Episodes

Oct. 6, 2022

Top 10 FAFSA Questions; College Locations: City or Country?

The FAFSA is live, and many of you have questions. We’ve assembled our list of the top 10 FAFSA questions along with the answers, and we’re sharing them with you! Three of our college admissions consultants will also share th...
Sept. 29, 2022

Undecided Majors, Unknown Major, CSS Profile

Majors, majors, majors. Is it okay to be undecided? What about choosing something you’ve never studied before? On this week’s show, we’re exploring majors: how to think about them, how to choose them, when to wait (and whethe...
Sept. 22, 2022

Naviance; Supplemental Essays; Student Loan Program Updates

Seniors completing the Common App and looking at a long list of supplemental essays may be asking, “but why do I have to write more essays?!” right about now. Becky Konowitz, dean of admissions at Santa Clara University joins...
Sept. 15, 2022

Too Late to Save for College?; Working Parents; Listener Q&A

If you’ve been looking at college price tags and wishing you’d started saving earlier, you might want to tune in to today’s show. Guest Yvette Haring of TIAA-CREF will be talking about 520 college savings programs and whether...
Sept. 8, 2022

Latino-Hispanic Serving Institutions, Majors, and Scholarships

If you’re interested in attending a Hispanic-Serving Institution, intrigued by Hispanic Studies, or want to learn more about Latino-Hispanic Scholarships, today’s show is for you! We’ll hear from a representative from Univers...
Sept. 1, 2022

First Generation Students; Wily Network; Financial Aid Refunds

Imagine heading off to college with no one to support you—no parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents. That’s what many foster students who make it to college face every year. Join us to learn more about how the Wily Network is s...
Aug. 25, 2022

Exploring the UC App and Apply Texas App; Cal Grant Program

Planning to apply to a University of California institution or a Texas public university? We’re exploring the UC application and the Apply Texas platform in today’s podcast. And in our college finance segment, we’ll share det...
Aug. 18, 2022

Starting College Strong; Listener Questions

Attention college freshmen: starting strong is one of the keys to a successful college experience. We have some best practices to help students get off to a good first semester. We’re also answering your college admissions an...
Aug. 11, 2022

The Common App & Coalition App are Live!; Credit Reports

It’s that time of year: the Common App and the Coalition application are both live. We’re breaking down each option and offering suggestions on getting started on these application platforms. We will also look at credit repor...
Aug. 4, 2022

Learning a Foreign Language; Working in College

Wondering if working in college is a good idea? We have thoughts! (Because of course we do!) We’re also exploring the benefits of studying a foreign language with our guests from Duolingo, one of the coolest ways to support c...
July 28, 2022

Becoming a Sportscaster; Athlete To Do Lists; Sharing Aid Details

If you’ve ever dreamed of being a sportscaster, tune in to today’s podcast to learn more about how to make that happen from someone in the field. We also have a list of things athletes should be doing now. And finally, we’ll ...
July 21, 2022

Sending Your Student Off to College; Listener Q&A

Your student applied, got in, and made their final decision. Now what? We have everything you need to know from the mother of two college students who has gone through the process herself. In Office Hours, we’re answering you...
July 14, 2022

Advice for Students Going to College Abroad

Today’s show is all about attending college in a place other than your home country. We’ll be offering admissions and college finance advice for international students who plan to attend college in the US and US students who ...
July 7, 2022

Summer Campus Visits; Meeting Financial Need

What does it mean when a college meets financial need? We’ll take a closer look at the reality of this policy for families and share some colleges that do this. For those planning college visits this summer, we have advice fr...
June 30, 2022

Morehead Cain & Selective Scholarships; Buy Now Pay Later Apps

While much of the scholarship dollars available to students comes courtesy of merit aid awarded by colleges to the best applicants in their pools, a handful of selective scholarships require an application process. We’ll expl...
June 23, 2022

LGBTQ+ College Search; Listener Q&A

The college search process can be daunting for all students, but LGTBQ+ students may find it particularly challenging as they search for spaces where they will feel comfortable and safe. In honor of Pride month, we’re talking...
June 16, 2022

Common App Report; Attending a Christian College; College Savings

As you prepare to pay for college, you may be finally tapping your college savings accounts. We have advice about how to best approach this. The Common App recently released a report on the 2021-2022 admissions cycle. We’ve p...
June 9, 2022

Application Deadlines; Financing Advice; Common App Activity List

Rising seniors already know that this summer is an important time to get ahead on their application work. One important component of that is finalizing your list and noting important submission deadlines. And understanding th...
June 2, 2022

LGBTQ+ Scholarships; Student Research; Using a College Counselor

It’s Pride Month, and we’re covering LGBTQ+ scholarships in celebration. We’re also talking about student research—why you might do this and what it can look like. Finally, in office hours we’re reviewing how to decide if usi...
May 26, 2022

Cutting Back to Improve Teen Mental Health; Listener Q&A

Students these days are frequently involved in as many activities outside of the classroom as classes they’re taking inside it. A social worker and teen parent joins today’s show to discuss how cutting back can help improve m...
May 19, 2022

Recommendation Letters; Summer Planning; Rising Interest Rates

No summer plans? No problem! There are so many interesting things students can do with their summers that don’t need to be planned way in advance. Tune in to learn more. Interest rates are rising, and we’re discussing what th...
May 12, 2022

Regular Decision Results; Living Off Campus

Now that the dust has settled on regular decision 2022, we’re sharing the results and trends we’re seeing. We’re also exploring things to think about if you’re trying to decide whether to move out of the dorm to an off-campus...
May 5, 2022

Hear from the Deans: Babson, Olin, & Wellesley College Deans Join

Babson, Olin, and Wellesley Colleges may seem like three very different colleges sharing only a similar location. But they’ve come together for an interesting collaborative program impacting students at each of the schools. T...
April 28, 2022

Waitlists; A Senior’s Admissions Story; Tax Season College Saving

Did you receive one of the dreaded “not a no but not a yes” waitlist offers? There are some strategies you can employ, and we’ll share them on the show today. It’s also tax season, and we have some tax-advantaged ways for you...