We're exploring the college application process in this show, with Lisa Bleich, author of "Surviv-ing the College Application Process." I found this book particularly useful in its case study ap-proach to helping students determine what type of "angular student" they are in the eyes of their target schools.

Bleich's background in marketing, teaching and mentoring combined, lead her to assisting stu-dents and their families in exploring their unique strengths that will help them appeal to colleges when they apply, and write their essays. She tells us that there were already books that explain the "what" of the application process, and her book, which uses 11 various case studies, helps explain the "how" and the "why" of the process. The narrative format also is designed to help students identify themselves and their situations to provoke questions of their own to hone in on their own unique talents and experiences.

Later, we also dive into the question on who should fill out the FAFSA or the CSS Profile, which are financial aid forms used to determine eligibility for aid and the types of aid families can ex-pect to receive.