Episodes
Jan. 27, 2022
Education Tax Breaks; Reflections from a former Dean of Admission
Today, we are fortunate to have former University of Chicago Dean of Admission, Ted O’Neill, offer a retrospective of his 30+ years serving in admissions. We will wrap up the show focusing on tax season, and we have informati...
Jan. 20, 2022
SAT/ACT Myths; Asking for More Merit Money; Good Fit Colleges
Did you know that you can ask for more merit money? Well you can, and we have some information about when and how to do this. We’re also looking at the myths that surround the SAT and ACT, and digging into what we mean when w...
Jan. 13, 2022
2021 Admissions Reflections; Income-Driven Repayment Options
2021 was the year when we were supposed to emerge from beneath the COVID cloud. It didn’t exactly pan out that way, but we did emerge! We’re sharing insight into what went well for our students in the college admissions proce...
Jan. 6, 2022
Summer Programs; Listener Q&A
Is it too early to start thinking about the summer? Of course not! Early winter is the perfect time to think about what you want to do and where you want to do it—we have tips for getting started. We’re also answering college...
Dec. 30, 2021
Now What?; New Year’s Resolutions: Admissions & Finance
Your applications are in. Now what?! We’ll tell you! As the New Year approaches, and with it, resolutions, we’re offering some suggestions for you to consider on both the admissions and personal finance front. Start the New Y...
Dec. 23, 2021
Preparing for the CARES Act To End; The Transfer Conversation
Graduates with student loans need to prepare: the CARES Act and loan payment accommodations are scheduled to come to an end early in the new year. We’re sharing what you need to know and do next. Some students will return hom...
Dec. 16, 2021
Next Steps for Students Getting Early Answers
As colleges offering Early Decision and Early Action deadlines start rolling out their decisions, students will soon have to act on those decisions. We have next steps for everyone getting acceptances, deferrals, and denials ...
Dec. 9, 2021
An AO Shares Her Pandemic Admissions Experience; Listener Q&A
Last year was a whole new world for college admissions, both for admissions officers and for the applicants and their families. One of our educators shares her experiences as an admissions officer that cycle, including how th...
Dec. 2, 2021
Stories from Our Team: Internships; Financial Aid Eligibility
Historically, having multiple children in college at the same time has meant more financial aid eligibility. That may change with the new FAFSA changes coming in the next few years. We’ll explain what that means for you. In a...
Nov. 18, 2021
Writing Your Best Essay; Gap Years; Student Loan Servicers
If you’ve taken out any student loans, you may recently have received notice that your student loan servicer is changing. We’ll explain what a student loan servicer is and why they’re making changes. If you haven’t yet starte...
Nov. 11, 2021
Tips for Seniors Just Getting Started; USC Supplemental Essays
Any seniors out there just getting started on the college process? We have advice on what to do now in terms of applying to college and paying for it. We’re also walking you through the supplemental essays required by USC as ...
Nov. 4, 2021
Villanova Supplemental Essay Prompts; Listener Q&A
Applying to Villanova? They have two required supplemental essays, one that everyone writes and then a choice from a list of five prompts. We have advice on how to approach each of them. In Office Hours, we’re answering your ...
Oct. 28, 2021
Value and ROI of a Liberal Arts College; Early Round Results
Wondering why you might want to consider a liberal arts college? Tune in this week for our thoughts on the benefits and the potential return on investment you can see from a liberal arts degree. Office Hours this week feature...
Oct. 21, 2021
Penn State Honors College Essays; Yale Supplemental Essays
The application for Penn State’s Schreyer Honors College features 10 additional essays. We will walk you through each one. We’re also exploring two calculators essential to understanding how much you will pay for college, the...
Oct. 14, 2021
Why We Hate the Costco Essay; Early Deadlines; Merit Scholarships
A few years ago, an essay with Costco at its center made the media circuit as an example of a powerful and successful college essay. We don’t like it, and we’re going to share why. The Merit Scholarship program gets a lot of ...
Oct. 7, 2021
State School Essays; Listener Q&A
Ever wonder how important essays are in the process at large state universities? It probably won’t surprise you to learn that it depends! In this week’s first segment, we share our thoughts on when these essays really matter ...
Sept. 30, 2021
CSS Profile; Reporting Test Scores; University of Chicago Essays
For most colleges, applying for financial aid is as simple as filling out the FAFSA. But a smaller group of schools also requires the CSS Profile. We’ll share what to expect if you need to complete that form as well. In the e...
Sept. 23, 2021
Filing the FAFSA; Visual & Fine Arts Programs; Wake Forest Essays
Should you file the FAFSA even if you don’t qualify for financial aid or have no plans to apply for financial aid? These are questions we frequently field, especially during the fall, and we’re going to answer them on today’s...
Sept. 16, 2021
AP Capstone Program; College Bills; Balanced College Lists
AP Capstone Program; College Bills; Balanced College Lists For seniors finalizing their college lists, one of the most important things to consider is whether it’s a balanced one. All reaches? Not good. All safeties? Might be...
Sept. 9, 2021
What Does It Mean When Colleges Send You Mail?; Listener Q&A
What does it mean when colleges send you mail? We discuss examples from a few different schools where we worked, and share thoughts on what to do with the mail you receive. We’re also answering your college finance and admiss...
Sept. 2, 2021
UC Essays; Repaying Federal Student Loans; Stories From Our Team
Starting the University of California application and wondering how to tackle those essays? We’ll discuss how to approach them in this week’s podcast. In another in our series on our team’s own college stories, Lisa Albro sha...
Aug. 26, 2021
Fall Admissions Timelines for High School Seniors; Using Naviance
School is officially back for most seniors, and it’s time to focus on the application process in earnest. We have timelines for both the admissions and the college finance process, including what needs to get done and when. F...
Aug. 19, 2021
Community Service; Mental Health and Financial Aid; the PSAT
A few years ago, we wrote a blog titled, “Colleges Don’t Care About Community Service.” In this week’s show, we’ll share whether or not our opinions on this topic have changed. In other segments, we’ll look at the link betwee...
Aug. 12, 2021
Researching Colleges; Applying Early; Finance Tips for Graduates
A great college list starts with academics, namely majors. If a college doesn’t have any in your areas of interest, it’s off the list! We have tips for how to go about researching majors. We also have finance advice for recen...