Episodes

July 10, 2022

25 College Survival Skills You Should Learn in High School to Succeed…

#095 – On this, the last episode on our 3-part series, we conclude our list of the 25 skills that every high school student should learn prior to going to college. Jankel and I talk about the importance of taking …

Episode page
June 27, 2022

25 College Survival Skills You Should Learn in High School to Succeed…

#094 - Today, we continue on our list of the 25 skills and habits that every high school student should begin to practice in high school so that, by the time they transition to college, those habits and skills are …

Episode page
June 20, 2022

25 College Survival Skills You Should Learn in High School to Succeed…

#093 – The transition from high school to college is one that every student must learn, practice, and prepare for, to do it properly. The sooner that preparation begins in high school, the higher the chances that the transiti...

Episode page
June 14, 2022

What Every Selective School Wants to Find in Your Extracurricular Act…

#092 – On this episode we conclude our two-part conversation about extracurricular activities by focusing on the different activities that can be included in the college application. Although we discuss participation in clubs...

Episode page
June 7, 2022

What Every Selective School Wants to Find in Your Extracurricular Act…

#091 – Today, we uncover the admission requirements for Cornell University, focusing deeply on the non-academic factors. For selective universities, high academic achievement is expected and cannot be counted on to differenti...

Episode page
May 30, 2022

How Commitment to Your Vision Is Necessary to Overcome Obstacles. Als…

#090 – On this episode, Jankel and I begin by highlighting the ways in which high school students can increase their chances for success by overcoming the inevitable obstacles and challenges that will present themselves throu...

Episode page
May 23, 2022

Questions College Admission Officers Ask About You and Your High Scho…

#089 – On today’s episode, I present the meaning of the “Summer Melt” and the ways in which it could help you gain admission to college, while at the same time allowing you to negotiate more institutional aid for yourself. …

Episode page
May 12, 2022

What Gets Students Accepted to MIT? Here Is What MIT Admission Office…

#088 – Today, we explore the admission criteria at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known as MIT. We begin by analyzing admission information about the most recent freshman class, highlighting the admission r...

Episode page
May 2, 2022

What Every College Admission Officer Will Look for in Your Applicatio…

#087 - Today, we continue our conversation focused on the most important portions of your college application that will garner the attention of College Admission Officers. Depending on what they find on your application, they...

Episode page
April 23, 2022

What Every College Admission Officer Will Look for in Your Applicatio…

#086 – This is a very special episode in which I am joined by my son who will share with us some of his observations about a recent trip we took to visit some of the schools to which he …

Episode page
March 27, 2022

The One Extremely Important Characteristic That Every College You App…

#085 - This is the third episode in a series that deals with some of the most common misconceptions about college admissions. On the previous two episodes we talked about the fallacy of the “Best-College Rankings” and what re...

Episode page
March 20, 2022

Will Attending Highly-Selective Colleges Lead to Superior Learning, I…

#084 – The perceived complexity of the college admission process makes it easier for students and parents to believe misinformation, as they attempt to gather as much information to do it right. On the previous episode, we de...

Episode page
March 4, 2022

Do You Know How Colleges and Universities are Ranked Each Year? What…

#083 – Today, I uncover the fallacy of common methods of ranking colleges and universities. On any day, it is very common to hear talk about so-called best colleges, top colleges, ranked colleges, highly-ranked colleges, top-...

Episode page
Feb. 7, 2022

What is a Teaching Institution? Questions to Ask to Determine If You …

#082 – Today, we uncover the characteristics of teaching institutions, which in many ways, are different from research institutions. We begin by presenting an article that appeared on the Chicago Tribune, which criticized the...

Episode page
Jan. 29, 2022

What are Research Universities? Qualities Students Need to Succeed in…

#081 – On this episode, Jankel and I begin by outlining some of the major differences between research universities and teaching universities. We begin by sharing some Jankel’s experience doing geological research in the Pisc...

Episode page
Jan. 23, 2022

Important Questions That All High School Students Should Ask Their Hi…

#080 – On this episode, Jankel and I present a very important person in the college admission aspirations of high school students, the high school college counselor. We discuss the enormous workloads that are placed on the de...

Episode page
Jan. 15, 2022

Essential Info from Guests During Our First Year. What to Communicate…

#079 – As we kick off our episode line-up for 2022, we begin by recapping some of the most memorable guests we had during the past year. These are guests that shared very valuable information in matters related to college …

Episode page
Dec. 22, 2021

The Importance of College Interviews and How They Will Affect Your Ch…

#078 – Today, we dissect a part of the college admission process that many applicants find very challenging, the college interview. Jankel and I dive into the details of the interview, which for some schools is a required por...

Episode page
Dec. 12, 2021

The Colleges You Apply to May Be Test Optional, Test Flexible, or Tes…

#077 – On this episode, we begin by reading a very kind and warm review that was given to our podcast by a parent who is a listener. Towards the end of the review, she asked whether we could talk …

Episode page
Nov. 27, 2021

How Selective Colleges and Universities Determine Which Students Get …

#076 - Admission into selective colleges and universities requires more than a stellar academic record. Most selective schools follow a holistic admissions approach, in which they consider other aspects of their applicants, i...

Episode page
Nov. 13, 2021

All About Class Rank. What It Is and How It Is Used in College Admiss…

# 075 – Class rank is one of the factors considered for admission decisions by college admission officers in some colleges and universities. Because class rank is so important to those institutions, it is important that you u...

Episode page
Nov. 6, 2021

The Importance of Grades in Your College Application. Weighted and Un…

# 074 – Your academic record will be the first part of your application to be checked by the college admission officers of the schools to which you will apply. The courses you take and the grades you receive make …

Episode page
Oct. 29, 2021

How to Figure Out Whether a College or University is a Reach, Target,…

# 073 – After listening to this episode, you will be able to analyze whether a college or university is a Reach, Target, or a Safety school for you. One of the most important things you will do as part …

Episode page
Oct. 20, 2021

The Habits of Successful and Overachieving Students (Part 4). Organiz…

# 072 – Today, on this episode, we conclude our series on the habits of successful and overachieving students. Jankel and I embark on a conversation about how important it is for students to have excellent organizational skil...

Episode page