Hello and welcome!
We are Anthony and Jankel Cadavid, husband and wife and founders of College Metropolis, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that guides working-class families through the college admission process. We are happy you are here and grateful you want to get to know us better!
Our lives in higher education
In 2004, we began our careers in higher education. While our careers have been in different areas, they are complementary. This allows us to share a well-rounded perspective about college preparation and the admission process with our audience.
While the greatest part of my experience in higher education comes from being a professor teaching courses to freshman—and sophomore-level college students, Jankel’s experience comes from years of holding leadership positions in the offices of admissions, recruitment, financial aid, and international students throughout her career.
Our purpose in creating The College Metropolis Podcast
Our purpose in creating the CMP and everything that is part of it is to give high school students the information they need so they can have a solid chance to reach their college goals and become the professionals they want to become. That is the reason why we do everything we do here.
We desire to give high school students who want to achieve their college dreams the information needed to carry them out. We want all high school kids, especially those with little resources and means, to know all that is available regarding colleges and universities and the steps to carry out their dreams.
That aspiration guides Jankel and me in everything we do here!
We believe there are five elements high school students need to succeed in the college prep and admission process.
In our years in higher education, we have witnessed and, in some cases, participated in the success of many students who achieved their goals and developed into great professionals.
Some students came from backgrounds offering them plenty of opportunities to succeed, while others had very few. But they all achieved and, in some cases, surpassed what they had dreamed of achieving.
We have also seen the opposite play out in the lives of many high school kids, even those with every resource and opportunity available to them to succeed. Unfortunately, many of them will carry that unrealized potential throughout their lives.
In all those scenarios, we saw what worked and did not work for these students. Based on that and on all we have learned in our higher education careers, we believe in the following five elements, which together form the foundation necessary for high school kids to be successful in the college prep and college admission process.
To achieve their dreams of college success, high school students need:
[#One] To succeed, high school students need ample family support
Success for high school students depends largely on the support they receive from their parents, who play an extremely important role in the entire process.
To help parents know how to support their high school kids best, we produce content on this podcast for them so they can be empowered to do their part in helping their kids achieve success.
[#Two] To succeed, high school students need acknowledgment and respect for their dreams
Every kid has dreams of becoming an excellent and successful professional. Those dreams live within them. They represent who they are and who they aspire to be. To high school kids and to all of us, dreams are the engines that drive us.
Dreams are personal and powerful, and when guided properly, they can be transformational. Because of that, the dreams of a high school kid must be respected. Parents play a significant role in shaping those dreams and helping them achieve the goals needed to make them a reality.
To help high school students discover what is available to them after high school, we present careers and professions and the colleges and universities where they could receive the education that will allow them to turn their dreams into reality.
We also provide parents with the steps to take, as they play an important role in that process.
[#Three] To succeed, high school students need access to good information
Many myths plague the college admission process. Some of them are so prevalent that they are believed to be accurate. There is also a great deal of misinformation handed out by people that oftentimes mean well but end up creating the opposite effect.
Equally damaging is the amount of information that many high school students across the country lack. The combination of misinformation and lack of information ensures that kids preparing for college do not make optimal decisions regarding their college future. Some of them decide to stay away from college based on what they have been led to believe.
We dispel myths and eliminate misinformation by presenting facts in every content we provide, every guest we host on the podcast, and every resource we present.
[#Four] To succeed, high school students need guidance to achieve a clear vision
High school students need to know the specifics of what they are supposed to do, how those things need to be done, and when they need to be done to achieve success in the college prep and college admission process. Without detailed information, it is very difficult, and in some cases impossible, to succeed.
High school students are supposed to take the right classes each year, earn high enough grades, and develop the right habits to be prepared for college. They are also supposed to take a number of steps, in the right manner and at the right time, to successfully manage the college admission process.
When you think about that from the perspective of high school kids, you will appreciate the level of anxiety and stress that all of those expectations can place on them, especially when they do not have a clear vision of what they are supposed to do.
We produce episodes with detailed information about each step to help them gain the clarity they need to do what they have to do, how they are expected to do it, and when they are supposed to do it. To simplify it further, we have created several episodes outlining what they should do each year of high school.
When students have a clear vision for everything they are supposed to do, and it is broken down into individual, easy-to-digest steps, they buy into the idea that they can do it all, allowing them to feel empowered and in control of their futures.
We believe that exposing high school students to the lives of real professionals in different industries is very motivating. It exposes them to careers and professions that they may find interesting and allows them to value the college prep and admission process as the vehicle that will get them there.
Jankel and I bring on professionals from different industries to the show to share with our audience the details about their careers and professions. We cover everything from their high school years to their college years and their lives as professionals making a difference in our world.
We believe this is a great way to give high school students a vision for the careers and professions they may want to pursue in college and to strengthen their dedication to college prep and admission process.
[#Five] To succeed, high school students need discernment to choose the colleges that offer them the best fit
We believe it is very important for high school students to know how to uncover the colleges and universities that offer them the best fit—that is, the colleges and universities that best meet their needs. Each student has to find these on his or her own.
Those are the colleges and universities that will give each student the ability to develop to his or her utmost potential. No college or university is a good fit for every student, and that includes the most popular, elite, and highly selective institutions.
Hundreds of great colleges and universities in the country are exemplary institutions. The vast majority are academically solid and offer many students a chance to strengthen their academic mettle, develop their leadership potential, and gain an appreciation for the good they can offer the world at large.
These are institutions that, for decades or centuries, have been profoundly changing the lives of many students. Unfortunately, every year, a greater number of students miss out on those colleges and universities because they do not know enough about them.
Based on that lack of knowledge, a great number of students miss the opportunity to attend the colleges that were created to fit their needs and give them the best chance to prosper.
We introduce our audience to great institutions nationwide, where they may find their best fit.
Our very best for you
For Jankel and me, it is very exciting to share with you all that we have learned and experienced in our combined thirty-plus years of experience so that you can use it to your benefit.
Whether you are a high school student or the parent or family member of a high school student, you can rest assured knowing that we will always bring you the very best we and our guests have to offer.
We are grateful you are here and look forward to your success!
Anthony Cadavid
