Episodes

This will be a fun show, as College Coach admissions expert Tova Javetz will be here to answer listener questions with our host Shannon Vasconcelos. Seniors, are you considering attending some admitted student programs? College Coach veteran admission expert Steve Brennan is here to discuss the pros and cons (hint: mostly pros) with Shannon.

Juniors, are you confused about whether or not to take the SAT or ACT? You’re not alone. There have been lots of changes in recent months, and our host Beth Heaton will be joined by Megan Stubbendeck, CEO of ArborBridge, an online test prep service and one of College Coach’s trusted partners, to discuss everything you should know about standardized testing. For our seniors, we know many of you have heard from colleges or are anxiously awaiting your decision, so we’re here to help with a segment ...

Are you interested in studying music or musical theater in college? This is a great show; host Sally Ganga interviews experts in applying to college programs in each field. First, she will be joined by Charlie Murphy, Director of the organization Musical Theater College Auditions, or MTCA. He’s using his own experience as a graduate of Carnegie Mellon’s BFA program in musical theater and as a current actor to help students who want to study Musical Theater, and is happy to provide some tips for ...

Do you know that California has great universities that are not UC schools? Listen in when host ian fisher interviews College Coach colleague Gabbi Tobias about the California State University system, typically called the Cal States. Considering medical school but you’ve already graduated from college and didn’t take any of the required classes? It’s not too late! College Coach expert Lauren DiProspero, former admission officer at both Stanford and Columbia medical schools, will talk about optio...

While college campuses are, by and large, very safe places, we know that crime can happen anywhere. Host Sally Ganga will be joined by Jessica Mertz of the Clery Center, an organization dedicated to helping colleges create the safest possible environment on campus and to advising families on campus safety. Jessica will be giving Sally some tips about students should be concerned about. Hint: it isn’t what most people think about! Have you been homeschooled? Nicole Doyle, College Coach colleague,...

Have you invested yourself at your current college, working hard in your classes and trying out a few extra-curricular activities, but you still feel like it isn’t the right place for you? Or maybe you’re at a community college and it’s time to move on? If so, listen in. Host Shannon Vasconcelos will be discussing the transfer process with colleague and former Hamilton College Admission Officer Jay Bonham. Shannon will also be joined by Alex Rendon, who, previous to coming to College Coach, work...

Parents, do you have a high achieving student and are concerned about how to best support them in high school and the college process? Listen in as our host, Ian Fisher, will be talking with colleague DJ Meehan, former high school counselor, about what to do. In addition, Ian will be joined by colleague Joy Biscornet, who in a previous life was an engineering major and worked in admissions at top engineering school the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign to discuss engineering nuts and bo...

Are you a student-athlete planning to compete in college? If so, tune-in to hear our host, Beth Heaton, talking with college finance expert and parent of a college athlete Stacey MacPhetres. They will be joined by Michael Yager, College Coach admissions expert, who will be covering the athletic recruitment process and athletic scholarships in their discussion. Ian Fisher, Getting In co-host, will be playing the role of guest in a separate segment to discuss how students can research colleges.

Juniors, and to a lesser degree sophomores, this is a great time to start thinking about the colleges where you’ll be applying! Our host, Shannon Vasconcelos, will be chatting with College Coach admissions expert Nial Rele about how to build your list. One important item on your to dos when doing so is to visit some colleges, and College Coach admissions expert Serena Frisina will join Shannon to talk about how to get the most out of those visits. And we’re very excited to have college finance e...

Seniors, have you heard the rumor that colleges don’t care about senior year grades? Well, that’s incorrect, and even if a student has been admitted, colleges can rescind admission offers if grades drop. Listen in as host Ian Fisher discusses how and when this happens with Tova Javetz, college admissions counselor and former admission officer at Barnard, Columbia, Fordham, and Montclair State. Ian also welcomes Amanda Cuttler, former head hunter for Tory Burch and current consultant in talent ac...

Have you and your student discussed who is paying for college, and how? Are you hesitant to do so because you don’t want to disappoint them? You aren’t alone! Listen in as we’ll be addressing that topic in our first segment with a conversation between host Sally Ganga and College Coach finance advisor Aimee Yorsaner. Then, Landis Fryer, College Coach admissions expert and former admission officer at Dartmouth, will join Sally to discuss summer programs—no, it’s not too early to think about those...

Happy (Almost) New Years! Our host Shannon Vasconcelos will be discussing New Years resolutions with College Coach colleague and guest Kyra Tyler. Then, Michelle Clifton of College Coach’s Finance Team will be joining Shannon to give updates about Student Loan Repayment and the federal SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) plan.

Have you been considering attending a Canadian University? Listen in, as Meghan Thompson, Student Recruitment Officer from the University of Victoria in British Columbia, will be joining us to discuss Canadian admissions, a very different animal from U.S. admissions. Our host, Beth Heaton, will also be talking with College Coach colleagues Amy Alexander, formerly of Yale admissions, and Zaragoza Guerra, formerly of Cal Tech and MIT admissions, about who gets into highly selective, perhaps most a...

Getting In host Sally Ganga will be interviewing College Coach educational consultant, Elyse Krantz, our go-to person for the nuts and bolts of the application process regarding what to do now that you’ve submitted your applications. If you are concerned you might miss something important after you submit, tune in! Then, our colleague Lauren Randle, former high school counselor, will be going over the post-admit decision etiquette and kindness pointers. Finally, Jennifer Wilcox of the College Co...

Seniors, did you apply Early Decision or Early Action to college? If so, you should be hearing from the college or colleges soon, in which case, it may be time to make some decisions! Michael Yager, College Coach Educational Consultant, will be joining host Shannon Vasconcelos to discuss what students should be thinking about now. Then, they will be joined by College Coach finance expert Beth Feinburg-Keenan to answer Listener Questions. If you want to submit your own, you can do so via any of o...

If you weren’t aware there are all men’s colleges, you’re not alone! Ed Devine, Director of Admission at Hampden Sydney in Virginia will be here to discuss them with our host, Shannon Vasconcelos. Then, College Coach colleague Brian Swann will be joining to tell us about US State Department sponsored pre-college programs for youth, and College Coach Finance colleague Laurie Peltier will hop on to talk about how to transfer financial aid when you transfer schools in spring semester.

This is a particularly exciting episode, as we’ll be joined by Benjamin Baum, the Vice-President of Enrollment at St. Johns College of Annapolis, Maryland. He and host Beth Heaton will be discussing new ways of evaluating applications. Then, Beth will be responding to listener questions along with college coach finance expert Michelle Smoley.

Are you a 9th, 10th, or 11th grader in high school, or the parent of one? We’ve got you covered in this episode! College Coach colleague, and parent of high school students, Kara Courtois, will be talking with host Ian Fisher about what 9th and 10th graders should be preparing for in the upcoming months, and Nicole Doyle, another colleague and parent will be covering the same topic with Ian but about high school juniors. Alex Bickford, college finance expert, will be covering the financial side ...

Have you ever thought about gap year, or even another year of high school? Host Beth Heaton will be discussing who and why should consider those options with colleague Zaragoza Guerra. Then, Jen Simons, formerly of the admission offices of Tufts, Northeastern, and more, will address whether applicants should create a resume. Hint: in most cases, no! Also, Beth will be joined by college finance expert Zachery Gries to talk about financial aid notification timelines for early admission applicants.

Today’s battle: public universities versus liberal arts colleges! We kid; each institution type has its pluses and minuses, and on today’s podcast, host Sally Ganga interview guests representing both. Our colleague Brittany Preston, formerly of the University of Colorado at Boulder and Oregon State University-Cascades, shares her experience at public universities, and our colleague Nial Rele, formerly of Middlebury College, relates his experience at a small liberal arts college. In addition, if ...

Are you struggling to write those essays? Dismissing every idea as bad, or just staring at a blank screen? College Coach admissions expert Steve Brennan shares advice on how to overcome writer’s block. So, tune in, and know that you aren’t alone. In addition, host Shannon Vasconcelos and our very own admissions vet Jen Simons answer listener questions.

Students: Have your older friends, or even your parents, told you that your senior grades don’t matter? Well, they’re wrong! Tune in to today’s episode to hear host Ian Fisher and colleague Brian Swann discuss how senior year grades can impact admission to colleges. In addition, finance expert Alexander Gonzalez weighs in on the financial implications of applying Early Decision. Finally, as we enter peak stress time in the college application process, College Coach Karen Spencer helps us remembe...

What in the world are supplemental essays? Unfortunately, many colleges require these additional short essays alongside the Common and Coalition Application personal statement. Tune in to this episode as host Beth Heaton talks with College Coach admissions counselor Lisa Albro about how to approach these supplements. In addition, admissions counselor Brittany Preston explains the activity list that’s part of many college applications, and Chrissy Foran, college finance expert, provides an overvi...

We first addressed the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action in undergraduate admissions in our July 13 podcast episode. This week, College Coach admissions expert Kyra Tyler returns with the additional perspective of three months having passed since that episode. Host Ian Fisher then welcomes colleague Aysha Wong to fill us in on the University of Florida, where she previously worked as an admissions officer, and later gets an update on the Federal Student Loan Repayment policy from fi...