In this episode Vicki and Lynn take a look ahead to Season 5 of the podcast and describe some of the exciting changes we’re planning. We introduce two new co-hosts who will be joining the College Parent Central Podcast Team.  Elizabeth Hamblet and Sarah Share will be adding their voices to the season ahead. We’re excited about exploring new topics and perspectives while continuing to provide the support for parents we’ve shared in the past four seasons. We also reviewed a few of the themes we may be talking about as we move forward. 

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• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
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We’re 100 episodes in! Lynn and Vicki take some time to look back at some of our most popular episodes, some of our favorites, some trends and themes we’ve noticed, and what we’ve loved about getting together to create this podcast. We also take a look at some of the themes we think might surface for college students and parents in the future – and there’s more to come about that in our next episode. Stay tuned!

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• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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Vicki and Lynn spent this episode in conversation with Ron Lieber author of The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make. Ron helped us unpack how complicated the financial aid system is and how crucial it is to understand how it works. The Price You Pay for College examines how our feelings and our ideas about success affect the choices we make about what we are willing to pay for college. Ron also shared information about his new course for families that helps them understand and navigate college Merit Aid.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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So many mysterious terms and acronyms to understand when your student heads off to college! In this third College Lingo installment Vicki and Lynn define and discuss several of the insider terms that colleges use that may not be clear to parents. We cover topics from Disability Services and Priority Registration to Satisfactory Academic Progress, Minors, the College Catalog, and the Clery Act. We’re only scratching the surface of this new language, but it should get you started being able to understand and Talk the Talk. (Hear the first and second College Lingo in episodes #047 and #057.)

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• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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It’s natural for students to struggle with college work. The problem we see isn’t the struggle or challenge, it is that students don’t always ask for the help they need. Colleges work hard to make sure students know about the resources available, so why don’t more students make use of them? In this episode, Lynn and Vicki explore some of the reasons students may be reluctant to get help and how parents can encourage their student to recognize and advocate for what they need.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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In this episode Lynn and Vicki took a tour through the college calendar. We focused on several of the touchpoints students experience throughout the year. We highlighted conversations to have with your student at the important milestones in each semester. Understanding what is happening for your student will help parents provide the support needed at just the right time.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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Callisto is an organization whose mission is to provide resources and to empower survivors of sexual assault. Sarayfah Bolling, Callisto’s Director of Programs and Strategic Engagement joined us in this episode to help us learn more about sexual assault on campus and why parents need to know more about this topic. She also shared essential information about Callisto’s encrypted online services soon to be available to anyone with a .edu email address. Callisto is sponsoring a dialogue series to help educate parents and students about the transition to college, consent and healthy relationships, campus survivor rights, and navigating disclosure. If you can’t join the series live, recordings are available. We, as parents, need to educate ourselves and talk to our students about this often uncomfortable topic.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
• Find us on Bluesky at @CollParCentral.bsky.social
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It isn’t inevitable that your college student will experience homesickness, but if they do, knowing why it happens and what to do will help you be prepared. In this episode, Lynn and Vicki discuss the factors that can cause college student homesickness, how to prevent it, and some strategies for how parents can help their student cope.  

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
• Find us on Bluesky at @CollParCentral.bsky.social
• Sign up for our newsletter for ongoing information

After a summer of ups and downs, tension and excitement, the time has arrived to deliver your student to school. In this episode Vicki and Lynn share some of their memories of Move-in Days with their sons and daughters. Along the way they share some of the lessons they learned and some suggestions for how to make this emotional day go more smoothly. Patience is the operative word. You and your student will get through this, and they will be off on their new adventure.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
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Tracy Badua, lawyer by day and novelist by night, joined Lynn and Vicki to talk about her new novel This Is Not a Personal Statement. The story follows a graduating high school senior who goes to some great lengths to attend the college of her dreams. Both students and parents will find in the book messages about the pressure of trying to be perfect and about discovering internal motivation and authentic identity. Tracy writes from her Filipino American background and infuses her characters with this rich cultural heritage. This Is Not a Personal Statement is a page-turner and a fun read for both students and parents and may spark meaningful conversations.

Thank you for listening!

• Much more information for college parents can be found on our website, College Parent Central
• Find us on Twitter at @CollParCentral
• Find us on Bluesky at @CollParCentral.bsky.social
• Sign up for our newsletter for ongoing information