Episodes

#119 – On this episode, we begin a series of episodes about the steps to follow as you make your list of schools to which you will apply. Be begin by presenting academics, social, and affordability, as the 3 areas in which the schools that make you list should provide you a good match. We continue by highlighting the importance of the experience that you will enjoy in a school, as being central to your education. In essence, your college education will be more than the collection of classes you ...

#118 – On this episode we continue our conversation about the different types of colleges and universities you will encounter as you prepare to make a list of colleges and universities to which you will apply. Jankel and I begin by discussing the very important issue of affordability. We proceed to uncover different types of colleges, including those that are considered to be elite institutions, liberal arts colleges, women’s colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Roman Catholic...

#117 – There will be a time in the life of the college-bound high school student when making a list of colleges and universities will be a priority. The schools in the list will be the ones to which he or she will be sending an application for admission. On this episode, we begin a series of episodes that explores the different types of colleges and universities available to students. Not all colleges are the same. We begin by uncovering the differences between each different type and g...

#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 not like to use in college admissions) are a normal part of the application process, they are never easy to deal with. For the majority of students, applying to college usually comes after hard work and years of dedication throughout high school. By the time they turn in t...

#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 works and how students get selected by from a wait list. Throughout the episode, we uncover the chances you will have to be admitted from a wait list, the steps that can be taken to help yourself if you are ever placed in one, and the ways in which accepting admission ...

#114 – There will be a time, usually a few weeks after you turn in your college applications, when you will begin to receive responses from the colleges and universities to which you applied. The responses may say you have been given admission, placed on a waitlist, or denied admission. On this episode we walk you through the steps you should take for the schools that give you admission. These steps will help you narrow down your choice to the one school, from among the schools that accepted you...

#113 – The reasons why highly selective schools give admission to some students, while rejecting others students who may appear to be better qualified baffles the minds of a great many families each year. On this episode, we present you with the behind-the-scenes activities and processes that highly selective schools follow as they sort through the many applications they receive, and decide on which students will be admitted. We highlight the reasons why there is no possible foolproof formula to...

#112 - On this episode, we present advice given by the California Institute of Technology for students seeking admission into selective colleges and universities. We focus on what Caltech says students should do, especially when standardized tests are not part of the admission requirements. We begin by describing what is mean by having great academic preparation, the importance of math and humanities courses for research institutions, and what to do to ensure that your application stands out. Th...

#111 - On this episode, we provide helpful information for all of you who are interested in applying to highly-selective colleges and universities. Rather than sharing information out of our knowledge and experience, we decided to let Caltech do all the talking. Caltech has a wealth of advice to give high school students on how to best prepare to present yourselves as competitive applicants. Although this advice is being presented by Caltech, they make it available to you so you could prepare fo...

#110 – Today, Jankel and I continue presenting the factors students should condering when selecting the colleges and universities that should make it to their final list of schools. That is the list of schools to which admission applications will be submitted. Additionally, we go over the typical ways in which students select colleges and analyze the pros and cons of each. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help our efforts by giving us a ...

#109 – Today, we begin our series of episodes in which we highlight colleges and universities we feel you should know about. These are the institutions we consider to be the gems of our higher education system. On this episode, we present the University of Washington, a highly-recognized research powerhouse. Founded in 1861, the UW is one of the top public research universities in the country. Jankel and I begin by discussing the school’s location and information related to its programs...

#108 – Today, Jankel and I talk about the importance of finding the colleges and universities that better meet your needs, as you begin to create the list of schools to which you will apply. We present some of the factors that may be considered, including whether you meet the admission requirements, you are able to afford attending the school, the school offers the programs and majors you are interested in. We also highlight the importance of analyzing whether the campus culture, size, and locat...

#107 – Today, we present three steps to take after completing the FAFSA. These are easy-to-follow steps that will ensure that you receive your financial aid as soon as possible. Additionally, we walk you through a detailed description of the steps taken to award you need-based and non-need-based financial aid. As the episode progresses, you will gain an understanding of what your Student Aid Report will tell you and what it will not tell you. You will also understand the meaning of Cost...

#106 – On this episode, Jankel and I present the six steps that are necessary to apply for and receive financial aid. We highlight the details of the first two, including, the information that will be necessary to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and how to complete the form. During our conversation, we also discuss ways to avoid mistakes that students and parents can make, which can slow down the process of securing aid. Jankel talks about what to do if your famil...

#105 – On this episode we present the 10 most common mistakes students and parents/guardians make when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Although some of these mistakes are easily avoidable, some can be more difficult to catch. We talk about several elements related to applying for financial aid, and highlight the importance of keeping track of the 3 different types of deadlines and applying early. Jankel also gives advice to students and parents/guardian...

#104 – Today, we share 4 steps students can take if they find themselves having a low grade point average (GPA), and the time to apply to college is around the corner. The advice we provide today is particularly helpful for students whose dream is to attend a selective college or university. Additionally, we provide 2 alternative ways in which students who do not meet the GPA requirements may be able to gain admission into selective institutions. Links mentioned on this episode: Arti...

#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 4th draft. We talk about the people in your life who would be great participants in this feedback-seeking exercise. We go over 7 questions to ask those individuals and present ways to gather even more information from them. The resulting 5th draft will undergo an additional adjustment, and the results will be the 6th draft. T...

#102 – Today, we reach the next step in crafting the personal essay. Jankel and I uncover the process of calibrating the 3rd draft in such a way that it becomes a message that communicates the intended message. We go over the questions to ask to guide that calibration. In the first half of the episode we talk about a mistake some students make when writing their personal essay. Unfortunately for them, that mistake garners them negative attention from college admission officers. The good ne...

#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 attention of the college admission representatives reading your essay, and how to get them to become immersed in your story. As we share those steps you should take and things you should do, we also share plenty of what you should not do as a writer. Some of what you will ...

#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 left with the building blocks you will use to write the body of your personal essay. At the beginning of the episode, we talk about two pieces of advice I often share with parents about some of the ways they could best support their kids in high school. We also let...

#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 find in the Common App, and highlight the beauty of the essay as the only part of the application in which you control 100% of the narrative. We also present 10 different topics you should stay away from, or at the very least, be very careful with, when writing your e...

#098 – Can you believe we are already starting a new school year? On this episode we explore the steps that each high school student should take during the fall to continue their college prep and finish the semester (or trimester) strong. There are timely steps that must be taken each year of high school. These are important because in many instances, the steps to take throughout high school are sequential, meaning that one has to be taken before the next one can be taken. Therefore, missi...

#097 – On this episode, we continue talking about the personal essay or the personal statement. We begin by reminding you of a few very important facts to keep in mind about the essay, and analyze precisely what it is that you will be asked to do as you tackle this very important component of your college application. Jankel and I continue our conversation by going over the steps to follow when choosing the prompt from the Common App that you will use to write your own personal statement. ...

#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 chances for admission into a college or university. That is especially true for the more selective ones, who historically have given more weight to the importance of the personal essay. The episode begins by highlighting the fact that the entirety of the college application ...