivyroadmap.org/</p><p>Book: The Ivy League Roadmap (Available on Amazon): https://a.co/d/0bhf10mC</p>
July 7, 2026
High School Dropout (Almost) → ACCEPTED to MIT
<p>Welcome to Episode 9 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast!</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with Ruben Stephen, a current MIT student and one of the most compelling comeback stories in elite admissions, for a conversation that challenges everything you were told about what it takes to make it to a top school.</p><p><br></p><p>If you grew up believing that only perfect students end up at places like MIT, this episode will shock you. Andreas and Ruben pull no punches as they tackle one of the most uncomfortable truths in education today: the road to the top is messier than anyone admits.</p><p><br></p><p>They dig into Ruben's years at a highly competitive magnet STEM high school — how the pressure nearly broke him, how bad grades in his sophomore year almost derailed everything, and how he came dangerously close to dropping out of high school entirely. Ruben makes the case that your lowest point doesn't define your ceiling, and breaks down exactly how he turned it all around to earn his acceptance to MIT.</p><p><br></p><p>The conversation gets uncomfortable in the best way. Ruben and Andreas break down the parts of the MIT experience nobody warns you about — navigating seasonal depression through the brutal Boston winters, the financial aid struggles that forced him into tense conversations with the financial aid office just to afford his education, being labeled a "DEI hire" by people who couldn't accept that he earned his seat, and the imposter syndrome that followed him into every lecture hall. They also explore how Ruben went from failing a class at MIT to genuinely thriving — and ask the hard question: what does it actually take to survive a system built to overwhelm you?</p><p><br></p><p>Ruben shares the mindset shifts, habits, and support systems that carried him from nearly dropping out of high school to succeeding at one of the most demanding institutions in the world. </p><p><br></p><p>🎙️ About Our Guest: Ruben Stephen</p><p>Ruben is a student at MIT pursuing a dual major in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Science, and the digital creator behind a social media community of 60K+ students chasing top colleges. As a first-generation, low-income Haitian-American student, Ruben navigated the entire admissions process alone — no private counselor, no safety net — and earned his acceptance to MIT through Early Action. He is the founder of the LearnWell Society, a community built to help ambitious students master the game of academics and turn it into real-world opportunity, and he openly shares his full MIT experience, college essays, and strategy breakdowns to help students who are grinding without a roadmap, just like he once was. </p><p><br></p><p>🎙️ About Your Host: Andreas Stamatakis</p><p>Widely considered the #1 Ivy Admissions Advisor on Earth, Andreas Stamatakis has spent over a decade advising on elite college admissions and has built a social media empire dedicated to democratizing elite admissions advice, making top-tier Ivy strategies accessible to millions of students worldwide for free. Andreas started his consulting practice when he was just 18 years old, right after making the ultimate strategic move: turning down multiple Ivy League acceptances for a full-ride scholarship to Stony Brook University. Holding degrees in Physics, Pure Math, and Applied Math, he brings a first-principles approach to the admissions process, debunking the myths using hard facts and contrarian strategies that have helped thousands of students get accepted.</p><p><br></p><p>🔗 Connect with Us!</p><p>Follow Ruben Stephen:</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rstephen.04</p><p>TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rstephen_04</p><p>YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Rstephen.04</p><p>Website: https://www.rstephen.com/</p><p><br></p><p>Follow Andreas Stamatakis & The Ivy League Roadmap:</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivy_roadmap/</p><p>TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ivy_roadmap</p><p>Website & Consulting: https://ivyroadmap.org/</p><p>Book: The Ivy League Roadmap (Available on Amazon): https://a.co/d/0bhf10mC</p>
June 18, 2026
Is College a Scam? | Go Ivy or Go Free Ep 8. w/ Hannah Maruyama
<p>Welcome to Episode 8 of the Go Ivy or Go Free Podcast!In this episode, host Andreas Stamatakis sits down with Hannah Maruyama — co-founder of Degree Free and one of the most outspoken voices in the alternative education movement — for a conversation that challenges everything you were told about the path to success.</p><p><br></p><p>If you grew up believing that college was the only way forward, this episode will shock you. Andreas and Hannah pull no punches as they tackle one of the most controversial questions in education today: is college actually a scam?</p><p><br></p><p>They dig into how the entire K-12 system has been engineered to funnel students toward a four-year degree as the singular definition of success — and why that pipeline is quietly setting a generation of young people up for financial ruin, burnout, and disappointment. Hannah makes the case that success is deeply subjective and that forcing every student through the same institutional mold ignores the full spectrum of how people can build a meaningful, lucrative life.</p><p><br></p><p>The conversation gets uncomfortable in the best way. Hannah and Andreas break down the systemic rot inside higher education — excessive number of administrators, underpaid professors, a student loan system rigged so debt can never be discharged in bankruptcy, and universities more focused on enrollment numbers than student outcomes. They also explore the mental health crisis unfolding on college campuses and ask the hard question: are we sending kids into a system that's actively working against them?</p><p><br></p><p>But this episode isn't just a healthy criticism— it's a roadmap. Hannah shares real success stories from the Degree Free community, highlighting young adults who skipped the diploma and built thriving careers through apprenticeships, certifications, entrepreneurship, and self-directed learning. Andreas connects Hannah's framework to his own admissions philosophy, exploring how strategic thinking — not blind compliance — is what actually produces successful outcomes, whether you Go Ivy or Go free.</p><p><br></p><p>🎙️ About Our Guest: </p><p>Hannah Maruyama is the co-founder of Degree Free, a platform and podcast dedicated to helping young adults build successful careers and lives without a traditional four-year degree. After witnessing firsthand how the college industrial complex fails so many students, Hannah — alongside her husband and co-founder Ryan Maruyama — built Degree Free into a growing movement that gives people the tools, frameworks, and community to launch on their own terms. She is a sought-after speaker and writer on alternative education, workforce development, and the future of learning, and has helped thousands of young adults step off the conveyor belt and design a life that actually works for them.</p><p><br></p><p>🎙️ About Your Host: </p><p>Widely considered the #1 Ivy Admissions Advisor on Earth, Andreas Stamatakis has spent over a decade advising on elite college admissions and has built a social media empire dedicated to democratizing elite admissions advice, making top-tier Ivy strategies accessible to millions of students worldwide for free. Andreas started his consulting practice when he was just 18 y/o, right after making the ultimate strategic move: turning down multiple Ivy acceptances for a full-ride scholarship to Stony Brook University. Holding degrees in Physics, Pure Math, and Applied Math, he brings a first-principles approach to the admissions process, debunking the myths using hard facts and contrarian strategies that have helped thousands of students get accepted.</p><p><br></p><p>🔗 Connect with Us! Follow Degree Free:</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/degreefree</p><p>YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DegreeFree</p><p>X: https://x.com/degreefreepod</p><p>Website: https://degreefree.com/ </p><p><br></p><p>Follow Andreas Stamatakis & The Ivy League Roadmap:</p><p>Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivy_roadmap</p><p>TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ivy_roadmap</p><p>Website & Consulting: https://ivyroadmap.org</p><p>Book: The Ivy League Roadmap (Available on Amazon): https://a.co/d/0bhf10mC</p>
11 total episodes available
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