Getting In: A College Coach Conversation

With next fall's plans pretty a giant question mark, many families are trying to understand what online study versus on-campus study will do to their costs. We'll share what you need to know about funding an online education. In other segments, we'll offer some standardized testing advice as test dates are cancelled and more colleges opt to go test optional in the coming year. Finally, we'll revisit computer science, this time with Rich Bischoff of Case Western offering the college perspective.

This week's show is all for the underclassmen, from mapping out a plan for your high school coursework to understanding the what and why of participating in extracurricular activities throughout your secondary school years. Finally, we have some financial advice for parents of ninth and tenth graders to follow as they prepare to pay for college in a few years.

With schools closing and COVID-19 impacting high school instruction across the country and world, some secondary schools are moving to a pass/fail grading scale for the second half of the year. We will discuss the impact of that change when it comes time to apply to college. We'll also offer suggestions for activities med school (and other health science) hopefuls can work on while they are stuck at home. Finally, we'll discuss different ways to fund your college choice beyond the financial aid award.

While many seniors are still trying to figure out their final college choice for the coming fall, many in this year's graduating class have committed to their institution. In our first segment, we'll look what you need to do now. In Office Hours, we're answering your burning questions about college admissions and finance.

Already know that you'd like to defer your enrollment for next year, whether for a specific reason or just to take a break? We have guidance on the who, what, where, and when of requesting a deferral. We'll continue our Top 5 series with our top five things to keep in mind when putting together a college list and top five college cost savings strategies.

Interested in participating in Reserve Officer Training Corps—ROTC for short—in college? We're welcoming Rob Kirkland, author of The Insider's Guide to the Army ROTC Scholarship for High School Students and Their Parents, to share his thoughts on applying to these programs. In another in our Biggest Myths series, we'll look at some myths in both admissions and college finance.

While some colleges have pushed back their reply date from May 1 to June 1 or even later (we see you, Iowa State!), many students will need to commit to their college of choice within the next few weeks. We have suggestions for how to approach this decision, especially since visiting campus is not an option this year. We will also look into using financial fit as part of the college selection process. In Office Hours, we'll offer options for students who don't like any of the colleges that accepted them.

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on high school seniors and underclassmen, and on college finance. In today's show, we'll be tackling the question of how to get a feel for a college campus without visiting in person, and answering some of the questions (what if I don't get any grades for the second half of my freshman, sophomore, or junior year) we're getting from underclassmen. We'll also walk you through the impact on every phase of college finance, from saving for college to paying for it to handling the loans once you graduate. Finally, we're doing a listener Q&A to answer some additional COVID-19 questions and some that are completely unrelated.

In a world in which everything seems to have changed overnight, what you have available to pay for college may have shifted drastically over the last few weeks. Appealing your financial aid offer may be more important than ever, and we have advice on the best way to go about that. For those students thinking about transferring, we have a personal transfer experience story to share. In Office Hours, we're offering tips for determining which college program is the "best" one for you.

Congrats seniors: admissions season is in the homestretch. But just when you thought you would cross the finish line with no more issues, here comes COVID-19! We're interviewing a senior who is in the middle of receiving admissions decisions and trying to figure out her next steps when she can't visit any colleges to help her make her final choice. Another topic that's top of mind this and all years are financial aid awards. We'll take a look at how to compare them across different schools. Finally, for those underclassmen who are unexpectedly at home right now, we have thoughts on how to use some of this time to get ahead in the process.