Getting In: A College Coach Conversation

Imagine heading off to college with no one to support you—no parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents. That's what many foster students who make it to college face every year. Join us to learn more about how the Wily Network is stepping up to fill that void. If you've received money back from your college, and you're not sure why, we have answer. We'll share everything you need to know about financial aid refunds, including why they happen and what you should do with the funds. Finally, one of our own educators shares her story of being a first generation college student.

Planning to apply to a University of California institution or a Texas public university? We're exploring the UC application and the Apply Texas platform in today's podcast. And in our college finance segment, we'll share details on the Cal Grant Program.

Attention college freshmen: starting strong is one of the keys to a successful college experience. We have some best practices to help students get off to a good first semester. We're also answering your college admissions and finance questions.

It's that time of year: the Common App and the Coalition application are both live. We're breaking down each option and offering suggestions on getting started on these application platforms. We will also look at credit reports in terms of both personal and college finance.

Wondering if working in college is a good idea? We have thoughts! (Because of course we do!) We're also exploring the benefits of studying a foreign language with our guests from Duolingo, one of the coolest ways to support classroom learning, pick up a new language on your own, or for international students to show proficiency in English.

If you've ever dreamed of being a sportscaster, tune in to today's podcast to learn more about how to make that happen from someone in the field. We also have a list of things athletes should be doing now. And finally, we'll talk through sharing financial aid package information with others—why you might want to do this, when you might not want to do this, and how to do it.

Your student applied, got in, and made their final decision. Now what? We have everything you need to know from the mother of two college students who has gone through the process herself. In Office Hours, we're answering your college finance and admissions questions.

Today's show is all about attending college in a place other than your home country. We'll be offering admissions and college finance advice for international students who plan to attend college in the US and US students who want to go abroad for their studies.

What does it mean when a college meets financial need? We'll take a closer look at the reality of this policy for families and share some colleges that do this. For those planning college visits this summer, we have advice from a Boston College admissions officer and a tour guide about how to make the most of that time even though students aren't on campus.

While much of the scholarship dollars available to students comes courtesy of merit aid awarded by colleges to the best applicants in their pools, a handful of selective scholarships require an application process. We'll explore the requirements for Morehead Cain and talk about other selective scholarships in today's podcast. On the finance side, we're talking through the buy now, pay later programs that are seemingly sweeping the world—and getting some college students into trouble.