#KeepItReal with CollegeFindMe (ft. Jeremy Caldwell) | Real College Talk Ep. 17

Real College Talk

Welcome to Real College Talk! RCT is your destination for honest and relevant college and postsecondary conversation. We bring the best of the best to our podcast to share both their personal and professional experiences and advice regarding all things school, college, career paths, and life in general. As part of our #KeepItReal series CollegeFindMe (https://collegefindme.com/), we invited Jeremy Caldwell, CollegeFindMe’s Student Engagement Coordinator to share his unique perspective on the world of higher education.

To start, Jeremy shares his unique experience deciding to move across the county for college (3:00), while most all of his peers remained home to attend schools in Texas. Jeremy encourages students who are currently preparing for college applications to carefully consider what they truly want from their continued education before applying. He describes how he was on the search for a “spark of connection” (5:25) with each school that he visited, ensuring that he could truly envision himself as a student there. In fact, Jeremy points to specific CollegeFindMe resources that can help high schoolers identify the specific qualities they like and dislike in different colleges, and then connect them with the schools that fit what they’re looking for (8:15).

For students still unsure of what they plan to study or their future career, Jeremy explains the importance of building skills and character traits that can be applied across industries (10:25), such as public speaking, critical thinking, and team-building. As you explore different topics of study, career options, and learning opportunities, pay attention to the things you enjoy doing most! Or in the words of one of Jeremy’s college professors, “the things you do when you’re bored are the things you should make a career of” (12:26). Jeremy moves on to share his unique experience working in the admissions office and leading the tour guide program at Tufts University (14:00). He explains that picking a school that makes you truly happy is not just cheesy advice to follow – it just might be the key to your growth and success in college. Finally, Jeremy reminds students to be themselves in their applications (22:58) and to stand out by referencing specific things in their essays that they like about the school they are applying to. There is no right way to go about the process, but we believe that with just a bit of introspection and visualization (29:18), your college list and ultimate destination will be just right for you.

Real College Talk is a podcast that you won't want to miss! To catch every episode, make sure to hit the subscribe button and turn on our notifications. You can follow us on Instagram @realcollegetalk (along with @collegefindme!) and follow our co-hosts @morgs__anne and @nikhil.vn. We are always working on new content, so be on the lookout for our latest episodes. In the meantime, Keep It Real!