Getting In: A College Coach Conversation

Join Christine Kenyon, a former college admissions officer, as she shares insights on winning scholarships like the Morehead-Cain. Blair Dixon, a Posse Foundation alumna, discusses the importance of peer support in cohort-based programs. Geraldine Castaneda, a QuestBridge alumna, explains how the matching process connects first-gen students to top colleges. Michelle Clifton, an education finance expert, breaks down federal loan rules and future repayment plans, ensuring you stay informed on managing your student debt.

Back on March 27th 2025, Host Ian Fisher talked with Taryn Andrea and Leigh Pinkston, College Coach colleagues in the career counseling space, about the connection between majors and careers; how that connection isn't always linear and how a student might choose a major based on interests, skills, and desired lifestyle upon graduation. Well, Leigh and Taryn will be returning to continue this very valuable discussion with this episode's host, Sally Ganga. Then, colleague Brian Swann will be joining Sally to discuss interviews, specifically, what to expect and how to prepare. And Sally will be opening the show by talking with Kris Crummet, who chose a career as a music producer and the owner of Interface Audio, a professional music studio over a more traditional route that would have required a Bachelor's degree. Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Blair Dixon, a former admissions director at Brandeis, and Aysha Wong, an ex-admissions officer at the University of Florida, delve into the truth behind Hollywood's portrayal of college admissions. They dissect the authenticity of applications, including video essays and notes of continued interest. Joining them is Dina Birmingham, a financial aid expert, who shares insights on securing on-campus jobs and the intricacies of work-study programs. The trio provides practical tips for navigating the college experience, blending humor with valuable advice.

Rising seniors! Hopefully you're already thinking about your college applications, and some of you may be asking just what kinds of essays you'll need to write. College Coach colleague Karen Spencer will be joining host Shannon Vasconcelos to discuss the best prompt to answer for the Common Application essay. In addition to the Common Application essay, many schools require supplemental essays. And those essays are as important to the colleges, if not more so, than the Common Application essay. So what are they? Host Shannon Vasconcelos will be joined by College Coach colleague Christine Kenyon to discuss their purpose and how to think about them as an applicant. When thinking about how to pay for college, you'll be glad to know there are interest-free ways to pay for college. College Coach finance colleague Chrissy Foran will be reviewing these with our host Shannon Vasconcelos. Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Host Ian Fisher will be back again for the second show in a row to welcome colleague Abigail Anderson to discuss how to create the Common Application's Activity List. You may think it is the same as a resume, but Abigail is here to tell you that it isn't. Listen in so you can prepare. College Coach colleague Tova Tolman will be there to talk with Ian about which colleges do not accept the Common Application. There are some well-known ones, including the University of California schools. And College Coach Finance Expert Laurie Peltier will be telling listeners all about how to save for college while saving on your tax bill. And don't forget to celebrate National 529 Plan Day on, you guessed it, 5/29! Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Are you considering a summer job? College Coach Finance Expert Zachary Gries will be joining host Ian Fisher to discuss the reasons why that can be important for young adults. Ian then has the great fortune to speak with Dr. Christie Fox, Assistant Provost for Student Success, and current college student Zack Nielson, both of Westminster University of Utah. They are pleased to talk about their institution in general and specifically how to approach college as a student with disabilities. Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

First, we want to introduce Kyra Tyler, our brand new host! This is her inaugural show. Do you have plans to visit a college campus or attend a college admission reception? Concerned that you might put your foot in your mouth? Kyra will be interviewing colleague Mary Sue Youn about questions to ask, and NOT to ask, an admission officer. In addition, colleague Sara Calvert-Kubrom will join Kyra to discuss first year abroad programs. Sara formerly worked at two institutions famed for their study abroad programs: Northeastern University and Lewis & Clark college. And while you may be interested in study abroad, you might be concerned about how to pay for it! College finance colleague Beth Feinberg-Keenan will be there to address that concern. Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Seniors and parents, you probably know that researching colleges is important when creating a list of colleges for your upcoming applications. But did you know that while there are many good resources for said research, there are bad ones as well? Listen in when host Shannon Vasconcelos interviews College Coach Colleague Elyse Krantz. Elyse is our expert among experts: the rest of us go to her for hard to find answers on colleges we are less familiar with. So this should be a very enlightening conversation! In addition, our in-house Career Planning Counselor Taryn Andrea will review how to use the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and the O*Net website, both free government resources, for career searches. And, College Finance Expert Alex Gonzalez will be discussing NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and what it means for college aid. Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Interested to know just who works at College Coach, and how they came to their roles as college admissions or finance educators? Host Sally Ganga will be interviewing three of our newest team members: admissions educators Geraldine Castenada, formerly of Pomona College, Marissa Dudley of Colorado College, and College Finance Educator Russell Seidelman of the University of Portland. Then, Sally will be discussing trends seen in the past admission cycle, which saw some of the biggest changes in recent years, with colleague and member of College Coach's Futures Committee, Zaragoza Guerra. Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach

Is your plan to apply to all the Ivies plus some additional highly selective colleges because you think it will increase your odds of being admitted? Host Ian Fisher will be joined by College Coach colleague Landis Fryer to explain why it doesn't, and why a carefully targeted list makes the most sense. For seniors, at this point you have likely received admission decisions from all your colleges. If you applied to many, you may be struggling to decide which college will be best for you. Listen in as colleague Tova Javetz discusses how students might address this conundrum. But first, Ian has the pleasure of interviewing a current college student at University of Massachusetts Amherst about why she chose it over a private college. Learn More About Bright Horizons College Coach