Claim OwnershipServeWell Podcast
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© 2025 Phil Black
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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/
72 Episodes
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In this episode, I discuss what it's like to go to college knowing that upon graduation you have a guaranteed job for five years (or more) making $100K+ per year.
What are the pros and cons?
What's the catch?
How does this compare to students who attend traditional colleges?
In today's challenging job market, these differences are becoming more severe by the day...
In this episode, I discuss one of the least appreciated benefits of serving in the U.S. military...
international travel
If you have ever dreamed of visiting faraway places, learning about ancient cultures, or observing foreign traditions, the military is a great place to start.
The United States has military bases on dozens of countries across the world with major concentrations in Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, and strategic locations globally.
Ever wonder what it's like to explore:
Greenland
Greece
Djibouti
UK
Germany
Turkey
Iceland
Poland
Portugal
Junior officers play important leadership roles in each of these areas of the world.
Find out how and when officers deploy and what type of hand they have in their journey...
In this episode, I lay out what life looks like for most junior officers when they separate from service after five years.
Their opportunities are nearly limitless:
travel the world
apply to graduate school
get another job
buy a franchise
start a business
Each pathway has its own pros/cons. I focus on three defense technology companies that are hiring like mad and looking for young talent with leadership skills, technical aptitude, international experience, and familiarity with the military and government operations. Get to know these companies and keep them on your target list of opportunities...
In this episode, I review the many ways the military can help pay for medical school.
Each pathway has its own pros/cons, commitment levels, and financial benefits.
If you (or anyone you know) is interested in going to medical school and would like to know how the military might help in this regard, please give this episode a listen.
In this episode, I dig into what appears to be a resurgence in the competitiveness of service academy athletic teams.
Why the uptick?
Please give this episode a listen to hear what's happening in the world of service academy sports, recruiting, and future prospects.
In this episode, I talk about one of my recent pet peeves.
Ever since COVID, students do not take notes anymore.
This is especially true when I am on Zoom calls with them.
Please give this episode a listen to make sure your child hasn't fallen into this trap.
In this episode. I compare two different options after graduating from an undergraduate experience.
1. A linear path
2. A non-linear path Which would your child prefer?
In this episode, I talk about the coming AI revolution and how middle school students, high school students, college students, and military officers can prepare for its takeover.
In this episode, I compare the good and bad habits that develop after 4 years at a traditional college versus a service academy. How does each institution influence what students learn on a daily basis? How does the compounding of those habits affect students upon graduation?
The AI revolution is coming.
How will your child will adapt?
The next 10 years will transform our society far more than the internet, social media, and smartphones ever did.
Will your child...
go all-in
hedge their bets
watch from the sidelines
In this episode, I lay out how each of these strategies might impact your child during college and beyond.
What are 4 milestones that have outsized impact on jump-starting a young person's life?
graduating from college in 4 years
no student loan debt
landing a job upon graduation
ability to purchase a home
In this episode, I go through each of these milestones and opine on the chances of today's youth achieving any (or all) of them.
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 millions of dollars of scholarships and programs to manage, the military could not risk accepting students who could not prove their academic ability on a standardized test.
In this episode, I review the importance of the SAT as well as a proven strategy to crush the test in a timely fashion.
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
increased competition
fewer job opportunities
Not only are the job prospects grim, but what about the spike in student loan debt, low wages, and unaffordable housing?
In today's episode, I give you the secret to sidestepping all of the above.
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 biggest lessons I've learned, is that there is a wide disparity among candidates.
In today's episode, I compare the interview answers of two different candidates.
Let me know which one you think is the better candidate for a service academy appointment or ROTC scholarship.
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 reduce those odds, but there is no guarantee.
This week, I review what they can do to get another bite at the apple.
It is not uncommon for students who got rejected their first time around to receive appointments the second time around.
The moral of the story here is not to lose hope.
If this is something they really want to do, there are options.
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 academies care about it?
Do ROTC programs care about it?
When is it offered?
What is the PSAT-10?
What is the PSAT/NMSQT?
What is a good score?
Commended, Semifinalist, Finalist?
Top 1% in state
and more
Don't sleep on the PSAT.
These days, no matter which path your child takes, they will need every academic advantage they can get.
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, PSAT)
athletic (varsity captain)
service-oriented (volunteer work)
motivated under the right conditions
...but, he doesn't know what he wants to study in college, what he wants to do after college, or what type of career he wants to pursue.
They (as a family) are stuck.
They don't want to waste $100K/yr on the wrong college, worry about their son going down the wrong path, and feel paralyzed by the options.
Listen to my response to this scenario...
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 things.
Trust, but verify.
Check-in with them to make sure they have the basics covered.
Appointments to service academies and ROTC scholarships are very competitive.
The summer is a terrible thing to waste. Make the most of it.
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 child take advantage of this shift?
Which companies and industries will lead the way?
Why are SAs and ROTC programs the perfect training grounds?
There has never been a better time to be a young, tech-savvy military officer with a STEM degree, leadership experience, real-world experience, and a network of military friends and allies.
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 about AP exams anymore?
How much do they matter?
What is a good AP exam score?
Should I submit my scores?
Today, it's more important than ever to know these answers.
If your child has not yet grappled with AP classes or exams yet, please do not skip this episode. Like so many other parts of the admissions process, you need to know how this works as early as possible.
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