Episodes

Every college in the US is happy to answer your questions, and we frequently encourage students to approach colleges to get more information and address their concerns. But have you ever wondered if there are questions that y...

You may have heard people talking about college savings interfering with financial aid eligibility. Maybe you’re wondering if it even makes sense to save for college, or if it would be better to simply rely on financial aid a...

Ever wonder what happens after you submit your application to college? The answer (as it often is in college admissions!) is: it depends. That’s why we’re taking you the process at some of the colleges where we worked in admi...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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, ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...