College Matters. Alma Matters.

Segment #1: A Holistic Approach. A Guide to Build a Standout US College Application.

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Episode summary introduction: Segment #1 of the 10-Segment Podcast Series to help students in 11th Grade build their best US College Application. Each segment includes an Assignment based on the topic discussed. Subscribe for Assignments.

In this segment we have Athena Lao of Admissionado lead us through the discussion.

In particular, we discuss the following:

  • What are US Colleges looking for?
  • What makes a “great” applicant?

    • Our Guest: Athena Lao, is the Head College Mentor at Admissionado, College Counseling firm that works with college-bound students in the US, China and India aspiring to apply to US Colleges. Admissionado has successfully helped students land in the top US universities over the last decade.

    Topics discussed in this episode:

    • Introduction to the Series [0:52]
    • Misconception about what Colleges are looking for? [4:54]
    • What are Colleges Really looking for? [8:47]
    • How should student applications address the Colleges’ needs? [11:29]
    • What makes a “great” applicant? [16:56]
    • Introducing “SPARC” - A Method showcase an Applicant’s Strengths [19:15]
    • “S” [20:10]
    • “P” [23:25]
    • “A” [26:54]
    • “R” [32:25]
    • “C” [37:04]
    • How Admissions Officers evaluate each Application? [41:57]
    • Call to Action - Subscribe for Assignments [48:00]

      • Memorable Quote: About SPARC. To maximize different components of a student’s college application, “We at Admissionado think that this method is really helpful for students, and you can apply it or use it, for any school you are applying to, not just for Ivy League…”

      Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.

      Calls-to-action:

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      • To Make a List of Colleges to Explore Visit almamatters.io and signup.
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        College Matters. Alma Matters.By Venkat Raman
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