Episodes
Aug. 25, 2016
School's Out Application Workshop; Paying for Multiple Kids in College: First Generation Students on College Campuses
One of the scariest things about having more than one child close together is paying for all those diapers, but what happens when diapers turn into college tuition? We have some advice for those of you who will be in this sit...
Aug. 18, 2016
Athletic Recruitment and College Admissions, School's Out Application Workshop, Making the Financial Transition to College
Ever wonder how being an athlete can impact your chances of admission? In our next episode, we’ll take a look at athletic recruitment and college admission, and the ways in which the two processes will affect each other. We’l...
Aug. 11, 2016
School's Out Application Workshop: Applying for Scholarships, Learning to Live Like a College Student, Office Hours: Listener Questions
Enjoy sushi on the weekends, a pricey gym membership, and shopping at the mall at least once or twice a week? Wondering how this will all fit into your budget when you get to college? You may want to tune in for this week’s s...
Aug. 4, 2016
Office Hours, including Schools Out: Application Workshop - What to do with that Additional Information Section?, and Listener Admissions and College Finance Questions
The office is open this week, as we do an all Office Hours show. We’ll continue our work on the application process, and one of our focuses will be what students should include as part of the “additional information” section ...
July 28, 2016
Scholarship and Student Loan Scams, Schools Out Summer Application Workshop, Tips for Travelling to College
There are a lot of companies and organizations out there making big promises when it comes to scholarships and student loans. If something sounds too good to be true, guess what? It probably is. Join us as we take a closer lo...
July 21, 2016
School's Out Application Workshop; College Access Series: Massachusetts Education and Career Opportunities; How Debt Affects Financial Aid Eligibility
Worried that family debt might affect financial aid eligibility? Don’t miss our session discussing this very issue. Wondering how to present your extracurricular activities in the most impactful way on your college applicatio...
July 14, 2016
Do I Have a Chance of Getting into an Ivy League College?, School's Out Application Workshop, Quirky Scholarships
One of the questions we get very frequently is some form of, “Do I have a shot at getting into an Ivy League or highly selective college.” In this week’s show, we offer tips for students and families to help them evaluate the...
July 7, 2016
School's Out Application Workshop, How Much is Too Much to Borrow to Pay for College, and Office Hours Addressing Listeners' College Admissions Questions
Join us for segment two in our ongoing summer program, School’s Out Application Workshop. We’ll follow up on last week’s homework and talk a bit about getting started with putting together a college list. A college finance ex...
June 30, 2016
Inside the Yale Admissions Office, Help Choosing a Student Loan, and Introducing School's Out: Application Workshop
Ever wonder how highly selective schools evaluate and make final decisions on applications? If so, take a trip with us inside the Yale admissions office with Amy Alexander, former admissions officer for the university. School...
June 23, 2016
Myth Busting ACT Versus SAT, and Office Hours Addressing Listeners' College Finance Questions
When it comes to standardized testing, students have two primary options: the ACT and the SAT. Sean Quinn of ArborBridge test prep will join us to help bust the myths, address the rumors, and correct the misinformation that s...
June 16, 2016
College Access Programs, Including Row NY, and Finance Options for Low Income Students
For many low income students, accessing college and paying for it can be a real issue. Join us as we discuss college access programs in general, interview Amanda Kraus, executive director of Row NY in the first segment in a s...
June 9, 2016
Inside Admissions at Connecticut College, Using Retirement Savings to Pay for College, and Listener Questions
We’re thrilled to welcome Bridget Moore, associate director of admissions and coordinator of international admissions at Connecticut College, to this week’s show. She’ll be telling us more about Conn College and how the selec...
June 2, 2016
Community College Education Outcomes, Using a 529 Plan to Pay for College, Greek Life
Much has been written lately about the amount of debt incurred by students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at four year institutions. But what about community college? We’ll welcome Jessica Braithwaite, a postdoctoral research as...
May 26, 2016
Study Abroad: Why You Should Do It and How to Pay for It, Plus Coalition App Opinions
A semester in Paris. A year in Johannesburg, South Africa. A summer in Melbourne, Australia. Lots of colleges tout their multiple study abroad programs as reasons to attend. Maybe you’ve wanted to study abroad ever since your...
May 19, 2016
Did You Know that the UC System Welcomes Community College Students? Also, Paying for College Expenses Out of Pocket and Listener Questions
Thousands of students hope to study in the University of California system but either don’t have the money for four years of study or don’t have the grades and test scores to get in right out of college. The UC system actuall...
May 12, 2016
What to Consider if You're Considering a Gap Year. Also, Applying from Abroad, Listener Questions on College Finance
Last week we welcomed an international student studying in the US to our show. This week, we’re going to be discussing the ins and outs of applying if you are an international student interested in attending college in the US...
May 5, 2016
What Happens After You Deposit? Also International Student Experiences in the US, and PG Years
It may seem that all you need to do after you deposit is buy some extra-long sheets for your dorm room bed and show up in time for the first day of classes. In reality, there are lots of different deadlines and forms, particu...
April 28, 2016
Sending In the Deposit: How Do You Make the Final Choice?
One of the best parts of the college process should be the moment when the tables are turned and students get to decide which school they will attend out of all those who made them offers. But this process can sometimes be as...
April 21, 2016
What If You Didn't Get In Anywhere?
It’s every college going student and parent’s nightmare: decisions from colleges arrive, and there isn’t a yes in the bunch. Does this mean that the college dream is over? Definitely not, since there are actually many institu...
April 14, 2016
You Don't Like Any of Your College Choices: Now What?
What happens if you got into most of the colleges on your list, but now you’re realizing you don’t really like any of them? We’ll be looking at what you can do if you find yourself in this situation. We’ll also talk to a stud...
April 7, 2016
The College Visit: What Questions Should I Be Asking?
College visits can be an incredibly valuable part of the college process—or they can be a big waste of time and money. Students and families can make these worth their while by thinking ahead about the kinds of questions they...
March 31, 2016
Turning the Tide Part Two: What Does this Mean for You?
In our first segment on Turning the Tide, Ian Fisher, Elyse Krantz, and Beth Heaton discussed the relative merits of the report and plan but only had time to cover the basics. In this week’s show, they’ll return to dig a bit ...
March 24, 2016
Asking for More Money, Part 2: Scholarship Negotiations
You might think a scholarship offer is firm and final—either you get it, or you don’t, and the amount is fixed. In reality, colleges often have leeway in not only who they offer money to, but how much money they offer. In thi...
March 17, 2016
Asking for More Money, Part 1: How to Appeal a Financial Aid Award
The initial financial aid award you receive from a college doesn’t necessarily have to be the best and final offer—it’s actually okay to ask for more if you think you need it. Our college finance experts, who also happen to b...