College Matters. Alma Matters.

Episode summary introduction: Benjamin Stern of IvyAchievement gives us an update on how colleges view Financial Aid for Fall of 2021 and what students need to do differently. In particular, we discuss the following with him: College Updates on Financial Aid What Students need to do Aid Application Deadlines Topics discussed in this episode: Good News on Financial Aid for 2021 [1:28] Things Studen...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: University of California cannot accept Test Scores [] November Calendar Deadlines [] Colleges reduce Tuition Fees [] Colleges Adjust Admissions [] Our Guest: Sh...

Episode summary introduction: Namrata wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to study, and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) let her experiment for a couple of years, before she had to decide. Namrata Vakkalagadda is a graduate of the Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences and a minor in Computer Science. In particular, we discuss the fo...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: Int’l Students will buoy US Colleges Financially [] COVID-19 may make it easier to get into some US Colleges [] Average ACT Test Scores dip [] Our Guest: Shveta...

Episode summary introduction: The calendar is racing towards the end of the year, which means the College Applications deadlines are fast approaching. COVID-19 has changed the contours of the College Applications. In this podcast, with the help of expertise from Admissions Officers and Counselors, we offer some tips before you submit the College Applications. Topics discussed in this episode: What...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: 5-Tips to Applying for College during COVID-19 [] Spring Semesters starting to go online as well [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silico...

Episode summary introduction: Allegheny College is a historic, private liberal arts college in Western Pennsylvania. Over 200 years since its inception, Allegheny is now being recognized as an innovative school and nurtures students who are trying to figure their future. Cornell LeSane, Dean of Admissions at Allegheny College provides his views and insights on the school, students and applications...

Episode summary introduction: Priya wasn’t ready to commit to a major before college, and University of Pittsburgh (“Pitt”) gave her lots of options to try on, before she made a decision. Priya Chandrasekaran is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Psychology and a minor in Sociology. In particular, we discuss the following with her: Why Pitt? The Ac...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: Dorm RAs act as COVID-19 Cops [] Liberal Arts Colleges making a play for Int’l Students [] Tips to Manage Money during COVID-19 [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , Co...

Episode summary introduction: For every student, there is a college out there. The challenge, as we know, is figuring out which one. It turned out that for Avinash Nayak, Princeton had his number. Avinash went to study Computer Science and Cognitive Science at Princeton. Avinash gives us an in-depth account of his undergraduate experience at Princeton University. In particular, we discuss the foll...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: US College Fall Enrollment down [1:18] Calendar Alert: Fall 2021 Application [4:37] U of California Dorms Shutdown cost $1B! [6:13] U of California to appeal “T...

Episode summary introduction: There are over 5000 colleges and universities in the US. Each college and university offers a unique experience. A College Counselor’s role is to help find the right college for you. Shveta Bagade is a College Counselor based in the Silicon Valley in California, shares her experiences and the philosophy that drives her. In particular, we discuss the following with her...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: Purdue Fall Enrollment is up! [] Colleges that are getting the Fall Reopening right [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley Cali...

Episode summary introduction: One big factor, if not the most predominant one, for college-bound students and parents is the cost of attending college . So, it is natural to explore what options are available to fund college education. Benjamin Stern is the founder and CEO of IvyAchievement, a college counseling firm, tells us all about financial aid. In particular, we discuss the following with h...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: Plight of International Students [] Why the mad rush to take the SATs? [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California. Resou...

Episode summary introduction: When Iris Li was in the 11th grade in Taiwan, her teachers strongly encouraged her to apply to the US for college. Iris went on to apply to UC Santa Barbara. Iris graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Global Studies. In particular, we discuss the following with her: Why US? Why UCSB? Adjusting to Campus Life in the US Ad...

Episode Title: Athena Lao on Harvard: Studying Classics, Teaching Abroad and Wanting to Make Things Better. Episode summary introduction: The mere mention of “Harvard” is intriguing. A good fraction of the high school students have Harvard on their list of Colleges they aspire to. Athena Lao is a graduate of Harvard University with a Bachelor’s degree in Classics. In particular, we discuss the fol...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: Univ of California asked to go “Test Blind” [1:20] Status of Colleges Fall Reopening [6:42] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley...

Episode summary introduction: Anu Ramachandran chose the University of Southern California (USC), among other things, for its location, access to culture and their generous scholarship. But Anu’s big takeaways occurred during summers, far away from campus, in the middle of the Amazon and a village in Tanzania. Anu shares her amazing undergraduate experience with us in this episode. In particular,...

Episode summary introduction: Anu Ramachandran chose the University of Southern California (USC), among other things, for its location, access to culture and their generous scholarship. But Anu’s big takeaways occurred during summers, far away from campus, in the middle of the Amazon and a village in Tanzania. Anu shares her amazing undergraduate experience with us in this episode. In particular,...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: 7-tips for International Students during COVID-19 #1 Minimize Expenses #2 Get an Insurance #3 Travel only if you must #4 Look for Safe Accommodation #5 Keep Bui...

Episode summary introduction: Standardized Tests have fallen victim to COVID-19. Over 80% of the Top US Colleges have gone Test Optional, which means they are waiving Standardized Test Scores requirements for Admissions. For now. Nitin Jain, Co-founder of Oncourse shares his views on how students should handle College Applications without Standardized Tests . In particular, we discuss the followin...

Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters . Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news. Topics discussed in this episode: US Colleges walk back their reopening [] Still a Mad rush to get Testing Dates! [] Our Guest: Shveta Bagade , College Counselor based in Silicon Valley Californ...

Episode summary introduction: Sibi Venkatesan knew he wanted to study Computer Science. He had always enjoyed it and was good at it. When time came to go to College, Sibi moved from Bangalore, India to Berkeley, California to pursue the prestigious Electrical Engineering and Computer Science program. Sibi gives us a ringside view into his experiences at University of California Berkeley. In partic...

Episode summary introduction: Anika Gupta wasn’t very keen on MIT. A campus visit to MIT changed all that. She was taken in by the “air of humility” that she felt in the students she interacted with during the campus visit. Anika went on to get a joint major at MIT in Computer Science and Molecular Biology. Anika shares her undergraduate MIT experience in vivid detail. In particular, we discuss th...