An Education Abroad

This week I got to sit down with Richard Montauk, one of the original voices of advice in all things educational consulting. It was an absolute honor to speak with him, and as always, he's a wealth of information on what law schools (or business schools, or top colleges) really like to see.

What do the best student union in the UK, life-saving research with the National Health Service, and ducks have in common? If you guessed the University of Sheffield, you'd be right (and probably leaning over my shoulder, because how else would you get that answer?). Join Haley Drogus, Sheffield's dedicated person for the Americas, as we discuss one of the coolest universities in the UK.

One of the best ways to stand out to universities is to prove you're already ready for university-level work. To that end, Dual Enrollment courses can be incredibly useful, but they're not perfect. That said, with a few tweaks, they can be an incredibly useful tool to help you get into university overseas.

Call it burnout from dealing with two weeks of machinations of which APs to submit (or not to submit), but we thought it would be nice to take a look at how to go to university overseas if you don't have a lot of AP scores. Luckily, if you're not looking at Oxbridge or LSE, you've got plenty of options.

We definitely don't think that a full degree abroad is the right fit for everyone (though obviously we're biased that it is a good idea!), but we think a lot of people could benefit from a semester or a year abroad. To that end, I give a few of my best tips on how to find the best program for a semester or year overseas.

Even though we're focused on the rest of the world, we don't live in a bubble. A lot of people have questions about applying to top universities in the US, and for that, I spoke with my friend Stef Mauler. Stef runs the Mauler Institute, and is one of the best minds when it comes to admissions here in the US. More importantly, she's a great friend and believes that student mental healt...

I had planned on having this discussion with my wife about law school experiences in the US vs. the UK later in the year, but as the bar exam approaches, she suggested it might be a good form of procrastination (for her). Oh, and that any mention of the law or the study thereof might be less than welcome for the next eight to ten weeks. So we did it now.

This week I sat down with a former student who is studying geography at Oxford. Sophie and I discuss what it is like to be a student at Oxford, what the application process was like, and why on Earth someone would want to study geography (pun intended!).

After a break for Independence Day last week, Kevin's wife Kait joins us to ask frequently asked questions about going overseas. Honestly, it may be Kait procrastinating from studying for the bar, or her attempts as a sleeper cell agent for Auburn University. Your choice, really.

Whether it's a personal statement, cover letter or letter of intent, most overseas universities want to know a bit more about you. For a lot of students (and more than a few college counselors), the written portion is the scariest part of the entire application! Luckily there are people like Emily Grossi of Elucido who make it look easy, and even make it fun.

Not surprisingly, a fair number of neurodiverse individuals are attracted to the idea of studying overseas. To quote one past student who identifies as neurodiverse, "I don't have to waste time on things I don't care about." To explore what it is like to be neurodiverse and a student overseas, we talk to Dr. Angela Lauria about the latest research and the student (and adult!) exp...

Back to where it all began for Kevin in this episode, that takes a look at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. If you're interested in global affairs at all, this place is worth a look. Alberto Demo, SOAS's international student recruitment manager, almost has me convinced to go back for another Masters by the time this is over.

Two beautiful campuses, a top 50 global reputation, and an entirely transparent admissions process that takes into account holistic attributes makes the University of British Columbia a great fit for many people. Kevin talks with Tomoka Mano about what it is like at one of the most international universities in the world (and how it's surprisingly affordable for Americans).

Kevin sits down with Sam, a student who Kevin worked with for the past two years for his overseas applications. Sam talks about his experiences in applying overseas, and why he ultimately chose not to apply to Oxbridge (at least not for now).

Today we talk about the Digital SAT with my good friend Lisa Speransky, founder of Ivy Tutors Network. We learn that adaptive testing isn't something to be all that scared of. Behind the scenes, I learn just how useful audio editing can be as the two Aussies were not having a good day...

We talk to the number one private university in Germany, and Islamic finance make an odd appearance in discussing Constructor University's novel method to increase affordability and invest its own financial future in that of its students.

Y'all are in for a treat today. Mark Stucker, host of Your College Bound Kid (where I got my feet wet in the world of podcasting) and founder of School Match 4 You, comes on to talk about the importance of fit and match. If you ever needed a fool-proof way to describe why one school isn't perfect for everyone, Mark's got it.

Aly Stewart, the International Recruitment Manager for North America, joins Kevin to talk about the University of Edinburgh. Home to one of the best vet schools in the world, a number of famous scientists and thinkers, and even a student who learned middle school history from Kevin (who, I'm proud to say, stayed with the social sciences), Edinburgh has a lot to offer.

Ned Johnson, President and Tutor-Geek at PrepMatters in Bethesda, MD, was one of my first phone calls when I decided to take the plunge and do this for real. He, for some odd reason, still answers the phone. He's also the co-author of "The Self-Driven Child," which takes the question of motivation and addresses it in a way that is beneficial to the mental health of children and adult...

This week we talk to Todd St. Vrain of the University of Melbourne. Ranked #14 in the world, UniMelb has a lot to offer students who don't want the uncertainty of less quantitatively-driven admissions decisions, even though there is one rather odd entrance requirement.

We talk to Vince Garcia, a long-time IEC and interviewer for the Point Foundation, about issues faced by LGBTQ students when applying both in the US and overseas. Notably, we talk about the best ways to make transitioning to a new country as smooth of a process as possible.

Whenever I meet with students, the question of St. Andrews comes up, simply because everyone has heard of St. Andrews. Ivar Moller of St. Andrews joins me to discuss the flexibility of Scottish degrees, the extremely high graduation and retention rates of UK universities (but particularly St. Andrews), and the temptation of Ancient History.

Normally we aim to release shows every Wednesday, but since we're having Newcastle and St. Andrews on a panel this Thursday, we wanted to make sure people were familiar with both (we're also having the University of Melbourne on, but they will be our next profile!). Thomas Day of Newcastle is passionate about the absolutely awesome place of Newcastle University both regionally and internat...

Every podcast needs an awkward first episode, and one about going overseas for university is no different. Kevin is joined by his friend Julia Esquivel, a college counselor at the Milton Academy, to discuss how he ended up in this field.