Getting In: Your College Admissions Companion

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Josh Steckel hear graduation updates from three of our Getting In seniors: Alessandra LePera, Jordana Meyer, and Ellis Wells. The seniors share their favorite parts of the ceremonies and describe what it's been like to participate in the podcast. Plus, Julie and Josh answer a final round of listener questions. Listeners ask about: the value of high school leadership positions, when to consider transferring colleges, the misconceptions surrounding degrees and careers in the arts, and strategies for building a good relationship with your high school college counselor. Getting In expert Josh Steckel is a college counselor at the Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies and the author of Hold Fast To Dreams: College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty. Getting In is supported by Squarespace, helping students create online portfolios and personal websites that show colleges who they are and what they can do. Learn more at Squarespace.com/gettingin Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Parke Muth, formerly a dean and an admission officer at the University of Virginia, answer listener questions. How important are SAT II scores to admissions officers? Which is more valuable a good grade in an AP class or the score on the exam? What's your advice to students applying from abroad? Does volunteering matter? Send us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.com Call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPod Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Parke Muth, formerly a dean and an admission officer at the University of Virginia, answer listener questions. When you're a student athlete, what are the pros and cons of attending Division 1 and Division 3 schools? Is summer really the best time to start working on common application essays? Test prep is elitist, expensive, and a massive investment of time-- is there any reason our family should opt-in? Send us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.com Call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPod Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Getting In expert Amy Young answer a listener question from an eleventh grader about what juniors should be doing the summer before their senior year. We also hear from Getting In seniors Jonathan Diaz, August Graves, Alessandra LePera, and Jordana Meyer about their own plans for summer before starting college in the fall. Amy Young is the director of college counseling at Avenues, an independent school in New York City. Send questions, comments, and follow us on Twitter @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353 Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and expert Amy Young talk about how the high stakes intensity of college admissions has trickled down to middle and high school admissions. Amy is the director of college counseling at Avenues, an independent school in New York City. Julie mentions a new effort aimed to reduce the academic pressure and stress found in her own community of Palo Alto, CA. The city is distraught by its teen suicide rate-- four to five times the national average. The website, pathsfrompaloalto.com, was created by recent college grads who grew up there. "They're showing through blog essays, that people have happy successful lives going in all directions out of Palo Alto," says Julie. Listener questions this week include a letter from a junior in southern California who suffered a head injury at a sporting event and it affected his GPA. He wonders how to present his case on college applications. And an eleventh grader, who moved to Arizona her junior year, asks if it's ok to get teacher recommendations solely from her previous school. Send questions, comments, and follow us on Twitter @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353 Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

As the school year winds down, host Julie Lythcott-Haims checks in with four of the Getting In seniors: Jonathan Diaz, August Graves, Alessandra LePera, and Jordana Meyer. The students share more details about the colleges they'll be attending in the fall, what they're excited about, and something completely new they each want to try when they get to campus. We'll also hear their advice for high school juniors getting into the thick of the admissions process right now. Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Getting In is supported by Squarespace, helping students create online portfolios and personal websites that show colleges who they are and what they can do. Learn more at Squarespace.com/gettingin Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and expert Amy Young talk about decision season and what happens when a student sends a deposit to one school, but decides in the eleventh-hour to attend a different school. They also get an update from Getting In senior Ellis Wells, one of Amy's students at Avenues, and who'd been accepted to Vanderbilt University in February. Ellis is enjoying his spring as the captain of the golf team and attributes getting organized early with reducing a lot of college application stress. Amy is the director of college counseling at Avenues, an independent school in New York City. Listener questions this week include a letter from a mom who wonders whether her son should ask for more merit aid at the University of Puget Sound. And a grandmother in New Jersey wonders whether her granddaughter should take the SAT or ACT after scoring in the 96th percentile on the PSAT. Send questions, comments, and follow us on Twitter @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Getting In expert Steve LeMenager answer listener questions. Steve is the president of Edvice, a college counseling firm. He was previously a director of admissions at Princeton University. Listener questions in this episode include one from a Michigan mom who wonders if the limits her daughter's high school places on the number of AP classes a student can take could affect her daughter's college admission chances. A student in the Netherlands and a mother in the US wrote in for advice on how to select an independent college counselor. And a mother in Virginia asks for advice on the kinds of schools her high achieving son should explore, because he "intensely dislikes an elbow-sharpening and competitive environment." Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPodSend us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.comOr, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott Haims welcomes back Penn professor Marybeth Gasman to answer listener questions. A dad in Pennsylvania says his high achieving daughter, a junior, "has no idea what direction she wants to go" or what she wants to study and he'd like some advice on what sort of schools to look at. And a mom in Indiana wonders if moving to a "better" school district will improve her children's college admissions chances. Marybeth Gasman is a professor of higher education at the University of Pennsylvania where she directs the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions.A former student and admissions officer at Indiana University, Gasman continues to serve on admissions committees at Penn. Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPodSend us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.comOr, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

As high school juniors begin to build their lists of schools, they'd be wise to consider historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority serving institutions (MSIs). Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and her special guests, Professor Marybeth Gasman and Breanna Williams, talk about the benefits of attending HBCUs and MSIs. Marybeth Gasman is a professor of higher education at the University of Pennsylvania where she directs the Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions. Breanna Williams is a stylist and retail manager in New York City. She graduated from Howard University with a BFA in Theater. Gasman has spent years researching the value and impact of HBCU and MSI educations. Gasman lists several schools applicants might look into including Morehouse, Spelman, Taladega, and Prairie View. She sites Xavier in New Orleans, as a great example of an HBCU that excels in preparing its students for careers in medicine-- its graduates have a 98% pass rate on the medical board exams. Williams relays how instrumental a role Howard plays in her life. Shaping her identity as a college student through her career today as an optical stylist. Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPodSend us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.comOr, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Getting In is supported by Squarespace, helping students create online portfolios and personal websites that show colleges who they are and what they can do. Learn more at Squarespace.com/gettingin Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Getting In expert Amy Young guest hosts the podcast this week while Julie Lythcott Haims tours colleges with her son over spring break. Amy is the director of college counseling at Avenues, an independent school in New York City. Amy and her Avenues colleague, Tim Hudson, formerly an admissions officer at Davidson College, listen and react to updates from three Getting In seniors: August Graves, Alessandra LePera, and Jordana Meyer. All three young women have received college notifications these past few weeks and they share where they've been accepted, rejected, and wait-listed. Amy and Tim also hear an update from Julie from the road, where she confesses to an over-parenting moment she plans not to repeat. Send questions, comments, and follow us on Twitter @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353 Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Getting In expert Steve LeMenager hear an update from Getting In senior Jordana Meyer and they answer listener questions. Steve is the president of Edvice, a college counseling firm. He was previously a director of admissions at Princeton University. Listener questions in this episode include one from a mother in Seattle whose son received several acceptance letters, and wonders if the financial aid packages can be negotiated because her husband was recently laid off. A mother in Connecticut asks for advice after her daughter has been rejected everywhere and accepted to a school she would never consider attending. And a California eleventh grader studying abroad in the Czech Republic wonders if her lack of traditional junior year coursework will affect her admissions chances. Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and special guest Gretchen Rubin explore how parents figure out their roles on the path to college and we hear updates from the families of two Getting In seniors. Amy and Martin Graves, August's parents and Jonathan Meyer, Jordana's father reflect on how they have navigated this roller coaster year. Special guest Gretchen Rubin is a writer and co-host of the podcast Happier. Her bestselling books include The Happiness Project and Better Than Before. She's also the mother of a high school junior, Eliza (who has her own podcast!). Gretchen admits its a tricky balance being helpful, but mostly hands-off as Eliza prepares for college. She offers several tips and examples from her own life about the habits and strategies she's trying to put into place right now. Some advice from this episode:1. Trust your kid to make good decisions.2. Do not make the college path a 24-7 conversation, schedule specific times to talk about it.3. Give your kid the time and space for creative outlets that have *nothing* to do with college.4. Avoid stoking the fires of worry when talking to other parents. Think of them as a resources for answering concrete questions (e.g. when should we schedule college tours?). Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.comOr, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Getting In is supported by Squarespace, helping students create online portfolios and personal websites that show colleges who they are and what they can do. Learn more at Squarespace.com/gettingin Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Getting In expert Parke Muth answer more listener questions. Parke is a private college counselor and a former admission officer at the University of Virginia. This week's questions include one from a dad who wonders how attending a vocational high school might affect college admission. A mom whose daughter is interested in the New College of Florida-- a school that does not give grades-- wonders how the post-college working world views graduates who don't have traditional GPAs. And a community college professor in Idaho asks for strategies to help her non-traditional students transfer to four-year schools. There are lots of ways to send us questions and comments: Follow us on Twitter: @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353 Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Getting In expert Parke Muth answer more listener questions. Parke is a private college counselor and a former admission officer at the University of Virginia. Julie and Parke talk about some interesting admission trends he's seen this spring --including the prevalence of "likely letters" and tuition discounts being offered his students. And they answer listener questions: Two different mothers contacted the podcast describing the intense pressures high schoolers face that come with living in Fairfax County, Virginia. A father wants to know which small liberal arts schools have rigorous STEM programs. And a high school junior wonders what's the right number of schools one should apply to-- given that she's seen peers apply anywhere in the range of 2 to 26. There are lots of ways to send us questions and comments: Follow us on Twitter: @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353 Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Getting In expert Josh Steckel answer listener questions. Josh is the college counselor at the Brooklyn School for Collaborative studies. He's also the author of Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty. Listener questions in this episode include one from a mother in Connecticut who wonders if special spots are held for students who want to enter ROTC. And Josh and Julie answer two different but related questions about putting together senior year course loads. They talk about the push and pull between taking courses "colleges want to see" and following a path that is more authentic to the student's interests. Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPodSend us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.comOr, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and Getting In expert Josh Steckel talk financial aid, scholarship strategies, plus they hear an update from Getting In senior August Graves. Josh is the college counselor at the Brooklyn School for Collaborative studies. He's also the author of Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students, and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty. Josh lists the most important things seniors and their families need to be doing right now if they're applying for financial aid. And they still have time if they haven't yet. He explains how to compare different schools' aid packages and how to figure out the net price. When it comes to finding scholarship money, Josh says to think locally. Religious groups, unions, non-profits, even law firms are a great source of scholarship funds. Julie and Josh answer a multi-part listener question about financial aid. The father who wrote in wonders how to find out a college's true cost and asks how he should honestly talk about affordability with his daughter. Online resources mentioned in the show: Gates MillenniumJackie Robinson FoundationPosse FoundationFastwebScholarsnappCollege GreenlightRaise.MeCollege Score Card Find us on Twitter: @GettingInPodSend us an email or voice memo--to gettingin@slate.comOr, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353. Getting In is supported by Squarespace, helping students create online portfolios and personal websites that show colleges who they are and what they can do. Learn more at Squarespace.com/gettingin Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and expert Amy Young talk about the five things every college-bound high school junior should be thinking about right now: preparing for and taking the SAT or ACT (no more than twice); senior year course selection; forming relationships with teachers who could serve as references; thinking about how you'll spend your summer; and ramping up academic performance. They also get an update from Getting In senior Ellis Wells, one of Amy's students at Avenues, who got some news from a college this past week. And Julie and Amy answer more listener questions. Amy is the director of college counseling at Avenues, an independent school in New York City. Listener questions this week include a letter writer who asks just how much a low ACT writing score could influence admission. A mom, whose son is an an outdoor adventurer and blogger, wonders if colleges actually look at internet links of student work. And another parent is curious what path her son should take given his passion for marine biology and (what she considers) a less-than-ideal GPA. Send questions, comments, and follow us on Twitter @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353 Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com. Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims and expert Amy Young react to the criticism that's bubbled up around the Harvard report proposing sweeping changes to college admissions. Plus, they get an update from Getting In senior August Graves who this week received a notification from a college. And Julie and Amy answer listener questions. Amy is the director of college counseling at Avenues, an independent school in New York City. Listener questions this week include one from a mom who's daughter is a serious athlete. She wonders if devoting all summer between junior and senior year to soccer practice could affect her daughter's admissions chances. A high school student in Germany, who has already skipped two grades, says he'll be 16 by the time he starts college. How will colleges view his young age? And, a parent planning a spring break tour of colleges with her son has discovered many of the colleges have the same spring break-- and so no classes will be in session. Is it still a good time to tour schools? Send questions, comments, and follow us on Twitter @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353 Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.

Host Julie Lythcott-Haims welcomes back Getting In experts Steve LeMenager and Parke Muth to answer more listener questions. A college counselor in Boston asks what online resources he should include in a presentation to 11th-graders. A mom in Switzerland wonders how US Colleges will convert her son's International Baccalaureate scores to an American-style GPA. A college counselor in Pittsburgh is wary of parents who insist their social and political connections could help their children gain admission. And a mom in California is curious how students can self-advocate when their high school college counselors cannot pick up the phone and call an admissions office. Steve LeMenager mentioned several helpful online resources for students starting their search: Khan AcademyNavianceBig FutureCappexCollege NavigatorCollege Insight There are lots of ways to send us questions and comments: Follow us on Twitter: @GettingInPod Send us an email or voice memo to gettingin@slate.com Or, call our hotline and leave a message at (929) 999-4353 Getting In is sponsored by Audible.com.Get a free audiobook of your choice at www.audible.com/college and use the promo code COLLEGE.