Best Collegescholarships Podcasts (2024)

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

38m 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

1d 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

5d 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
YCBK 454: Topics To Avoid When Selecting A Topic For Your Personal Statement-1 of 2 55:11

8d 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

12d 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

17d 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
YCBK 451: How Do Colleges Evaluate the Rigor of Under-resourced HS That Do Not Have AP Courses 1:33:10

20d 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

23d 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

27d 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

30d 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
YCBK 447: The New Tactic Families are Using to Earn Scholarships and Pay Less For College-Part 2 1:23:46

1M 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

1M 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

1M 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

1M 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
YCBK 443: What Curriculum Gets Top Marks for Rigor at a Highly-Resourced High School 1:17:16

2M ago1:17:16

1:17:16

In this episode you will hear: (02:08) Question from a listener: Number 1 Mark and Julia answer a question, If a student attends a highly resourced schools, what does a student have to do to get top grades for rigor (31:28) Question from a listener: Number 2 Our roundtable is back (Hillary, Susan, Julia, Vince and Mark) and we are discussing severa…

1
YCBK 442: 50 Questions About Money To Talk to Your Student About When It Comes to College 48:14

2M ago48:14

48:14

In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares one missed opportunity when it comes to the college admission journey o After 5 years, Colonel Robert Kirkland is back, Lynda interviews Rob on the Service Academies-Part 1 of 4 o Preview Part 1-Preview § Rob was first on our podcast in August of 2019, but I interviewed him in June of 2019, so exactly, f…

1
YCBK 441: If a Student Does Something Meaningful For Only 3 Days, Does it Go in Their Application 58:40

2M ago58:40

58:40

In this episode you will hear: (04:28) Question from a listener: Number 1 We have two Questions from listeners today. Susan and Julia answer a question, If something really bad happened at your high school before you got there, should you discuss it? (11:52) Question from a listener: Number 2 Our roundtable is back (Hillary, Susan, Julia, Vince and…

1
YCBK 440: The Importance of “Fit” When Selecting a College-Michael Keaton Interview 43:37

2M ago43:37

43:37

In this episode you will hear: o Two of our listeners share advice from things they learned from going through the college process o Mark interviews Michael Keaton, the VP of Enrollment at Ursinus College on “The Importance of Fit” o Preview § Julia and I interview Michael Keaton for the third of a trilogy of interviews we did with Michael, the fir…

1
YCBK 439: What is a book award from a college and should I list it in my application 1:09:55

2M ago1:09:55

1:09:55

In this episode you will hear: (03:05) Question from a listener: Number 1 We have two Questions from listeners today. Susan and Mark answer a question, How do colleges perceive it when a student does three years of high school instead of four years? (12:43) Question from a listener: Number 2 Julia and Mark answer a question from a student; the stud…

1
YCBK 438: What is Scholarship Displacement and What Can You Do About It 1:23:28

2M ago1:23:28

1:23:28

In this episode you will hear: o Julia and I discuss Scholarship Displacement, what is it and is there anything you can do about it; are any states outlawing scholarship displacement o Julia and Mark discuss Stanford’s return to requiring the SAT or the ACT and Mark has his first grinding my gears in the last 6 months. o Mark interviews John Hoffma…

1
YCBK 437: How Much Weight To Put On Admitted Student Visit Days In Your College Decision 1:13:26

2M ago1:13:26

1:13:26

In this episode you will hear: (03:05) Question from a listener: Number 1 We have two Questions from listeners today. Lisa and Mark answer a question, How important should a student’s experience at an “Admitted Student Program” be when selecting a college? (16:10) Question from a listener: Number 2 Mark and Susan then answer a question about “Proje…

1
YCBK 436: Three Opportunities Some Students Miss Out on Over The Summer 1:12:31

2M ago1:12:31

1:12:31

In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares three opportunities he sees too many students and parents missing out on over the summer. o Mark interviews John Hoffman: Reflections on 45 years doing college placement and school placement-Part 2 of 3 o Preview of Part 2 o John talks about the college process for his daughter that was just completed la…

1
YCBK 435: Is Enrollment Management Destroying Colleges-Part 2 of 2 1:29:05

3M ago1:29:05

1:29:05

In this episode you will hear: (02:28) Susan and Mark discuss an Inside Higher Ed article by Liam Knox, entitled, “Pulling Back the Veil” on Enrollment Management. The article is an interview with Stephen Burd on his new book that blames the multi-million-dollar field of enrollment management for much of higher education’s woes. Part 2 of 2 (36:50)…

1
YCBK 434: Why are there so many more kids from the local area at very selective colleges 1:05:19

3M ago1:05:19

1:05:19

In this episode you will hear: o Mark and Lisa answer a question from Mary from South Dakota: Why are there so many kids from the local area at highly selective colleges o Mark interviews John Hoffman: Reflections on 45 years doing college placement and school placement-Part 1 of 3 o Preview of Part 1 o John shares his background o John shares why …

1
YCBK 433: Is Enrollment Management Destroying Colleges-Part 1 of 2 1:47:43

3M ago1:47:43

1:47:43

In this episode you will hear: (26:16) Susan and Mark discuss an Inside Higher Ed article by Liam Knox, entitled, “Pulling Back the Veil” on Enrollment Management. The article is an interview with Stephen Burd on his new book that blames the multi-million-dollar field of enrollment management for much of higher education’s woes. Part 1 of 2 (47:30)…

1
YCBK 432: Jeff Selingo Interview: Miscellaneous Topics 54:51

3M ago54:51

54:51

In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares some updates about upcoming webinars and YCBK meet and greets o Suan and Julia answer a question from a mom with three high school students that are 18 months apart in age; she wants to know of a good organizational tool to help with the college process o Mark interviews Jeff Selingo on a range of topics…

1
YCBK 431: Filling out the Activities Section of the Common App: Do’s and Don’ts, 3 of 3 1:29:47

3M ago1:29:47

1:29:47

In this episode you will hear: (02:08) We have a five-way conversation for the first time at YCBK. Our four regular (Julia, Susan, Vince and Mark) are joined by Hillary Dickman, (Assistant Director of Admissions, Colorado College) for a conservation about how to complete the Activities Section of the Common Application. We discuss the Do’s and the …

1
YCBK 430: Jeff Selingo Interview: How to know if a college is struggling financially 1:13:51

3M ago1:13:51

1:13:51

In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares a text he received that had an idea he thought could help the podcast o Mark shares a text message and a Speakpipe comment he thought was profound, and worth sharing o Suan and Mark answer a question about whether a student graduates from a selective liberal arts school in economics will hurt them compar…

1
YCBK 429: Filling out the Activities Section of the Common App: Do’s and Don’ts, 2 of 3 1:35:37

3M ago1:35:37

1:35:37

In this episode you will hear: (03:12) We have a five-way conversation for the first time at YCBK. Our four regular (Julia, Susan, Vince and Mark) are joined by Hillary Dickman, (Assistant Director of Admissions, Colorado College) for a conservation about how to complete the Activities Section of the Common Application. We discuss the Do’s and the …

1
YCBK 428: What is Double Depositing and why it is regarded as inappropriate 1:17:39

3M ago1:17:39

1:17:39

In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares a text message and a Speakpipe comment on two different topics that he thought were profound, and worth sharing o Mark talks about a tweet that is generating some buzz and he previews an interview that will air on Episode 430 and 432 about that tweet o Julia and Mark have a robust conversation about “Dou…

1
YCBK 427: Filling out the Activities Section of the Common App: Do’s and Dont’s, 1 of 3 1:08:15

3M ago1:08:15

1:08:15

In this episode you will hear: (02:00) We have a five-way conversation for the first time at YCBK. Our four regular (Julia, Susan, Vince and Mark) are joined by Hillary Dickman, (Assistant Director of Admissions, Colorado College) for a conservation about how to complete the Activities Section of the Common Application. We discuss the Do’s and the …

1
YCBK 426: The FAFSA Fiasco and More Chaos on College Campuses 52:52

4M ago52:52

52:52

In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares more details on the FAFSA Fiasco this year o Mark talks about the tumult on college campuses that is breaking out across the country o Lisa interviews Elizabeth Hamlet, a Disability Services Expert. They discuss how students with Disabilities can successfully transition to college-Part 2 of 3 Preview of …

1
YCBK 425: Understanding the Nine Universities that make up the UC’s 1:33:51

4M ago1:33:51

1:33:51

In this episode you will hear: (02:00) Mark and Vince discuss the nine colleges that make up the University of California-Part 2 of 2 (37:20) Question from a listener Jessica, an International listener has a question about the change from test-optional to test mandatory that is happening at a number of colleges. (50:30) Interview Jeremy Lowe, the A…

1
YCBK 424: More Observations from Admissions Decisions For the Class of 2024 59:20

4M ago59:20

59:20

In this episode you will hear: o Mark and Julia discuss what they learned from admissions decisions from the class of 2024 o Lisa interviews Elizabeth Hamlet, a Disability Services Expert. They discuss how students with Disabilities can successfully transition to college-Part 1 of 3 Preview o Liz shares her backstory from special ed teacher to auth…

1
YCBK 423: How are extracurricular activities evaluated by highly rejective colleges 1:33:57

4M ago1:33:57

1:33:57

In this episode you will hear: (02:02) Mark and Vince discuss the nine colleges that make up the University of California-Part 1 of 2 (36:50) Question from a listener An anonymous mom from New York wants to know how highly rejective colleges evaluate extracurricular activities (54:16) Interview Jeremy Lowe, the Assistant Vice Provost of Undergradua…

1
YCBK 422: What you need to know about the ACT and the SAT 1:12:32

4M ago1:12:32

1:12:32

In this episode you will hear: o Mark gives a preview of his 63 minute interview with Jed Applerouth, founder of Applerouth.com Preview Preview ² Jed gives his background, and he tells us a little bit about Applerouth ² Jed talks about the work Applerouth does for students with executive functioning. ² Jed and I talk about public flagship colleges …

1
YCBK 421: Students Brand Themselves In Order to Try to Get In Elite Colleges 1:43:53

4M ago1:43:53

1:43:53

In this episode you will hear: (03:30) Mark and Vince discuss an article on how students are being coached to brand themselves in their applications. This is an article that appeared in the NY Times by a Guest Essayist, entitled, “Elite college admissions have turned students into brands” (33:30) Question from a listener Lee from Northern Californi…

1
YCBK 420: How to select a college when you have options-Part 3 of 3 1:24:55

4M ago1:24:55

1:24:55

In this episode you will hear: o Mark gives a preview of some up and coming episodes o Lisa gives advice about selecting a college from a psychological and practical standpoint. o Lynda interviews Marjorie Betley, the Senior Associate Director of Admission at the University of Chicago, and the Executive Director of Admissions at the STARS College N…

1
YCBK 419: Mark and Vince discuss observations from this year’s admission decisions 1:53:40

4M ago1:53:40

1:53:40

In this episode you will hear: (01:50) Mark and Vince will eventually discuss an article on how students are being coached to brand themselves in their applications. This is an article that appeared in the NY Times by a Guest Essayist, entitled, “Elite college admissions have turned students into brands” but they get into that article in Part 2, on…

1
YCBK 418: Lessons Learned From SACAC, College Visits and Meetings with Admission Officers 1:16:27

5M ago1:16:27

1:16:27

o Mark gives a recap of some of his key takeaways from the SACAC conference o Mark shares some key takeaways from college visits and from conversation with reps o Mark looks at what may look like perplexing admissions decisions for about a dozen students School Match 4U counselors worked with and he discusses the reasons why this surprising decisio…

1
YCBK 417: Colleges are Perplexed at How to Get More Males To Apply and Enroll 1:57:50

5M ago1:57:50

1:57:50

In this episode you will hear: (06:30) Julia and Mark discuss an article by “Dean of Admissions Claudia Marroquin on the decline of male applicants to Bowdoin” but Julia and Mark know this is a national crisis, so they discuss the article in the context of the national challenge. Part 3 of 3 Mark shares a moving email that came in this week about w…

1
YCBK 416: What 16 Colleges are Doing To Get More Rural & Small Town Students 45:24

5M ago45:24

45:24

In this episode you will hear: o Mark gives a recap of the first ever YCBK Meet & Greet that occurred in Durham, NC on 3/23 o Julia has returned to admission file reading after 8 years and she shares how things have changed and what she has learned o Lynda interviews Marjorie Betley, the Senior Associate Director of Admission at the University of C…

1
YCBK 415: What Does My Student Do if He Gets in His ED School and is Having Regrets 1:27:24

5M ago1:27:24

1:27:24

In this episode you will hear: (02:15) Julia and Mark planned to talk about an article that ran in Bowdoin Orient, their student newspaper entitled: “Dean of Admissions Claudia Marroquin on the decline of male applicants to Bowdoin” but they don’t get to the article until next week but they do discuss some application tips. Part 2 of 3 (25:55) Ques…

1
YCBK 414: Your Biggest Bruises Often Become Your Biggest Blessings 41:23

5M ago41:23

41:23

In this episode you will hear: o Mark discusses three upcoming events: The YCBK gathering in Raleigh, Andy Strickler’s Q & A with our listeners and the final info session for ScholarMatch o Mark shares a powerful quote from Nvidia founder Jenson Huang that he can’t stop thinking about o Mark interviews Andy Stickler on the topic of, Understanding C…

1
YCBK 413: Understanding Haverford College, Swarthmore College & Marquette University 1:23:05

5M ago1:23:05

1:23:05

In this episode you will hear: (02:10) Julia and Mark planned to talk about an article that ran in Bowdoin Orient, their student newspaper entitled: “Dean of Admissions Claudia Marroquin on the decline of male applicants to Bowdoin” but they don’t get to the article until next week but they do discuss some application tips including, should you wri…

1
YCBK 412: Many States are Admitting Students by Class Rank; is This Good or Bad? 1:03:19

5M ago1:03:19

1:03:19

In this episode you will hear: o Mark takes a look at the growing trend to guarantee admission to students based on class ranking. Mark shares six reasons opponents don’t like these plans and six reasons why proponents love these direct admit plans based on class rank o Mark interviews Andy Stickler on the topic of, Understanding Connecticut Colleg…

1
YCBK 411: Tips to Get the Most out of a College Fair 1:34:05

5M ago1:34:05

1:34:05

In this episode you will hear: (04:52) Matt Bonser, the Director of Admissions at Colorado College and a Gap year expert answers 20 questions about Gap Years in this 75-minute discussion. (Part 3 of 3) ² Should a student reapply to the selective school they didn’t get in the next year, after taking a Gap year? Matt tells us when this can work. ² Ma…

1
YCBK 410: 6 Questions To Ask To Help you Compare the Colleges That Admitted You 1:12:29

5M ago1:12:29

1:12:29

In this episode you will hear: o Susan and Mark answer a Speakpipe question that asks for advice when your student is selecting a college and he/she has two or more quality options, and they are really torn o Mark interviews Andy Stickler on the topic of, Understanding Connecticut College, Part 1 of 3 Sign up for our Q & A session with Andy Strickl…

1
YCBK 409: College is under attack; is college worth it? 1:39:18

6M ago1:39:18

1:39:18

In this episode you will hear: (05:06) Matt Bonser, the Director of Admissions at Colorado College and a Gap year expert answers 20 questions about Gap Years in this 75 minute discussion. (Part 2 of 3) (30:50) Mark and Lisa answer a question about whether college is worth it? (57:50) Mark interviews Nora and Hannah, two college coaches with Scholar…

1
YCBK 408: Colleges come up with very creative ways to use the ACT/SAT 1:12:10

6M ago1:12:10

1:12:10

In this episode you will hear: o Mark does a deep dive on Yale’s decision to embrace a test flexible policy o Hillary Dickman comes on to explain how Colorado College’s non-harm test score policy works. o Mark interviews Andy Borst, the VP of enrollment at the University of Georgia on the topic of, why do college students go out of state and why ar…

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