Oh noooooo! It’s the end of high school (and maybe the start of college) and my child has decided that college isn’t for them. Is this devastating news? What options does your child have to become a productive member of society? How do we have a dialog about this and move forward as a family?

The post 608: My Kid Decided Not to Go to College appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

You are stuck with a teacher that is a bad teacher or you don’t like–what can you do? In many cases, you can’t switch the teacher or decide not to take the class, so now what? How do you learn what you need to know? How do you help build a relationship with a difficult instructor? And what do you do if it just isn’t working?

The post 607: Terrible Teacher in a Core Subject: What are your options? appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

The school year is now in full swing and it is time to start on that “when I get time” list. What should be on the list? How do I know if I am on track? What can I do right now to give myself a competitive advantage?

The post 606: Are you doing what you should be doing? appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

When you have stellar grades and a super test scores, what should be the focus for getting into those elite schools that only accept a small percentage every year? What types of activities stand out? How do you differentiate yourself in a sea of high-acheivers?

The post 605: How Highly Selective Admission Is Different appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

Get all the late, breaking news from the college admissions world! Megan highlights SAT/ACT changes, test optional vs. SAT/ACT required, auto-admission to colleges, erasing past mistakes, and Early Action/Early Decision/Restricted Early Action debates. Get caught up on all that’s coming up in the college prep world!

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2025-10-27/college-admissions-early-decision-lawsuit-students

The post 604: What’s New in College Admission (fall 2025) appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

Chat GPT and AI are here. It can create and essay in a fraction of the time it takes the typical high schooler and many families are looking to it to ease the college application process. Megan and Erin provide some thoughts on when to use it (and when not to) for a truly spectacular college essay.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/10/06/admissions-essays-written-ai-are-generic-and-easy-spot

The post 603: How can I use AI and Chat GPT for College Applications? appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

So many changes and redesigns – what is the current information? When should we fill it out? What tax year do we report? Megan helps answer all those questions without you having to search around amongst conflicting information to be ready for financial aid!

The post 602: FAFSA Refresh Fall 2025 appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

Maria writes and asks how high school students might get valuable lab experience in order to be more competitive. What should a STEM student do if their high school doesn’t offer research opportunities? Megan and Erin discuss strategies for high school students to gain research and lab experience.

The post 601: LISTENER QUESTION: How to get Research and Lab Experience appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

UGMA? UTMA? 529? Saving for college can be overwhelming and daunting. Erin is here with her finance experience to break down the difference between them and help you determine what is the best financial plan for your needs.

The post 600: College Investment Information appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

Megan and guest host Gretchen Wegner explore the concept of cognitive overload and its impact on students’ learning abilities, particularly focusing on working memory and its limited capacity.

Listen to learn about working memory which has a limited capacity and our goal in learning which involves transferring information to our long-term memories which have almost unlimited capacity. Various factors such as emotions, environmental clutter, and sensory input can overload this memory space, impacting learning and information processing. Understanding brain science and learning strategies can help students fine tune their study habits. 

You can learn more about Gretchen’s programs at https://antiboringlearninglab.com/courses

The post 599: Cognitive Overload in Student Learning with Gretchen Wegner appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.