Admit Report Podcast

Admit Report Podcast

By Ben BousquetEducation
Download on the App Store

Admit Report Podcast episodes

  • The Power of a Cohesive College Application

    This episode is a companion to our popular article on the same topic. In it, Ben discusses:

    • How admission officers are trained to look for stories in your application
    • ...and how to tell your story
    • Questions to ask yourself when you are preparing to write your essays
    • What a "thesis statement" of your application is, examples of good ones, and how to build your application around yours
    • Plus tons of insight into highly selective admissions from Ben's own experience

      • Subscribe to the Admit Report Podcast for more admissions content!
      Check out our website, ⁠admitreport.com⁠, for hundreds of articles on admissions as well as courses, strategy guides, data, and private consulting.

      14 min
    • Demonstrated Interest in Admissions

      In this episode of the Admit Report Podcast, Ben discusses how demonstrated interest factors into admissions. He covers:

      • What demonstrated interest is and examples of how it is used
      • How to increase your chances of admission by demonstrating interest when it matters
      • How schools may sneakily track demonstrated interest


        • Subscribe to the Admit Report Podcast for more admissions content!
        Check out our website, ⁠admitreport.com⁠, for hundreds of articles on admissions as well as courses, strategy guides, data, and private consulting.

        20 min
      • Early Decision in Admissions

        In this episode of the Admit Report Podcast, Ben discusses the role of Early Decision (ED) in college admissions, and various strategies around ED. He covers:

        • The definitions of ED, ED2, EA, and RD... a lot of acronyms!
        • When to apply ED
        • How you might strategize using your ED
        • And the three-pronged test to decide if ED is right for you

          • Subscribe to the Admit Report Podcast for more admissions content!
          Check out our website, ⁠admitreport.com⁠, for hundreds of articles on admissions as well as courses, strategy guides, data, and private consulting.

          14 min
        • The Extracurriculars Episode

          In this episode of the Admit Report Podcast, Ben dives into:

          • How extracurricular activities are assessed and "scored" in admissions
          • What types of activities "count" in college admissions
          • Several ideas on how to level up your extracurriculars
          • And an example of a student with seemingly great extracurriculars who was denied... and what you might do differently

            • Subscribe to the Admit Report Podcast for more admissions content!

            Check out our website, admitreport.com, for hundreds of articles on admissions as well as courses, strategy guides, data, and private consulting.

            24 min
          • How Do Admission Offices Review 50k+ Applications?

            This episode of the Admit Report Podcast is a companion podcast to this popular article.


            In it, Ben discusses a common question he received at Vanderbilt: how the heck do you possibly review almost 50,000 applications every year? Ben breaks down admissions decisions into the components schools care about most including academics, extracurriculars, and fit for major. He discusses how admission officers make the tough admissions decisions that can seem random when so many highly-qualified students are denied from competitive schools.

            Subscribe to the Admit Report Podcast for more admissions content!
            Check out our website, ⁠admitreport.com⁠, for hundreds of articles on admissions as well as courses, strategy guides, data, and private consulting.

            20 min
          • Three-and-a-half lessons I learned in admissions

            This episode of the Admit Report Podcast is a companion episode to one of our most popular articles. In it, Ben discusses 3 (...and a half!) lessons learned from his time in highly-selective admissions. Give it a listen to learn what they are!

            Subscribe to the Admit Report Podcast for more admissions content!
            Check out our website, ⁠admitreport.com⁠, for hundreds of articles on admissions as well as courses, strategy guides, data, and private consulting.

            11 min

          About Admit Report Podcast

          From the publisher's feed

          The Admit Report Podcast pulls back the curtain on college admissions. We discuss application strategy, concepts, and advice. All episodes are geared towards high school students and their families who are preparing for college admissions.