

Getting In: A College Coach Conversation
Bright Horizons College Coach
Planning for college? Tune into Getting In: A College Coach Conversation to learn what colleges are really looking for and how to highlight your hard-won achievements for the best chance at success. Every week, we gather former admissions and financial aid officers as well as other expert guests for candid, behind-the-scenes talk. New episodes drop every Thursday.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 4, 2024 • 54min
A Deep Dive on Skidmore College
Join our host Sally Ganga as she speaks with several special guests for a deep dive on Skidmore College. Sally talks with Janessa Dunn, the Director of Admissions, and Maggie Besthoff, a Skidmore student, about what life is like at Skidmore. Finally, Sally is joined by special guest Klaudia Wiacek to discuss possible career pathways for English majors. Tune in!

Jun 27, 2024 • 56min
Questions to Ask and What to Do on College Visits
Does the idea of touring every college on your list overwhelm you? Listen in to this episode, as host Beth Heaton will be joined by College Coach admissions consultant Marissa Salazar who joined us from the Colorado College admission office. She will be bringing the most up to date tips of questions you should ask and what to look out for during your visit. In addition, educational finance expert Beth Feinberg-Keenan will be there to discuss what to ask when you're trying to figure out how to pay for it all!

Jun 20, 2024 • 56min
Pros and Cons of AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment Programs
Confused about the differences between Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and Dual Enrollment? Curious about whether one is better in terms of admission or receiving credit once you're enrolled in college? Each one is a little different and has pros and cons, so host ian fisher will be joined by College Coach admissions consultants Kristine Sawicki, formerly of Stanford University's admission office, Michael Yager, former high school private counselor, and Zaragoza Guerra, previously of MIT and Cal Tech's admission offices, for a full discussion.

Jun 13, 2024 • 55min
A Deep Dive on Hamilton College
In the continuation of our Deep Dives series, host Sally Ganga speaks with representatives from Hamilton College, a private liberal arts college in New York, to learn more about life at Hamilton.

Jun 6, 2024 • 56min
True or False? Debunking Admissions and Financial Aid Rumors!
Does most of what you know about college and the college admission process come from friends, neighbors, and acquiantainces? Does the college admission process and higher education in general seem a bit scary as a result? If so, please listen to this podcast. Our host, Elizabeth Heaton, will be talking with colleagues Julia Jones and Blair Dixon regarding rumors about the application process and colleges in general. In addition, College Coach Financial Aid consultant Alex Gonzalez will be addressing rumors about saving and paying for college. Hint: most rumors you hear are very, very incorrect!

May 30, 2024 • 57min
Helicopter Parenting; Engineering at MSU; Loan Repayment Updates
We have an exciting guest today: our host Shannon Vasconcelos will be joined by Sean Fochtman of Michigan State University. He'll discuss his insights from working with students in the College of Engineering as well as his current role as Director of Alumni Venture Support within MSU's Burgess Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In addition, Shannon will be chatting with College Coach expert and parent of high school students Karen Spencer about whether there is ever a time to be a helicopter parent. Finally, college finance expert Michelle Clifton will be providing a student and parent loan repayment update.

May 23, 2024 • 55min
How Social Media is Used in the College Admissions Process
How does college admissions and paying for college intersect? Listen to this show to find out. Host Ian Fisher will be talking with colleague Gabbi Tobias about how to use social media to research colleges. It can be a very handy tool for this! He will also be talking with colleague Kyra Tyler about whether colleges look at the social media accounts of applicants. In addition, College Coach finance expert Jennifer Willcox is going to discuss how social media outlets and groups may be a good place for families to obtain paying and saving for college information.

May 16, 2024 • 55min
Questions NOT to Ask Admissions; Prep for the College Transition
Will you be attending a reception or a college campus and have a chance to meet with an admissions officer? Have you heard that all questions are good questions? Well, maybe not. Our host Beth Heaton will be talking with former admissions officer and high school college counselor Lisa Albro about questions not to ask. For the seniors, College Coach colleagues Kennon Dick and Jan Combs, of our admissions and college finance teams respectively, will be reviewing what to expect when transitioning to college. There will be paperwork and deadlines and we're here to help you get ready!

May 9, 2024 • 55min
Pros and Cons of Studying Abroad; Listener Q&A
Are you considering studying abroad in college? Listen in as our host Shannon Vasconcelos chats with colleague Elyse Krantz about the pros and cons. Then, Shannon with be answering listener questions with College Coach colleagues Alexandra Rendon of the admission team and Zachary Gries of the college finance team.

May 2, 2024 • 55min
All about Working with College Admissions and Finance Counselors
Are you considering hiring help for college admissions and/or scholarship applications? Listen in, as host Sally Ganga, formerly a high school college counselor, will be joined by her colleagues Michael Yager, another former high school college counselor, and Mollie O'Connor, Director of Client Services at College Coach. They will discuss all aspect of working with independent college advisors, including whether you should disclose to your high school counselor and busting myths about what they actually do. Hint: if an independent counselor promises they will "get you in" to a given school, run the other way.


