Best Elite College Admissions Podcasts (2024)

1
Application Strategy With HS Senior 4:01:05

7d ago4:01:05

4:01:05

For the first time, we analyze the profile of a current HS senior targeting three top colleges: WashU, Vanderbilt, & Michigan. While this student possesses a strong academic foundation (perfect GPA in 15 APs, 34/36 ACT, ranked #1 in HS class), he significantly lacks the type of extracurricular profile, depth, and admissions “hook” that will differe…

1
Changing the narrative on women's leadership 40:18

5d ago40:18

40:18

As Vice President Kamala Harris making a strong bid for the U.S. presidency, HKS Women and Public Policy Program Co-Director Hannah Riley Bowles says Harris is just one of many “path breakers” who have dramatically increased leadership opportunities for women. But she also says the reaction to Harris’ campaign in the media and the public conversati…

1
The Milken & Coca Cola Scholar at NYU : Lesley Yupa 26:58

7d ago26:58

26:58

Lesley Yupa is a first-year student at New York University studying psychology and global public health. Passionate about health and education equity, she hopes to pursue a career within the medical field as a physician. Lesley worked in the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she helped verify physicians and practices membership dat…

1
10 Ways To Build An Admissions Hook 2:06:16

26d ago2:06:16

2:06:16

In this episode, we cover ten primary ways students can build their admissions hooks to differentiate their applications at top colleges, the pros/cons of each activity type, and several highly common activities that tend to contribute minimally to—and even potentially jeopardize—a student’s odds of acceptance. “The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell a…

1
The Teenage-Techie from Turkey: Kuzey Kantarcıoğlu 29:33

1M ago29:33

29:33

Kuzey Kantarcıoğlu is a first-year student at Stanford University with an interest in computer science and linguistics. Fascinated by the function of language in both humans and computers, he aspires to advance AI language models. Originally from Istanbul, Turkey, he was an international college applicant. Outside of academics, he enjoys learning n…

1
Episode 16 — Do The PSAT & National Merit Matter? 1:19:38

1M ago1:19:38

1:19:38

In this episode, we break down the timeline and significance of the PSAT and various National Merit awards that are associated with strong PSAT scores: PSAT for students in grades earlier than 11th (e.g. PSAT 8/9 + PSAT 10) The PSAT/NMSQT exam in 11th grade Score ranges for juniors who might be in play for National Merit awards connected to their P…

1
Episode 15 — Should You Contact Admissions Officers? 1:21:55

1M ago1:21:55

1:21:55

In this episode, we dive into the many different types of “demonstrated interest” and the particular case of contacting admissions officers: Why “demonstrated interest” is generally overrated and over-discussed compared to other candidacy-building factors for students targeting highly selective colleges “Strong” vs “weak” demonstrated interest: def…

1
Episode 14 — Application Red Flags To Avoid 47:00

2M ago47:00

47:00

Admissions Masterclass Registration (8/7 via Zoom) In this episode, we cover the much more strategic attitude—versus a purely “instructions-following” mindset—students should take into the application process for each and every piece of information admissions officers will view, including components that might seem like pure “data entry.” We highli…

1
How to turn back a rising tide of political threats and violence 52:12

2M ago52:12

52:12

The attempted assassination of former President and candidate Donald Trump has catalyzed an important discussion about both actual violence and threats of violence against political candidates, office-holders, policymakers, election officials, and others whose efforts help make our democracy work. Harvard Kennedy School professors Erica Chenoweth a…

1
Episode 13 — The Truth About Summer Programs 1:25:49

2M ago1:25:49

1:25:49

Admissions Masterclass Registration (8/7 via Zoom) Think college summer programs are helping your case for admission to highly selective schools? Think again. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the widely popular—and vastly overrated—college summer programs in which so many high school students enroll and why almost all of them fail to ac…

1
Episode 12 — An Extraordinary Applicant? 1:07:15

2M ago1:07:15

1:07:15

Admissions Masterclass Registration (8/7 via Zoom) In this episode, we dissect the candidacy of a student from the Wall Street Journal piece, "To Get Into The Ivy League, Extraordinary Isn't Always Enough These Days." The piece spotlights Kaitlyn Younger, a Texas high school senior with a 3.95/4.0 unweighted GPA in 11 AP courses, 1550/1600 SAT, top…

1
The Entrepreneur/Musician from Brown: Ben Hokenson 25:13

3M ago25:13

25:13

Born in New Jersey and raised in Mexico and Philadelphia, Ben is a senior at Brown University studying International and Public Affairs and Entrepreneurship. He also serves as a mentor and business advisor to graduate student founders in Harvard Business School's Field X and Field Y courses. Ben has experience building companies, including his own,…

1
Episode 11 — “What Are My College Chances?” & Other Student Qs 1:35:46

3M ago1:35:46

1:35:46

In this episode, we respond to real questions in the popular online forum Reddit from students across the country. In particular, we cover answers to the following: Which letters of recommendation do I send? How important is course rigor freshman and sophomore year? How do you come up with your college essay topic? Which GPA do colleges use? What a…

1
US Army Ranger turned Entrepreneur at Harvard : Andrew Steen 46:25

3M ago46:25

46:25

Andrew Steen is the Founder of Laptis, a tech-enabled platform that streamlines access to effective substance use treatment. Andrew started Laptis as an extension of his deep desire for public service and social impact after he left the military. Andrew is also a rising fourth-year JD/MBA student at Harvard University and a graduate of Vanderbilt U…

1
Episode 10 – How To (Actually) Interpret Acceptance Data 1:06:31

3M ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Many students and families heavily rely on the college acceptance data (GPA/test scores vs. college outcomes) of past applicants from their high school to make high-stakes decisions about their school list, selection of early decision colleges, and likely overall college outcomes. In this episode, we break down how past college acceptance data is r…

1
An Immigrant’s Journey to Rhodes & Knight Hennessy: Machmud Makhmudov 44:31

3M ago44:31

44:31

Machmud Makhmudov is a JD/MBA candidate at Stanford, Knight-Hennessy Scholar, political organizer, writer, and higher-ed admissions coach. Born in Uzbekistan, he grew up near Atlanta and played baseball at Oberlin College, where he studied Politics and earned both a Truman and Rhodes Scholarship. After reading for an MPhil in Political Theory at Ox…

1
Episode 9 — Rejected Premed Case Study 51:23

3M ago51:23

51:23

In this episode, we review the profile and applications of a premed student who was rejected from both of their early decision schools, roughly top-25 to top-35 national universities. This student attended a top-1% US high school, possessed a 3.9 unweighted GPA, 99th percentile test scores, took 15 AP/honors courses, and had what many would conside…

1
Episode 8 — School List Mistakes & Myths 1:05:49

3M ago1:05:49

1:05:49

In this episode, we cover many factors—including costly mistakes, myths, and traps—related to students’ school selection. In particular, we address the following: School Visits Why it doesn’t make sense to visit highly selective colleges before mid-11th grade Prioritization of best and best-fit colleges for visits, especially schools that offer bin…

1
Episode 7 — Building An Admissions “Hook” 1:37:15

4M ago1:37:15

1:37:15

In prior episodes, we’ve determined that top colleges seek not only students with excellent grades, course rigor, and test scores but also students with compelling admissions “stories” or “hooks” related to their academic/intellectual passions and how they will contribute to their future college—and hopefully, the world—in some specific, unique way…

1
Episode 6 — Rejected Valedictorian Essay Analysis 36:37

4M ago36:37

36:37

She was the Valedictorian of her high school. Perfect GPA in over twenty advanced classes, taking Calculus BC by 10th grade and college math courses by 11th grade. All perfect or near-perfect test scores, tennis captain, multiple leadership positions, a scholarship to a prestigious math program, and state math champion. To boot, as a female applyin…

1
Episode 5 — The Biggest College Essay Mistake 56:32

4M ago56:32

56:32

Summer is upon us, and many rising seniors—if they haven’t already—are turning their attention to college applications. Among the most important components they will be tackling is the Common Application “Personal Essay”, often simply called “the college essay.” For almost all students, this will be the most important essay colleges read, and for s…

1
Episode 4 — What Top Colleges Look For & How To Build It 45:35

4M ago45:35

45:35

College admissions has never been more competitive: high GPAs, strong test scores, and a well-rounded resume—once sufficient for an acceptance—are now common features of most applications to highly selective colleges. In this episode, we reveal what top colleges nowadays seek: students with compelling admissions stories centered around a focused ac…

1
Episode 3 — Why College Outcomes Vary 26:26

4M ago26:26

26:26

When many parents applied to college around three decades ago, college lists and outcomes assumed a fairly predictable, linear order. You had your “safeties,” schools to which you were almost certain to be admitted, your “targets,” schools to which you could reasonably expect to be admitted, and “reaches,” schools to which you would most likely not…

1
Self-destructive populism: How better policy can reverse the anti-clean energy backlash 51:01

5M ago51:01

51:01

Populism—the political term that describes a group of self-described common people who oppose elite—has turned up in what for many is an unexpected place: the push for a worldwide transition to clean energy. Even though they’re vital to preventing the most catastrophic consequences of the manmade global climate crisis, clean energy measures are enc…

1
Episode 2 — Breaking Down Single-Choice & Restrictive Early Action 21:07

5M ago21:07

21:07

You’ve probably heard of Early Action, but do you know what Single-Choice and Restrictive Early Action are? Seven of the top colleges (Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, CalTech, Georgetown, and Notre Dame) offer one of these unique sub-types of Early Action that place significant restrictions on the other colleges to which students under these pl…

1
Episode 1 — One Thing Every Junior Must Do Now 40:04

5M ago40:04

40:04

While many students and parents are caught up with AP exams, senior course selection, college visits, college essays, requesting teacher letters of recommendation, in this episode, we reveal the one thing that absolutely every high school junior must do right now if they want to ensure they are on the path to admissions success at top colleges. And…

1
Public policy, values, and politics: Why so much depends on getting them right 41:03

5M ago41:03

41:03

Public policy has great power, both to improve people’s lives if it is planned and executed well and to cause significant suffering if it is not, says Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf, who will step back from his post this summer to rejoin the faculty. He joins PolicyCast host Ralph Ranalli in this episode to discuss the crucial role p…

1
The Ghost Budget: How U.S. war spending went rogue, wasted billions, and how to fix it 45:49

6M ago45:49

45:49

HKS Senior Lecturer Linda Bilmes, an expert on public finance who has studied post-9/11 war costs for the past 20 years, says their staggering $5 trillion cost was enabled by what she calls “The Ghost Budget.” Using an unprecedented combination of borrowing, accounting tricks, and outsourcing, presidential administrations, Congress, and the Pentago…

1
From Summer Acting-Camps to NYU Tisch : Hayley Batson 43:25

6M ago43:25

43:25

Hayley Batson (she/her) is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She received a BFA in Theatre, studying at The Atlantic Acting School, Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, and Stonestreet Studios as well as minoring in Producing. Hayley is continually pursuing opportunities in the entertainment industry and loves colla…

1
The Great Creep Backward: Policy responses to China’s slowing economy 55:37

7M ago55:37

55:37

Harvard Kennedy School Professor Rana Mitter and Harvard Business School Associate Professor Meg Rithmire say that after decades of tremendous growth, an economically slowing China is the new normal. With a growing debt-to-GDP ratio, an aging population, a devastating real estate bubble, and a loss of confidence among both foreign investors and dom…

1
Journey from Kharagpur to Two Ivy League Schools: Subham Kedia 38:07

7M ago38:07

38:07

Subham grew in a small village called Bidhan Nagar in northeastern India – a region graced by the proximity of four nations: Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, and Nepal. This exposure to a myriad of traditions kindled in him an aspiration that transcended the conventional. He received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute…

1
Overcoming Personal Biases at Columbia : Parizoda Asatilloyeva 22:12

7M ago22:12

22:12

Meet Parizoda Asatilloyeva, a first-year international student majoring in Political Science at Columbia University. “Hailing from a small city in Uzbekistan, my transition to the bustling metropolis of New York has been nothing short of transformative. The rich combination of academic and cultural experiences here has broadened my perspectives in …

1
Global Pathways: Tokyo & Geneva to Cambridge & HBS – John Suzuki 35:02

7M ago35:02

35:02

Born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, John chose to open doors in his career rather than follow his family’s path of becoming a medical doctor. After graduating from Collège du Léman, he went on to read Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge. He began his career in London, UK as a technical business …

1
NYU, the Mecca for Artists: Madison Halla 47:57

7M ago47:57

47:57

“I definitely felt like I wasn’t supposed to be there but I know that a lot of people felt the same way. You just have to trust that people (on the admissions committee) put you there for a reason...”, reflects Madison Halla, while talking about feeling the imposter syndrome. Madison Halla is a current senior studying musical theatre at NYU Steinha…

1
Two peoples. Two states. Why U.S. diplomacy in Israel and Palestine needs vision, partners, and a backbone 38:39

7M ago38:39

38:39

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Ed Djerejian says Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin once told him “There is no military solution to this conflict, only a political one.” Rabin was assassinated a few years later and today bullets are flying, bombs are falling, and 1,200 Israelis are dead after the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7 and nearly 3…

1
We can productively discuss even the toughest topics—here’s how 46:14

8M ago46:14

46:14

As our discourse and our politics have become both more polarized and paralyzed, Harvard Kennedy School faculty members Erica Chenoweth and Julia Minson say we need to refocus on listening to understand, instead of talking to win. In mid-2022, the School launched the Candid and Constructive Conversations initiative, based on the idea that frank yet…

1
The Accidental New Yorker : Polina Tyurikova 41:15

8M ago41:15

41:15

“I remember when I landed I was listening to ‘The Empire State of Mind’, which is the classical New York song and I was in a little bit of shock and I had a little bit of fear and I was so excited, like I had a lot of feelings but I came with an open mind that this could be anything..” reminisces Polina, a New York University undergrad. Polina Tyur…

1
The Boy from Aurangabad : Prateek Panghal 53:39

8M ago53:39

53:39

Born and raised in Aurangabad, India, a city famed for its Taj Mahal replica and mesmerizing caves, Prateek hails from a family of educators. Although he grew up playing multiple sports, a career in sport didn't materialize, leading him to pursue a bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He began his caree…

1
From Rosey to Yale : Ali Otuzoglu 14:52

8M ago14:52

14:52

“During my time at Rosey, I did student campaigns that advocated for the creation of more resources for the student body like new period-product dispensers and I also helped negotiate with the administration to introduce new forms of sex education on campus..”, recounts Ali, a first year Yale undergrad student about his student advocacy projects th…

1
International Diversity at Columbia : Valeriya Zherebtsova 32:57

8M ago32:57

32:57

“Anytime I leave the library, in the corridors, in the hallway, I always hear so many languages but I almost never hear English...”, exclaims Valeriya while talking about the support system of international students at Columbia University as they navigate college life together through their shared struggles. In this episode, listen to Valeriya talk…

1
Introduction to Aspire 0:42

8M ago0:42

0:42

By Michael Justin Lee

1
Inside the Harvard Classroom : Arela Solis 59:19

8M ago59:19

59:19

“...the reality is that the Harvard classrooms get super emotional. You can’t imagine how many times people cried in the classroom or that I even cried in some of the sessions..” says Arela, a recent graduate of Harvard Business School, in the first episode of Aspire. Tune in to hear Arela talk about her journey in this unfiltered insider account o…

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