Episodes
May 11, 2017
Alternative Path to Accelerated Medicine Programs: Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Office Hours: College Finance and Admissions Listener Questions
Lots of high school students aspire to careers in medicine, and they hope to get on the fast track to being a doctor by applying to BS/MD programs. But many aren’t aware there is another option that is slightly less selective...
May 4, 2017
What Is a Liberal Arts Education?, After the May 1 Deposit and Office Hours: College Visit Follow Up
There has been a lot of conversation in the traditional media and social media around the type of education students pursue in college. Should students pursue more pre-professional degrees such as business or physical therapy...
April 27, 2017
Inside the MIT and Caltech Admissions Offices, Paying for College with a Summer Job and College Admissions for Students on the Spectrum
In our ongoing series taking you inside the admissions processes at a variety of schools, College Coach educator and former MIT and Caltech admissions officer Zaragoza Guerra will take us through the differences in those two ...
April 20, 2017
Does Applying to More Highly Selective Schools Increase the Odds of Acceptance: Office Hours, Perils of Gaming the System: Understanding Loan Options
Every year we read a handful of stories about students who are accepted to all eight Ivies and a few other highly selective schools AND hear about students who apply to all of the Ivies and get into none. Regardless of the fa...
April 13, 2017
Inside the University of Pennsylvania Admissions Office - Office Hours: College Finance and Admissions Listener Questions
Curious about what holistic admissions means and how it’s practiced at different colleges and universities? In the second in our series on this topic, two former Penn admissions officers will offer some insight into how it wo...
April 6, 2017
Office Hours: Making a Final College Choice Based on Finances, Research Resources for College Admissions Questions, Impact of Sports on Campus Culture
Many students come to us looking for a “rah rah” environment in their college—or convinced that a sports culture will negatively impact their college experience. We’ll be discussing the impact of sports on campus culture, inc...
March 30, 2017
Evaluating Campus Safety - Office Hours: Waitlists and Appealing a Denial, Finding Scholarships in Spring of Senior Year
Waitlisted? Curious about what this means and why this happened? Tune in to the show as we use our Office Hours segment to discuss this and offer a little advice around whether or not you can appeal a denial. We’re also talki...
March 23, 2017
Making Your Final College Choice - State System Spotlight: Texas, Education Tax Breaks
Acceptances are in, and perhaps you are one of many students (or the parent of one) who has a few options to consider. If so, don’t miss our segment on how to make your final college choice by May 1. We’ll do another in our s...
March 16, 2017
State System Spotlight: State University of New York, Answering Listener Questions
In the second segment of our State System Spotlight, we’re exploring the different campuses of the SUNY system, including the differing levels of selectivity, specific strengths and focuses, and the culture and feel of the sc...
March 9, 2017
New Common App Essay Prompts, Scholarship and Financial Aid Renewability: Office Hours: Starting Your Common App Essay
One of the most important things you need to understand about your financial aid and/or scholarship packages is whether or not they are renewable for all four years. Tune in to this week’s episode for more information about h...
March 2, 2017
A Day in the Life of an Admissions Officer; How to Financially Plan for all Four Years
Ever wonder what life is like as an admissions officer? Understanding what they’re doing on a daily basis can be especially valuable in understanding who will be reading your application. This segment will specifically focus ...
Feb. 23, 2017
How to Negotiate a -Better- Scholarship: State System Spotlight: University of California
Maybe you got some merit-based money from one college, but not from the one you most want to attend. Or perhaps you got a scholarship to one of your top choices but were hoping for more. In this week’s episode of Getting In, ...
Feb. 16, 2017
Everything You Need to Know About the National Merit Scholarship Process and Awards: Applying to College: How Can Parents Help?
It’s that time of year again: National Merit Scholarship finalists have been announced, and students are scrambling to update schools with their new status. How did those students qualify? Does it even matter in the admission...
Feb. 9, 2017
Financial Aid Appeals: What If College is Not the Right Next Step? Office Hours
As financial aid awards start to come in, families can be thrilled and disappointed at the results. If your award isn’t what you expected or, more importantly, isn’t enough to allow you or your child to attend their chosen sc...
Feb. 2, 2017
The Ivy League Admissions Interview, Comparing Financial Aid Offers: Women's Leadership and Mentoring Programs
Preparing for your interview at an Ivy or similarly selective institution and wondering what it’s all about? We’ll share information on why these are offered, what to expect, and the role your interview will likely play in th...
Jan. 26, 2017
Scholarships with February and March Deadlines: Community College to Four Year Institution: Office Hours
You may have heard that if you want to apply for scholarships to help pay for college, the key is to start early. But if you procrastinated, you’re in luck, because in this week’s show we’re going to share information about s...
Jan. 19, 2017
Office Hours: Answering Listeners' Admissions and College Finance Questions: High School Plan: Pre-Vet Students
Have an aspiring veterinarian in your household? In another segment in our High School Plan series, we’ll review the best courses and extracurricular activities for potential pre-vet students. We’re also answering your listen...
Jan. 12, 2017
Steps to Take Now if You Want to Get Your MBA: Applying to Medical School, Financial Aid for Mid-Year Transfers
Lots of students head to college with a goal of earning a million dollars—or finding a cure for cancer—before age 30. If you anticipate applying to business or medical school, you’ll want to tune in this week, when we’ll talk...
Jan. 5, 2017
Can an Average Student Get Into a Top-Tier School? Options if You Can't Pay the Spring College Bill- Office Hours: Avoiding the Rumor Mill: Our 100th Show!
We answer a lot of listener questions on the show, and one that we get asked fairly frequently is “Can an average student get into a top-tier school?” Tune in to find out. We’re also looking at options for families who find t...
Dec. 29, 2016
School's In Application Workshop: My Applications are Submitted-Now What? Listener Questions
It can be tempting to take an extended break once you finally submit your last application. Guess what? Not a great idea! We’ll offer some advice about what not to do now that apps are in, and how to best approach the remaind...
Dec. 22, 2016
School's In Application Workshop - What to Do About Those Early Decision and Early Action Decisions; Trends in College Pricing
Most colleges have released their decisions for the early round, whether that is Early Decision or Early Action. We’ll be discussing how to handle all possible outcomes in terms of what to do if you were admitted, deferred, o...
Dec. 15, 2016
School's In! Application Workshop: Countdown to January 1 and Listener Questions on College Finance and Admissions
The last big deadline is approaching and we’ll be offering tips and suggestions for making sure applications are ready to go. We’ll also take another shot at answering your college finance and admissions questions.
Dec. 8, 2016
School's In! Application Workshop: Princeton, Yale, and Dartmouth Supplements: To Transfer or Not to Transfer
To transfer or not to transfer—that is the question! Meet Brooke, who came home from college after a few months determined to transfer. She’s going to share why, what her research uncovered, and whether or not she ultimately ...
Dec. 1, 2016
School's In Application Workshop: Supplements for Penn, Brown, Columbia, Harvard, and Cornell: Keeping Track of Your Student Loans
If you’ve taken out a new student loan every year or even every semester, keeping track of them can be a herculean task. Tune in for tips on how to best do this. In this week’s School’s In Application Workshop session, we’re ...