Podcast Episodes

Introduction: Mark and Julia discuss colleges that offer a binding early program months before their competitors, listen to learn about this unique way to apply to Wake Forest and to the University of Chicago. The two programs are similar in some ways but very different in other ways. After 5 years, Colonel Robert Kirkland is [...]

In this week's episode you will hear In the News (3:45): Mark and Julia discuss waitlists and then they discuss an article by Jeff Selingo entitled, “The New Trick Families are using to Lower Tuition” Part 2 of 2 (Length 23 minutes) This week’s question (26:57): Our roundtable is back (Hillary, Susan, Julia, Vince and [...]

Introduction : Mark shares six different groups of parents where he has seen conflict. Mark explains eight or nine areas where conflict arises on the college process. After 5 years, Colonel Robert Kirkland is back, Lynda interviews Rob on the Service Academies of West Point, the Naval Academy and the Air Force-Part 3 of 4 [...]

In this week's episode you will hear In the News (25:20): Mark and Julia discuss waitlists and then they discuss an article by Jeff Selingo entitled, “The New Trick Families are using to Lower Tuition” Part 1 of 2 (Length 24 minutes) This week’s question (49:28): Our roundtable is back (Hillary, Susan, Julia, Vince and [...]

Introduction : Mark shares one missed opportunity when it comes to the college admission journey Lisa and Mark discuss an answer to a question from Kerry from suburban Chicago, she wants to know, in this age of students applying to 20 or so schools, is it okay if my student applies to only five or [...]

In this week's episode you will hear Question from a listener: Number 1 (2:08): Mark and Julia answer a question, If a student attends a highly resourced schools, what does a student have to do to get top grades for rigor (Length 29 minutess) Question from a listener: Number 2 (31:28): Our roundtable is back [...]

Introduction : Mark shares one missed opportunity when it comes to the college admission journey After 5 years, Colonel Robert Kirkland is back, Lynda interviews Rob on the Service Academies-Part 1 of 4 Preview : Part 1-Preview Rob was first on our podcast in August of 2019, but I interviewed him in June of 2019, [...]

In this week's episode you will hear Question from a listener: Number 1 (4:28) : We have two Questions from listeners today. Susan and Julia answer a question, If something really bad happened at your high school before you got there, should you discuss it? (Length 7 minutes) Question from a listener: Number 2 (11:52): [...]

Introduction : Two of our listeners share advice from things they learned from going through the college process Mark interviews Michael Keaton, the VP of Enrollment at Ursinus College on “The Importance of Fit” Preview : Julia and I interview Michael Keaton for the third of a trilogy of interviews we did with Michael, the [...]

In this week's episode you will hear Question from a listener: Number 1 (3:05): We have two Questions from listeners today. Susan and Mark answer a question, How do colleges perceive it when a student does three years of high school instead of four years? (Length 9 minutes) Question from a listener: Number 2 (12:43): [...]

Introduction : Julia and I discuss Scholarship Displacement, what is it and is there anything you can do about it; are any states outlawing scholarship displacement Julia and Mark discuss Stanford’s return to requiring the SAT or the ACT and Mark has his first grinding my gears in the last 6 months. Mark interviews John [...]

In this week's episode you will hear This week's question number 1 (3:05): We have two Questions from listeners today. Lisa and Mark answer a question, How important should a student’s experience at an “Admitted Student Program” be when selecting a college? (Length 13 minutes) This week’s question number 2 (16:10): Mark and Susan then [...]