In this week’s episode…

In the News (1:59): Mark and Anika discuss this fantastic article entitled, “Making the Case for Test-Optional”.

In this week’s book discussion (12:03): of Chapter 18 of 171 Answers: to the Most-Asked College Admissions Questions looks at a new and creative way for students to find colleges that they have not been thinking of and are not even aware of.

Mark and Anika mention two creative and unique free sources in this discussion. We talk about how do students learn about colleges. Usually, students only know about a limited number of colleges that they learn about through TV, and through their friends and family. Mark encourages students to be open to colleges that they have not heard of before. We strongly recommend these two sources be utilized (Length 8:58)

This week’s question (21:01) is from Ms. Thomas in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ms. Thomas wants to know what is the purpose of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Mark explains how the Federal government, State governments and the college itself use this document to assess how much money they will give each student. (Length 5:10)

This week’s interview is with Deb Shaver, Dean of Admissions at Smith College. (26:11) Mark and Deb discuss the value of Women’s colleges. Deb shares research with us about how students that attend Women’s colleges excel. Deb also debunks some stereotypes about students who attend Women’s colleges.

Deb Shaver, Dean of Admissions at Smith College until July, talks about her 38 years in admissions, discussing the five colleges she has worked at. Next Deb shares the research about the ways women who attend Women’s colleges outperform their peers who attend coed schools. Deb encourages listeners to go to http://www.womenscolleges.org/ to research Women’s colleges and to read more about the studies revealing the success women have had who attend Women’s Colleges. Deb shares how she responds to some specific stereotypes about Womens Colleges. Deb shares some examples of scenarios when she feels particularly passionate that a student is an exceptional match for a Women College. To listen, go to 26:11 (16 minutes long).

Every episode of Your College-Bound Kid will align with a chapter from the book 171 Answers to the Most-Asked College Admission Questions. To get a copy visit 171answers.com and if you want to see what future episodes will cover just click the red button “See exactly what 171 Answers covers”.

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