Inside College Admissions

College Decision Day is right around the corner! Still making your final choice? We've got tips for you! ⭐ We'll talk with college expert and former Dean of Admissions, Peter Van Buskirk, about what to do if you've been admitted OR are on the waitlist for schools, important things to consider (like fit and the financial aspect), and what you can do NOW before making your final decision!

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Get your pen and paper out because in this episode, we're pulling back the curtain on all things financial aid! 💰 In this fifth and final episode of our family mini-series, Elena and Peter Van Buskirk will share Financial Aid terms, helpful strategies, and even the exact questions you need to ask in this financial aid process.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Since recording this episode, the Department of Education has announced changes that will be made to financial aid and the calculations used for the FAFSA. These changes will be released in December 2023 and will be effective for applicants for the 2024-2025 school year of college. Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be changed to Student Aid Index (SAI). For more details, please refer to this blog post!

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Is your junior beginning to build a college list? This episode is a great place to get started! 🌟 In this fourth episode of our family mini-series, Elena and Peter Van Buskirk will discuss how you can advise your student, with lots of tips including what kinds of colleges and how many students should have on their lists!

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To test or not to test? That is the question! 📝 In this third episode of our family mini-series, we explore how you can advise your student in the standardized testing experience! We'll go over the difference between the SAT and ACT, what super scoring and self-reporting mean, and tips for test preparation.

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Should my student take another year of language classes? What about AP and Honors classes? 🤔 We'll answer these questions and more in this second episode of our family mini-series! Elena and Peter Van Buskirk will explore how your student's selection of high school classes can benefit them in college, and how they can help their academic record to stand out! 

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Want to guide your student in their college application journey but aren't sure where to start? With this episode (the first in our Family Bootcamp mini-series), you'll learn about the best way to engage your student, important things to look for on college campuses, and mistakes to avoid as both students and parents/guardians!

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Winter break may be short but there are a LOT of fun things to do! ❄️ In this episode, Elena and her sister, Andrea, talk about how your favorite songs can help with scholarship apps and how the childhood magic of sledding can make your winter break :,)

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Through a conversation with Admissions Mom, we talk about why it's important to celebrate the big milestone of submitting your applications (and not just celebrating acceptances). Join us as we discuss ways to celebrate, what you can learn from this experience, and more!

• Admissions Mom Website
• Admissions Mom on Instagram
• Admissions Mom on Reddit
• ApplyingToCollege Reddit Community

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⚠️ TIME TO BE REAL ⚠️ in your college application! It turns out you can use humor and show your personality in your application (?!) and we'll tell you how! In this episode, Elena and Tom (from College Essay Guy Team) talk about the secret things you're probably worrying too much about and the things you don't want to forget in your college apps.


Tom Campbell is a Community Manager with the College Essay Guy Team. With years of admissions experience at Pomona College and College of the Holy Cross, Tom brings such valuable experience and shares those insider insights that could make a huge difference in your college essay!

Resources we mention:

1. College Essay Guy Blog: How-To Guide for the Short Answer Questions for Highly-Selective Colleges
2. College Essay Guy Blog: How to Format a College Essay: Step-by-Step Guide
3. Join the College Essay Guy Parent Community

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Looking for that unique twist to make your college essay stand out? 🌟 It might be in your niche laptop stickers or celeb fandom! In this episode, we'll talk with Tom from the College Essay Guy Team about how the little things in your life can be essay inspiration, and small tweaks to make your essay really stand out.

Tom Campbell is a Community Manager with the College Essay Guy Team. With years of admissions experience at Pomona College and College of the Holy Cross, Tom brings such valuable experience and shares those insider insights that could make a huge difference in your college essay!

Resources from College Essay Guy we mention: 

• Blog: The Values Exercise (at 12:06)
• Blog: Essence Objects Exercises (at 13:51)
• Blog: 27 Outstanding Personal Statement Examples
  • Includes the Laptop Sticker and iTaylor sample personal statements (at 15:17 and 20:58)
• YouTube: How to Outline & Structure Your College Essay
  • Overviews the Narrative and Montage paths (at 23:20)
• Podcast: Using the Secrets of Screenwriting to Write Your College Essay
  • More details about the "Pixar" structure/Narrative structure from Ethan (at 24:03)
• Blog: How to "Show Don't Tell" in College Essays
  • Great tips on how to bring small "nuggets of gold" and specific details to your personal statement during the final revision stages
• Join the College Essay Guy Students-Only Discord
• Join the College Essay Guy Parent Community

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