Episodes

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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...