While I love sharing my personal admissions experience, I’m so excited to share my conversation with a recent college graduate about his admissions, college, and post-graduate experiences. My nephew, Robert Brockway, graduated from Clarkson University in 2021 and is now in graduate school. In this episode, he shares his college application strategy, how he made the most of his college experience, and his advice for students getting ready to apply to colleges.

Some key takeaways from this episode include:

• Make sure your school is both a program fit and a good social fit. If your heart is set on a certain program (or multiple programs in Bobby’s case!), make sure your school has those options available for you.
• Don’t write off schools in rural areas. The lack of distractions can enable you to focus on your program and campus community, and you’re usually a short road trip away from a nearby metropolitan area anyway.
• Utilize your resources on campus. Yes, hard work will take you far, but utilizing your resources on campus through faculty, staff, and alumni connections will take you even further.

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process!  But, I’m here to share my 25 years of higher education experience, with 10 years of direct college admissions experience, with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with Elizabeth!

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The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process! But, we are here to share our experience in higher education and direct college admissions with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with EWC!

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I shared my professional background and how I became an admissions consultant, but this episode is the story of how I applied to colleges back in the day! There are some crucial lessons I learned in that journey, including how tenacious and hard working I can be when I’m on a mission. If you think this expert had a cakewalk as her college admissions journey, think again!

Some key takeaways from this week’s episode:

• Words matter when you’re talking to students about colleges. The words “not college material” rang in my ears for years and used it as a rallying cry, but so many students hear similar things and are completely discouraged from trying.
• Remember, if your student is rejected from a school, it’s not a “no” forever, it’s a “no” for now. If your student’s heart is set on that school, have them speak with someone on admissions to see what they need to do to possibly be accepted in the future.
• Reflect back on your own admissions experience when you were applying to colleges. When you’re holding your students up to incredibly high standards, remember the pressure you felt back in high school, how it felt to be rejected by a school, or comments your parents made to you. Put yourself in your student’s shoes.

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process!  But, I’m here to share my 25 years of higher education experience, with 10 years of direct college admissions experience, with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with Elizabeth!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process! But, we are here to share our experience in higher education and direct college admissions with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with EWC!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

I recently read an article about how Al Roker helped recruit students to attend his alma mater, SUNY Oswego. Applications to the school are on the rise after Roker endorsed them, sharing that he uses what he learned there every single day. This type of loyalty cannot be bought. It requires the perfect match between a student and a school where they truly belong. In this episode, I’m sharing how to choose a college that inspires lifetime loyalty, and why a smaller school could be faithfully yours.

Resources mentioned:

• How Al Roker and the Faculty Helped Land Students

Some key takeaways on choosing a college that inspires lifetime loyalty:

• Find a college or university that makes you feel like somebody, and that makes you feel at home. Four years is a long time to be miserable because you don’t feel like you belong. 
• Forget big name recognition or huge, fancy football stadiums. Those things are amazing, but the tiniest regional college you’ve never heard of might be a better place for you to grow instead, and that’s just as impressive.
• Consider the kind of support you need. Are you okay with not having a relationship with your professors, or do you want your school’s faculty to be a strong support system of mentors for you? A smaller school will provide a lot more support overall.

 The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process!  But, I’m here to share my 25 years of higher education experience, with 10 years of direct college admissions experience, with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with Elizabeth!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process! But, we are here to share our experience in higher education and direct college admissions with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with EWC!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

Summertime is for relaxation, vacation, and… college admissions prep. If you’re a rising high school senior, the summer before senior year is a great time to get a few things in order before you apply to school. I know it might sound cruel, but taking care of these during your free time will prevent a scramble to balance applications with your senior workload in the fall. If you need any help looking over some of these action items, be sure to reach out to me!

Resources mentioned:

• The College Board
• Khan Academy
• The Princeton Review
• Common App Essay Prompts
• VolunteerMatch 

Some key takeaways on how to prep for college applications in the summer:

• Focus on test prep for the SAT and ACT. There are a lot of articles about testing optional admissions, but if you want to stand out from other candidates, test scores are a great way to do it. Spend time doing some studying and prep this summer.
• Write your Common App essay. The Common App will be used in your application to several colleges and universities, and it’s extremely important to make your application stand out. Spend the summer brainstorming, writing, and reviewing it so come fall, you can focus on the supplemental essays.
• Volunteer for a cause you care about. Colleges care more about quality over quantity, so choose an organization that you can spend a lot of time working with, rather than racking up a bunch of short gigs at several different organizations.

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process!  But, I’m here to share my 25 years of higher education experience, with 10 years of direct college admissions experience, with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

 Connect with Elizabeth!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process! But, we are here to share our experience in higher education and direct college admissions with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with EWC!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

College campus visits are such a fun opportunity to travel, learn more about prospective schools, and spend time with your family before your student heads off to college. They’re also an opportunity to ask questions of your admissions counselor or tour guide that may reveal deal breakers for you. In this episode, I’m sharing my top five essential questions to ask on your next campus visit! As a disclaimer, these might be heavy-hitting questions, but don’t forget to ask about the cool and fun programs and amenities on your campus as well!

A few of the questions you should ask on your college visits are:

• Is there air conditioning in residence halls on campus? This gets a laugh from my students, but you’d be surprised how many campuses don’t have AC. This is personally a deal breaker for me, but you might be okay with just a plugin fan.
• Are there issues with first year students not being able to register for the classes they need because they fill up so quickly? The answer to this question could impact you financially and even affect graduation dates for demanding programs.
• Is housing guaranteed for first year students? Is it guaranteed each year? If housing isn’t guaranteed, you need to do research on safe areas to live off campus and factor the cost of those living arrangements into your tuition costs.

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process!  But, I’m here to share my 25 years of higher education experience, with 10 years of direct college admissions experience, with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with Elizabeth!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process! But, we are here to share our experience in higher education and direct college admissions with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with EWC!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

There are several colleges and universities that bring prestige with their names, but they may not be a good fit for your student. Your student’s happiness in college is a huge part of their success. If they feel like they belong on campus, they will get better grades, be more productive, and seek out more opportunities. In this episode, I’m sharing stories of how a “misfit” college match can affect students, whether school prestige actually matters, and how to assess whether a school is a good fit for your student.

Some key takeaways on prestige vs. fit:

• A “brand name” college or university might give you a little bit of a leg up in terms of access to an elite alumni network, a sense of personal pride, or connections to your dream, but ultimately if it’s not a good fit for you, prestige is pointless.
• Some things to consider for a good fit at a college might be accommodations to a special schedule you might have, the class sizes and opportunities for connecting 1:1 with professors, and support for students with neurodivergence or different abilities.
• There are several questions to ask yourself about whether a school is a good fit for you. Do you feel at home when you’re on campus? Do the students and faculty seem genuinely happy to be on campus? Do you feel like you could contribute positively and intentionally to the campus?

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process!  But, I’m here to share my 25 years of higher education experience, with 10 years of direct college admissions experience, with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with Elizabeth!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process! But, we are here to share our experience in higher education and direct college admissions with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with EWC!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

I started my college admissions consulting company as a side hustle while I was teaching, but my decade of college admissions experience before that sets me apart from the rest. In this inaugural episode of The Admissions Club podcast, I’m sharing my background in college admissions, higher education, and various types of colleges and universities.

Some key takeaways from my experience are:

• Throughout my admissions journey, I evolved from an admissions novice and eventually became the Associate Director of Admissions at UNC Charlotte. I also worked in admissions for a Carolinas College of Health Sciences, where I learned how admissions worked for specialty schools.
• While I loved teaching for 14 years, I really missed admissions. I started to hear a lot of admissions myths being thrown around, and how parents and students were accepting these myths as facts. I started EWC Consulting to combat this misinformation.
• I now help students and their parents navigate the college admissions process by arming them with facts and realistic expectations. Some of my clients have attended their dream schools, and others went on to attend schools they didn’t know existed but were a perfect fit for them - I love seeing my students happy and thriving at their college of choice! 

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process!  But, I’m here to share my 25 years of higher education experience, with 10 years of direct college admissions experience, with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with Elizabeth!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process! But, we are here to share our experience in higher education and direct college admissions with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with EWC!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process!  But, I’m here to share my 25 years of higher education experience, with 10 years of direct college admissions experience, with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with Elizabeth!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn

The Admissions Club Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things college admissions, complete with a nostalgic 80s playlist and Gen X vibes. It’s hard to believe that we’ve traded in scrunchies and Bruce Springsteen posters for walking our kids through the college admissions process! But, we are here to share our experience in higher education and direct college admissions with you and your student so you don’t have to walk it alone.

Connect with EWC!

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• LinkedIn