Episodes
June 25, 2015
Getting an Early Start: College Admissions and Finance
This week's show is all about getting an early start. For starters, we’re introducing the first segment in a four-week series covering everything you need to be thinking about relating to college admissions for each year of h...
June 18, 2015
Answers to Your College Admissions and Finance Questions
Do you have college admissions and finance questions? We have answers! Join us on June 18, when we invite our listeners to call in and talk to us live on air. Have a question about whether or not to drop French after sophomor...
June 11, 2015
Getting Started on College Essays: 2015-2016 Common App Essay Prompts, Part 1
For all those rising seniors out there, summer is a great time to start work on your college applications! If you're currently stuck staring at the Common App prompts and wondering where to go from there, don't miss this epis...
June 4, 2015
Using a Roth IRA to Save for College
While 529 savings plans and pre-paid tuition options get a great deal of coverage in the media, there are actually quite a few different ways to save for college. In this week's episode, we'll explore using a Roth IRA for jus...
May 28, 2015
Successful College Applications: The Importance of Presenting Your Authentic Self
Ever wonder if it makes sense to select different majors at each school to improve the odds of acceptance? Maybe you heard that admissions officers really like essays that focus on an example of doing good in the community? O...
May 21, 2015
Congrats on Getting In! Now About That Transition to College...
While applying to college can be long and arduous and figuring out the financial piece is often just as challenging, it's really just a precursor to the biggest hurdle of all: going to college. In this week's show, we're talk...
May 14, 2015
Dreaming of Top Gun? What You Need to Know About Service Academy Admissions
Securing a nomination. Passing the physical fitness test. Taking the appropriate coursework. If the idea of attending West Point, Annapolis, or another service academy in preparation for serving your country appeals to you, t...
May 7, 2015
Admissions Stress and the High School Student
Ask any high school junior how they're feeling, and the almost inevitable reply will be, Stressed. The root of much of that stress these days is college. Whether students are overloading themselves with coursework, overbookin...
April 30, 2015
College Admissions by the Numbers: Learn How to Put Together a College List Based on Your Numbers
There are a lot of numbers involved in the admissions process: GPAs, standardized test scores, admit rates, class rankings, etc. Although in general numbers are a fairly black and white matter, the fact is that there is a lot...
April 23, 2015
Ivy League Admissions: How to Stand Out
Ever wonder how you or your child can stand out in the ultra-competitive Ivy League admissions process? The answer is developing a distinguishing excellence. In a continuation of a discussion begun in our last episode of Gett...
April 16, 2015
Admission to the Ivy League: Cracking the Code
Do you or your child aspire to the Ivy League or similarly highly selective colleges? Don't miss this episode of Getting In, when former Yale admissions officer Amy Alexander will join us to discuss the basics of admission to...
April 9, 2015
New Common App Prompts for 2015-2016: What You Need to Know
Worried about the college admissions essay? Unclear about how to use the prompts provided on the Common App? Wondering what changed about the Common App prompts this year? We've got answers! Elyse Krantz, former senior admiss...
April 2, 2015
Understanding Financial Aid Packages and Avoiding Award Traps
College decisions are in, and with them, financial aid packages have arrived as well. Wondering how to fully understand the financial implications of those awards for your family? Former senior financial aid officer Laurie Pe...
March 26, 2015
Waitlisted: The New Rejection Letter?
Wondering what it means to be waitlisted and, more importantly, what the likelihood is that your application will actually get switched from waitlist to admit? We'll get some answers from former Swarthmore senior admissions o...
March 19, 2015
The Financial Aid Family: Understanding How Divorce and Remarriage Can Affect Financial Aid
What happens when the modern family--divorced, remarried, stepparents, stepchildren and all--applies for financial aid? What do you do if your ex doesn't want to be involved? Will your new spouse be expected to pay tuition fo...
March 12, 2015
Making the Most of the College Visit
Visiting colleges can be time consuming and expensive. On this episode, we'll welcome college visit expert Bill Ruben to talk about getting the most out of those visits, from when to go to what to see and do while you're ther...
March 5, 2015
Financial Aid Advice That's Too Good To Be True: Separating the Myths from the Truth
Can you really reposition family assets to create more financial aid eligibility? Are there ways to hide assets and lower your expected family contribution? Is it possible to get colleges to consider your child financially in...
Feb. 26, 2015
Choosing A College Essay Topic: How to Get Started
Standardized tests are a key component of most college applications. But when should students start taking the SAT or ACT, and how far in advance should they begin to prepare for the tests? We'll talk through these questions ...
Feb. 19, 2015
Extracurricular Activities and College Admissions: What Every Student Should Know
Ever wondered what activities colleges most want to see on a student's application? Curious about whether or not community service or sports are required or if a job counts? Former Georgetown admissions officer Karen Spencer ...
Feb. 12, 2015
Who Qualifies for Financial Aid Anyway?
In this week's Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Elizabeth Heaton will talk to college finance expert Laurie Peltier to cut through all the misinformation floating around and find out more about who actually qual...
Feb. 5, 2015
What's Better: An A in College Prep or a B in Honors?
Join us for the inaugural episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, where Elizabeth Heaton and colleague Sally Ganga will discuss high school curriculum choices and attempt to answer the eternal question of whether...