Getting In: A College Coach Conversation

Summer is a very important time in the college process. Two very important items to focus on: planning and making the most of college visits, and getting started on your main essay. We’ll talk about both in this week’s episode. We’ll also explain how refund policies work, which is important to understand if you find yourself unable to attend for a semester for some reason.

Introducing a new Getting In series: Summer Programs! We’re kicking off the inaugural episode with a focus on summer programs for students interested in STEM. Tune in to learn more about what to look for and how to find math, science, and engineering summer opportunities. We also have the latest apps and resources to help college students better manage their money. Office Hours is covering all bases for seniors—tips on what to do if you’ve submitted all your applications or haven’t even started applying yet.

In last week’s Getting In, we discussed the importance of a distinguishing excellence for those students hoping to be admitted to the most selective schools in the country. This week, we walk you through the best way to present that DE in your applications. In Office Hours, we’re talking about starting the activity section of the application and creating an application resume if necessary. For all those work study students out there or those that simply hope to get a job, we’re offering advice on applying for on-campus jobs.

If there was a group of colleges focused on a personalized, student-focused college experience, would you be interested? Well Colleges That Change Lives is that group, and executive director Maria Furtado joins us to share more about their mission. We’ll also go inside the St. Olaf financial aid office and help students and families prep for early round results in Office Hours.

The College Board made a splash a few months ago with its new Adversity Score. After some negative backlash and bad press, they scrapped the score and replaced it with their new Landscape tool. Tune in to find out what all the fuss is about and if the name is the only thing that’s really changing. Breaks from college can wind up being quite expensive for students depending on what they choose to do and how far they travel to do it. We have some thoughts on how not to break the bank during the upcoming winter break. Finally, in Office Hours, we’re breaking down the supplements for Virginia Tech and Santa Clara.