Episodes
Nov. 10, 2022
College Interview Tips; Seniors Getting Started; Higher Ed ROI
Wondering if college is worth it? We’ll help you think through how to evaluate the return on investment and avoid some pitfalls that might decrease your ROI. Are you a senior or the parent of a senior who hasn’t yet done anyt...
Nov. 3, 2022
Emergency Fund Benefits; Pitzer College Essays; NESCAC Schools
What’s a NESCAC anyway? Bates College admissions officer Scott Alexander joins the show to share a current view of his college and other NESCAC schools. Pitzer College admissions officer also joins the show to discuss the Pit...
Oct. 27, 2022
Ithaca College & Notre Dame Essays; National Merit Semifinalists
As you know, we are in the season of supplements. We’ll look at both Ithaca College and Notre Dame while also tackling those pesky major of interest and why this college questions in general. In other news, we look at what’s ...
Oct. 20, 2022
Ten Days Until November 1 college deadlines!; Updates from NACAC
Ten days to November 1—yikes!! We have advice for what to focus on now as we inch closer to those November 1 deadlines. We’re also sharing our takeaways from the annual conference for National Association of College Admission...
Oct. 13, 2022
Net Price Calculators; UVM; Atypical Deadlines & Applications
What the heck is a net price calculator and why should you use one? Glad you asked—we’ll tell all in today’s show! We also welcome Chris Perlongo from the University of Vermont to talk early action, early decision, and supple...
Oct. 6, 2022
Top 10 FAFSA Questions; College Locations: City or Country?
The FAFSA is live, and many of you have questions. We’ve assembled our list of the top 10 FAFSA questions along with the answers, and we’re sharing them with you! Three of our college admissions consultants will also share th...
Sept. 29, 2022
Undecided Majors, Unknown Major, CSS Profile
Majors, majors, majors. Is it okay to be undecided? What about choosing something you’ve never studied before? On this week’s show, we’re exploring majors: how to think about them, how to choose them, when to wait (and whethe...
Sept. 22, 2022
Naviance; Supplemental Essays; Student Loan Program Updates
Seniors completing the Common App and looking at a long list of supplemental essays may be asking, “but why do I have to write more essays?!” right about now. Becky Konowitz, dean of admissions at Santa Clara University joins...
Sept. 15, 2022
Too Late to Save for College?; Working Parents; Listener Q&A
If you’ve been looking at college price tags and wishing you’d started saving earlier, you might want to tune in to today’s show. Guest Yvette Haring of TIAA-CREF will be talking about 520 college savings programs and whether...
Sept. 8, 2022
Latino-Hispanic Serving Institutions, Majors, and Scholarships
If you’re interested in attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution, intrigued by Hispanic Studies, or want to learn more about Latino-Hispanic Scholarships, today’s show is for you! We’ll hear from a representative from Univers...
Sept. 1, 2022
First Generation Students; Wily Network; Financial Aid Refunds
Imagine heading off to college with no one to support you—no parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents. That’s what many foster students who make it to college face every year. Join us to learn more about how the Wily Network is s...
Aug. 25, 2022
Exploring the UC App and Apply Texas App; Cal Grant Program
Planning to apply to a University of California institution or a Texas public university? We’re exploring the UC application and the Apply Texas platform in today’s podcast. And in our college finance segment, we’ll share det...
Aug. 18, 2022
Starting College Strong; Listener Questions
Attention college freshmen: starting strong is one of the keys to a successful college experience. We have some best practices to help students get off to a good first semester. We’re also answering your college admissions an...
Aug. 11, 2022
The Common App & Coalition App are Live!; Credit Reports
It’s that time of year: the Common App and the Coalition application are both live. We’re breaking down each option and offering suggestions on getting started on these application platforms. We will also look at credit repor...
Aug. 4, 2022
Learning a Foreign Language; Working in College
Wondering if working in college is a good idea? We have thoughts! (Because of course we do!) We’re also exploring the benefits of studying a foreign language with our guests from Duolingo, one of the coolest ways to support c...
July 28, 2022
Becoming a Sportscaster; Athlete To Do Lists; Sharing Aid Details
If you’ve ever dreamed of being a sportscaster, tune in to today’s podcast to learn more about how to make that happen from someone in the field. We also have a list of things athletes should be doing now. And finally, we’ll ...
July 21, 2022
Sending Your Student Off to College; Listener Q&A
Your student applied, got in, and made their final decision. Now what? We have everything you need to know from the mother of two college students who has gone through the process herself. In Office Hours, we’re answering you...
July 14, 2022
Advice for Students Going to College Abroad
Today’s show is all about attending college in a place other than your home country. We’ll be offering admissions and college finance advice for international students who plan to attend college in the US and US students who ...
July 7, 2022
Summer Campus Visits; Meeting Financial Need
What does it mean when a college meets financial need? We’ll take a closer look at the reality of this policy for families and share some colleges that do this. For those planning college visits this summer, we have advice fr...
June 30, 2022
Morehead Cain & Selective Scholarships; Buy Now Pay Later Apps
While much of the scholarship dollars available to students comes courtesy of merit aid awarded by colleges to the best applicants in their pools, a handful of selective scholarships require an application process. We’ll expl...
June 23, 2022
LGBTQ+ College Search; Listener Q&A
The college search process can be daunting for all students, but LGTBQ+ students may find it particularly challenging as they search for spaces where they will feel comfortable and safe. In honor of Pride month, we’re talking...
June 16, 2022
Common App Report; Attending a Christian College; College Savings
As you prepare to pay for college, you may be finally tapping your college savings accounts. We have advice about how to best approach this. The Common App recently released a report on the 2021-2022 admissions cycle. We’ve p...
June 9, 2022
Application Deadlines; Financing Advice; Common App Activity List
Rising seniors already know that this summer is an important time to get ahead on their application work. One important component of that is finalizing your list and noting important submission deadlines. And understanding th...
June 2, 2022
LGBTQ+ Scholarships; Student Research; Using a College Counselor
It’s Pride Month, and we’re covering LGBTQ+ scholarships in celebration. We’re also talking about student research—why you might do this and what it can look like. Finally, in office hours we’re reviewing how to decide if usi...