College Admissions with Mark and Anna

It’s the holiday season…and there are always vacations and breaks. What to do, what to do? One of the most common questions consultants hear from students and parents is: “What should I do during vacation… you know, to look good on college applications?” Join Mark and Anna as they discuss how high school and college students can best utilize their breaks. While families often think they should attend a summer program or conduct research, etc, there are other options out there. Each of these experiences can be valuable—but so can painting a house, babysitting, publishing a blog, getting a j.o.b., learning an instrument, taking a bike apart, learning to sew, taking a daily walk, volunteering, speak (and think!) only in Spanish for a week, or becoming a street mime… can be just as valuable, when approached with the right mindset and two questions. Learn more in our newest episode.

Join Mark and Anna as they speak with Mark Salisbury from TuitionFit to discuss something revolutionary - transparent college pricing. Learn about how TuitionFit helps students and their families feel empowered in college admissions and get the best value from college for free. Mark Salisbury started his career in higher education as a soccer coach in 1995. After a decade, he transitioned to admissions and then, after earning a PhD in higher education, became a researcher, director of institutional research and assessment, writer, and a consultant for colleges that wanted to get better at using data to improve student learning.

Join Mark and Anna as they speak with Michael B. Horn, one of the authors of Choosing College, as they discuss how to put students and families in the driver's seat of their future so that they understand why they want to go to school and make better decisions around the college admissions process. Michael Horn, the coauthor of the new book, Choosing College, is the chief strategy officer at the Entangled Group, an education venture studio, and the cofounder of the Clayton Christensen Institute, a nonprofit think tank. To learn more about Michael and check out his book, please visit https://michaelbhorn.com. You can purchase his book, Choosing College, on Amazon.

Join Mark and Anna as they speak with Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rob Kirkland of ROTC Consulting as they cover the benefits of joining ROTC in college (both monetary and not), how to apply for scholarships that help you afford college, the military expectations upon graduating, how you can earn 'free ride' including room and board, and more!

Join Mark and Anna as they talk about what new college students should actually be thinking about and preparing for that are often glossed over or just missed in the conversation. This goes for parents too. Now that you've gotten off the roller coaster cycle of Find School, Apply to School, Get Accepted to School, Select School, Finish High School, Pack Up for College, Travel to College, Unpack and Prepare for Life in College cycle, here are some things you may have missed. Mark and Anna break down their top list of what to expect when starting college for the first time. Resources in this episode include: Shipbike.com

Join Mark and Anna as they speak with guest, Debbie Schwartz. Debbie Schwartz is a former financial services marketing executive with expertise in personal finance. She’s also a parent, with 3 children and has had the personal experience of navigating college admission and paying for it for her own children. From her experience with her oldest child, she knew families needed better information and tools to make smarter college decisions. To learn more about Road2College or join the Paying for College 101 Facebook group.

Ever wonder if playing sports makes a difference in college admissions? Or what type of sport? Or how good you have to be? Join Mark and Anna as they talk with Dr. Chris Siedem from Perfect College Match as they discuss what's important to focus on as it related to playing athletics in college, what the recruiting process is like and how to best present yourself as an athlete in college admissions. Learn more about Chris at http://perfectcollegematch.com/

Mark and Anna are excited to welcome Jessica Yeager from Dream College Summit back again to learn about what new insights are available for Dream College Summit 2019, including top trends, art schools, athletics, applying to STEM schools and more! Mark and Anna also grill Jessica on why she chose Harvard over MIT for her undergraduate degree. Make sure you get your free ticket to Dream College Summit happening in May 2019.

Educational consulting addresses many common issues of the application process; however, applications for students with learning disabilities and the schools that support them is an incredibly important – but often underrepresented and often misunderstood – area of educational consulting. Working with high school students applying to colleges requires an increasing number of steps and areas for consideration. However, schools that understand and support learning disabilities provide additional considerations, knowledge, experience and support for students are adds another dynamic to the application and admissions process. While college admission becomes even more complex some opportunities – like applying to specific departments – have become even more competitive, and students must consider learning environment and support with even greater intention. This includes finding the most supportive and understanding environment for each student’s academic needs. Join our guest, Lauren Gaylord, co-founder of G2 College in Seattle and is an advocate and educational consultant for students with learning differences as we talk about how students can make the most of learning differences in the college admissions process.

Join Mark and Anna as they co-host a special episode with Steve Schwartz from College Admissions Toolbox as they discuss the college admissions scandal, designing activities, and letting passion guide your way to the perfect resume! Learn more about College Admissions Toolbox at http://www.collegeadmissionstoolbox.com.

The college admissions scandal has stormed the media! While everyone enjoys a good scandal, join Mark and Anna as they offer perspective on the scandal but also true practices (for better or worse) in college admissions. While Mark and Anna chat about some of the issues associated with the college application and admissions process that have fallen from grace, more importantly, they are going to refocus on those components of the college application process that are most important in the evaluation of college applicants as well as the most important things to focus on when developing your application-and it doesn't require $500,000 or unethical actions.

With college loan debts increasing far beyond any healthy, logical, or sustainable level—approaching 1.6 Trillion dollars, and the average student accruing $37,000 of debt by graduation—the illogical and unsupported quest to pursue and attend only a handful of elite schools with less than 15% acceptance rates and COAs over $70,000 a year… may finally be in recession. Many students and parents are paying attention to the mounting research and overwhelming evidence that shows going into debt for undergraduate education is a bad long-term investment. Enter in the era of “ROI”! Join Mark and Anna as they explore the significance of return on investment in college selection.

Anna and Mark recently attended the IECA National Conference in sunny Los Angeles, California—and took over the house! Okay, maybe not so much as took over as rolled through. Join Mark and Anna as they give you the dirt that they received straight from admissions themselves and cut down on the stress as they discuss tours of LA schools, admissions thoughts on test scores and the factors that actually get you in vs. qualifying you.

Heading out for some school tours? From figuring out fit, culture, and where to find comfort food to demonstrating interest, learn how to make the most of campus visits as Anna and Mark cover questions to ask, what to look out for, what to do, and who to talk to.

As college applications and admissions becomes more competitive each year and the financial ramifications of choosing the right school is even more important and daunting… parents desperately recognize that preparing earlier is better than later. But how early is too early? Join Mark and Anna as they discuss when and how to start preparing for college admissions so that you are on track to deliver "what schools want."

Whether you are a sophomore thinking about college, a junior/senior stepping into the application/admissions arena or a recent graduate who is headed to college for further academic enrichment and excitement… selecting courses and classes seems to be almost an afterthought for many students. This seems backwards, doesn’t it? It's back to school and you're wondering what classes you should pick? Should you try taking that harder class? Should you stick to classes related to your major or classes that will deem you "more competitive" based on the university's preferences. Join Mark and Anna as they discuss how to pick classes in high school and college. From understanding whether or not different classes are weighed differently like AP Calc and AP Stats to is there such a thing as taking too many challenging courses and how to pick classes that demonstrate growth and maturity, Mark and Anna have got you covered in this new episode on course selection.

A majority of students can make it through high school and college, and some will do so with incredibly high grades while achieving amazing things. However, increasingly more high school and college students are finding the stresses of academics to be overwhelming. High School and college counselors are reporting the number of students seeking help for depression and anxiety is increasing at an alarming rate, higher than most have seen in their careers. Join Mark and Anna as they tackle how you can help your teens stay healthy - mind, body, and soul - when it comes to academics. From how to build your "framily" to whether or not to disclose any mental health challenges you may have faced, Mark and Anna have you covered on stress, anxiety, and suicide in the world of high school and college on a topic that is dear to their hearts.

School is almost out and its time to figure out what to do this summer, besides soaking in the sun with your friends. While we've talked about activities in general, summer offers a unique opportunity to focus on development. Join Mark and Anna as they discuss the different types of activities you can dive into, how to use summer for "two-fers" and what are some not so great ideas for how to spend your summer.

Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell's book, David and Goliath, Mark and Anna discuss how to assess "big fish in a little pond" opportunities. As you look at schools, narrow your list, and make decisions, this is another factor to keep in mind. Join Mark and Anna as they revisit "best fit" and encourage students to consider the long-term impacts of being pushed to the edge academically, intellectually vs. learning comfortably, and reflecting on life and its many paths to fulfillment in this latest episode. If you're narrowing down your list and it is between an academically rigorous option and another that is less so, you cannot afford to miss this episode.

All the work and sacrifice – applications completed, essays written, weekends lost, and joy-filled NetFlix binges missed… has finally paid off. THEY want you! Colleges want you! The golden ticket with notice of admission has been issued to you and now all you need to do is select which fabulous school you and your pet goldfish will head to in September. Join Mark and Anna as they walk you through this final step of the college admissions process - from where to check your results to what you need to look out for- Mark and Anna have you covered!