Junior year is the most important year of high school. With harder classes, standardized tests, colleges to visit, and lots of (mis) information flying around, it’s time to get the truth about what 11th graders need to be doing now.

Enter college admissions Swiss-army-knife Brandi Smith. Name anything in the college admissions profession and she’s done it. Worked in admissions? Vanderbilt. Check. Been a school counselor? Public or Independent, she has done both. Check. Community based organization? Yes, she’s done that too. Check. She is one of the biggest names and “personalities” in College Admission!

Listen in as Brandi shares what families, especially Black families,  need to be doing now to get ahead in the college process.

**Production note this episode was recorded prior to North Carolina System changing back to being test-optional for the upcoming year. 

College is expensive and few things matter more in building a college list and deciding where to go more than cost. In this episode, seasoned higher education professional and the founder of the financial aid app, FinAide - https://finaideapp.com/ - , shares how this revolutionary tool helps students, parents, and schools learn the REAL cost of college.

By breaking down financial aid award letters step by step, Jason and his app share how much each semester of each year will cost. This is exactly what families need to know about how to make the best financial decisions for their children’s college education.

From their forthcoming book, the Black Family’s Guide to College Admission: A Conversation About Education, Parenting and Race, Tim and Shereem highlight a few of the book’s gems about "The Black Ivies" and "Sports Arts, and Special Talents." The book is set to spark conversations that all college-bound Black families need to discuss so buckle up and get a little taste of what’s to come! 

They also talk about the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson and how her school counselor told her "you will never get into Harvard." #howyoulikemenow 

As always they will also introduce you to some new schools that you may want to consider as you are building your child's college list. 

Meet the Application to Admission hosts, Tim Fields, and Shereem Herndon-Brown, and listen to their unique style of explaining how college admissions really works as well as their take on all the current news in the college admissions landscape. As an extension of their Understanding the Choices brand, the hosts give you the real and raw options that students and families have as children approach adulthood.

What is Understanding the Choices? It’s a mission and a movement that aims to lead the discussions about reimagining what educational success looks like for Black families. This first episode serves as a notice of the evolution of education and how parents need to approach college admissions and understand the choices for their children.