Getting In: A College Coach Conversation

Are you considering a summer job? College Coach Finance Expert Zachary Gries will be joining host Ian Fisher to discuss the reasons why that can be important for young adults.

Ian then has the great fortune to speak with Dr. Christie Fox, Assistant Provost for Student Success, and current college student Zack Nielson, both of Westminster University of Utah. They are pleased to talk about their institution in general and specifically how to approach college as a student with disabilities.

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First, we want to introduce Kyra Tyler, our brand new host! This is her inaugural show.

Do you have plans to visit a college campus or attend a college admission reception? Concerned that you might put your foot in your mouth? Kyra will be interviewing colleague Mary Sue Youn about questions to ask, and NOT to ask, an admission officer.

In addition, colleague Sara Calvert-Kubrom will join Kyra to discuss first year abroad programs. Sara formerly worked at two institutions famed for their study abroad programs: Northeastern University and Lewis & Clark college.

And while you may be interested in study abroad, you might be concerned about how to pay for it! College finance colleague Beth Feinberg-Keenan will be there to address that concern.

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Seniors and parents, you probably know that researching colleges is important when creating a list of colleges for your upcoming applications. But did you know that while there are many good resources for said research, there are bad ones as well? Listen in when host Shannon Vasconcelos interviews College Coach Colleague Elyse Krantz. Elyse is our expert among experts: the rest of us go to her for hard to find answers on colleges we are less familiar with. So this should be a very enlightening conversation!

In addition, our in-house Career Planning Counselor Taryn Andrea will review how to use the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and the O*Net website, both free government resources, for career searches.

And, College Finance Expert Alex Gonzalez will be discussing NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and what it means for college aid.

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Interested to know just who works at College Coach, and how they came to their roles as college admissions or finance educators? Host Sally Ganga will be interviewing three of our newest team members: admissions educators Geraldine Castenada, formerly of Pomona College, Marissa Dudley of Colorado College, and College Finance Educator Russell Seidelman of the University of Portland.

Then, Sally will be discussing trends seen in the past admission cycle, which saw some of the biggest changes in recent years, with colleague and member of College Coach's Futures Committee, Zaragoza Guerra.

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Is your plan to apply to all the Ivies plus some additional highly selective colleges because you think it will increase your odds of being admitted? Host Ian Fisher will be joined by College Coach colleague Landis Fryer to explain why it doesn't, and why a carefully targeted list makes the most sense.

For seniors, at this point you have likely received admission decisions from all your colleges. If you applied to many, you may be struggling to decide which college will be best for you. Listen in as colleague Tova Javetz discusses how students might address this conundrum. But first, Ian has the pleasure of interviewing a current college student at University of Massachusetts Amherst about why she chose it over a private college.

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Join us today for a return of our parent panel! Learn more about how our team of college experts navigated the college process for their own students, what they learned, and what they found challenging when host Sally Ganga interviews College Coach colleagues Karen Spencer, Mary Sue Youn, and Jay Bonham. And to kick off the program, Laurie Peltier will be explaining to Sally when parents are borrowing too much to pay for college and how to avoid that.

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Students, have you heard that colleges want you to take AP exams even if you haven't taken the class? Are you confused about whether you will be required to report the scores? Host Shannon Vasconcelos will be talking with College Coach colleague Blair Dixon about all things Advanced Placement.

Juniors may also be concerned about asking for letters of recommendation. How many are necessary? Who should you ask? Colleague Karen Spencer will be there to answer those questions.

And last, College Coach colleague Jenn Willcox is joining the pod to give tips to students on finding scholarships.

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Are you and your senior student unsure of how you will pay for college? Listen in to this segment, when host Sally Ganga interviews College Finance expert Michelle Smoley about developing a strategy for paying for colleges using creative finance.

Some seniors are also coping with unwanted decisions from colleges, like being denied from their top choice, or waitlisted. College Coach colleague Scott Alexander is here to discuss the practical steps to take if you've been waitlisted, and colleague Christine Kenyon is here to address the emotional side of being waitlisted or denied, and how to be kind to others if you have received good news.

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Are you unsure of your major? Or, have you picked your major based solely on what you want as your future career? Listen in, as the connection between majors and careers is not always linear and direct. Host Ian Fisher will interview College Coach colleagues Taryn, Andrea, former high school counselor and advisor at Boston University, and Leigh Pinkston, former Assistant Director of Career Development at Smith College, about how students can make themselves career ready from a broad variety of majors.

In addition, if you haven't yet applied to college for the fall of 2025, our colleague Gabbi Tobias will be here to let you know about institutions still taking applications. Last, finance Expert Chrissy Foran will answer the question of whether it's too late to ask colleges for more financial support.

Seniors, after those admit letters roll in, you'll also start receiving invitations to admitted student programs. College Coach colleague Sara Calvert-Kubrom is joining host Shannon Vasconcelos to discuss why you should attend and what questions you should ask. College Finance expert Jan Combs will also be there to suggest what to ask about finances at those events. Last, College Coach colleague Sara Calvert-Kubrom will be there to answer listener questions.