The College Application Episodes

#116 – Today, we talk about a difficult reality that that many high school students and families experience each year, receiving rejections from colleges that those students aspired to attend. Although rejections (a word I do...

#115 – On this episode, Jankel and I give you six steps to take and points to consider if you are “waitlisted” by a college or university that you absolutely want to attend. We begin the episode by explaining how a wait list ...

#103 – On this episode, we conclude our 7-part series on the personal essay. Today, Jankel and I begin by introducing the importance of seeking feedback on your 4 th draft. We talk about the people in your life who would be g...

#102 – Today, we reach the next step in crafting the personal essay. Jankel and I uncover the process of calibrating the 3 rd draft in such a way that it becomes a message that communicates the intended message. We go over th...

#101 – On this episode we give you 12 questions and pieces of advice that will help you turn the information you created on your second draft into a workable third draft. Jankel and I talk about what to do to grab the attenti...

#100 – Today, we uncover the process of turning the first draft of your personal essay into your second draft. Jankel and I go over eight questions to ask about the information on your first draft, so that at the end, you are...

#099 – Today, Jankel and I continue giving you insights on how to write your personal essay. We begin by going over the importance of the essay as an integral part of your college application, review the prompts that you will...

#096 - Today, we begin a multi-episode series focused on the personal essay, that is the part of the application where you will have a chance to present yourself in a way that makes a positive and direct impact in your chance...

#092 – On this episode we conclude our two-part conversation about extracurricular activities by focusing on the different activities that can be included in the college application. Although we discuss participation in clubs...

#091 – Today, we uncover the admission requirements for Cornell University, focusing deeply on the non-academic factors. For selective universities, high academic achievement is expected and cannot be counted on to differenti...

#089 – On today’s episode, I present the meaning of the “Summer Melt” and the ways in which it could help you gain admission to college, while at the same time allowing you to negotiate more institutional aid for yourself. Ch...

#088 – Today, we explore the admission criteria at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known as MIT. We begin by analyzing admission information about the most recent freshman class, highlighting the admission r...

#087 - Today, we continue our conversation focused on the most important portions of your college application that will garner the attention of College Admission Officers. Depending on what they find on your application, they...

#086 – This is a very special episode in which I am joined by my son who will share with us some of his observations about a recent trip we took to visit some of the schools to which he will apply. These include, UC Berkeley,...

#077 – On this episode, we begin by reading a very kind and warm review that was given to our podcast by a parent who is a listener. Towards the end of the review, she asked whether we could talk about college interviews. Jan...

#076 - Admission into selective colleges and universities requires more than a stellar academic record. Most selective schools follow a holistic admissions approach, in which they consider other aspects of their applicants, i...

# 075 – Class rank is one of the factors considered for admission decisions by college admission officers in some colleges and universities. Because class rank is so important to those institutions, it is important that you u...

# 074 – Your academic record will be the first part of your application to be checked by the college admission officers of the schools to which you will apply. The courses you take and the grades you receive make up a big par...

#069 – The information in your high school transcripts is the first element of your college application that will be scrutinized by the college admission officers of the colleges to which you will apply. The classes you took,...

#061 – Today, on this solo episode, we uncover the default assumptions colleges and universities make about First-Generation College Students (FGCS). Those assumptions aim to guide the efforts higher education institutions ma...

#058 – Today, we begin a couple of episodes focused on the path to becoming a medical doctor. This is a topic often filled with misinformation. To dispel myths and do away with bad information, Dr. Shrag Shemmassian joins us ...

#035 – We have reached one of the most important parts of the college admission process, on our senior year checklist, filling out the college application. Today, we explore every area of the application and provide you with ...