College Bound Mentor Podcast

Episode: Your Hidden Genius: The Science-Backed Strategy to Uncovering and Harnessing Your Innate Talents
Guests: Betsy Wills & Alex Ellison
Date: January 15, 2026
Hosts: Lisa Bleich, Abby Power, Stefanie Forman

Episode Overview

This insightful episode explores how uncovering and embracing your natural aptitudes can radically improve the college search process—and your lifelong satisfaction. Lisa, Abby, and Stefanie interview Betsy Wills (co-founder of YouScience) and Alex Ellison (educational consultant) about their book, Your Hidden Genius. Together, they dive into the science of aptitudes, the power of self-knowledge, how these tools work in real student and career scenarios, and the importance of curiosity over certainty when approaching college and career decisions.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Origins and Purpose of YouScience

[04:04] Betsy Wills:

• Betsy shares her transformative experience at Johnson O’Connor, an expensive two-day aptitude testing program.
• Realization: "Why doesn’t everybody have this information? Technology finally allowed us to bring this assessment online and make it affordable."
• The aim was to democratize access to scientifically valid aptitude insights so everyone can make informed career and education decisions.

[05:08] Alex Ellison:

• Alex searched for an objective, comprehensive tool for students and started using YouScience in her practice from the beginning.
• She notes, “It really democratized it… It’s the very first thing I have everybody do.”

2. The “Core Four” Aptitudes

[06:46] Betsy Wills:

• The Core Four (drawn from decades of research):
  • Spatial Ability: Visualizing spatial relationships, often unnoticed by most people.
  • Inductive Reasoning: Drawing conclusions from ambiguous information under time pressure.
  • Sequential Reasoning: Creating order, either in your head or with tools.
  • Idea Rate: How quickly and abundantly you generate ideas.

Notable Quote [07:59], Alex Ellison:

• “When I first took YouScience, I saw my result [Idea Rate] and I was like, ‘What? I have great ideas!’ But I realized in group settings, I want to move to action… Betsy is the opposite—a brainstormer. We balance each other and push toward better outcomes.”

3. Applying Aptitude Science in Real Life

Team Applications [09:55]:

• YouScience assessments aren’t just for individuals; Betsy and Alex highlight resources and stories for using them with corporate teams, couples, or families.

Memorable Anecdote [13:34], Betsy Wills:

• On planning a trip with her husband:
  • “I love to make decisions under time pressure—even create crises just for the thrill… My husband, on the other hand, will labor over every fact. We learned to balance when to use each other’s aptitudes.”

4. Breaking Down Stereotypes in Math & STEM

[15:49] Abby & Betsy:

• Many women and girls self-select out of math-heavy fields, despite strong aptitudes.
• Example: DJ Patil, Obama’s Chief Data Scientist, once saw himself as bad at math.
• [16:33] Betsy Wills:
  • “People are often surprised because they do well on numerical reasoning in the assessment but thought they ‘weren’t a math person.’”
  • Data shows women often have more aptitude for computer science roles than men.

Notable Quote [18:08], Alex Ellison:

• “My favorite thing was to have YouScience inevitably debunk their personal judgment… It could really change the course of your life.”

5. How to Use Your Aptitudes Over Time

The Value of Revisiting Results [25:18, Alex Ellison]:

• “Aptitude results are like The Little Prince—they land differently at different stages of your life.”
• Younger students: Make aptitudes relevant through hobbies and extracurriculars.
• Revisit results post-college or post-career change for new context.

6. Using Aptitudes for Career & Major Exploration

[26:56] Alex Ellison:

• After initial testing, students may ignore aptitudes—but real-world experiences validate results.
• Applications: Advising career pivots, volunteering, or building more meaningful lives even later in adulthood.

[29:56] Betsy Wills:

• Visit yourhiddengenius.com/resources for guides on using your aptitudes, including leveraging AI for LinkedIn profiles or using with book clubs.

7. Limitations & Changing Job Landscape

[22:48] Betsy Wills:

• “Even YouScience is having trouble keeping up with all the jobs of the future… Use career suggestions as patterns, not specifics.”
• The key: Look for patterns in suggested roles, not just titles.

8. Importance of Curiosity & Open Options

[31:50] Betsy Wills:

• “It's important to go in with some idea, but also with curiosity.”
• Multiple aptitudes = Multiple valid pathways; often, jobs with very different titles have similar required patterns.

9. Myths About Career and Major

[42:20] Betsy Wills:

• Myth #1: “You're going to have one career.”
• Myth #2: “There’s one perfect career for you.”
• “Most people will have multiple careers; aptitudes help shape how you succeed in each.”

[43:29] Alex Ellison:

• “Most students say they don’t want to be chained to a desk, but the reality of many jobs is different… There are lots of misunderstandings about what real careers involve.”

10. Aptitude Assessment – Best Timing

[38:09] Betsy Wills:

• Aptitudes emerge as young as age 2; foundational ones stabilize after puberty.
• Test as early as 9th grade (or earlier for context, but more valuable closer to high school planning); results don’t change after puberty.

On Families [39:46]:

• “I wish parents would take it with their kids… It’s all about empathy and love—you see how different you are, the conversation becomes so rich.”

11. Aptitudes Beyond Work

[45:45] Lisa & Betsy:

• You don’t have to use all aptitudes in your career; fulfillment comes from using them across work, hobbies, volunteering, etc.
• Anecdotes: Lawyer who pursues theater on the side, former graphic designer who starts quilting for creative expression.

[48:31] Alex Ellison:

• Schools should encourage job shadowing or "sneak peeks" to contextualize and apply results; European models often do this better.

Notable Quotes

• [05:08] Alex Ellison: "It really democratized it. I mean, so when I started my practice ... [YouScience] became just such an indispensable tool. It’s the very first thing I have everybody do."
• [07:59] Alex Ellison: "I want to pull my hair out when I'm in meetings going on and on with brainstorming and no action. Implementation has been a driving force in my life… Betsy is the opposite—a brainstormer."
• [16:33] Betsy Wills: "People are often surprised because they do so well at [numerical reasoning] and they think of themselves as ‘bad at math.’… Women actually have more aptitude for a lot of these computer science jobs than men."
• [25:18] Alex Ellison: "Aptitude results are like The Little Prince—they land differently at different stages of your life."
• [31:50] Betsy Wills: “It's very important to go in with some idea, but it's also important to go in with a sense of curiosity.”
• [42:20] Betsy Wills: "Number one, that there's... that you're going to have one career... It's strange how tightly we hang on to it."
• [48:05] Betsy Wills: "They don't have time to waste. And they do waste it… I don’t really ever want to hear someone say, I don’t have time to talk to people about what their career could be."

Important Timestamps at a Glance

• [04:04] – The founding story of YouScience.
• [06:46] – Explanation of the Core Four aptitudes.
• [13:34] – Real-life anecdote illustrating different aptitudes in planning.
• [15:49] – Gender bias in math aptitude and self-perception.
• [18:08] – Aptitude results empowering students to try new paths.
• [25:18] – Revisiting aptitude results at different life stages.
• [31:50] – Advocating for curiosity in college/career choice.
• [42:20] – Career and major myths debunked.
• [38:09] – At what ages to take/revisit aptitude assessments.
• [48:31] – Encouragement for hands-on career exploration in school.

Tone & Takeaways

Friendly, practical, and deeply empathetic, this episode blends hard data and human stories to show why understanding one’s unique aptitudes—at any age—can make the difference between struggle and fulfillment, both in college and throughout life. Betsy and Alex emphasize curiosity, open-mindedness, and the value of matching students’ natural strengths to a wide array of possibilities—not just traditional or expected pathways.

Most Memorable Moment:
Alex’s and Betsy’s candid banter about their opposing aptitudes and how that led both to creative tension and ultimately, brilliance in their joint writing. [07:59]

Final Word:
Start early, revisit often, and don’t be afraid to look beyond preconceived ideas about what you’re “supposed” to do. Your aptitudes are your hidden genius; use them in all facets of your life.