Senior year isn't just about applications, acceptance letters, and graduation it's one of the biggest emotional transitions your family will ever experience.

In this special episode, Peg Keough is joined by life coach and former educator Suzanne Hanna to discuss what seniors are really going through behind the scenes. From mood swings and anxiety to growing independence and uncertainty about the future, they explore why this year feels so overwhelming for students—and how parents can best support them through it.

In this episode, we cover:

🎓 Why senior year can feel like an emotional roller coaster for students

💙 The uncertainty that comes with preparing to leave home

🧠 How stress, fear, and change can show up in surprising ways

👨‍👩‍👧 The four common "senior year personalities" parents often experience

🌊 Why reacting emotionally can make difficult moments even harder

💬 The power of listening instead of trying to immediately fix every problem

🏡 How parents transition from "captain of the ship" to becoming a steady lighthouse

✨ Why making mistakes before college is an important part of growing up

❤️ How homesickness is really a reflection of love—not weakness

🌱 Practical ways families can build stronger communication before move-in day

Key Takeaway: Senior year isn't just a college application season it's a season of transition for the entire family. The more parents lead with patience, empathy, and steady support, the more confident and prepared their students will be when it's finally time to leave home.

🎵 Song of the Week: Pay No Rent by Turnpike Troubadours

🎧 Listen to our full podcast playlist here:
https://hubs.li/Q03kvxZn0

📚 Resources & Links

🔢 Understand your college costs for FREE→ Create your MyCAP Account: https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0

→ Student Loan Fact Sheet: https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0

💰 Get 15% OFF sitewide with code COLLEGETRY15→ https://shop.collegeaidpro.com/

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📱 Follow Suzanne Hanna:

Website: https://suzannehannacoaching.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suzannehannacoaching

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SuzanneHannaCoaching

🌐 Learn more about College Aid Pro:
https://collegeaidpro.com

Why does college cost so much and who's actually responsible?

In this episode of Old College Try, Matt Carpenter and CAP's Director of Education, Peg Keough, take a step back from day-to-day college planning to explore the bigger picture behind skyrocketing college costs. From federal lending and college pricing strategies to consumer behavior and Wall Street, they unpack the forces driving tuition higher—and, most importantly, what families can do to avoid becoming another statistic.

They also provide an important update on the new Parent PLUS Loan caps and discuss how private lenders are already responding to the changing landscape.

In this episode, we cover:

🎓 Why college tuition has increased so dramatically over the past several decades

💰 The role colleges, lenders, the federal government, and consumers all play in rising costs

🏦 How private lenders are responding to the new Parent PLUS Loan limits

📊 What Sallie Mae's new parent loan product means for families

⚠️ Why borrowing what you're approved for isn't always what you can afford

🏫 How luxury-style campus amenities and selectivity have changed higher education

📈 Why colleges may be forced to rethink pricing and financial aid strategies

💡 The importance of building an affordable college list before falling in love with a dream school

🧠 Why families have more control over the process than they often realize

📋 The borrowing strategy every family should follow before accepting student loans

Key Takeaway: College may be expensive, but families aren't powerless. The best financial outcomes come from understanding the system early, comparing costs before applying, and making decisions based on long-term affordability—not emotion. While colleges and policymakers all play a role, informed families still have the ability to chart a smarter, more affordable path.

🎵 Song of the Week: Sugar Mountain by Neil Young

🎧 Listen to our full podcast playlist here:
https://hubs.li/Q03kvxZn0

📚 Resources & Links

🔢 Understand your college costs for FREE→ Create your MyCAP Account: https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0

→ Student Loan Fact Sheet: https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0

💰 Get 15% OFF sitewide with code COLLEGETRY15→ https://shop.collegeaidpro.com/

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🌐 Learn more about College Aid Pro:
https://collegeaidpro.com

Major federal student loan changes officially took effect on July 1 and the impact could be far bigger than most families realize.

In this episode, host Matt Carpenter and CAP's Director of Education, Peg Keough, break down the new Parent PLUS Loan rules, rising federal loan interest rates, and why these changes could leave thousands of families unable to afford the college they've already committed to. They also discuss what colleges may do next, why affordability has to come before enrollment, and what every family should be doing right now.

In this episode, we cover:

🎓 The new federal student loan interest rates for the 2026–2027 school year

💰 The difference between Federal Direct Student Loans and Parent PLUS Loans

📊 What subsidized vs. unsubsidized federal student loans actually mean

📉 Why Parent PLUS Loans now have a $20,000 annual cap and a $65,000 lifetime limit

⚠️ How these new borrowing limits could prevent students from attending the college they've already committed to

🏦 Why 40% of borrowing families—and up to 60% of Pell-eligible families—may have no borrowing option beyond Parent PLUS Loans

📚 What families should do now if they expect to borrow more than $20,000 per year

🏫 How colleges may respond to these new borrowing limits through financial aid appeals and pricing strategies

💡 Why understanding affordability before building your college list has never been more important

📋 The borrowing toolkit every family should review before accepting student loans

Key Takeaway: The biggest challenge facing college families this year isn't getting accepted—it's figuring out how to pay. With new federal borrowing caps now in effect, understanding your financing options before enrollment is no longer optional. Families who plan early will have significantly more choices than those who wait until the college bill arrives.

🎵 Song of the Week: Your Direction by Goose

🎧 Listen to our full podcast playlist here:
https://hubs.li/Q03kvxZn0

📚 Resources & Links

🔢 Understand your college costs for FREE
→ Create your MyCAP Account: https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0

→ Borrowing Toolkit: https://hubs.li/Q04lMfXv0

→ Student Loan Fact Sheet: https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0

💰 Get 15% OFF sitewide with code COLLEGETRY15→ https://shop.collegeaidpro.com/

📱 Follow College Aid Pro:

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🌐 Learn more about College Aid Pro:
https://collegeaidpro.com

Got questions about paying for college? In this month's Q&A episode, host Matt Carpenter and CAP's Director of Education, Peg Keough, tackle some of the most common questions families are asking right now—from scholarships and financial aid to borrowing strategies and 529 plans.

In this episode, we cover:

🎓 The biggest misconception families have about scholarships

💰 Why need-based aid and merit scholarships are both forms of college discounts

📊 How to determine if you're eligible for need-based financial aid—even if your income is higher than you think

🏫 Why some private colleges can cost less than your state school

📚 How to find merit scholarships before your student applies

🔍 The truth about private scholarships and why they make up only a small portion of available aid

🏦 What happens if you're denied a Parent PLUS Loan

⚠️ The new federal Parent PLUS loan caps and what families need to know now

💳 Alternative borrowing options and how to evaluate affordability before taking on debt

📈 Whether it's worth opening a 529 plan if your student is already in high school or college

💡 Why families earning $200,000 per year can still qualify for financial aid at some colleges

Key Takeaway: Don't assume you know what college will cost based on the sticker price, your income, or what you've heard from friends. The families who save the most are the ones who understand how colleges actually award aid—and start planning early.

🎵 Song of the Week: Days Like These by Luke Combs

🎧 Listen to our full podcast playlist here: https://hubs.li/Q03kvxZn0

📚 Resources & Links

🔢 Understand your college costs for FREE→ Create your MyCAP Account: https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0

→ Student Loan Fact Sheet: https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0

💰 Get 15% OFF sitewide with code COLLEGETRY15→ https://shop.collegeaidpro.com/

📱 Follow College Aid Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CollegeAidPro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegeaidpro

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@collegeaidpro

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/college-aid-pro

🌐 Learn more about College Aid Pro:
https://collegeaidpro.com

What happens when your student's college plans take an unexpected turn?

In this special parent spotlight episode, host Peg Keough sits down with College Aid Pro parent Michael Dodge to discuss his family's journey through the college admissions and financial aid process. From early dreams of engineering schools like MIT and Georgia Tech to discovering the perfect fit at Kenyon College, Michael shares the lessons, surprises, and emotional moments that shaped his son Tyler's college search.

🎓 In this episode, we cover:

✅ Why finding the right college fit matters more than chasing rankings

✍️ How Tyler's plans shifted from engineering to creative writing—and how his parents adapted

🏫 The importance of looking beyond well-known colleges

📋 How building a balanced college list can reduce stress and improve outcomes

💰 What families should know about financial aid projections and award letters

📈 How a successful financial aid appeal reduced costs by more than $24,000 per year

📝 Why essays and supplemental applications are often the most challenging part of the process

👨‍👩‍👦 Advice for parents navigating admissions, financial aid, and college decisions for the first time

💡 Key Takeaway: The best college isn't always the most famous one—it's the place where your student will thrive academically, socially, and financially. Michael's story is a powerful reminder that the right fit often comes from keeping an open mind, trusting the process, and looking beyond the schools everyone already knows.

🎵 This episode's song pick: Two of Us by The Beatles, chosen by Michael as a meaningful father-son anthem that perfectly reflects the journey he and Tyler have shared together.

🎧 Listen to our full podcast playlist here:
https://hubs.li/Q03kvxZn0

📚 Resources & Links

🔢 Understand your college costs for FREE
→ Create your MyCAP Account: https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0

📄 Student Loan Fact Sheet
→ https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0

💰 Get 15% OFF sitewide with code COLLEGETRY15
→ https://collegeaidpro.com

🎙️ The Old College Try is your weekly guide to admissions, financial aid, scholarships, student loans, and smarter college planning. Subscribe and follow so you never miss an episode!

Should your student take the SAT or ACT? Do test scores still matter? And if a college is test-optional, is it really optional?

In this episode, host Matt Carpenter and co-host Peg Keough are joined by College Aid Pro admissions expert Joe Korfmaker to break down everything families need to know about standardized testing in today's admissions landscape.

Joe brings experience from both the high school counseling and college admissions sides of the process, helping families understand how test scores fit into admissions decisions, scholarship opportunities, and overall college planning.

In this episode, we cover:

📝 The key differences between the SAT and ACT
💻 How the new digital SAT works (and what's changed)
📊 Which students tend to perform better on each test
🎯 How many times a student should realistically take the SAT or ACT
🏫 What "test optional," "test required," and "test blind" actually mean
📈 Why test scores still matter at many colleges—even in a test-optional world
💰 How higher scores can unlock additional merit scholarships
🔍 How to decide whether to submit scores to specific colleges
⭐ What superscoring is and how it can help students maximize their results
📚 Why building the right college list matters more than obsessing over a single test score

The episode also includes an important FAFSA update from the Department of Education, including new changes that allow families to see FAFSA results and corrections in real time—making financial aid planning easier and faster than ever.

💡 Key takeaway: Standardized tests still matter, but they shouldn't drive your entire college strategy. Take a practice SAT and ACT, choose the test that fits your student best, take it two or three times, and focus just as much on financial fit and college affordability as you do on admissions.

🎵 This episode's song pick: Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker — Joe Korfmarker's ultimate summer road-trip anthem and a guaranteed crowd singalong.

🎧 Listen to our full podcast playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qS...

📚 Resources & Links

🔢 Understand your college costs for FREE
→ Create your MyCAP Account: ⁠https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0⁠

→ Student Loan Fact Sheet: ⁠https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0⁠

💰 Get 15% OFF sitewide with code COLLEGETRY15
→ ⁠https://collegeaidpro.com⁠

What does “financial fit” actually mean? Should your student take the SAT or ACT? Do weighted GPAs really matter? And how do merit scholarships actually work?

In this month’s College Admissions Grab Bag episode, host Matt Carpenter and co-host Peg Keough answer real questions submitted by families navigating the college process right now. From financial aid strategy to GPA confusion to choosing colleges without knowing a major, this episode is packed with practical advice families can use immediately.

In this episode, we cover:

🎓 What “financial fit” really means — and how to avoid colleges your family can’t realistically afford
💰 Why borrowing limits and financial planning matter more than ever
📝 SAT vs. ACT: Does one look better to colleges?
📊 Weighted vs. unweighted GPA explained (and why colleges recalculate anyway)
🤔 What to do if your student has no idea what they want to major in
🏫 The difference between colleges vs. universities and private vs. public schools
💸 How merit aid actually works — and which students are most likely to qualify
📈 Why starting college planning early can create more scholarship opportunities later

💡 Key takeaway: College planning gets much less stressful when families understand both the academic and financial side of the process early. Financial fit matters just as much as admissions fit.

🎵 This episode’s song pick: Waylon Jennings classics, including Luckenbach, Texas, Lucille, and Good Hearted Woman — Matt’s road-trip soundtrack recommendation after returning from Zion National Park.

🎧 Listen to our full podcast playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qS...

📚 Resources & Links
🔢 Understand your college costs for FREE
→ Create your MyCAP Account: ⁠https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0⁠
→ Student Loan Fact Sheet: ⁠https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0⁠

💰 Get 15% OFF sitewide with code COLLEGETRY15
→ ⁠https://collegeaidpro.com⁠

Are you planning college visits but not sure where to start? In this episode, host Peg Keough sits down with CAP financial aid expert Jonathan West to break down everything families need to know about college visits — from sophomore year exploratory tours all the way to decision-day campus trips.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why college visits matter (and how they impact demonstrated interest)
• When to visit — and what's different about each stage of the process
• What to do beyond the official tour (career placement offices, Facebook parent groups, student newspapers, and more)
• How to have real conversations with current students
• Why you should understand your financial fit before you ever set foot on a campus
• Virtual tour tips for families who can't travel

💡 Key takeaway: Don't visit schools you can't afford. Know your numbers first — your family's stress level will thank you.

🎵 This episode's song pick: Jaded Lover by Jerry Jeff Walker, chosen by Jonathan West — a nod to late-70s North Carolina and the legendary club PB Scott's in Blowing Rock.

🎧 Listen to our full podcast playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qSwvLBniTzxsEiPABTp4D?si=pYMyk37AQ8Gsn9Q_4IeXLw

📚 Resources & Links

🔢 Understand your college costs for FREE→ Create your MyCAP Account: https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0→ Student Loan Fact Sheet: https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0

💰 Get 15% OFF sitewide with code COLLEGETRY15→ https://collegeaidpro.com

Follow us:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegeaidpro/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/college-aid-pro/📧 Email: [email protected]

What if the biggest mistake families make in the college process happens before they even apply?

In this episode, Matt sits down with College Aid Pro expert and former USC Director of Financial Aid, JP Schmidt, for an inside look at how colleges really operate—from admissions strategy to financial aid packaging to the business side of higher education.

JP shares what he learned working behind the scenes at one of the country’s most competitive universities, why rankings can be misleading, and how colleges strategically shape both admissions and aid offers.

They cover:

• Why most families approach college planning backwards
• The difference between “best school” and “best fit”
• How colleges determine financial aid behind the scenes
• Why two families with similar finances can get very different aid offers
• The reality of “meeting 100% of need”
• How colleges use pricing, scholarships, and prestige strategically
• Why building a smart college list starts with budget conversations early
• The biggest financial mistakes families make before senior year

Plus, JP shares the exact framework he uses to help families create college lists that align academically, personally, and financially—without sacrificing long-term financial stability.

🎧 Whether you’re a parent of a freshman or a senior making final decisions, this episode will completely change the way you think about college planning.

Student Loan Fact Sheet: https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0

Website: ⁠⁠https://collegeaidpro.com

Create a FREE MyCAP Account: https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0

Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/collegeaidpro/⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/college-aid-pro/⁠⁠Email: ⁠⁠[email protected] Get 15% OFF site wide with coupon code COLLEGETRY15 💰

In this episode of The Ol' College Try Podcast, host Peg Keough sits down with admissions expert Jenna Schebell to pull back the curtain on what really happens after students submit their college applications.

Before diving into the admissions conversation, Peg shares this week’s song pick: Slide by Goo Goo Dolls — the fun, sentimental song she chose for the choreographed mother-son dance at her son’s wedding.

With more than 20 years of experience working in college admissions offices, high schools, and private counseling, Jenna explains how colleges evaluate applicants, why admissions decisions can feel unpredictable, and how institutional priorities shape every incoming class.

Families will learn:

• How holistic admissions actually works
• Why colleges recalculate GPAs differently
• What admissions officers look for beyond grades and test scores
• How school profiles and course rigor impact decisions
• Why one student can get rejected from one school and accepted to another
• How “yield protection” and enrollment strategy influence admissions
• Why public flagship universities have become dramatically more competitive
• What parents and students should focus on instead of obsessing over rankings and acceptance rates

Peg and Jenna also discuss the emotional side of the admissions process, the dangers of misinformation on social media, and why finding the right college fit matters more than chasing prestige.

Whether you're a parent of a high school student, a college counselor, or a student preparing your college list, this episode offers practical insights into today’s increasingly competitive college admissions landscape.

In this episode of The Ol' College Try Podcast, host Peg Keough sits down with admissions expert Jenna Schebell to pull back the curtain on what really happens after students submit their college applications.Before diving into the admissions conversation, Peg shares this week’s song pick: Slide by Goo Goo Dolls — the fun, sentimental song she chose for the choreographed mother-son dance at her son’s wedding.With more than 20 years of experience working in college admissions offices, high schools, and private counseling, Jenna explains how colleges evaluate applicants, why admissions decisions can feel unpredictable, and how institutional priorities shape every incoming class.Families will learn:How holistic admissions actually worksWhy colleges recalculate GPAs differentlyWhat admissions officers look for beyond grades and test scoresHow school profiles and course rigor impact decisionsWhy one student can get rejected from one school and accepted to anotherHow “yield protection” and enrollment strategy influence admissionsWhy public flagship universities have become dramatically more competitiveWhat parents and students should focus on instead of obsessing over rankings and acceptance ratesPeg and Jenna also discuss the emotional side of the admissions process, the dangers of misinformation on social media, and why finding the right college fit matters more than chasing prestige.Whether you're a parent of a high school student, a college counselor, or a student preparing your college list, this episode offers practical insights into today’s increasingly competitive college admissions landscape.

Connect with Us!

Student Loan Fact Sheet:

https://hubs.li/Q04cmnWD0Website: ⁠⁠https://collegeaidpro.com

Create a FREE MyCAP Account: https://hubs.li/Q03PTJ_x0

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegeaidpro/

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/college-aid-pro/⁠⁠

Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]

PLUS Get 15% OFF site wide with coupon code COLLEGETRY15 💸

Connect with Jenna!

https://thecollegenavigators.com/

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