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College Matters. Alma Matters.
By Venkat RamanEducation
College Matters. Alma Matters. episodes
- UC Santa Barbara: Lisa Przekop, Admissions Director on Reading 110K Applications, “Happy” Students and UG Focus.
Since becoming part of the University of California system in 1944, University of California Santa Barbara has become one of the premier Public Universities in the world. 110K Students from all over the world applied study at UC Santa Barbara this year.
Lisa Przekop, Director of Admissions at UC Santa Barbara shares an insider’s view on the school, students and applications. Join the UC Santa Barbara Mailing List for updates.
In particular, we discuss the following with Lisa:
- The University of California Santa Barbara
- What is UC Santa Barbara looking for their Students?
- COVID-19 Impact on UC Santa Barbara & Admissions
Topics discussed in this episode:
- UC Santa Barbara - Amazing Location [2:17]
- “What are you looking for in Students?” [6:10]
- How did Lisa Przekop get into College Admissions? [10:17]
- Students Then and Now [14:19]
- Impact of COVID-19 [17:11]
- Fall 2020 and COVID-19 [20:00]
- Making Care Common Project [25:18]
- Is the Nature of College Applications Changing? [29:43]
- A Plea to Students [38:09]
Our Guest: Lisa Przekop is the Director, Office of Admissions at University of California Santa Barbara. Lisa is a UCSB alumna with bachelor’s degree in Development and Experiment Psychology and Master’s in Education.
Memorable Quote: “I stepped on campus and decided I was never going to leave”, Lisa Przekop said of UC Santa Barbara.
Episode Transcript: Please visit this episode’s transcript.
Similar Episodes: Admissions Talk
Calls-to-action:
- Join the UCSB Mailing List for updates. For Virtual Events visit Webinars.
- Subscribe to our Weekly Podcast Digest.
- Follow us on Instagram.
- Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify.
- Email your comments or questions on this episode to [email protected].
43 min - Competitive Colleges: Ben Stern of IvyAchievement on Counseling International Students.
Episode summary introduction: International students nurture dreams of making it to a competitive US College. It requires planning, discipline and a lot of hard work for a chance to get one of the coveted spots in these colleges. Counselors’ expertise and experience can make a difference in the outcome.
Benjamin Stern is the founder and CEO of IvyAchievement, a college counseling firm shares his approach.
In particular, we discuss the following with him:
- What is IvyAchievement?
- About the students in India, Vietnam and others
- COVID-19 Impact on College Admissions
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Birth of IvyAchievement [2:15]
- First Trip to India to meet Students and Parents [6:11]
- Types of Students Counseled [10:55]
- Students in different Geographies [16:05]
- Getting Started with Counseling Sessions [20:34]
- Impact of Test Optional to College Admissions [23:27]
- COVID-19 Uncertainty and College Students [27:16]
- COVID-19 & College Experience [32:24]
- Sweet Spot: Competitive Colleges [36:54]
Our Guest: Benjamin Stern, Founder and CEO of IvyAchievement, USA focuses on international students applying to US Colleges from India, Vietnam and others. IvyAchievement students have been accepted to top universities in the US.
Memorable Quote: “This is my first ever trip to India. I get into Delhi. That day had a high of, I believe, 46 degrees!”
Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.
Calls-to-action:
- Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor.
- Send us your comments or questions on this episode by sending an Email to [email protected] with the Subject: “Podcast Comment”.
- Make Your List of Colleges. If you are planning to apply to US Colleges, visit almamatters.io and signup. You will be placed in “My Page” where you can follow the Steps to make your list of US Colleges below the College List Tool.
- For Transcripts of all our podcasts, please visit almamatters.io/podcasts.
42 min - What is IvyAchievement?
- College News Fit to Digest. July 11, 2020.
Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters. Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- International Students may have to go home in Fall. Colleges Challenge. []
- College Faculty upset about Optional Safety Measures []
Our Guest: Shveta Bagade, College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California.
Resources referred to in this episode:
- Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11]
- NPR []
- CBS []
- BBC []
- NPR []
Episode Transcript: Please visit almamatters.io/podcasts.
Calls-to-action:
- Make Your List of Colleges. If you are planning to apply to US Colleges, visit almamatters.io and signup. You will be placed in “My Page” where you can follow the Steps to make your list of US Colleges below the College List Tool.
- Please Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor.
- Send us your comments or feedback on this episode by sending an Email to [email protected] with the Subject: “Feedback”.
13 min - International Students may have to go home in Fall. Colleges Challenge. []
- Sciences Po and Uddeshya Nigam: 3 Continents and a Degree.
Episode summary introduction: Uddeshya Nigam found a different route to get an Economics undergraduate degree. Uddeshya’s journey takes him to Sciences Po in France, Emory University in the United States, and a final semester of internship in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In particular, we discuss the following with him:
- Why Sciences Po?
- Adjusting to Life & Living in France
- Final Year in Emory University & Buenos Aires
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Why Sciences Po []
- Bokaro to Paris []
- Campus Lingua Franca []
- Academic Transition from High School []
- Close Knit Classmates []
- Profs - Subject Matter Experts []
- Politically Active Campus []
- Int’l Summer Internships []
- Year 2 - Tough Classes []
- Hybrid Year Prep []
- Semester at Emory University []
- The Drama before the Final Internship []
- Venture Capital Internship in Buenos Aires []
- Advice to Aspiring Students []
Our Guest: Uddeshya Nigam recently graduated with Bachelor of Economics and Societies from Sciences Po, France. Uddeshya spent a semester at Emory University as part of the Hybrid Year for graduation.
Memorable Quote: Reaction to the Emory University campus after Sciences Po: "Shocking!”
Episode Transcript: Please visit almamatters.io/podcasts.
Calls-to-action:
- Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor.
- Make Your List of Colleges. If you are planning to apply to US Colleges, visit almamatters.io and signup. You will be placed in “My Page” where you can follow the Steps to make your list of US Colleges below the College List Tool.
- Send your feedback on this podcast to [email protected].
1 hr - Why Sciences Po?
- College News Fit to Digest. June 27, 2020
Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters. Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- OPT Visa lives for now [1:13]
- Colleges go Creative to Reopen in Fall [3:24]
- College cut programs with Lower Pay Potential [6:32]
Our Guest: Shveta Bagade, College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California.
Resources referred to in this episode:
- Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11]
- Chronicle [1:13]
- MassLive [3:24]
- CNBC [6:32]
Episode Transcript: Please visit almamatters.io/podcasts.
Calls-to-action:
- Make Your List of Colleges. If you are planning to apply to US Colleges, visit almamatters.io and signup. You will be placed in “My Page” where you can follow the Steps to make your list of US Colleges below the College List Tool.
- Please Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor.
- Send us your comments or feedback on this episode by sending an Email to [email protected] with the Subject: “Feedback”.
11 min - OPT Visa lives for now [1:13]
- The Stanford Sprint and a Jog. Gobi Dasu on his UG and Graduate Experiences.
Episode summary introduction: Gobi Dasu, a Stanford University alum talks about his college years. How he finished his undergraduate program in 2 years, and became a “digital nomad” after graduating, and then returned to Stanford for Graduate study and enjoyed “all that Stanford had to offer”.
In particular, we discuss the following with him:
- Being a student at Stanford University
- The Decision to graduate in 2 years
- Why he came back to graduate school
Topics discussed in this episode:
- “The Race to Get Out” [1:55]
- Why Stanford [3:54]
- From High School to Stanford [7:25]
- Classes at Stanford [9:01]
- Diverse Classmates [11:25]
- High Quality Instruction [13:52]
- The Decision to Graduate in 2 Years! [18:00]
- How to Graduate in 2 Years! [22:16]
- Campus Life and Living [25:43]
- Digital Nomad Years [32:35]
- Returning to Stanford for Grad School [40:17]
- Tips for Aspiring Students [42:47]
- “Enjoy all that Stanford has to offer” [47:29]
Our Guest: Gobi Dasu majored in Computer Science from Stanford University. Gobi has a Masters in Computer Science from Stanford University as well. He is currently a PhD candidate for Human Computer Interaction at Northwestern University. Gobi is also the Founder of LD Talent.
Memorable Quote: "Treating Life like a work of art”
Episode Transcript: Please visit almamatters.io/podcasts.
Calls-to-action:
- Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor.
- Make Your List of Colleges. If you are planning to apply to US Colleges, visit almamatters.io and signup. You will be placed in “My Page” where you can follow the Steps to make your list of US Colleges below the College List Tool.
- Send your feedback on this podcast to [email protected].
54 min - Being a student at Stanford University
- Managing Student Expectations: Counseling Tenets that Guide Nitin Jain of Oncourse.
Episode summary introduction: Students have a right to Dream BIG. The challenge for College Counselors is to morph those BIG Dreams into achievable ones, while still harnessing the arrogance of youth.
Nitin Jain, Co-founder of Oncourse, discusses how they set and manage students’ College expectations using Counseling Tenets they have developed over the last 10 years.
In particular, we discuss the following with him:
- How to deal student expectations
- The process evaluating potential and recalibrating expectations
- Keeping students motivated along the way
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Tenets of Student Engagement [1:56]
- The First Meeting [6:17]
- Setting Markers and Ongoing Student Assessment [9:38]
- Decision Points [13:33]
- Keeping Students Motivated [15:47]
- “All on the Same Team!” [18:03]
- College Happiness Index [20:10]
- Managing Expectations is a team effort! [23:43]
Our Guest: Nitin Jain, Co-founder Oncourse, Gurgaon India, focuses on international college applications to US, UK, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Memorable Quote: “I think the underlying principle, in my mind, is preference of fitment over brand.”
Episode Transcript: Please visit almamatters.io/podcasts.
Calls-to-action:
- Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor.
- Make Your List of Colleges. If you are planning to apply to US Colleges, visit almamatters.io and signup. You will be placed in “My Page” where you can follow the Steps to make your list of US Colleges below the College List Tool.
- Send your feedback on this podcast to [email protected].
27 min - How to deal student expectations
- Dr Subhasish Dasgupta. In pursuit of a passion from Calcutta to George Washington University.
Episode summary introduction: Dr Subhasish Dasgupta was smitten by a nascent field called Information Systems, while doing his MBA at University of Calcutta. Dr Dasgupta traces his journey of how he transformed that passion into a career in academia at George Washington University.
In particular, we discuss the following with him:
- Being a PhD student at Baruch College, NY
- The dive into academia
- How students have changed over the last few decades
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Calcutta Beginnings [2:32]
- Picking Baruch College, NY for PhD [5:26]
- The Baruch Years [10:01]
- Research in Group Decision Making and AI [14:07]
- The Academia Plunge! [16:14]
- The 1st Job: Fairleigh Dickinson University [20:27]
- The Move to George Washington University [22:20]
- Teaching Load at GW [27:16]
- Research and Teaching Areas at GW [29:18]
- Looking back at Students at GW over the years [33:02]
- What does GW look for in their students? [36:33]
- Parting Thoughts: Pick Colleges with the “right” criteria [39:08]
Our Guest: Dr. Subhasish Dasgupta is an Associate Professor of Information Systems in the School of Business at George Washington University, USA. Prior to that Dr Dasgupta was an Assistant Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Memorable Quote: "It’s absolutely fine to change your mind!”
Episode Transcript: Please visit almamatters.io/podcasts.
Calls-to-action:
- Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor.
- Make Your List of Colleges. If you are planning to apply to US Colleges, visit almamatters.io and signup. You will be placed in “My Page” where you can follow the Steps to make your list of US Colleges below the College List Tool.
- Send your feedback on this podcast to [email protected].
46 min - Being a PhD student at Baruch College, NY
- College News Fit to Digest. June 20, 2020.
Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters. Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Students are changing their college plans [1:21]
- COVID-19 Testing on Campuses [3:28]
- Top US Colleges also go Test Optional. What next? [5:23]
Our Guest: Shveta Bagade, College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California.
Resources referred to in this episode:
- Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11]
- CNBC [1:21]
- Education Dive [3:28]
- CNN [5:23]
- VOA [5:23]
Episode Transcript: Please visit almamatters.io/podcasts.
Calls-to-action:
- Make Your List of Colleges. If you planning to apply to US Colleges, visit almamatters.io and signup. You will be placed in “My Page” where you can follow the Steps to make your list of US Colleges below the College List Tool.
- Please Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor.
- Send us your comments or feedback on this episode by sending an Email to [email protected] with the Subject: “Feedback”.
12 min - Students are changing their college plans [1:21]
- College News Fit to Digest. June 13, 2020.
Episode summary introduction: Making sense of the College News of the week curated by Alma Matters. Coronavirus continues to drive the news. Shveta Bagade, College Counselor gives us her take on the news.
Topics discussed in this episode:
- Tech Graduate Students from India dropping off [1:47]
- International Students in the US in limbo [5:32]
- Prepping for 2nd wave of COVID-19 in Fall [9:46]
Our Guest: Shveta Bagade, College Counselor based in Silicon Valley California.
Resources referred to in this episode:
- Curated News at Alma Matters [0:11]
- Forbes [1:47]
- US News [5:32]
- US News [9:46]
Episode Transcript: Please visit almamatters.io/podcasts.
Calls-to-action:
- Please Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, Breaker, Anchor.
- Send us your comments or feedback on this episode by sending an Email to [email protected] with the Subject: “Feedback”.
14 min - Tech Graduate Students from India dropping off [1:47]
About College Matters. Alma Matters.
From the publisher's feed
Podcast for High Schoolers about College. We chronicle personal experiences on College Life, College Preparation with College Alumni, Faculty, Admissions and Counselors. The goal of these stories is…
to Inform & Inspire students all over the world to pursue their college dreams.