Admissions Beat

In the first of a two-part episode, Admissions Beat host Lee Coffin turns his attention to the high school graduating class of 2024, who may be feeling uneasy about the college admissions process as their senior year gets underway. Coffin, Dartmouth’s Dean of Admissions, imagines them in this “back to school moment” as “looking forward and saying, ‘Uh-oh, I have to apply to college.’ ” Guest Kate Boyle Ramsdell, director of college counseling at Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, Mass., agrees: “Things just got real.” To work through the many moving parts of a senior’s internal conversation, and to strategize the series of tasks and decisions that await each prospective applicant this fall, Coffin is also joined by Erica Rosales, executive director of College Match, a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles that works with low-income students, and Darryl Tiggle, director of college counseling at Friends School of Baltimore.

In the Season 4 premiere of Admissions Beat, host Lee Coffin, dean of admissions at Dartmouth, assesses the extraordinary and ongoing college admissions news cycle in recent months. He also provides practical advice for applicants, parents, and counselors on how to understand the news and steer through it as the new admission cycle gets underway. Among the topics that he and his guests discuss: the U.S. Supreme Court decision on race-conscious admissions; the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence when applied to a college application essay; test-optional admissions policies, and the consideration of legacy preferences in admissions. Joining him are Elena Hicks, assistant vice provost and dean of admission at Southern Methodist University, and Jacques Steinberg, former New York Times journalist and co-author of “The College Conversation: A Practical Companion for Parents to Guide Their Children Along the Path to Higher Education.”

Admissions Beat will return for its fourth season on Sept. 12. Whether you’re new to the podcast or a past listener, our goal endures: to support applicants, as well as their parents and counselors, through the search, application, and financial aid process. Host Lee Coffin, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Dartmouth, provides a preview of what you can expect from this fall’s episodes.

On June 29, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. In this special edition of the Admissions Beat, host Lee Coffin, the Dean of Admissions at Dartmouth, explains the practical implications of the decision for students — especially those who will be applying to college this coming fall — paying particular attention to application essays and other narrative elements. Joining him for the discussion are Rafael Figueroa, a former admissions officer at Wesleyan and Occidental who is currently the dean of college guidance at Albuquerque Academy in New Mexico, and Jacques Steinberg, a former New York Times journalist who is the author of two college admissions books: The Gatekeepers and The College Conversation: A Practical Companion for Parents to Guide Their Children Along the Path to Higher Education. Coffin and his guests also provide insight and advice for the parents and counselors who will be helping guide applicants this fall, and in the years ahead.

As the 2022-23 college admissions cycle draws to a close, Admissions Beat host Lee Coffin is joined by an audience of parents for the recording of the Season 3 finale. Gathered together on the campus of Dartmouth College for an admitted student open house, the parents of current high school seniors share perspectives on this year’s process. They also draw on their first-hand experience to provide advice to the parents of high school juniors as they guide their children into admissions prime time. Moderating the discussion is Jacques Steinberg, co-author of “The College Conversation: A Practical Companion for Parents to Guide Their Children along the Path to Higher Education.”

In this week’s episode of Admissions Beat, Dartmouth Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin speaks directly to those high school seniors who still have a college decision to make. “A big decision,” as he puts it. As the May 1 deadline draws near, Dean Coffin offers students (and parents, too) more than a dozen, gut-check questions that, when taken as a whole, comprise a checklist for the final countdown to enrollment. Some of those questions are pragmatic (To what degree will affordability be the deciding factor?) Others are academic (What about the faculty and resources they offer?) Still, others verge on the metaphysical (Can you imagine yourself being happy?) Dean Coffin also seeks to instill confidence. “Whatever sweatshirt you ultimately pull on,’’ he advises, "know that it's your choice, it's a good fit, and embrace it.”

With May 1 looming as the deadline for applicants to make a final decision on where to enroll, three Dartmouth first-year students reflect on their academic transition from high school to college. They provide firsthand perspectives on course selection, time management, and the importance of letting go any lingering belief that the college experience can be perfect. (Spoiler alert: it never is.) Joining Admissions Beat host Lee Coffin are Dartmouth first-years Lexie Gauthier, from Ronan, Montana; Roman Jimenez, from Los Angeles; and Andrew Wilson, from Lincoln, New Hampshire.

Whether you’re a high school senior, a high school junior, or a parent seeking to guide them, the question “So what’s your major?” can seem premature. After all, most colleges and universities don’t require a student to declare a major until the sophomore year. But reflecting on that question while still in high school can serve as a helpful exercise for students to contemplate what subjects they might like to study in college, and the extent to which that programming is offered at schools they are considering. In this encore episode from his previous podcast, The Search, Dartmouth Dean of Admissions Lee Coffin is joined by three members of the Dartmouth faculty — from the departments of engineering, philosophy and government — who provide advice on exploring academic interests at the collegiate level. They are Alexis Abramson, professor of engineering and Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering; Lisa Baldez, Professor of Government and Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies; and Sam Levy, Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean of the Arts and Humanities.

For many high school juniors, the college search and application process is deeply intertwined with an interest in playing a particular sport. For some applicants, that focus may be on an NCAA Division 1 program, where there could be opportunities to recruited and to receive a scholarship. Others may have their sights set on being a scholar-athlete playing at an institution designated as Division 2 or Division 3. For still others, it’s having access to intramural sports that is of appeal. In an encore episode from the first season of Admissions Beat, host Lee Coffin provides students and parents with advice on how to navigate a range of scenarios for would-be collegiate student athletes. He also explains how those aspirations are taken into account in the admissions process. He’s joined by Peter Roby, who has served as the interim director of athletics at Dartmouth, the director of athletics at Northeastern, and the men’s basketball coach at Harvard.

Throughout their senior year of high school, but particularly in recent weeks, applicants for the college Class of 2027 have been receiving admissions decisions. Over the next four weeks, the tables will turn, as those students — in consultation with parents, counselors, and others — weigh a series of decisions of their own, based on the choices now in front of them. “In that time, you’re going to make an informed decision about where you see yourself,’’ says Admissions Beat host Lee Coffin, dean of admissions and financial aid at Dartmouth. “This episode, we’ll help you go from here to there.” Joining Coffin for that discussion are two veteran counselors and returning guests: Darryl Tiggle, director of college counseling at Friends School of Baltimore, and Jennifer Simons, senior manager at Bright Horizons College Coach, a company that offers college guidance to corporate employees as a benefit.