Did you know that better sleep actually helps us learn? But so many students choose to get less sleep because they are cramming or trying to learn! Megan shares what she learned from the book Why Sleep Matters, and provides ... Read More » The post 401: How Better Sleep Helps Us Learn Better Too + Hot Sleep Tips appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
[This episode originally aired November 23, 2015.] There are six common myths and misunderstandings that many students and parents believe that cause extra stress senior year. They may also hurt your prospects for getting in to college. Megan breaks them ... Read More » The post 400: Six Myths about College Admissions That Students Should Stop Believing appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
What’s the best way to motivate students (and ourselves) to change behaviors? One way is to teach them how to run self experiments. Through stories and examples, Megan and Gretchen discuss what it means to self-experiment, why it works, and ... Read More » The post 399: Teaching Students (and Ourselves!) to Run Self-Experiments appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
It’s final exam time! What can teachers do to better set students up for their exams? What can students do to better prepare? Gretchen lays down the anti-cram law with some study tips for everyone. Specifically she and Megan discuss: ... Read More » The post 398: Final Exam Studying – Advice for Teachers and Students appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Many parents and students are terrified that low grades will keep them from getting into college. But that’s not the case at all! Megan reassures us that there are many options, and provides some tips for how to sift the ... Read More » The post 397: Yes! Even a “C” Student Can Go To a 4-Year College appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Many students and educators go into a week long vacation like Thanksgiving with high hopes for how to be productive while away from school. Maybe you have a lot of late work to make up? Maybe you want to study ... Read More » The post 396: Tips for Being Productive on Vacation Without Sacrificing Downtime appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Parents: What if you know your teen needs coaching, but they simply aren’t interested? Gretchen gives you some pointers for how to get them ready to accept the idea of getting academic support. This podcast episode is from the archives. ... Read More » The post 395: How to “Convince” Your Resistant Teen to Try Coaching appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
How good are your notes? Have you gotten “lazy” as Gretchen has? Note-taking is arguably the most important skill academic coaches teach students, and we could ALL benefit from an audit of how well we do, students and educators alike. ... Read More » The post 394: How to Do An Audit of Your Notes appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Should you be nervous when you go to your first college night, info session or tour? What should you expect, and how can you make the best use of your time when you talk to a college representative. Megan walks ... Read More » The post 393: Expectations for College Night, Info Sessions & Tours appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Find out what colleges are looking for in a good recommendation letter, what teachers should and shouldn’t say, and what families can do to help ensure that your letters knock it out of the park. In this episode that originally ... Read More » The post 392: How to Get (or Write!) an Amazing Letter of Recommendation appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Have you ever had a teacher who called you out in class? Did you feel humiliated? Gretchen and Megan talk out a recent situation Gretchen encountered with a college student, including how to assess what your next actions should be ... Read More » The post 391: How to Respond When a Teacher Humiliates You in Class appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Accountability is a word that sounds dry and tedious. But what if it were inspiring and fun? Gretchen reimagines accountability by telling a story of a sneaky way she supports her clients (adults and kids) to take action, and asks ... Read More » The post 390: A New-ish Take on Accountability for Students… and All Humans! appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
It’s not as complicated as you think to identify your college admissions weaknesses. But it CAN be confusing to figure out how to fix them! Megan breaks down a simple process for figuring out how to look your best for ... Read More » The post 389: Identifying (and Fixing!) Your College Admissions Weaknesses appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Some high schools are respond to the COVID crisis by allowing students to take some classes pass/fail. When does it make sense to do this, and when are you hurting your college admissions if you do? Megan breaks down the ... Read More » The post 388: Should You Use the Pass/Fail Option When It Comes to Grades? appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
The first tests of the school year are happening now for many students! Check out these 7 tips for how to get prepped to take your first assessments, including: Understand the study cycle. For more info about this, see www.gretchenwegner.com/actionguide ... Read More » The post 387: 7 Tips for Taking Your First Test This Semester appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Have you heard of the new AP Capstone experience? Megan shares about what it is, whether it’s worth all the work for students and schools, and what’s truly impressive for colleges (and what isn’t). This podcast episode was inspired by ... Read More » The post 386: What’s Impressive for College Admissions?! appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
What’s the one question we should be asking students, and ourselves, this school year? Gretchen shares what a simple question that is becoming more and more central in her work with students, educators, and coaches starting their own businesses. The ... Read More » The post 385: The Most Important Question to Ask This School Year appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Megan and Gretchen catch up, sharing stories about their epic adventures this summer. They also look ahead to what exciting things are coming for the fall. In this episode find out about: Gretchen’s big road trip in her camper van, ... Read More » The post 384: We’re Back! The Co-Hosts Catch Up About Summer Adventures & Fall Plans appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
How does a student recover from “hitting bottom”, and failing a class and tests multiple times? In this final Summer Case Study, Gretchen shares a success story from a college student she worked with last semester. Tune to in to ... Read More » The post 383: Case Study – How One College Student Goes From F’s to A’s in Physics appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Many students believe that they’re supposed to “check off” as many impressive extracurriculars as possible, if they want to get into a good college. But actually, there are some smarter (and more fun) ways to think about your extracurriculars. Megan ... Read More » The post 382: Case Study – How Two Students Got Smart About Extracurriculars appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Many students come into Advanced Placement classes with skill deficits when it comes to learning. How can schools help bridge this “preparation gap”? Gretchen shares a real-life story about an AP teacher who did just that for her 97% economically ... Read More » The post 381: Case Study – AP Study Skills Class a Game Changer for Underprepared Students appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Sometimes a family can overlook a key characteristic in a college that makes it an extraordinarily bad fit for a student. In this shorter summer episode, Megan tells a story about a student who ended up choosing the exact wrong ... Read More » The post 380: When the College You Chose Ends Up Being a Bad Fit appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
What happened when one of Megan’s students got kicked out of college his first semester of freshman year? Megan walks us through what happens you a student gets too much freedom too soon, and includes some tips for the types ... Read More » The post 378: When You’re Kicked Out of College First Semester appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
The impact of teaching a study skills class to middle school students has some surprising benefits! In this Summer Case Study episode, Gretchen shares about an innovative Study Skills program for 7th graders. Not only did the requests for one-to-one ... Read More » The post 377: Case Study – How One School Achieved a 50% Drop in “Worried Parent” Calls appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
What happens when you assume you’ll get into all your college choices and don’t include a back up school? Sometimes you can get rejected from every school you apply to! In this shorter summer episode, Megan walks us through this ... Read More » The post 376: When You Get Rejected from Every College You Apply To appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Expert academic coaches come in all shapes and sizes! Over the years training folks to start their businesses, Gretchen has encountered a surprising array of reasons that people shift their careers and become coaches. In this Summer Case Study episode, ... Read More » The post 375: Case Study – The Varied Backgrounds of Expert Academic Coaches appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
What happens to students who don’t heed Megan’s warnings about how to approach their SAT’s, ACT’s and other standardized tests? In today’s shorter summer episode, Megan walks us through some disaster scenarios that actually happened to some of her student ... Read More » The post 374: Disasters in Standardized Testing appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Are you confused about all the collegiate jargon? Maybe you are an international student or a parent who hasn’t been in school for many years. Maybe you are trying to navigate all the terms and graduation requirements for your new ... Read More » The post 373: Confused About College Jargon? Here are Definitions. appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
Have you ever thought about why schools are structured the way they are, from grades to homework and more? Researchers and authors Jared Cooney Horvath and David Bott chat with Megan and Gretchen about their latest book 10 Things Schools ... Read More » The post 372: 10 Things Schools Get Wrong About Student Learning & Wellbeing appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
If it seems like there are changes every few months in colleges admissions testing, there are! Megan walks us through the latest shifts, and gives advice for families who are transitioning their students to college in the next few years. ... Read More » The post 371: What to Know About the Latest Changes in College Admissions Testing appeared first on The College Prep Podcast ....
