Best Collegeadmissions Podcasts (2024)

1
YCBK 472: If a College Doesn’t Use Test Scores In Decisions, Does it Hurt To Send High Scores 45:52

3h ago45:52

45:52

In this episode you will hear: Mark answers a question from a high school senior, if I did very well on my test scores and I am applying to colleges that do no use tet scores, is it okay if I let them know my scores in a clever way; Erin Wolfe, 18 Reasons why aid awards are all over the place from one school to another; Mark interviews Erin Wolfe P…

1
What's the deal with Test Optional college admissions? 28:46

10h ago28:46

28:46

If you have a junior or senior high school student and you're trying to decipher what "test optional" and "test blind" and "test required" mean, or if the school you wanted to apply to just switched back to "test required," or if you're hearing that no one needs the SAT anymore but that juuuust doesn't sound right, this is the episode for you. We'r…

1
The PSAT and National Merit Scholarship Program 22:36

10h ago22:36

22:36

Two test prep experts cover what the PSAT is, why it matters, and what you need to know about the National Merit scholarship program that could save you thousands of dollars on college! ______ Take the PSAT 2-in-1 course with Higher Scores Test Prep. Get help with scholarships with March Consulting.By Higher Scores Test Prep

1
YCBK 471: How To Know If A College Your Student Is Interested In Is Struggling Financially 1:06:10

2d ago1:06:10

1:06:10

In this episode you will hear: (06:50) In The News Mark and Julia discuss why some colleges are moving away from requirinteacher recommendations. (28:10) Question from a listener: Our Roundtable is back; this time it is Hillary Dickman, Vince Garcia, Susan Tree and Mark Stucker and they answer a question, how can I know if the college I am interest…

1
Passion Prep Student Interview - Accepted into Cornell University! 18:50

7d ago18:50

18:50

A few weeks ago, one of our outstanding Passion Prep students, Rebecca, reached out to share the exciting news that she had been accepted into Cornell University! She wanted to express her gratitude for the support and guidance she received from our Passion Prep program. Her story is so inspiring that I knew I had to invite her to the podcast to sh…

1
YCBK 470: 17 Reasons Why What a Student Is Asked To Pay Varies So Much From College to College-Part 2 57:56

5d ago57:56

57:56

In this episode you will hear: Mark shares a tip about applying Early Action. Mark lists the top California colleges that stood out in 20 categories. Erin o Mark interviews Erin Wolfe Part 2-Preview ² Friends, part 2 is going to really get deep in the weeds on how financial aid works as Erin continues to give reasons why if a student gets in six sc…

1
YCBK 469: Should You Send Support An AP Score of 5 To A Highly Selective College 1:23:41

9d ago1:23:41

1:23:41

In this episode you will hear: (02:06) In The News Mark and Andy Stricker (Dean of Admissions at Connecticut College) discuss how does athletic recruiting work for students who are applying to selective colleges. 7 of 7 (18:34) Question from a listener: Our Roundtable is back; this time it is Hillary Dickman, Vince Garcia, Susan Tree and Mark Stuck…

1
YCBK 468: 17 Reasons Why What a Student Is Asked To Pay Varies So Much From College to College 54:20

15d ago54:20

54:20

In this episode you will hear: Mark shares 5 takeaways from this 13 visits so far that he wants listeners to think about when visiting college Mark shares 28 Factors to Rank, from 1-26, according to what is important to your student and your family when you are building a college list 1. Most important factors: Take some time to look at the 28 fact…

1
Passion Prep Case Study: Accepted to Harvard, Columbia, and UC Berkeley 23:01

16d ago23:01

23:01

In this episode, I'm excited to share real-life case studies from our students who gained acceptance into some of the most prestigious and competitive colleges: Harvard, Columbia, and UC Berkeley. By highlighting these case studies, you'll gain valuable insights into the strategies and approaches our students used to successfully get into their dre…

1
YCBK 467: How Athletic Recruiting Works at Selective Universities-Part 6 of 7 1:02:31

17d ago1:02:31

1:02:31

In this episode you will hear: (04:40) In The News Mark and Andy Stricker (Dean of Admissions at Connecticut College) discuss how does athletic recruiting work for students who are applying to selective colleges. 6 of 7 (22:48) Question from a listener: Kevin Newton answers a second question from Dale from Virginia about how International Universit…

1
517: Inside the Application (Part 3): Supplemental Essay Deep Dive + Developing the College List w/ Special Guest Renee Ferrerio 1:14:26

17d ago1:14:26

1:14:26

Today’s episode is part three of our series, Inside the Application. Ethan is joined by Cassidy, a current high school senior who is working on her college applications for the Fall 2025 term. This episode is a deep dive into the supplemental essays — specific essays that many selective colleges and universities require. In particular, Cassidy and …

1
The New SAT 40:10

18d ago40:10

40:10

The new Digital SAT is almost completely different from previous versions of the test, so Julia and Christina walk through all the important changes to the English and Math sections, how to prepare, and how to make sure your student and their device are ready for test day. _______ Prepare for the SAT or contact Higher Scores here. Learn whether you…

1
We're Back! - The Latest in College Admissions 25:09

18d ago25:09

25:09

Meet the new hosts of the College Checklist Podcast as we discuss all of the chaos and change in college admissions and test prep. _____ Get ready for the SAT or PSAT this fall with Julia at Higher Scores Test Prep! Contact her here. Or prepare for application season with Christina at March Consulting College Planners!…

1
YCBK 466: A Creative Idea To Help You Build A Customized Way of Evaluating Colleges 36:40

22d ago36:40

36:40

In this episode you will hear: 1. Most important factors: Take some time to look at the 27 factors to the left and rank the following things that matter a lot to some students and pick the 10 things from this list that matter the most to you and rank them from 1st to 10th, according to what you value the most in the college you select, 1st means, “…

1
YCBK 465: David Graves Does a Two Hour Deep Dive on The University of Georgia-Part 1 of 5 1:03:18

26d ago1:03:18

1:03:18

In this episode you will hear: In The News Mark and Andy Stricker (Dean of Admissions at Connecticut College) discuss how does athletic recruiting work for students who are applying to selective colleges. 5 of 7 Question from a listener: Kevin Newton answers a question from Dale from Virginia about how International Universities look at IB courses …

1
[Passion Prep Student Interview] How She Landed a Johns Hopkins Research Position 17:18

26d ago17:18

17:18

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Tara, one of our outstanding Passion Prep students, as she shares her inspiring journey through the college admissions process. In this episode, Tara opens up about the overwhelming stress she initially felt, trying to juggle “all the things” to stand out. But as she soon discovered, it’s not about the sheer quantit…

1
YCBK 464: One Way To Reduce The Stress Of The College Admissions Process 49:05

29d ago49:05

49:05

In this episode you will hear: Mark shares 16 college admission To Do’s that once you complete them, they will reduce your stress Vince interviews Sarah Lovely, an expert in admissions and the arts. 4 of 5 Preview of part 4 ² Sarah continues discussing dance majors and she talks about students who want to dance for a dance company ² Sarah gives in …

1
YCBK 463: Why Colleges Tell an Athlete They Have a Roster Spot But Then They Back Out 1:21:28

1M ago1:21:28

1:21:28

(06:28) In The News Mark and Andy Stricker (Dean of Admissions at Connecticut College) discuss how does athletic recruiting work for students who are applying to selective colleges. 4 of 7 (31:39) Question from a listener: Mark flies solo to answer a question he is getting asked a lot: Which activities do I include in my application? (46:20) Interv…

1
516: Inside the Application (Part 2): Developing the Personal Statement, Supplemental Essays, and College List with Cassidy, HS Senior 1:02:00

1M ago1:02:00

1:02:00

Today’s episode is part two of our series, Inside the Application. Ethan is joined by Cassidy, a current high school senior who is working on her college applications for the Fall 2025 term. Ethan and Cassidy will be walking step-by-step through the college application process as it unfolds this school year. In episode 2, they get into: How is Cass…

1
Should You Apply To Ivy League Colleges? 12:12

1M ago12:12

12:12

In today’s episode, I tackle the controversial question, “Should you apply to Ivy League colleges?” I break down the real value of these prestigious institutions and whether they’re truly worth the effort. Discover the key reasons people are drawn to Ivy League schools and what they can offer - if you’re ready to maximize the opportunity. I hope yo…

1
YCBK 462: What Are The Best Tools To Help With the Common Application 40:27

1M ago40:27

40:27

In this episode you will hear: Mark provides an update on four admission related hot topics that are in the news: · More states banning legacy admissions, which ones are also considering this · How is Affirmative Action and mandatory test score requirements impacting the racial and ethnic diversity at MIT · We discuss the survey results on a new st…

1
YCBK 461: Understanding How Athletic Recruiting Works at Selective Colleges 1:09:23

1M ago1:09:23

1:09:23

In this episode you will hear: (01:53) In The News Mark and Andy Stricker (Dean of Admissions at Connecticut College) discuss how does athletic recruiting work for students who are applying to selective colleges. 3 of 9 (18:44) Question from a listener: Lisa joins Mark to discuss how students should respond to a request to do a video submission wit…

1
YCBK 460: Why are AP Test Scores So Much Higher Than They Used To Be 46:11

1M ago46:11

46:11

In this episode you will hear: Mark provides an update on four admission related hot topics that are in the news: · More states banning legacy admissions, which ones are also considering this · How is Affirmative Action and mandatory test score requirements impacting the racial and ethnic diversity at MIT · We discuss the survey results on a new st…

1
YCBK 459: How Can Colleges That Get 100,000 Applications Read All Those Apps 1:17:25

2M ago1:17:25

1:17:25

In this episode you will hear: (02:13) In The News Mark and Andy Stricker (Dean of Admissions at Connecticut College) discuss how does athletic recruiting work for students who are applying to selective colleges. 2 of 9 (20:35) Question from a listener: Julia joins Mark to discuss how is it possible for colleges that get inundated with applications…

1
515: Inside the Application Part 1: Brainstorming, Outlining, and Drafting with Cassidy, HS Senior 43:33

2M ago43:33

43:33

Today’s episode kicks off a new series, Inside the Application. Ethan is joined by Cassidy, a current high school senior who is working on her college applications for the Fall 2025 term. Ethan and Cassidy will be walking step-by-step through the college application process as it unfolds this school year. In episode 1, they get into: How did Cassid…

1
YCBK 458: What Do You Do If One Parent Refuses To Fill Out The Financial Aid Forms 46:17

2M ago46:17

46:17

In this episode you will hear: Mark shares how colleges handle it if one parent refuses to complete the financial aid forms? Do you have any options? Vince interview Sarah Lovely, an expert in admissions and the arts. 1 of 5 Part 1 ² Vince gives an in-depth preview of Sara’s background ² Sarah talks about her experience at Bowdoin, Brandeis, Walnut…

1
YCBK 457: How Do Pre-Reads Work For Athletic Recruits Applying To Selective Colleges 1:39:30

2M ago1:39:30

1:39:30

In this episode you will hear: (13:50) In The News Mark and Andy Stricker (Dean of Admissions at Connecticut College) discuss how pre-reads work for athletic recruits applying to selective colleges. (31:20) Question from a listener: Susan joins Mark to answer a question from Jana from Oklahoma, How do we know if a college has quality teaching? (55:…

1
YCBK 456: How Students Can Get Accepted To Colleges With Scholarships in August 52:06

2M ago52:06

52:06

In this episode you will hear: Mark shares how students can relieve stress by getting some early acceptances with scholarships in August of their senior years by taking advantage of Direct Admissions Interview with Jay Rosner-Part 4 of 4 · Jay, goes on the hotseat · Jay explains what it was like testifying before the Supreme Court · Julia shares ho…

1
YCBK 455: How To Know If A College Your Student Is Looking At Has Good Career Outcomes 1:40:24

2M ago1:40:24

1:40:24

In this episode you will hear: (06:00) Question from a listener Mark and Lisa answer a question from a student: If my sister turned down a highly selective school, will that be held against me? (11:35) Question from a listener: Susan joins Mark to answer a question, How does Landscape help admission officers when they are reading an application? (4…

1
514: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Student Perspective 50:22

2M ago50:22

50:22

Welcome to the final episode to our special three-part series on mental health disclosures in college applications. In Episode 3, Ethan’s guest is Emi Nietfeld, author of Acceptance (Penguin Press '22), a critically-acclaimed memoir of her high school journey through foster care, homelessness, and the troubled teen industry to attend college at Har…

1
YCBK 454: Topics To Avoid When Selecting A Topic For Your Personal Statement-1 of 2 55:11

2M ago55:11

55:11

In the News-Julia and Mark discuss topics to avoid when selecting a topic for your Personal Statement (1 of 2) Interview with Jay Rosner-Part 3 of 4 § We return to challenging Jay’s perspective and § Jay explains why “test-free” is better than a school being test-optional § Jay explains the history of the SAT and Eugenics § Jay shares his advice fo…

1
YCBK 453: How To Know If Your Student Is Competitive At An Honors College 1:33:18

2M ago1:33:18

1:33:18

In this episode you will hear: (02:36) In the News Mark and Julia answer several question from Assaf from Rochester. He has several questions about Honors College’s (23:45) Question from a listener: Our roundtable is back (Hillary, Susan, Julia, Vince and Mark) and we discuss a few questions from an anonymous mom about the Honors section of the Com…

1
YCBK 452: A Test-Prep Expert With Over 40 Years Experience, Has Lost Faith In The ACT/SAT 1:01:45

2M ago1:01:45

1:01:45

In this episode you will hear: In the News-Julia and I discuss U Chicago’s new Early Decision Program Interview with Jay Rosner-Part 2 of 4 § Jay explains what he believes the motivations are for the elite colleges § Jay answers the question, why should a highly selective school not use testing, after all, they need some factor to differentiate whe…

1
513: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Admission Officer Perspective with Christina Lopez 51:22

2M ago51:22

51:22

Welcome to the next episode to our special three-part series on mental health disclosures in college applications. In Episode 2, Ethan is joined by Christina Lopez, Dean of Enrollment Management at Barnard College. They cover, among other things: Why is this topic important—both generally, but also personally, for Christina? What advice would Chris…

1
YCBK 451: How Do Colleges Evaluate the Rigor of Under-resourced HS That Do Not Have AP Courses 1:33:10

2M ago1:33:10

1:33:10

In this episode you will hear: (03:35) In the News Mark and Julia answer a question about how colleges evaluate the rigor of under-resourced high schools that do not have many AP courses (28:44) Question from a listener: Our roundtable is back (Hillary, Susan, Julia, Vince and Mark) and we discuss a question from Alison from Ohio about Cum Laude an…

1
YCBK 450: The ACT is Overhauling its Test: Here are the Changes They are Making 56:52

3M ago56:52

56:52

In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares the new changes that were announced this week o Mark and Julia interview Jay Rosner on the Inherent Flaws with the ACT and the SAT-Part 1 of 4 o Part 1-Preview § Julia does an intro of Jay Rosner and then Jay goes into more depth about his background § Jay explains the mission of the foundation that he w…

1
YCBK 449: Enrollment Management: The Invisible Hand that Controls Admissions Decisions 1:12:54

3M ago1:12:54

1:12:54

In this episode you will hear: (02:25) In the News Mark and Lisa answer the question from a listener: How can you know if a college makes holistic admissions decisions or whether they admit students by the number (12:40) Question from a listener: Our roundtable is back (Hillary, Susan, Julia, Vince and Mark) and we discuss several questions from a …

1
YCBK 448: Wake Forest and U Chicago Offer Early Decisions Months Before Other Colleges 1:01:54

3M ago1:01:54

1:01:54

In this episode you will hear: o Mark and Julia discuss colleges that offer a binding early program months before their competitors, listen to learn about this unique way to apply to Wake Forest and to the University of Chicago. The two programs are similar in some ways but very different in other ways. o After 5 years, Colonel Robert Kirkland is b…

1
512: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Counselor Perspective 59:01

3M ago59:01

59:01

Welcome to our special three-part series on mental health disclosures in college applications. To kick things off, Ethan interviews Chris Loo, Director of College Counseling at The Stony Brook School, where Chris has been working to help students navigate mental health disclosures in their applications for years. In this episode, they explore: Whic…

1
YCBK 447: The New Tactic Families are Using to Earn Scholarships and Pay Less For College-Part 2 1:23:46

3M ago1:23:46

1:23:46

In this episode you will hear: (03:45) In the News Mark and Julia discuss waitlists and then they discuss an article by Jeff Selingo entitled, “The New Trick Families are using to Lower Tuition” Part 2 of 2 (26:57) Question from a listener: Our roundtable is back (Hillary, Susan, Julia, Vince and Mark) and we discuss a question from a listener in N…

1
YCBK 446: Missed Opportunity: Not Getting All the Adults on The Same Page 53:56

3M ago53:56

53:56

In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares six different groups of parents where he has seen conflict. Mark explains eight or nine areas where conflict arises on the college process. o After 5 years, Colonel Robert Kirkland is back, Lynda interviews Rob on the Service Academies of West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force-Part 3 of 4 o Prev…

1
YCBK 445: The New Tactic Families are Using to Earn Scholarships and Pay Less For College 1:50:51

3M ago1:50:51

1:50:51

In this episode you will hear: (25:20) In the News Mark and Julia discuss waitlists and then they discuss an article by Jeff Selingo entitled, “The New Trick Families are using to Lower Tuition” Part 1 of 2 (49:28) Question from a listener: Our roundtable is back (Hillary, Susan, Julia, Vince and Mark) and we discuss a question from a listener in N…

1
YCBK 444: Is It Okay if My Student Only Applies To 5 or 6 Colleges 1:00:13

3M ago1:00:13

1:00:13

In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares one missed opportunity when it comes to the college admission journey o Lisa and Mark discuss an answer to a question from Kerry from suburban Chicago, she wants to know, in this age of students applying to 20 or so schools, is it okay if my student applies to only five or six schools if the college list…

1
511: Identity, Self-Care, and the Future of College Admission w/ NACAC CEO Angel Pérez 55:44

3M ago55:44

55:44

In today's episode, Ethan connects with Angel Pérez (CEO of the National Association of College Admission Counselors) to discuss identity, his personal journey with self-care, and where he sees the college admission profession heading. On the episode, you’ll hear Angel and Ethan discuss: Angel’s brainstorming work for his own imagined college essay…

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