Your College Bound Kid | Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews

In this episode you will hear:   (07:45) In this week’s “In the news” segment,  Mark and Dave discuss a February 14th, 2022 article,  by Scott Jaschik that appeared in the Inside Higher Ed. The article is entitled, “Does calculus count too much in admissions.” The article presents a pretty compelling case that there is a lot of resistance to the weight placed on calculus in admissions decisions. Mark and Dave look at why study after study can report that statistics or data science is more correlated with life sciences and other course work but that has had little effect on the primacy of calculus.     (30:48) Question from a listener-   Question 1   How common is it on today’s campuses that they give “credit” for AP/IB but still require a distribution requirement in the same subject area? I am trying to minimize unnecessary stress for my kid.    Bobbi from Ohio   Question 2   Victoria applied early admission 2 to Auburn. We thought it would be an easy "yes" with her 4.7 unweighted GPA after senior year. However, she applied test optional because her score is 1260 on the SAT. Auburn deferred her. The college counselor at our school and I were completely shocked when they did not accept her. Our college counselor called the admissions officer for our area. She said they did not look at anything except grades and test scores. They did not consider anything else in the application. The Auburn admissions officer encouraged Victoria to send in her test scores. She said her full file would be considered for admission in March.    In hindsight, Victoria remembers our tour guide at Auburn in July hinting that Auburn says it is test-optional, but not really. She didn't say it that way, but Victoria realizes now that was meant what she meant.   Victoria sent in her scores in late February and was accepted on March 4th.     Unfortunately, the delay caused her to miss out on Auburn scholarship opportunities.  We wish we had known they were not really tested optional? How common is it for colleges to tell you that they are test-optional but they really aren't completely test-optional?    Melinda from NC   Question 3-   Are all hooks equal or do some count more than others? How can we know which ones count the most    (Anonymous question asker)   (01:06:55) Our interview is with Chris Gruber-Vice President and Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid at Davidson College-"How the pandemic forced Davidson to examine its own admission biases and make changes" Part 2 of 2   (01:22:15) Our recommended resource for episode 221 is the Documentary “Try Harder”. Lisa and Mark were both transfixed watching this documentary and they cannot recommend “Try Harder” more highly. The documentary looks at how the pressure students at Lowell High School feel to go to a prestigious college and the impact this pressure has on their self-esteem and mental health.   (01:40:45) Our College Spotlight looks at, “Understanding Danish Universities” with International Specialist Kevin Newton (Part 2 of 2)   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer them on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed:     To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: questions@yourcollegeboundkid.com.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at lisa@schoolmatch4u.com. All they ask is that you review their services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is:

In this episode you will hear:   (15:58) In this week’s “In the news” segment,  Mark and Dave discuss a January 12th, 2022 article,  by Ron Lieber that appeared in the New Times. The article is entitled, “College Merit Aid (or the Lack Thereof) makes Early Decision even murkier. Lieber has many legitimate concerns with the lack of transparency colleges have about when it comes to letting families know how much they will have to pay. Mark shares what he believes are the strongest arguments Lieber has, and he also shares a few points where he disagrees with Lieber.     (39:54) It is Bonus content week for our question and Lisa looks at how accommodations for IEPs and 504 plans differ from college to high school: what you need to know to set your child up for a successful transition.    (01:07:10) Our interview is with Chris Gruber-Vice President and Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid at Davidson College-"How the pandemic forced Davidson to examine its own admission biases and make changes" Part 1 of 2   (01:24:08) Our recommended resource for episode 220 is the book, The Attack on Higher Education: The Dissolution of the American University    (01:38:02) Our College Spotlight looks at, “Understanding Danish Universities” with International Specialist Kevin Newton (Part 1 of 2)   by   (Author). The book recounts the numerous ways Higher Ed is under attack and he has some steps that can be taken so Higher Ed can thrive for decades to come.   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer them on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed:     To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: questions@yourcollegeboundkid.com.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at lisa@schoolmatch4u.com. All they ask is that you review their services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

In this episode you will hear:   (12:20) In this week’s “In the news” segment,  Mark and Dave discuss a April 4th, 2017 article,  by Becky Sabky that appeared as an oped in the New York Times. At the time Sabky wrote this, she was a senior member of the admission staff at Dartmouth College. The article is entitled, “check this box if you are a good person”. Sabky recounts the letter of recommendation that she read in their 13 years at Dartmouth that had the most profound impact on her. The student was unanimously voted to be admitted. Dave and I deconstruct the op-ed, looking at what this student did to impact Sabky so much. We look at what students can learn and apply to their own lives.   (34:55) Shauna from North Dakota has several questions related to when schools recind acceptances for low grades. She also wants to know if students should cover themselves by applying to some EA schools and not withdrawing their applications to protect themselves.     https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/opinion/check-this-box-if-youre-a-good-person.html   (48:30) Our interview is with two MIT admission officers (Chris Peterson and Kellen Manning) who also have other roles at MIT. Chris aka Petey and Kellen provide great insights into “Understanding MIT” Part 2 of 2 Petey answers the question, “how important is the 9th grade in their evaluation” Petey reveals whether grades predict grades at MIT Petey talks about whether test scores predict grades at MIT. He explains what MIT’s research reveals on test scores. Petey talks about other cognitive factors that impact grades at MIT Kellen answers a question, “what does MIT do to ensure positive mental health with its students?” Kellen answers the question one of our listeners sent in, “What is MIT’s personality”? The guys answer the question, “what does MIT do well” and “what does MIT need to improve”? We close by putting the guys on the hot seat and they were ready for me.   Our 25 minute discussion about MIT with Chris Peterson and Kellen Manning will serve as our College Spotlight   (01:00:34) Our recommended resource for episode 219 are the waitlist statistics that College Transitions/Data verse produce: https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/waitlist-statistics   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer them on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed:     To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: questions@yourcollegeboundkid.com.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at lisa@schoolmatch4u.com. All they ask is that you review their services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

In this episode you will hear:   (15:58) In this week’s “In the news” segment,  Mark and Dave discuss a March 14th, 2022 article,  by Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed, “New York Bill would ban legacy admissions and Early Decision”? This legislation would ban legacy and Early Decision from both public schools like the SUNY and CUNY schools and the private schools like Fordham, Syracuse, University of Rochester, Cornell, Columbia, Barnard, Union and St. Lawrence. Mark and Dave discuss whether they think these practices are likely to survive over the next 5-10 years and if they don’t, what alternatives would colleges use in their place.       (45:08) Listener question: What’s the point of demonstrating interest if you know you’re applying ED? Isn’t that already good enough? Do we still need to click on every email, register for virtual visits, etc.? It’s the season for eighth-graders to choose their first high school classes. Any insights into best practices in this process?   I know that multiple kids in college starting in 2024-2025 will not result in division of the EFC by the number of kids any longer.  Do you have suggestions on how I can find out whether a FAFSA college will continue to divide the EFC or whether they will embrace the new change? Also, when would Net Price Calculators be required to be updated to reflect this change?   (01:12:12) Our interview is with two MIT admission officers (Chris Peterson and Kellen Manning) who also have other roles at MIT. Chris aka Petey and Kellen provide great insights into “Understanding MIT” Part 1 of 2   (01:22:12:) Our recommended resource for episode 218 is Campus Pride. Campuspride.org assesses whether a college is LGBTQ friendly and supportive.   (01:38:55) Our college Spotlight is Franklin and Marshall College (F & M)   Part 2 of 2   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer them on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed:   https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast   To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: questions@yourcollegeboundkid.com.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at lisa@schoolmatch4u.com. All they ask is that you review their services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

In this episode you will hear:   (13:40) In this week’s “In the news” segment,  Mark and Dave discuss a Feb 22nd, 2022 article,  by Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed, “Are recommendation letters a Form of Discrimmination”?   https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2022/02/22/colleges-consider-whether-recommendations-are-fair     (37:00) Mark continues with a bonus content section. Mark shares with Lisa what he believes would surprise our listeners if they were to be a college admissions officer. Part 3 of 3     (01:16:10) Our interview is with two MIT admission officers (Chris Peterson and Kellen Manning) who also have other roles at MIT. Chris aka Petey and Kellen provide great insights into “what can a student learn from a college’s social media presence”. Part 2 of 2   (01:25:56) Our recommended resource for episode 217 is The Twitter feed of the VP of Enrollment at Oregon State: Jon Boeckenstedt: @   (01:34:07) Our college Spotlight is Franklin and Marshall College (F & M) https://www.fandm.edu/   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that we will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed:     To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: questions@yourcollegeboundkid.com.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at lisa@schoolmatch4u.com. All they ask is that you review their services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

(12:05) In this week’s “In the news” segment, Dave returns and Mark and Dave discuss a Feb 14th, 2022 article,  by Brennan Barnard of Forbes, “Things that make yuo go Hmmm.   Brennan Barnard interviews many admission leaders and college counselors in attempt to explain some rather bizarre things that are happening in the world of college admissions. These admission and counseling leaders provide some sage advice for us all.     (36:50) Mark continues with a bonus content section that will run over the next three weeks. Mark shares with Lisa what he believes would surprise our listeners if they were to be a college admissions officer. Part 2 of 3     (01:10:00) Our interview is with two MIT admission officers (Chris Peterson and Kellen Manning) who also have other roles at MIT. Chris aka Petey and Kellen provide great insights into “what can a student learn from a college’s social media presence”. In this interview, Petey and Kellen discuss the following: Petey and Kellen give their backstory They discuss how MIT uniquely uses (or doesn’t use) blogs, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube They also discuss three other powerful forums that often go overlooked: Discord, Reddit, and Quora Petey and Kellen give their perspective on whether forums like Reddit are valuable forums that they would encourage students or parents to frequent Kellen and Petey answer the question, how can a student discern the jewels from the junk in social media platforms Petey and Kellen give their advice to high school students’ on how they should manage their own social media accounts Kellen and Petey discuss whether they look up students social media presence when reaching their files?  (01:18:00) Our recommended resource for episode 216 is “The Slice” by Applerouth (see applerouth.com). It is a great college admissions blog but it is also a place to learn about up and coming college admissions webinars. Instead of me talking about the Slice, Applerouth’s own, Emma Vigneault to present the Slice to our listeners.   (01:27:54) Our college Spotlight is College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. This is part 2 of 2   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that we will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed:   https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast   To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: questions@yourcollegeboundkid.com.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at lisa@schoolmatch4u.com. All they ask is that you review their services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

In this episode you will hear:   (12:32) In this week’s “In the news” segment, Dave has the week off to celebrate his birthday, but Vince  Garcia and Mark discuss a Feb 14th, 2022 article,  by Frances Dinkelspiel of Berkleyside, “UC Berkeley must slash new enrollment by one third unless high court intervenes.   Vince and Mark discuss why the court ruled against Berkeley. They look at whether the problems caused by Berkeley having too many students are real? They also speculate where is this going and what implications does this ruling have?     https://www.berkeleyside.org/2022/02/14/uc-berkeley-enrollment-drop-court-of-appeal-ruling   (49:24) Mark starts a bonus content section that will run over the next three weeks. Mark shares with Lisa what he believes would surprise our listeners if they were to be a college admissions officer. Part 1 of 3   (01:32:58) Our interview is part 3 of 3 of Mark’s interview with Mark Salisbury, the Founder of tuitionfit.org. In this segment, Mark discusses the following: Mark talks about how he gets these aid awards and how he convinces students, parents or counselors to submit their aid awards to Tuition fit Mark talks about the two core principles that Tuitionfit was founded on Mark talks about the mechanics of how an interested student or parent creates an account and what are the next steps Mark talks about how Tuitionfit safeguards for authenticity and for privacy of this highly confidential information Mark shares what a parent gets in return for sharing their student’s aid awards with Tuitionfit   (01:42:00) Our recommended resource for episode 216 is the The Future U podcast. Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn discuss what’s next for higher ed and talk with the newsmakers you want to hear from most   (01:50:24) Our college Spotlight is College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. This is part 1 of 2   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that we will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed:   https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast   To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: questions@yourcollegeboundkid.com.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:   If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340. All they ask is that you review the services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

In this episode you will hear:   (16:40) In this week’s “In the news” segment, we discuss a Jan 13th, 2022 article, “How college applicants embellish essays with sob stories and fake patents. The article is by Isabel Vincent and it appeared in the New York Post. Mark and Dave discuss why this is happening and what if anything can be done about it. They also discuss other areas in the application where fraud is occurring.   https://nypost.com/2022/01/13/how-college-applicants-embellish-admission-essays/   (31:39) Lisa and Mark answer a question from Shelly from California: How do I know which colleges should I visit?   (01:01:44) Our interview is with Mark Salisbury, the Founder of tuitionfit.org. Mark talks about how he gets these aid awards and how he convinces students, parents or counselors to submit their aid awards to Tuition fit Mark talks about the two core principles that Tuitionfit was founded on Mark talks about the mechanics of how an interested student or parent creates an account and what are the next steps Mark talks about how Tuitionfit safeguards for authenticity and for the privacy of this highly confidential information Mark shares what a parent gets in return for sharing their student’s aid awards with Tuitionfit   (01:17:34) Our recommended resource for episode 214 is the outstanding reference book, “Colleges Worth Your Money”-A Guide to What America’s Top Colleges Can Do For You by   Andrew Belasco , Dave Bergman and  Michael Trivette   (01:27:38) Our college Spotlight is Western Michigan University, aka WKU in Kalamazoo, Michigan. https://wmich.edu/   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that we will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed:     To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: questions@yourcollegeboundkid.com.   If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340. All they ask is that you review the services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

In this episode you will hear:   (11:15) In this week’s “In the news” segment, we discuss Ben Paris Jan 31st, 2022 article, “A Test prep persons anaylsis of the new SAT” Mark and Dave have a detailed discussion of all of the changes in this new SAT, and then they share their opinions about whether these changes are good or bad for students.       (34:46) Lisa and Mark continue their discussion of the new SAT by answering a question several listeners sent in asking how the test-optional movement will be impacted by the New SAT.   (01:03:50) Our interview is with Mark Salibury, the Founder of tuitionfit.org. Mark shares his backstory, he explains what Tution Fit does and he explains why he started Tuition Fit.   (01:09:47) Our recommended resource for episode 213 is the website: This is a great website if you want to have a live virtual chat with an admission officer or if you want to watch great on demand webinars by college admission experts.   (01:26:00) Our college Spotlight is with Sylvia Borgo. Sylvia is a UCLA alum, a college counselor and a substitute co-host for YCBK. Sylvia shares six traditions and programs UCLA offers and she also discusses who is NOT a good match for UCLA.   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that we will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed:     To access our transcripts, click: Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans is used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK.   Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: . If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340. All they ask is that you review the services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/

In this episode you will hear:   (07:20) In this week’s “In the news” segment, we do the big “switcheroo” and Lisa tackles an “in the news” question that was sent in and directed to her. It looks at the Windowless 4500 person dorm that Charlie Munger built at UC-Santa Barbara.   We discuss a December 13, 2021 article entitled, “The Munger Dorm is bad, but why” by Aaron Betsky. The article appeared in Architectural Magazine. Aaron Betsky is Director of the School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech and a critic and author of more than a dozen books on art, architecture, and design   Lisa and Mark discuss why was it built, what makes it unique and what are the risk factors in building a dorm like this. We also discuss the role of big donors in implementing their plans for a school even when the professional architects disagree with their vision.   https://www.architectmagazine.com/design/buildings/the-munger-dorm-is-bad-but-why_o     (25:28) Question from a listener    For medical schools, is it better to go to a “lower” tier undergraduate school and be at the top of your class vs. going to a school where more of the students are at the child’s level (and therefore the student would be in the middle of the pack)?   Jennifer from Virginia     Dave takes Lisa’s role in helping answer the question from a listener. He draws off his experience as a Medical Director and Mark draws off his experience of seeing which students from which schools get in medical schools to answer Jennifer’s question.   (57:10) Mark interviews Gary Clark, the Dean of undergraduate admissions at UCLA and Gary helps us to understand UCLA.  Preview (Part 2/2) Gary and I talk about enrollment of non-resident students who are not from California Gary shares statistical information, such as how many students apply and what the acceptance rate is for nursing and he talks about what UCLA is looking for when they evaluate a nursing applicant. Gary describes what “The Compare Favorably standard is” and he explains how this is measured. Gary answers the question, does test-blind apply to AP and IB tests or only SAT and ACT. I put Gary on the hot seat and we get to know the lighter side of Gary   (01:09:05) Our recommended resource for episode 212 is the website Uaspire is a non-profit with the singular focus on college affordability and removing financial barriers so that every student has an equitable opportunity to attain a post-secondary degree without burdensome debt. Uaspire provides training and resources for students and counselors to help them understand college financial systems and the barriers that keep students from graduating because of money.   To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our free quarterly admissions deep-dive, delivered directly to your email four times a year, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign up on the right side of the page under “the Listen to our podcast icons”   Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news,  and updates about the podcast before they go live:     To access our transcripts, click: Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans Every word in that episode when the words loans is used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript   Feel free to pass this podcast on to others who you feel will benefit, even if they are not a YCBK listener.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: . If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful!   If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live.   Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends:   Check out the college websites Mark recommends:   If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link:     If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340. All they ask is that you review the services on their website before the complimentary session. Their counseling website is: https://schoolmatch4u.com/