Getting In: A College Coach Conversation

AP Capstone Program; College Bills; Balanced College Lists For seniors finalizing their college lists, one of the most important things to consider is whether it's a balanced one. All reaches? Not good. All safeties? Might be overlooking some other options. We'll talk through how to finalize a balanced list that isn't too long or too short. In other segments, we're discussing the AP Capstone program and offering tips for covering the remaining balance on your college bills.

What does it mean when colleges send you mail? We discuss examples from a few different schools where we worked, and share thoughts on what to do with the mail you receive. We're also answering your college finance and admissions questions in Office Hours.

Starting the University of California application and wondering how to tackle those essays? We'll discuss how to approach them in this week's podcast. In another in our series on our team's own college stories, Lisa Albro shares the challenges she faced as a first generation college student and then as a graduate entering the work world during a recession. Finally, we'll update you on mandatory administrative forbearance and when you're likely to have to restarting federal loan repayments.

School is officially back for most seniors, and it's time to focus on the application process in earnest. We have timelines for both the admissions and the college finance process, including what needs to get done and when. For those students with access to Naviance, we have suggestions for how to use that through the application process.

A few years ago, we wrote a blog titled, "Colleges Don't Care About Community Service." In this week's show, we'll share whether or not our opinions on this topic have changed. In other segments, we'll look at the link between mental health and financial aid, and dig into the PSAT and whether or not students should plan to prep for it.

A great college list starts with academics, namely majors. If a college doesn't have any in your areas of interest, it's off the list! We have tips for how to go about researching majors. We also have finance advice for recent college graduates, and we'll discuss the pros and cons of submitting applications in the early decision, early action, and priority rounds.

In another in our series on our team's own college stories, Kyra Tyler joins the show to talk about pursuing a bachelor of arts in flute performance at Northwestern despite having no interest in a musical career. Tune in to learn how she draws on that education in her career. In office hours, we're answering your college finance and admissions questions.

What does it mean when a college states that they cover 100 percent of demonstrated financial need? Is that too good to be true? We have thoughts—and facts—and we'll share them! For those students interested in engineering, we're digging into 3+2 programs to share more details about how those work. Office Hours is all about supplemental essays: what they are, who requires them, and where to find them.

We frequently—and strongly—suggest that families discuss what they can afford when it comes to college. But talking money can be challenging. We have advice to make "the talk" a bit easier. Athletic recruitment has many moving parts, and it's often the parents who are charged with keeping track of everything. We'll share suggestions for ways parents can help their recruited athletes. Finally, we will address the most common myths we hear regarding the University of California schools.

Congrats to all graduating seniors who successfully applied to college and are preparing to start this fall. Laura Amigone, a college success coach from Rudder Coaching, joins the podcast this week to offer advice to these students to help them make a smooth transition from high school to college. We'll also discuss why saving is important for everyone in another of our Personal Finance 101 series.