Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter As a kid, Science for Dr Anil Menon was a dinner table conversation with his parents, who were both scientists. Dr Menon enjoyed those discussions. As a young boy, he was fascinated with Mendeleev’s Periodic Table of the Elements. This fascination led to his lifelong commitment for science in general, and Molecular Genetics in particular. Dr. Anil Menon is Professor of Molecular Genetics & Associate Dean of the UG Program in Medical Sciences. I...
Sep 18, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 341
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Making sense of the College News of the week, curated by Alma Matters . Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: What’s New in FAFSA [] OPT Changes [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Resources referred to in this episode: Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11] CNBC [] National Law Review [] Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode Transcript. Call...
Sep 14, 2023•15 min•Season 1Ep. 340
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Derek’s high schools changed quite frequently. Despite that he loved school and enjoyed science and math, and engaged in activities like Robotics. About half way through high school, Derek realized that he would need scholarships to go to college. He then mapped out a plan to raise his aggregate GPA & achieved it to qualify for the Zell-Miller scholarship that would pay for all his college tuition. Derek joins our podcast to share his undergrad...
Sep 12, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 339
Sign Up to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter In this episode we will introduce you to a College Application Workbook. The impetus for this workbook came after I wrote a piece in my newsletter Alma Matters Letter last fall about how college application readers have about 8 mins to read an application. In this Podcast with Athena, we cover, What is Self-Phrase and How to Create Your own Self-Phrase; The Workbook Sections - which include Superpower, Academics, Experiential, Testimony and Fit, and ...
Sep 05, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 338
Sign Up to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter While Aparna was working in the Social Development sector, she would save newspaper and magazine clippings of higher education and scholarship opportunities. When she took a break from work, when her daughter was very young, she found herself working at a primary school. Eventually, with some powerful nudging from a friend, Aparna jumped into college counseling with both feet. On our podcast, Aparna talks about her background, EducationUSA & Expe...
Aug 31, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 337
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter While growing up in India, Prateek participated in Model UN. He found that he enjoyed meeting students from other parts of the world, discussing and debating issues. With these experiences, his interest in Journalism grew. He already loved writing, reporting on world issues. He decided to apply to the US for college, to study journalism. As it turned out, the University of Cincinnati had something else in mind for him! Prateek joins us on our podca...
Aug 27, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 336
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter As an undergraduate, Prof. Townsend was only able to be a part of a small research project. At that time only a select number of students were able to participate in research. Today, Prof. Townsend is championing CURE - Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience in her Department and across CCRI so that an entire class of students can experience research - not just a select few. Prof. Townsend joins us on our podcast to talk about UG Research a...
Aug 24, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 335
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Saoirse was interested in microbiology in High School. This may have had a lot to do with all the volunteering she did at the Hot Springs National Park. She loved nature and hiking. She also did some research focused on bats at the Park. Saoirse joins us on our podcast to share her undergraduate journey at Rice, Transition to college, UG Research, Impact of Research, and Advice for high schoolers. In particular, we discuss the following with her: O...
Aug 21, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 334
Sign Up to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Elizabeth is a first-generation college graduate. When she was applying to college, she didn’t have anyone in her family that could help her with the process. Luckily, she found people who could help her with her questions. Today, Elizabeth guides students like her younger self, with the college application process. On our podcast, Elizabeth talks about her background, her role at Bottom Line, Counseling approach and challenges, and her Advice for Hi...
Aug 17, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 333
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Every year the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation awards a select set of High School Seniors the Coca Cola Scholarship. Sarah is a 2023 Coke Scholar. In this Podcast, Sarah talks about her passion for CS & AI, Winning the Coca Cola Scholarship, her college search process, and his advice for high schoolers. #CokeScholars In particular, we discuss the following with her: Who is Sarah? Extracurricular Interests Winning the Coke Scholarship College Proc...
Aug 10, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 332
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter The Supreme Court handed its momentous verdict about Race in College Admissions on June 29, 2023. To help us understand and to guide students and parents about what it means for them, we are joined by Sean Kennedy, President of SACAC and Co-Director of College Counseling at Ravenscroft School in North Carolina Topics discussed in this episode: Overview of the Supreme Court Decision [] How To Provide Race Info in College Application [] Thinking Diff...
Aug 08, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 332
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Every year the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation awards a select set of High School Seniors the Coca Cola Scholarship. Raymond is a 2023 Coke Scholar. In this Podcast, Raymond talks about his passion for Math, Winning the Coca Cola Scholarship, his college search process, and his advice to high schoolers. #CokeScholars In particular, we discuss the following with him: Who is Raymond Jiang? Extracurricular Interests Winning the Coke Scholarship College ...
Aug 04, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 331
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Every year the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation awards a select set of High School Seniors the Coca Cola Scholarship. Gianna is a 2023 Coke Scholar. In this Podcast, Gianna talks about her passion for Public Health, STEM Curriculum, Winning the Coca Cola Scholarship, her college search process, and his advice for high schoolers. #CokeScholars In particular, we discuss the following with her: Who is Gianna Thomas? Extracurricular Interests Winning the ...
Aug 02, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 330
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Every year the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation awards a select set of High School Seniors the Coca Cola Scholarship. Gabriel is a 2023 Coke Scholar. In this Podcast, Gabriel talks about his passion for Climate Policy, Winning the Coca Cola Scholarship, his college search process, and his advice to high schoolers. #CokeScholars In particular, we discuss the following with him: Who is Gabriel Nagel? Extracurricular Interests Winning the Coke Scholarshi...
Jul 29, 2023•38 min•Season 1Ep. 329
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Every year the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation awards a select set of High School Seniors the Coca Cola Scholarship. Anna is a 2023 Coke Scholar. In this Podcast, Anna talks about her passion for Poetry, Beekeeping, Winning the Coca Cola Scholarship, her college search process, and his advice to high schoolers. #CokeScholars In particular, we discuss the following with her: Who is Anna Yang? Extracurricular Interests Winning the Coke Scholarship Coll...
Jul 26, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 328
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Sky was a very active student in high school - inside and outside the classroom. He was into sciences, writing and Science research projects. Research took him to the International Science Fairs starting in the sophomore year. Sky was also very involved in the Student Government. He was the President of the Student Body in his senior year. Sky joins our podcast to share his undergraduate college journey at Pennoni Honors College at Drexel Universit...
Jul 20, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 327
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Every year the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation awards a select set of High School Seniors the Coca Cola Scholarship. Asanshay is a 2023 Coke Scholar. In this Podcast, Asanshay talks about his passion for building products, Winning the Coca Cola Scholarship, his college search process, and his advice to high schoolers. #CokeScholars In particular, we discuss the following with him: Who is Asanshay Gupta? Extracurricular Interests Winning the Coke Scho...
Jul 18, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 326
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter The 2022-23 College Application Season in the books. It is a good time to look back and learn from the experience for the benefit of the next set of high school seniors and parents. And who better to help us than the College Counselors who guided the current graduating seniors through the college process. I talked to 6 High School College Counselors from across the US to put together this episode. Topics discussed in this episode : Introducing The ...
Jul 12, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 325
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter After her freshman year in high school, Ella did not play a lot of sports to focus on getting good grades and pursuing her college dreams. She did join the Youth and Government club and held various officer positions during the 4 years of High School. Ella will be a Freshman at North Carolina State University in Fall 2023. In this Podcast, Ella talks about her High School Experiences, her college search process, Digital SAT, and her advice to colle...
Jul 08, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 324
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter It all started over 10 years ago, with College Faculty using Wikipedia for college coursework, and their students editing its content. Wiki Education was created to support these Faculty members. LiAnna Davis is the Chief Programs Officer and the Dy. Director at Wiki Education. LiAnna joins us on our podcast to tell us all about Wiki Education, Types of Content, Process to Edit Content, Why Students Should Engage, Success Stories, and Advice for Hi...
Jul 03, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 323
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Making sense of the College News of the week, curated by Alma Matters . Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode : College Cost Confusion [] Acceptance Rates in Elite Colleges Have Bottomed Out [] 90% of College Grads Say College is “Worth It”! [] Our Guest : Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Resources referred to in this episode : Curated News at Alma Matte...
Jun 30, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 322
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Kyrstal thought her first three years of High School weren’t that memorable. She was just doing things she thought she was supposed to do. Classes like AP Biology, Soccer, and the rest. In her senior year she really got involved in leadership. Organized student rallies for football games & was the Class treasurer. She found that these experiences gave her access to lots of opportunities. Krystal joins our podcast to share her undergraduate hono...
Jun 28, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 321
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Prof. Abmayr discovered UG Research during the Summer after her Junior year in college. She subsequently did research in her senior year in genetics. These research experiences were instrumental in her decision to go to graduate school. Dr. Beth Beason-Abmayr joins us on our podcast to talk about UG Research in Biosciences at Rice University, CUR’s role, Impact of Research on UG Students, Success stories, and finally Advice for High Schoolers. Topi...
Jun 15, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 320
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter As a high schooler in Germany, Daniel cared only about Sports. Specifically American Football. He wanted to go to college to play football. Daniel came to a US College on a Sports Scholarship. Things, however, didn’t go as planned. Daniel joins us on our podcast to share his UG Experience as an International Student, At UC Blue Ash, and then the 4-year UC program, UG Research in Financial Aid, The Scholarships, and Advice for high schoolers. In par...
Jun 12, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 319
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Making sense of the College News of the week, curated by Alma Matters . Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode : USNews to Update Rankings Methodology [] Paying for Higher Education [] Community College Enrollment Drops [] Our Guest : Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Resources referred to in this episode : Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11] USNews [] Yah...
Jun 09, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 318
Sign Up to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter In her 24 years in College Counseling, Jodi has seen a lot of things change, but the joy of working with students 1-on-1 remains unchanged. Today, with her counselor colleagues, Jodi is helping students find the college that is right for them. On our podcast, Jodi talks about her background, about Charlotte Christian School, her Counseling approach, managing expectations, and her advice for high school students. In particular, we discuss the followin...
Jun 07, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 317
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter After taking Spanish in middle school, Vismaya had dreamed of spending a semester in Spain. However, when she got to high school, she found out that it wasn’t going to be easy to get away to Spain for a semester. It hadn’t been done before. But Vismaya and the school found a way. Vismaya Gopalan will be a Freshman at Dartmouth College in Fall 2023. In this Podcast, Vismaya talks about her High School Experiences, Semester Abroad in Spain, her colle...
Jun 03, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 316
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter Chiara is a “chronic achiever” with a Passion for Fashion. In High School she was in the Orchestra, Band, Student Council, Scholastic Bowl to name a few. In class she loved History, French. But the class that changed everything for her was a Sports Marketing course. After that she was hooked on Business and Marketing. Chiara joins our podcast to share her undergraduate honors college journey at Ball State, her UG Research experiences, Passion for F...
May 31, 2023•59 min•Season 1Ep. 315
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter UG Research, they say, changes career trajectories. However, the challenge for most undergraduates is knowing where to start. This is precisely where Studio Lab comes in. Prof. Sarah Sokhey started the Studio Lab in the Political Science department to train students to do their first research project. Prof. Sarah Sokhey joins us on our podcast to talk about the Studio Lab, How it is Helping Students Get Started with Research, Scaling Studio Lab, Su...
May 25, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 314
Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter In High School, Hana was into Science. Especially Biology. She also felt an affinity for engineering, because her dad is an engineer. Interestingly, an English Teacher introduced her to Bioengineering, as part of a writing assignment. And so when time came for college, she was looking to major in Bioengineering. Hana joins our podcast to share her undergraduate honors college journey at SDSU, her UG Research experiences, the Pfizer Internship, Play...
May 23, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 313
