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Multiple choice tests have been both a frustration and a celebration for students–they think it wil be easy and them feel overwhelmed by the choices.

Plus, we share some SAT upcoming changes in 2024 and what Megan and her son plan to do with the switch.

The post 451: “More Right” — How to Crack Multiple Choice Tests appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

It’s December and that means it is all about tests–final exams and SAT/ACT planning for juniors. Some seniors are hearing back from colleges while others are working on their final push to complete applications.

Megan asks Erin about some study tips for finals and what students can do to “save the term” and finish strongly (and strategically).

Erin also shares a few things students can do over break to prepare for the upcoming term while Megan encourages students to think even further ahead to summer and make some plans to set them up for college and the next school year.

The post 450: December: Standardized Tests and Final Exams appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

Rejection can hurt and leave us wondering “why?” Megan covers some of the reasons a college might say no to a student. Erin and Megan also discuss how many colleges to apply to and how to strategize when applying to get colleges to see your value and (hopefully) accept you.

The post 449: Why Colleges Say No–Top Reasons for Rejection appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

We’ve all heard that colleges want to see involved students who show academic readiness by completing a rigorous high school program.

But do colleges prefer depth– specializing in fields like STEM or humanities, focusing on one or two extracurriculars, or taking one world language for four years? Or do colleges want to see breadth– a range of academic subjects, multiple activities, an extensive resume, and a range of interests?

Megan and Erin discuss the question of depth versus breadth as it applies to various aspects of a student’s high school experience including:

• course schedule
• volunteer and extracurricular interests
• world language choices
• and more

The post 448: Do Colleges Want to See Depth or Breadth? appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

College rankings have been in the news again. Columbia University fell from #2 to #18 after lying about student data. Rankings are flawed and rarely reflect families’ college priorities, but they captivate audiences and continue to drive admission decisions at colleges and universities.

What’s more important is the effect rankings have on students. Megan and Gretchen discuss how rankings hurt students. They consider a variety of factors:

• Rankings mislead families by presenting as fact a calculation of “quality”. This creates impression that there is a “best” (and worst).
• Rankings lead colleges to act in ways that protect their rank at the expense of students.
• Rankings have encouraged some colleges to act in unethical ways.
• Ranking often influence students’ and parents’ college lists. The result is often poorly though out choices that are on the list “because they are good schools.”
• Rankings promote “lottery” thinking.
• Rankings perpetuate elitism at the cost of education.
• Rankings fail to adequately account for the key factors and actual value of the education each school provides.

The post 447: How College Rankings Hurt Students appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

The month of November is deceptively calm for some students, but there are still college planning and academic tasks to complete. Tune in to find out how students can work this month to make the end of the semester much easier.

The post 446: November: Middle of the Semester Tasks for Success appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

Many students struggle with procrastination–sometimes for surprising reasons.

Erin Wilson of Seattle Success Coaching shares the 5 primary reasons students procrastinate and multiple strategies to get past your desire to put off tasks. There might also be times when procrastination isn’t bad and could be helpful.

The post 445: How To Identify (And Fix) Common Causes of Procrastination appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.