The College Prep Podcast

We are continuing with our shorter summer episodes and with Megan’s series highlighting the components of the typical college application. Today’s topic: testing. This used to be a very factual and straightforward part of college applications, but with the growing popularity of test optional admissions, this has become a potentially problematic section. Megan helps students navigate th...

We are continuing with our shorter summer episodes and with Erin’s series highlighting the ways in which students can learn key skills so they can live independently. Today’s focus is on organization. Moving from decluttering (episode 481) to organization, Erin shares her big tips for getting a space organized including what to buy (hint: nothing), where to put things, and the differen...

We are continuing with our shorter summer episodes and with Megan’s series highlighting the components of the typical college application. Today’s topic: honors. If you don’t brag about yourself, no one will. Megan goes through the different ways to fill out this section whether you have lots of honors or very few. If you are curious to see what a college application looks like t...

We are continuing with our shorter summer episodes and with Erin’s series highlighting the ways in which students can learn key skills so they can live independently. Today’s focus is on decluttering. Did you know that decluttering, organizing, and cleaning are three very separate tasks? Erin tackles the first of these with some of her best tips from her favorite declutterer. Resource:...

We are continuing with our shorter summer episodes and with Megan’s series highlighting the components of the typical college application. Today’s topic: the education section. The education section of college applications is very factual, but there are a few places where mistakes can be made. The current year course schedule (Senior courses) that colleges request can speak volumes abo...

We are continuing with our shorter summer episodes and with Erin’s series highlighting the ways in which students can learn key skills so they can live independently. Today’s focus is on self-care. Adulting is something all students need to be independent learners. In this min-series, Erin breaks down some tips for independent living. First up is self-care. What does that mean and when...

We are continuing with our shorter summer episodes and with Megan’s series highlighting the components of the typical college application. Today’s topic: family information. Why do colleges ask for household information and a list of all siblings? Why do they want your parent / guardian information, including their occupation, colleges attended, and degrees? Megan explains why these qu...

How do you make change? How do you know you are ready? How do we form habits? Erin explores how we set habits, tweak habits, and when it is a good idea to sustain a habit. Here are some resources mentioned: The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg Atomic Habits – James Clear The post 477: Habit Loop appeared first on The College Prep Podcast .

Megan & Erin are featuring shorter episodes for the summer. This summer Megan is working on a series featuring all parts of a typical college application. Today’s episode kicks off with personal and demographic information. For most applicants, this will be easy and straightforward information, but some students may face dilemmas. Megan walks us through the beginning of the Common App (a...

Most schools have students choose their classes at the end of year. Megan breaks down the five main mistakes she sees college-bound students making with their courseloads. This is a great episode to listen to before we get started with school in the fall so you can change any course mistakes you might have accidentally made. Today we discuss Skipping Core Courses Lack of Rigor Too Much Rigor (too...

Erin took a deep dive into the world of checklists. What makes a good checklist? What leads to success of using a checklist? What components does the checklist need? Human Factors of Fight-Deck Checklists: The Normal Checklist – Degani and Wiener: https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19910017830 The Checklist Manifesto – Atul Gawande: https://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Ri...

Students have strong opinions about talking to their teachers. That makes sense since it can be intimidating. Megan and Erin discuss why you should talk to you teachers, when you should talk to them, and how to do it! And if you have a grumpy teacher, they share tips for preparing for that conversation. Talk to your teachers! Here’s how. And here’s the book Erin mentions: The post 473:...

It’s nearly the end of the school year! Megan and Erin have broken down the things that students and families should do over the summer. Heck, sometimes they even disagree! Listen to hear their suggestions about summer assignments, housekeeping tasks, exploring interests, and even how civic engagment can even be a family task. The post 472: It’s the end of the school year…now wha...

Megan has noticed that students have gaps in their math knowledge, even when they are getting tutoring. What should parents look for? How can students improve their math skills? Erin reflects on her time as a math teacher and provides some tips for numerical literacy and how to avoid simple math mistakes. The post 471: Ideas to Improve Student Success in Math appeared first on The College Prep Pod...

Erin always talks about enjoying rather than managing your child and Megan wants to know how to actually do that! Erin provides strategies for talking to your kids as an anxious problem-solving parent and Megan shares some real-world examples of stepping back in the management of her teenage son. Resources: How to Raise an Adul t Ross Greene Collaborative and Proactive Solutions The post 470: How...

Megan and Erin have college admissions results coming in and they share what they are noticing. What has worked and what hasn’t? What strategies do they have for minimizing unwanted impacts? How has the push for test-optional schools changed the application process? We dig into the admissions results we are seeing and attempt to help clarify what families could do to be most successful in th...

Megan tackles some of the honest College Prep answers that families don’t want to hear. Sometimes, tough love is the answer and here are all of the things people ask that Megan winces before answering. Erin asks about whether to send subpar test results to schools. This episode is full of questions that people don’t want to know the answers to. Sorry in advance. Episode 466: Should We...

Erin wonders why so many students are reluctant to consider single-sex institutions. She shares a little of the background of the Seven Sisters and her experience at a women’s-only college. Megan and Erin try to dispel some myths and compare it to a Greek system. Who is a single-sex institution a good choice for? The post 467: Why is Single Sex Education a Hard Sell? appeared first on The Co...

Megan and Erin chat about the verbiage of college (again) but with a suggestion from a parent on terminology. There is a powerful discussion about how to choose which of the colleges you are accepted into and Erin shares an article from Malcolm Gladwell about choosing the right college. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/10/10/getting-in The post 466: Should We Rate Schools Like Ski Slopes? a...

A parent Erin works with was asking for clarity about the alphabet soup of acronyms for the various types of college applications. Megan breaks down her strategy for when to apply to schools and how to build momentum as the college apps threaten to consume students’ lives over break. Do YOU know the difference between ED and EA? Now is your chance to find out! The post 465: Strategies around...

A parent, Elisa, wonders about GPAs–what is weighted versus unweighted? How much do they matter in the college admissions process? Megan shares her best advice for choosing a course of study to make you attractive to colleges while Erin encourages those who might have made a few mistakes already to salvage their GPAs. The post 464: The Importance of the GPA in the College-Admissions Process...

We hear from Susan, a parent who, after the rigamarole of homeschool college applications, had a few questions and some tips for other parents. When should students enroll in a program outside of homeschooling? How do colleges look at GPAs and transcripts? Should homeschoolers take the SAT/ACT even for test optional schools? Megan and Erin tackle all things homeschooling! A website/blog Susan used...

A parent wonders, “how to pick a major for students who desire professional certifications.” Megan shares that not all colleges handle majors the same and provides a few tips on choosing a major. Want to be pre-law, pre-med, engineering, or other specific major? Then this is the episode for you! The post 462: How Much Do Majors Matter for Professional Degrees? appeared first on The Col...

Erin shares how her student, Victoria, is whittling down her college list and how some of the terminology can really change our feelings about the various schools. Words like “safety,” “target,” “reach,” and other words that Megan would like to kick out of the college dictionary. Along with healthier ways to talk about college, Megan and Erin cover how many scho...

Guest expert Jane Gabin joins Megan to discuss the issue of part time versus tenured faculty. This issue goes beyond the staffing policies of universities and can affect your experience as a student. Jane explains the problem, how it can impact students, and how families can research this issue while searching for the perfect college.  You can search for the schools on your list using “Commo...