Getting In: A College Coach Conversation

Is your plan to apply to all the Ivies plus some additional highly selective colleges because you think it will increase your odds of being admitted? Host Ian Fisher will be joined by College Coach colleague Landis Fryer to explain why it doesn't , and why a carefully targeted list makes the most sense .    For seniors , at this point you have likely received admission decisions from all your coll...

Join us today for a return of our parent panel! Learn more about how our team of college experts navigated the college process for their own student s , what they learned, and what they found challenging when host Sally Ganga interviews College Coach colleagues Karen Spencer, Mary Sue Youn, and Jay Bonham. And to kick off the program, Laurie Peltier will be explaining to Sally when parents are bor...

Students, have you heard that colleges want you to take AP exams even if you haven't taken the class? Are you confused about whether you will be required to report the scores? Host Shannon Vasconcelos will be talking with College Coach colleague Blair Dixon about all things Advanced Placement.    Juniors may also be concerned about asking for letters of recommendation. How many are necessary? Who...

Are you and your senior student unsure of how you will pay for college? Listen in to this segment, when host Sally Ganga interviews College Finance expert Michelle Smoley about developing a strategy for paying for colleges using creative finance.    Some seniors are also coping with unwanted decisions from colleges, like being denied from their top choice, or waitlisted. College Coach colleague Sc...

Are you unsure of your major? Or , have you picked your major based solely on what you want as your future career? Listen in, as the connection between majors and careers is not always linear and direct. Host Ian Fisher will interview College Coach colleagues Taryn, Andrea, former high school counselor and advisor at Boston University , and Leigh P inkston, former Assistant Director of Career Deve...

Seniors, after those admit letters roll in, you'll also start receiving invitations to admitted student programs. College Coach colleague Sara Calvert-Kubrom is joining host Shannon Vasconcelos to discuss why you should attend and what questions you should ask. College Finance expert Jan Combs will also be there to suggest what to ask about finances at those events. Last, College Coach colleague S...

Right around now, juniors are trying to figure out where they will be applying to college. But how ? Is it all about the nicest dorm and best food? College Coach colleague Nial Rele will be joining host Ian Fisher to discuss what is important in choosing a college and why. In many cases, cost will be a very big factor, so College Finance Expert Aimee Yorsaner will be discussing how to use your col...

Is your student looking for a research opportunity? Our host Ian Fisher will be joined by Jun Yun Chow, co-founder of Polygence , a research mentorship program for teens .      Next, in honor of March Madness, I an will interview College Coach colleague Michael Yager about tips for being an athletic recruit, and also talk with College Coach Finance E xpert Alex Gonzalez about athletic scholarships...

Have you heard that there are changes to the ACT? Not sure how that will impact you or your student? Host Sally Ganga will be joined by Dr. Megan Stubbendeck, Senior Director of Instruction at Arborbridge, a test prep company that is one of College Coach's trusted partners. She will then be joined by College Coach colleague Lisa Albro to discuss why your major matters less than you think, and fina...

It's safe to say that 90% or more of us are concerned about college costs, and today's show is all about paying for college, whether through merit scholarships, appealing financial aid awards, and comparing awards from different colleges and universities. Our host Shannon Vasconcelos will be joined by College Coach Finance Expert and colleague Michelle Smoley for the discussion.

Are you interested in starting your own business? Learning the pluses and the possible pitfalls? Host Sally Ganga has the great fortune to interview three different people who have followed non-traditional paths. She'll be interviewing Steve "Nookie" Postal, a Chef and cookbook author, Jess McDaniel, a professional photographer who has her own business, and Kevin Heald, owner and head beer and che...

If you're a long time listener of the Getting In podcast, or, just curious about how college admissions has evolved over the last ten years, this episode should be of interest. Hosts Sally Ganga, Shannon Vasconcelos, and ian fisher join Elizabeth Heaton, Getting In's original host, to say goodbye and reflect on the podcast and admissions trends since its inception almost exactly ten year ago. Beth...

Have you heard of Curious Cardinals? Host ian fisher of Bright Horizons College Coach will be chatting with Audrey Wisch, Co-founder and President, about CC's mission to help high school students find their passion through mentorships. Are you concerned about financial aid and trying to understand what the SAI is? College Coach finance expert Dina Birmingham will be discussing how it is used in fi...

Do you want to hear from our newest team members here at College Coach? Listen in for a very fun episode with our panel of three college admission experts : K ari n Sherer and Mikhail Filarski, who both came to us from Lewis & Clark University a dmissions, and Kimberly Ortiz , formerly of Harvey Mudd and C altech admissions . In addition, host Shannon Vasconcelos will be talking with our new finan...

Interested in Emory University, or just want to hear from the Director of Admissions at a highly selective university about what is happening right now in undergraduate admissions? On this episode, we have the remarkable good fortune to interview Dr. Mark Butt of Emory for our first two segments. In addition, host Sally Ganga will be joined by finance College Coach colleague Michelle Clifton to di...

Given that it's still cold out, you might think it's too early to be looking at summer program s , but we're here to encourage you to start now! Host Beth Heaton will be speaking with College Coach admissions counselor Landis Fryer about how to begin. Beth will also be speaking with Brendan Nelson of EdAssist , a lso part of the Bright Horizons family of services , about how to earn a degree paid...

Seniors, have you submitted your applications? Feeling a bit anxious and wondering what to do now? You've entered a waiting period that can feel almost as stressful as completing the applications themselves, but if you listen in, you will hear the wise words of Kyra Tyler, College Coach veteran, who is address ing this topic with our host Shannon Vasconcelos. In addition, College Coach finance exp...

The New Year is almost here, and host Sally Ganga will be talking with College Coach admissions counselor Julia Jones about resolutions for 2025 related to the college admission process and education in general.  High school juniors, are you ready to start your college search process? College admissions coach Lisa Albro will be joining Sally to chat about the college search kick-off for juniors. ...

Did you apply Early Decision to a college? Were you deferred or denied? If so, you may be wondering what to do next. Host Ian Fisher will be talking with College Coach admissions counselor Brian Swann, formerly of Carleton College, about next steps. Seniors, are you considering a post-graduate or gap year? Either can be a wonderful option, but it's important to plan carefully. Listen in when Ian t...

Does your student have an IEP or 504 in high school? Is it possible they may use accommodations in colleges, for learning disabilities or health conditions? If so, you may find this episode very helpful. In segment one, host Sally Ganga will be interviewing Sydney Ruff, Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Landmark College about how her institution assists neurodiverse students to succeed in...

Interested in liberal arts colleges? Or, maybe unsure of what liberal arts colleges have to offer? Listen in as host Ian Fisher does a deep dive into Trinity College, a small liberal arts college in Connecticut. He interviews Matthew Hyde, Dean of Admissions and Financial aid, and Joseph Catrino, Executive Director of Career, Life and Design. They'll answer the question of what you can do with a l...

Host Beth Heaton is so pleased to be welcome Harry Feder, the Executive Director of Fair Test, the organization that has been advocating for test optional admissions for students for many years. Feder will be talking about the organization itself as well as the state of testing in undergraduate admissions today. In addition, seniors will soon be receiving decisions from many colleges if they appli...

Have you thought about attending a college with a co-op program? Host Beth Heaton will be interviewing College Coach admissions consultant Kennon Dick about Drexel University where he formerly worked as an admission officer. In addition, College Coach admissions consultant Kristine Sawicki, formerly of Reed College and Stanford University, will share college interview strategies. College finance e...

Applying to Carnegie Mellon? Or Georgetown? You're in luck, as our host Ian Fisher will be interviewing former admission officers from both those institutions. We're very lucky to have Lauren Savage, previously an admission officer at Carnegie Mellon, on our show. College Coach Lauren Randle, previously an admission officer at Georgetown, joins us as well. In addition, College Coach finance expert...

Continuing our series on college application supplements, we are addressing a doozy today! Beth Heaton will be joined by College Coach colleague Jonathan Wickremasinghe-Kuhn to discuss the University of Chicago's supplemental essays. These are challenging, so if you're thinking about applying, listen in. Colleague Nial Rele, resident of Vermont, will be there for another segment to discuss the tha...