In this episode you’ll hear Adam’s take on: What’s a “good” score? How much do SAT scores matter? Do students even need standardized tests? When should students take the test? What’s the difference between the SAT and the ACT? Do students need the optional essay? The most important things to know about subject tests A few words about the PSAT Important notes for students with learning differences How students should define success in college admissions testing...
May 10, 2018•49 min
On this podcast we discuss: Why parents should stop telling their students that there are tons of school and to not worry about where they will go Why (and how) to limit the amount of time you spend talking about college When the best time to start talking about college is The three most stressful parts of college admissions for students--and how to mitigate that stress What Lisa is most and least proud of as a parent when it came to helping her own kids through the college application process...
May 09, 2018•41 min
On this episode we discuss, among other things: How common testing anxiety is (you may be surprised) How anxiety functions in the body Strategies for changing how you think about anxiety #reframing Some ways you can understand and adjust self-talk What cognitive rehearsal is and how it can help A brief intro to the emotional freedom technique How regulating your breathing can help
Apr 06, 2018•47 min
On this episode we discuss: Are standardized tests evil? What are some other standardized test myths that people tend to believe? To what extent does the SAT or ACT measure what students need to know in college? Important statistics from “ Crossing the Finish Line ,” a book that outlines the research around how well standardized test scores predict actual student performance in life and in college. What is the difference between “test optional” and “test flexible”? If students don’t submit stand...
Apr 04, 2018•37 min
This episode is an interview… on interviews! Monica James--whom you may’ve heard previously on the podcast in the episode on Demonstrated Interest--absolutely crushes it in this interview, offering more practical advice than you’ll find in most weekend workshops on this topic. And it’s no wonder: for years she’s been teaching people (and in particular high school students) how to give great interviews. We cover, among other things: Why do colleges give interviews? Can a bad interview actually hu...
Dec 28, 2017•1 hr 2 min
Should you apply Early Decision or not? Is there a statistical advantage to applying early or not? When making this decision, it might help to know what the regular decision acceptance rate is for a school and what the Early Decision acceptance rate for a school is and then compare those numbers. That’s the first thing we cover on this episode. After that we discuss: Why did they choose the metrics they chose (i.e. why do these numbers matter)? What are some of the dangers of interpreting this d...
Dec 04, 2017•48 min
On this episode I talk with Jennie about: Why she created the chart in the first place She explains why your student doesn’t have to be incredible in order to get merit aid How much students’ ability to pay matters in admissions How to use the chart, including how Jennie walks students through a consultation Why students might decline to ask for merit-based aid Links: The excel sheet of universities sorted by financial aid generosity (international students) How to sort an excel sheet by column ...
Dec 04, 2017•44 min
On this episode Jeff and I discuss this rad resource on which schools are most generous with financial aid and after he shares with us his story, we discuss: Three huge myths that students and parents have about financially planning for college Why parents should ignore the school’s sticker price Which schools meet 100% of demonstrated need (and what that means) A tool for figuring out how much money schools offer What Jeff believes is the biggest problem with the financial aid process Why Jeff ...
Dec 04, 2017•43 min
On this episode I interview Anne Wager, who used to work for many years in data and technology but made the transition to counseling and, as she puts it, “out of desperation”, developed a set of cards that she uses with students to help them identify, not just their preferences for what they’re looking for in a college, but what she called “deeper preferences”. We’ll explore what she means by deeper preferences, explain why they’re important, talk about common mistakes that students make when pi...
Dec 04, 2017•47 min
This episode represents part four of four in my epic mini-series with Tutor Ted and in this one I share what steps to take to turn your essay from “just okay” to “great.” Specifically, though, I share: What I believe the qualities of a great college essay are An example essay that demonstrates those four qualities A step-by-step process for bringing more of each of those qualities into your essay Lots of examples for all the qualities I discuss Even (get this) a step-by-step process for how to m...
Dec 04, 2017•34 min•Season 1Ep. 19
This is part three of my four-part series with Amie Dorsey (aka Tutor Ted). On the last two episodes I interviewed Amie, while on this episode (and on the next one), Amie turns the tables on and interviews me. On this episode Amie just wanted to give folks a chance to get to know me better, so we discussed: How I ended up as the College Essay Guy (Spoiler: that wasn’t the plan) What applying to college was like for me How I learned the importance of asking good questions Why I never tell student...
Dec 04, 2017•28 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Typically my job is to take some of the most awesome and rad people in the college admissions world (I’m not sure if there is a difference, but I’m sure there is), analyze their genius, and break it down for you into practical and actionable steps whether you’re applying to college yourself or helping someone else apply. But this time, I’ve handed the reins over to my guest Amie Dorsey (AKA Tutor Ted), who has scored perfectly on the SAT, ACT, and PSAT, and let her do the podcast, where she’s go...
Sep 18, 2017•22 min•Season 1Ep. 17
This is the first of two podcasts with Amie Dorsey, also known as Tutor Ted, who scored perfectly on the ACT, SAT, PSAT and runs a cool test prep company called (what else?) Tutor Ted. Now, in the second part of this podcast she’ll show you how to improve your ACT score by 2 points… in just 20 minutes. But before we get to that, I thought it might be great to get to know Amie on a more personal level--and what better way, I thought, than to take her through the exercises I use with my students w...
Jun 27, 2017•44 min•Season 1Ep. 16
This is part 2 of 2 of podcast episodes recorded last month in Eastern China. I met with Mark Moody, a friend of mine and a fantastic counselor with a ton of experience and some cool opinions you may not have heard before. During our chat we cover: His “Quick and Dirty List Builder,” a document he put together to help students and counselors find their best-fit schools in much less time We talk about Early Decision (also known as ED) and yield and why many schools like it when students apply ear...
Jun 26, 2017•30 min
If you know me, or if you’ve listened to the podcast before you know what a resource junkie I am… the same can be said, I think, for my guest on this episode, Shaun McElroy. Shaun is the publisher of two blogs: www.internationalcounselor.org which focuses on all things college admissions and which, I do believe, is one of the oldest continuously running blog on college admission (started in 2003) and www.strengthsmining.com focuses on applying research and principles of positive psychology into ...
Jun 12, 2017•1 hr 11 min
In this episode we'll discuss: Data that proves art degrees are important The freedom that working a side job gives to self-employed artists The truth about the myth of the starving artist How to know if art school is for you What your ability to take feedback says about you The difference between visual and performing arts schools, conservatories, and trade schools What cliches to avoid using in your art school application, and How parents can best support their child wanting to go to art schoo...
Jun 06, 2017•57 min
On this episode we discuss how Urban Confessional started, what Ben has learned about listening over the years, how these lessons have impacted his relationships and even what it was like doing free listening at last year’s Republican and Democratic National Conventions. At the end he offers a great resource called the “Practice Partner Guide,” with some great practical tips for how to listen. It’s wonderful stuff from a wonderful human, as you’ll soon see, and the applications include, then go ...
May 25, 2017•42 min
In this podcast, I’ll dive into: The story behind how I started connecting screenwriting and the college essay in the first place. Two exercises that I love to use to generate some great content for the essay. Two structures that I think can work for just about any essay. Four types of college essays What I believe the end of an essay should do. And so much more! Enjoy.
May 21, 2017•47 min
Ted’s book has been a go-to reference for me (and many other counselors) in our work with students and I loved getting a chance to go behind the scenes and hearing how the sausage is made. We discuss, among other things: Why did the Fiske Guide happen in the first place? How does Ted avoid sounding generally positive about all schools? How the Fiske Guide ratings systems differs from that of US News and World Report Who actually writes all 882 pages of the Fiske Guide The best approach for stude...
May 12, 2017•1 hr 1 min
On this episode: How many schools students should apply to and when is best to start the process An amazing list of resources for helping students get to know themselves better Answers: What is the highest-impact hour that someone should spend developing their college list? (answer may surprise you) What do parents and students miss out on if they only used US News and World Report? What Steven listens for specifically when helping a student develop a list What terms Steven uses instead of “reac...
May 06, 2017•1 hr 16 min
On this episode, my guest Monica James and I discuss, among other things: What the heck is demonstrated interest in the first place and why is it important to colleges? What “yield” is and why there’s a multi-million dollar industry of people called “enrollment consultants” who use sophisticated predictive analytics to foresee which students will actually attend a particular school… and why that’s important How to find out which colleges track demonstrated interest If you discover that there’s a...
May 01, 2017•49 min
I chat with Parke Muth, former Associate Dean of Admissions at UVA. We cover, among other things: What Parke has learned reading over 10,000 college essays We’ll go behind-the-scenes to look at how close decisions are sometimes made by committees at highly-selective universities (and why essays matter even more as a result) What Parke wrote his college essay about Parke’s 10% rule for when students should/shouldn’t write about their activities or achievements What an “authentic voice” is and why...
Apr 20, 2017•1 hr 25 min
In this paradigm-shifting interview with Maria Furtado, the Executive Director of Colleges That Change Lives (aka CTCL), we discuss, among other things: What is a liberal arts education and why is it important? Three questions every student should ask when it comes to picking a college Three ways to reduce anxiety during the college application process: the Car Idea, how to avoid “college creep,” and how the Ice Cream Prize can make a tour better One great way to increase (not decrease) stress d...
Apr 18, 2017•1 hr 4 min
This week, I cover: 6 Ways That Most Workshops Fail in the First Five Minutes (aka 6 Terrible Ways to Start a Workshop) 9 Tips for Leading a Workshop of Any Size 5 Potentially Life-Changing Workshop Moments Bee tea dubs: These are essentially three of the modules from the Essay Workshop in a Box--there are 29 total, btw, and you can find out more about that in the show notes. At the end I also say a few words about my Counselor Training Program, which I’m super duper excited about....
Mar 31, 2017•46 min
Curious how to make the most of your upcoming summer? There's a lot you can do (and they don't all cost money.) This episode, we cover: Great questions to ask when it comes to planning a summer The 2014 National Pre-College Summer Survey, which Jill and her co-author put together based on asking 50 colleges: What summer opportunities matter most on a college application? She addresses whether or not expensive summer programs are “worth it”? What students and parents should do but often don’t do ...
Mar 31, 2017•42 min
Ever wonder what you should include in an appeal letter? This week, Jodi and I cover: Who should make the call to a financial aid office: the student or parent? What to literally say to a financial aid officer when you call them to appeal Why you maybe shouldn’t start off the conversation by mentioning a financial aid offer from another school Jodi’s five points to cover in an appeal letter What tone to take and how long the letter should be The one thing students and parents should do but don’t...
Mar 29, 2017•52 min
I chat with Dr. Aliza Gilbert about how to support undocumented students. We chat about: What terms to use (and not use) when working with undocumented students What the Dream Act is and why not all students love the term “Dreamers” What percent of kids born right now are born to undocumented parents Whether or not students should reveal their undocumented status in their personal statement How incorrect assumptions can sometimes make a student feel horrible How to know if a school (or a state, ...
Mar 28, 2017•57 min
Normally on the podcast I’ll be interviewing admissions professionals, but I wanted to begin with a student named Daishi for a few reasons: He is an inspiring human being with an incredible story, as you’ll hear on this podcast. He happens to be undocumented, and under the new administration a lot of questions have come up for students and parents and even teachers/counselors--big things like What’s changing in general? To more specifics like “Should students reveal themselves as undocumented in...
Mar 25, 2017•1 hr 12 min
