College Admissions Insider

When exploring colleges, there's only so much you can do online. At some point, you have to see these places for yourself — all five, 10 or 30 schools on your list. Unless a family member has unlimited vacation days (or a teleportation machine), the only way to realistically visit multiple schools in a reasonable amount of time is by planning a college visit road trip. But how do you organize...

Maybe you sketch in your free time, have a leading role in community theater production or dance in a semi-professional company. Whatever your arts interest, there are abundant opportunities to pursue it in college. On this episode of College Admissions Insider , we're chatting with two current Bucknell students about their involvement in the arts. We'll talk about how they found opportu...

In our last College Admissions Insider minisode, we shared some advice for weighing your admission offers and making a decision. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. There's no one better to walk high school seniors through the process than students who were in their shoes not too long ago. In this episode, we've invited our very own first-year college students to share how they cho...

So far on College Admissions Insider , we've taken you through each step of the application process — from exploring what schools are out there, to making a decision on where you will be applying, and getting ready to submit your very best applications. Now, we've made it to spring and its decision season. It's an exciting time, but it can also be a bit stressful. Is there a magic f...

While search engines provide millions of answers in less than a second, there is one life-changing question for which the answer doesn't arrive as quickly: Did I get in? When you want to know whether you’ve been accepted into your college of choice, things don't happen quickly. In fact, it may be months between the moment you press “submit” on your application and the day that acceptance...

In the past few episodes of College Admissions Insider , we've covered academic disciplines one by one. So far, we've covered sciences, mathematics, the arts, humanities, engineering and management. We encourage you to jump back and listen to those episodes if you haven't yet. Today, we're rounding out this series with the social sciences.  On this episode, we'll get to kn...

For the next little while on College Admissions Insider , we're doing a deep dive into academic disciplines one episode at a time.  So far, we've covered sciences, mathematics, the arts, humanities and engineering. We encourage you to jump back and listen to those episodes if you haven't yet. Today, we're exploring management. On this episode, we'll get to know the kinds o...

In this College Admissions Insider minisode, Brooke and Becca are diving in on their top recommendations for how college-bound students can best spend their last winter break of high school. You might be super excited for this break from learning — and from your college applications. But there are plenty of little ways that you can keep progress going on the college process. Read a transcript for...

For the next little while on College Admissions Insider , we're doing a deep dive into academic disciplines one episode at a time. So far, we've covered sciences, mathematics, the arts, and humanities. We encourage you to jump back and listen to those episodes if you haven't yet. Today, we're exploring engineering. On this episode, we'll get to know the kinds of majors ava...

For the next little while on College Admissions Insider , we're doing a deep dive into academic disciplines one episode at a time. So far, we've covered sciences and mathematics. We encourage you to jump back and listen to that episode if you haven't yet. Today, we're chatting about the humanities. On this episode, we'll get to know the kinds of majors available in these d...

There are so many important choices you'll make in college: which hall to live in, what to eat, how many extracurriculars to join. But most crucial is the decision of what you'll study. For the next little while on College Admissions Insider , we'll be doing a deep dive into academic disciplines one episode at a time. This episode is dedicated to the sciences and mathematics. We&apo...

Waiting is the most agonizing part of the college admissions process. You send off your materials and then keep clicking that refresh button until the decision arrives (or your phone dies). But for a select group of applicants, that waiting period is significantly reduced. These are the students who applied Early Decision or Early Action to their top-choice school or schools. These students could...

Think about the latest TV series you binge-watched. Did it start by saying, "In this TV show, you'll meet a messed-up family with lots of problems." Probably not. It likely threw you right into the story, sharing something interesting just a few moments after you pressed "play." In other words, it hooked you quickly, and it did so by showing, not telling. What if you appli...

Are you wondering how to take your high school athletics game to the collegiate level? Determining whether you should seek to compete in NCAA Division I, II or III sports or continue your involvement at the recreational level can be confusing, but we’re here to help you make the best decision for yourself, based upon your level of commitment and investment. On this episode of College Admissions In...

Whether you're looking to graduate early, get a taste of college level learning or simply challenge yourself with an advanced class, taking an AP, IB or dual enrollment course could take some work off your plate once you get to college. Courses like these often earn students transfer credits, which can be applied to your college transcript and count towards certain required university courses...

Life is full of firsts, from our first steps to our first car, to the first time we leave home to attend the college of our choice. But no one faces life's milestones alone. Experiencing every new phase alongside us are the family members who nurture and cheer us on. This episode of College Admissions Insider is for those family members who are preparing to send their student off into their n...

College is more than a place to learn, meet interesting people and grow. For most students, it's also where you'll live — perhaps for four years of your life. Young people who may be accustomed to living in their own room at home will suddenly be sharing a room (and bathroom) with others. That fact makes finding the right housing fit just as important as finding the right academic fit. S...

Maybe you've spent years volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, helped establish a community garden in a food desert or raised a significant amount of money for a medical organization close to your heart. These kinds of passions can follow you to college, where you can continue to get involved and even receive funding to do it. In this episode of College Admissions Insider , we are talking a...

There's no singular path when it comes to continuing your education. For many, heading to a four-year residential university is a natural leap. For others, pursuing trade school or other professional training might be the next logical move. Then there's the option of community college, which gives students the opportunity to ease into college life, explore a variety of academic disciplin...

By now, high school seniors have probably received the college admissions letters they've been waiting for. While you may have gotten into one, two or several of the colleges on your list, you may have also received a different kind of decision: one that's placed you on the waitlist. Many colleges take advantage of waitlists in the admissions process, giving certain applicants who weren&...

You researched every fact and figure about your choice institutions, wrote and rewrote the perfect admissions essay, and connected with everyone from current students to admissions counselors — all in hopes of receiving that life-changing notification that says, “Congratulations! You’ve been admitted.” Well done! You should be quite proud. But after the confetti settles to the floor, there's...

Succeeding in college is about much more than what you accomplish in the classroom. Truly thriving as a student means growing through self-discovery, intellectual exploration, community relationships and more. That kind of success requires an ecosystem of support that not only encourages a student throughout their journey but opens up doors for them along the way. On this episode of College Admiss...

In our last couple of episodes, we spent time chatting with engineering and management faculty about what students should be looking for in a business or engineering education. But what about all of the majors beyond and in between? You might find diverse disciplines like anthropology, neuroscience, studio art and many more housed together in a College of Arts & Sciences. At some schools, this...

What comes to mind when you think of the word engineering? A hardhat and paper blueprints, a computer with complex modeling software, or maybe a bunch of wires, gears and other technical parts? Engineering can involve all of those things and so much more. When looking for the engineering major, you might want to study in college, you might find that they're grouped together in a school of eng...

With myriad majors and courses to choose from, the possibilities of a college education are limitless. But these programs don't exist on islands all on their own.  Oftentimes, you'll find similar majors grouped together in colleges or schools within a larger university — like a school of medicine, or a college of art and design, or a school of business. On this episode of College Admissi...