The College Metropolis Podcast: College Admissions Talk for High School Students and Parents

#119 – On this episode, we begin a series of episodes about the steps to follow as you make your list of schools to which you will apply. Be begin by presenting academics, social, and affordability, as the 3 areas in which the schools that make you list should provide you a good match. We continue by highlighting the importance of the experience that you will enjoy in a school, as being central to your education. In essence, your college education will be more than the collection of classes you take, and will include all other extracurricular activities carefully drafted by the schools themselves. Jankel and I present the 5 steps that we will present in the following episodes, starting with Step # 1: Uncovering Your Personal Preferences. On this step, we begin by discussing the importance of choosing schools in locations appropriate to you. We describe the differences between urban, suburban, and rural campuses, and the experiences students will enjoy at each. We also present New York University, Villanova University, and Pacific Union College as examples of each. You will find the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. You can help our podcast greatly by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review on the podcast platform you used to download this episode. That kind gesture will go a long way in helping us reach out to more students and parents. Thank you!

#118 – On this episode we continue our conversation about the different types of colleges and universities you will encounter as you prepare to make a list of colleges and universities to which you will apply. Jankel and I begin by discussing the very important issue of affordability. We proceed to uncover different types of colleges, including those that are considered to be elite institutions, liberal arts colleges, women’s colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Roman Catholic institutions, and what students will find at conservative or liberal colleges and universities You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help us reach a wider audience by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. That is the best way you can help our efforts. We truly appreciate it! Thank you!

#117 – There will be a time in the life of the college-bound high school student when making a list of colleges and universities will be a priority. The schools in the list will be the ones to which he or she will be sending an application for admission. On this episode, we begin a series of episodes that explores the different types of colleges and universities available to students. Not all colleges are the same. We begin by uncovering the differences between each different type and give you an understanding of what students in those institutions may experience. In truth, there is no institution that is perfect for every student. While some institutions offer a great fit to some students, for other students with different needs and wants, those same institutions may not be ideal. This is an important point to consider because, for some students, attending an institution that is not ideal may prove to be an obstacle to learning. After listening to this episode, you will be able to discern the differences between the different schools, and begin to identify the types of schools that offer you or your kid a better fit. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help our podcast by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review on the podcast platform you used to download this episode. That kind gesture will go a long way in helping us reach out to more students and parents. Thank you!

#116 – Today, we talk about a difficult reality that that many high school students and families experience each year, receiving rejections from colleges that those students aspired to attend. Although rejections (a word I do not like to use in college admissions) are a normal part of the application process, they are never easy to deal with. For the majority of students, applying to college usually comes after hard work and years of dedication throughout high school. By the time they turn in their applications, those students would have gotten to know, and even love, some of the schools to which they apply. Rejections from those institutions comes as a hard blow to those students, and to their parents, who suddenly find themselves witnessing what seems to be the dreams of their kids being crushed. On this episode, Jankel and I share valuable gems from the Forbes magazine article titled, “Parenting the Disappointed College Applicant,” by Brennan Barnard. We go over some of the most important points in the article, and present them along with our personal and professional insights and observations. And it is those insights and observations that we present as the “7 Points to Help Your Family Take the Right Steps and Come Out Ahead.” As the article mentions, the college admission process is not fair, nor was it meant to be. Rejections are possible and, in some cases, should be expected. However, there are ways to prepare for them, and when they present themselves, there are steps to take to ensure the applicant remains in the right frame of mind and forges ahead. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help us reach other high school students and parents by giving us a 5-star rating, and leaving us a positive review. That will truly help us be found more easily in the different podcasting platforms. Thank you!

#115 – On this episode, Jankel and I give you six steps to take and points to consider if you are “waitlisted” by a college or university that you absolutely want to attend. We begin the episode by explaining how a wait list works and how students get selected by from a wait list. Throughout the episode, we uncover the chances you will have to be admitted from a wait list, the steps that can be taken to help yourself if you are ever placed in one, and the ways in which accepting admission from a wait list could end up costing you financially. We end the episode by sharing three actions to take to minimize some of those possible financial costs. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help us increase our reach by giving us a 5-star rating, and leaving us a positive review. We will truly appreciate it. Thank you!

#114 – There will be a time, usually a few weeks after you turn in your college applications, when you will begin to receive responses from the colleges and universities to which you applied. The responses may say you have been given admission, placed on a waitlist, or denied admission. On this episode we walk you through the steps you should take for the schools that give you admission. These steps will help you narrow down your choice to the one school, from among the schools that accepted you, that you absolutely feel is the best one for you. Additionally, we talk about the Financial Aid Award Letter that you will receive from each school that gives you admission, and highlight important areas of it that will help you understand how affordable each school will be. We will give you several pieces of practical advice to help you make wise choices. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. We invite you to please give us a 5-star rating and to leave us a positive review on your podcasting platform of choice. In doing so, you would be helping us grow our community. Thank you!

#113 – The reasons why highly selective schools give admission to some students, while rejecting others students who may appear to be better qualified baffles the minds of a great many families each year. On this episode, we present you with the behind-the-scenes activities and processes that highly selective schools follow as they sort through the many applications they receive, and decide on which students will be admitted. We highlight the reasons why there is no possible foolproof formula to gain admission into highly selective school. Jankel and I uncover the term, “Institutional Priorities,” and use it to explain why colleges and universities may look for a slightly different type of students to admit each year. Throughout the episode we make several general statements about what to expect when applying to a highly selective institution. These statements are not meant to dissuade you or persuade you to apply to one. Rather, we make those statements to give information that will help you find the right frame of mind. For example, we state and give the reasons why no student should count of admission to any highly selective school as a “sure thing”, regardless of academic and non-academic preparation. Towards the end of the episode we encourage you to spend the time and energy that is necessary to make a list of colleges that is well balanced, with a number of schools to which you will have a very good chance of admission based on your qualifications, a number of schools to which admission is likely but not sure (50-50), and a number of schools to which admission is a stretch (highly selective schools). We also remind you of the importance of applying to schools that offer “you” a good fit. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help our efforts by giving us a 5-star rating, and leaving us a positive review. We thank you in advance!

#112 - On this episode, we present advice given by the California Institute of Technology for students seeking admission into selective colleges and universities. We focus on what Caltech says students should do, especially when standardized tests are not part of the admission requirements. We begin by describing what is mean by having great academic preparation, the importance of math and humanities courses for research institutions, and what to do to ensure that your application stands out. This episode is a continuation from the previous episode in which Caltech presented advice on how to prepare during the summer breaks. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help us by giving us a 5-star rating, and leaving us a positive review. That will go a long way in helping us other parents and students who will also find this information useful. Thank you!

#111 - On this episode, we provide helpful information for all of you who are interested in applying to highly-selective colleges and universities. Rather than sharing information out of our knowledge and experience, we decided to let Caltech do all the talking. Caltech has a wealth of advice to give high school students on how to best prepare to present yourselves as competitive applicants. Although this advice is being presented by Caltech, they make it available to you so you could prepare for other schools that also have small admission rates. This information is also very helpful in helping you prepare for schools that have selective admission criteria that may not be as strict as that of highly-selective schools. Jankel and I present Caltech’s advice on what students should do in their high school summers. That is to say, not just what to do during the summer immediately before applying to college, but during all summers. Additionally, this episode will give you a deeper understanding of what admission officers at schools of the caliber of Caltech will expect to see in each application. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help our efforts by giving us a 5-star rating, and leaving us a positive review. That kind gesture will go a long way in helping us other parents and students who will also find this information useful. Thank you!

#110 – Today, Jankel and I continue presenting the factors students should condering when selecting the colleges and universities that should make it to their final list of schools. That is the list of schools to which admission applications will be submitted. Additionally, we go over the typical ways in which students select colleges and analyze the pros and cons of each. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help our efforts by giving us a 5-star rating, and leaving us a positive review. That kind gesture will help us reach many other high school students and parents around the world. Thank you!

#109 – Today, we begin our series of episodes in which we highlight colleges and universities we feel you should know about. These are the institutions we consider to be the gems of our higher education system. On this episode, we present the University of Washington, a highly-recognized research powerhouse. Founded in 1861, the UW is one of the top public research universities in the country. Jankel and I begin by discussing the school’s location and information related to its programs and majors. We continue by presenting its great many accolades, including its many high-ranking programs. We also discuss the UW student to faculty ratio and very high retention rate. I continue by providing examples of the great research being conducted at the university. Jankel talks about what it takes to be admitted to the UW by showcasing admission information for the 2021-22 freshman incoming class. We end the episode by discussing the different schools that make up the University of Washington, the vast number of extracurricular activities available to students, and information about Greek life. The UW is a great institution truly focused on making the world a better place and preparing students to make their mark in that process. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help us reach other high school students and parents by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. Thank you!

#108 – Today, Jankel and I talk about the importance of finding the colleges and universities that better meet your needs, as you begin to create the list of schools to which you will apply. We present some of the factors that may be considered, including whether you meet the admission requirements, you are able to afford attending the school, the school offers the programs and majors you are interested in. We also highlight the importance of analyzing whether the campus culture, size, and location meet your needs. Lastly, we talk about the importance of assessing whether the teaching style employed by the faculty is appropriate to you, and whether the school will offer you the type of outside-the-classroom activities that are important to you. We will continue our list of factors to consider in episode #110. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Please help our podcast by giving us a 5-star rating, and leaving us a positive review. We sincerely thank you for your support!

#107 – Today, we present three steps to take after completing the FAFSA. These are easy-to-follow steps that will ensure that you receive your financial aid as soon as possible. Additionally, we walk you through a detailed description of the steps taken to award you need-based and non-need-based financial aid. As the episode progresses, you will gain an understanding of what your Student Aid Report will tell you and what it will not tell you. You will also understand the meaning of Cost of Attendance and your Expected Family Contribution. On this episode, Jankel and I go to great lengths to try to demystify what goes on behind the scenes as your financial aid is processed, and attempt to give you an optimistic outlook, reminding you of the many advantages that will be available to you when it comes to helping you pay for college. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Every link we talked about on this episode will be listed on the episode page. We are grateful that you are part of our College Metropolis community. Please help our efforts by telling others about us, giving us a 5-star rating, and leaving us a positive review. We sincerely thank you!

#106 – On this episode, Jankel and I present the six steps that are necessary to apply for and receive financial aid. We highlight the details of the first two, including, the information that will be necessary to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and how to complete the form. During our conversation, we also discuss ways to avoid mistakes that students and parents can make, which can slow down the process of securing aid. Jankel talks about what to do if your family’s financial situation changes after submitting the FAFSA. These steps are very important as they may lead to a change in the amount of financial aid you receive, one that more accurately reflects your current financial situation. We also talk about different family structures and how students can find out which parent’s financial information they are supposed to use on the FAFSA. In some cases, the answer may not be as straight forward as it might first appear. You can access the show notes for this episode at https://www.collegemetropolis.com. Every link we talked about on this episode will be listed on the episode page. We thank you for being part of our College Metropolis community. Please help us reach a wider audience by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. That will be very helpful to our efforts and we will truly appreciate it!

#105 – On this episode we present the 10 most common mistakes students and parents/guardians make when filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Although some of these mistakes are easily avoidable, some can be more difficult to catch. We talk about several elements related to applying for financial aid, and highlight the importance of keeping track of the 3 different types of deadlines and applying early. Jankel also gives advice to students and parents/guardians whose Expected Family Contribution may be more than they could afford. She follows her advice with a story in which she helped a close friend lower her family’s Expected Family Contribution. You can find the show notes for this episode, including several important links on our website at https://collegemetropolis.com. Please help us reach a wider audience by giving our podcast a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. We greatly appreciate it. Thank you!

#104 – Today, we share 4 steps students can take if they find themselves having a low grade point average (GPA), and the time to apply to college is around the corner. The advice we provide today is particularly helpful for students whose dream is to attend a selective college or university. Additionally, we provide 2 alternative ways in which students who do not meet the GPA requirements, may be able to gain admission into selective institutions. You can find the show notes for this episode, including important links on our website at https://collegemetropolis.com. Please help us reach a wider audience by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. That kind gesture would help us reach other high school students and parents who are in need of this content. Thank you!

#103 – On this episode, we conclude our 7-part series on the personal essay. Today, Jankel and I begin by introducing the importance of seeking feedback on your 4th draft. We talk about the people in your life who would be great participants in this feedback-seeking exercise. We go over 7 questions to ask those individuals and present ways to gather even more information from them. The resulting 5th draft will undergo an additional adjustment, and the results will be the 6th draft. The only step left to take after that is to have the essay be read by another person, another set of eyes, to ensure that it is mechanically perfect. The resulting 7th draft would be the final essay. Time to celebrate! Please go to our show notes on https://collegemetropolis.com to print a copy of the questions we present on this episode. Please help us grow by giving our show a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. We sincerely thank you!

#102 – Today, we reach the next step in crafting the personal essay. Jankel and I uncover the process of calibrating the 3rd draft in such a way that it becomes a message that communicates the intended message. We go over the questions to ask to guide that calibration. In the first half of the episode we talk about a mistake some students make when writing their personal essay. Unfortunately for them, that mistake garners them negative attention from college admission officers. The good news is that it is easy for students to avoid making that mistake. We will tell you all about it. Once the 4th draft is completed, it will be ready to be presented to others for reading and providing feedback. Please go to our show notes on https://collegemetropolis.com to print a copy of the questions we present on this episode. We ask you to please help our show by giving our show a 5-star review on the podcasting platform you use and leaving us a positive review. That will go a long way in helping us be found by others like you. Thank you!

#101 – On this episode we give you 12 questions and pieces of advice that will help you turn the information you created on your second draft into a workable third draft. Jankel and I talk about what to do to grab the attention of the college admission representatives reading your essay, and how to get them to become immersed in your story. As we share those steps you should take and things you should do, we also share plenty of what you should not do as a writer. Some of what you will do as you write your third draft will seem counterintuitive, and may feel as though you will be violating the rules of writing you have learned in high school. We will explain when and how this happens, and why it is okay to do it in your personal essay. You can find the show notes for this episode at https://collegemetropolis.com/101. You can help our show greatly by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. That is the best way you can help our podcast. We will truly appreciate it. Thank you!

#100 – Today, we uncover the process of turning the first draft of your personal essay into your second draft. Jankel and I go over eight questions to ask about the information on your first draft, so that at the end, you are left with the building blocks you will use to write the body of your personal essay. At the beginning of the episode, we talk about two pieces of advice I often share with parents about some of the ways they could best support their kids in high school. We also let students know how they could use that same piece of advice to benefit themselves in their college preparation. You can find the show notes for this episode, including the eight questions we presented on this episode, at https://collegemetropolis.com/100. You can help us greatly by giving us a 5-star rating and leaving us a positive review. That kind gesture will go a long way in helping us reach out to many other parents and students in need of the information we share. Thank you!