Join Mark and Anna as they talk about the importance of acknowledging, expressing, and regulating emotions with Dr. Marc Brackett, the author of Permission to Feel , and the Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a Professor in the Child Study Center of Yale University. As anxiety and depression are at all time highs for our teens, we are thankful to be able to have Dr. Brackett address how we can better support our teens in becoming happy and successful members o...
Oct 05, 2020•50 min•Ep. 46
Do you have a talented musician who wants to pursue their passion for it in college? Have questions on how to best prepare for the music college admissions process? Join Mark and Anna as they speak to Dave Best, Founder of Best College Consulting where they orchestrate the college search for talented students.
Sep 19, 2020•52 min•Ep. 45
College essays have always been an important part of the college application process; however, this year—the year that COVID arrived and stayed for a while—provides a perfect storm for buoying up the importance of the college essays. Yes, that is essays, plural. While the personal statement essay has always been the focus for most students—and it remains to be an important part of the application—many schools weigh their supplemental and proprietary essays as even more important in the overall e...
Jul 31, 2020•37 min•Ep. 44
College consultants often get asked “How early do you start working with students in the college application process?” This question almost always comes from parents. Sometimes they are just curious, but increasingly, they are serious. Can, should, their 8th grader start preparing for college applications? If we are really honest, and take a step back, we must admit that we currently don’t know what colleges and universities will use as metrics for evaluation in the coming one to five years. Hon...
Jul 01, 2020•49 min•Ep. 43
What a strange and unprecedented time this is. Schools—ALL schools—are closed for what will be months. How many months this closure will last has yet to be determined. College and Universities…closed, and many considering a “virtual start” in September. K-12 schools also closed and not reopening before the next school year…and possibly longer. This is unprecedented. All of these things provide a lot of uncertainty about our education system for 2020 – 2021. This is really stressful if you are a ...
May 21, 2020•53 min•Ep. 42
Ever hear that crazy story of how someone wins a ton of money for college? Even when they already have money and didn't qualify for financial aid? Or have you heard stories of how some families can't afford college because colleges didn't provide them enough money to attend? If so, you're in luck, because Anna and Mark will be chatting with Monica Matthews, the author of How to Win College Scholarships, to talk about how families can earn money for college through private scholarships. Monica Ma...
Mar 07, 2020•46 min•Ep. 41
It’s the holiday season…and there are always vacations and breaks. What to do, what to do? One of the most common questions consultants hear from students and parents is: “What should I do during vacation… you know, to look good on college applications?” Join Mark and Anna as they discuss how high school and college students can best utilize their breaks. While families often think they should attend a summer program or conduct research, etc, there are other options out there. Each of these expe...
Jan 15, 2020•49 min•Ep. 40
Join Mark and Anna as they speak with Mark Salisbury from TuitionFit to discuss something revolutionary - transparent college pricing. Learn about how TuitionFit helps students and their families feel empowered in college admissions and get the best value from college for free. Mark Salisbury started his career in higher education as a soccer coach in 1995. After a decade, he transitioned to admissions and then, after earning a PhD in higher education, became a researcher, director of institutio...
Dec 04, 2019•55 min•Ep. 39
Join Mark and Anna as they speak with Michael B. Horn, one of the authors of Choosing College, as they discuss how to put students and families in the driver's seat of their future so that they understand why they want to go to school and make better decisions around the college admissions process. Michael Horn, the coauthor of the new book, Choosing College, is the chief strategy officer at the Entangled Group, an education venture studio, and the cofounder of the Clayton Christensen Institute,...
Nov 18, 2019•55 min•Ep. 38
Join Mark and Anna as they speak with Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rob Kirkland of Gain Service Academy Admission as they cover the benefits of joining ROTC in college (both monetary and not), how to apply for scholarships that help you afford college, the military expectations upon graduating, how you can earn 'free ride' including room and board, and more! Lieutenant Colonel Kirkland was one of the few officers ever to lead two separate Army ROTC programs–Claremont McKenna College from 2006 to...
Oct 11, 2019•52 min•Ep. 37
Join Mark and Anna as they talk about what new college students should actually be thinking about and preparing for that are often glossed over or just missed in the conversation. This goes for parents too. Now that you've gotten off the roller coaster cycle of Find School, Apply to School, Get Accepted to School, Select School, Finish High School, Pack Up for College, Travel to College, Unpack and Prepare for Life in College cycle, here are some things you may have missed. Mark and Anna break d...
Sep 07, 2019•48 min•Ep. 36
Join Mark and Anna as they speak with guest, Debbie Schwartz. Debbie Schwartz is a former financial services marketing executive with expertise in personal finance. She’s also a parent, with 3 children and has had the personal experience of navigating college admission and paying for it for her own children. From her experience with her oldest child, she knew families needed better information and tools to make smarter college decisions. To learn more about Road2College or join the Paying for Co...
Sep 02, 2019•46 min•Ep. 35
Ever wonder if playing sports makes a difference in college admissions? Or what type of sport? Or how good you have to be? Join Mark and Anna as they talk with Dr. Chris Siedem from Perfect College Match as they discuss what's important to focus on as it related to playing athletics in college, what the recruiting process is like and how to best present yourself as an athlete in college admissions. Learn more about Chris at http://perfectcollegematch.com/
Jul 17, 2019•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 34
Mark and Anna are excited to welcome Jessica Yeager from Dream College Summit back again to learn about what new insights are available for Dream College Summit 2019, including top trends, art schools, athletics, applying to STEM schools and more! Mark and Anna also grill Jessica on why she chose Harvard over MIT for her undergraduate degree. Make sure you get your free ticket to Dream College Summit happening in May 2019.
May 16, 2019•46 min•Ep. 33
Educational consulting addresses many common issues of the application process; however, applications for students with learning disabilities and the schools that support them is an incredibly important – but often underrepresented and often misunderstood – area of educational consulting. Working with high school students applying to colleges requires an increasing number of steps and areas for consideration. However, schools that understand and support learning disabilities provide additional c...
Apr 27, 2019•56 min•Ep. 32
Join Mark and Anna as they co-host a special episode with Steve Schwartz from College Admissions Toolbox as they discuss the college admissions scandal, designing activities, and letting passion guide your way to the perfect resume! Learn more about College Admissions Toolbox at http://www.collegeadmissionstoolbox.com.
Apr 09, 2019•47 min•Ep. 31
The college admissions scandal has stormed the media! While everyone enjoys a good scandal, join Mark and Anna as they offer perspective on the scandal but also true practices (for better or worse) in college admissions. While Mark and Anna chat about some of the issues associated with the college application and admissions process that have fallen from grace, more importantly, they are going to refocus on those components of the college application process that are most important in the evaluat...
Mar 15, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 30
With college loan debts increasing far beyond any healthy, logical, or sustainable level—approaching 1.6 Trillion dollars, and the average student accruing $37,000 of debt by graduation—the illogical and unsupported quest to pursue and attend only a handful of elite schools with less than 15% acceptance rates and COAs over $70,000 a year… may finally be in recession. Many students and parents are paying attention to the mounting research and overwhelming evidence that shows going into debt for u...
Feb 07, 2019•50 min•Ep. 29
Anna and Mark recently attended the IECA National Conference in sunny Los Angeles, California—and took over the house! Okay, maybe not so much as took over as rolled through. Join Mark and Anna as they give you the dirt that they received straight from admissions themselves and cut down on the stress as they discuss tours of LA schools, admissions thoughts on test scores and the factors that actually get you in vs. qualifying you.
Jan 03, 2019•49 min•Ep. 28
Heading out for some school tours? From figuring out fit, culture, and where to find comfort food to demonstrating interest, learn how to make the most of campus visits as Anna and Mark cover questions to ask, what to look out for, what to do, and who to talk to.
Nov 05, 2018•45 min•Ep. 27
As college applications and admissions becomes more competitive each year and the financial ramifications of choosing the right school is even more important and daunting… parents desperately recognize that preparing earlier is better than later. But how early is too early? Join Mark and Anna as they discuss when and how to start preparing for college admissions so that you are on track to deliver "what schools want."
Oct 02, 2018•48 min•Ep. 26
Whether you are a sophomore thinking about college, a junior/senior stepping into the application/admissions arena or a recent graduate who is headed to college for further academic enrichment and excitement… selecting courses and classes seems to be almost an afterthought for many students. This seems backwards, doesn’t it? It's back to school and you're wondering what classes you should pick? Should you try taking that harder class? Should you stick to classes related to your major or classes ...
Aug 30, 2018•50 min•Ep. 25
A majority of students can make it through high school and college, and some will do so with incredibly high grades while achieving amazing things. However, increasingly more high school and college students are finding the stresses of academics to be overwhelming. High School and college counselors are reporting the number of students seeking help for depression and anxiety is increasing at an alarming rate, higher than most have seen in their careers. Join Mark and Anna as they tackle how you ...
Jul 10, 2018•46 min•Ep. 24
School is almost out and its time to figure out what to do this summer, besides soaking in the sun with your friends. While we've talked about activities in general, summer offers a unique opportunity to focus on development. Join Mark and Anna as they discuss the different types of activities you can dive into, how to use summer for "two-fers" and what are some not so great ideas for how to spend your summer.
Jun 06, 2018•58 min•Ep. 23
Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell's book, David and Goliath, Mark and Anna discuss how to assess "big fish in a little pond" opportunities. As you look at schools, narrow your list, and make decisions, this is another factor to keep in mind. Join Mark and Anna as they revisit "best fit" and encourage students to consider the long-term impacts of being pushed to the edge academically, intellectually vs. learning comfortably, and reflecting on life and its many paths to fulfillment in this latest episo...
Apr 22, 2018•54 min•Ep. 22
All the work and sacrifice – applications completed, essays written, weekends lost, and joy-filled NetFlix binges missed… has finally paid off. THEY want you! Colleges want you! The golden ticket with notice of admission has been issued to you and now all you need to do is select which fabulous school you and your pet goldfish will head to in September. Join Mark and Anna as they walk you through this final step of the college admissions process - from where to check your results to what you nee...
Apr 06, 2018•46 min•Ep. 21
Join us as we talk to Tali Nesher, a former literary agent, NYU Tisch graduate and independent educational consultant specializing in the arts. Tali will be offering expertise on applying to different types of art programs and the value of an art education. If you're worried about your child becoming a starving artist, listen to Tali as she talks about how versatile an art degree can be, in addition to information about the process of applying for art programs. Tali Nesher graduated from New Yor...
Feb 28, 2018•51 min•Ep. 20
You've gotten into college. Now what? After spending most of high school preparing for this next step, what do you need to be successful in college and even in life? Join Mark and Anna as the cover the top skills you need for life in college and beyond. From accepting criticism and making healthy choices to tying a tie, Mark and Anna tackle life beyond the application.
Jan 22, 2018•43 min•Ep. 19
With so many people around you juggling 20 activities, you wonder..do I really need 20 activities? What is the point of these extracurricular activities? What kind of activities should I have? Is there ever too much or too few? What are the "must have" activities? Join Mark and Anna as they answer these questions and more, including whether or not family obligations count as an activity.
Jan 08, 2018•41 min•Ep. 18
With medical school acceptance rates being so low, join Mark and Anna as they talk with expert Todd Faubion on his advice on maximizing your chances for getting into medical school. He'll also cover advice on how you can prepare as a high school student and college student and discuss what you can do if you aren't accepted the first time. If you or your child is thinking about joining the health profession, this is one episode you must check out.
Nov 10, 2017•58 min•Ep. 17
