Tag Archives: podcasts

10 Podcasts for the College-Bound

podcasts

Who doesn’t love podcasts? It’s the best way to be entertained or educated wherever you are: in the car, at work, at home or waiting at the doctor’s office. There truly is a podcast for every interest. My daughter listens to the History Chicks and has learned a great deal of history while listening. I like to listen to inspirational podcasts that motivate and encourage me.

With all the college information available to parents today, there’s no excuse for being uninformed about the ins and outs of the college process. Podcasts are a great way to stay informed. Here’s a list of my favorites:

The College Essay Guy Podcast

Practical, up-to-date interviews with experts in college admissions, financial aid, personal statements, test prep and more. Ethan Sawyer (aka College Essay Guy), interviews deans of admission, financial aid experts, and veterans of the admissions field to extract, then distill their advice into practical steps for students and those guiding them through the process. From creating an awesome college list to appealing a financial aid letter, Ethan skips the general advice and gets right to the action items, all in an effort to bring more ease, joy and purpose into the college admissions process.

Prepped and Polished Podcast

Here you’ll find tips and tricks for studying specific subjects and how to prepare for major tests like the SAT and ACT. You’ll also discover valuable insights from local and world-wide educational experts as they discuss poignant topics like “How to Help Teens Reduce Stress” and “Navigating School and Career with Physical and Learning Disabilities”.  Practical tips and shortcuts for students are revealed in episodes like “Vocabulary Memorization Shortcuts for the SAT” and “Google Docs Organization for School”.

The College Prep Podcast

Nationally recognized experts Megan Dorsey and Gretchen Wegner share tips and tricks about creative study strategies, SAT/ACT prep, college applications, essay writing, teen-friendly time management tools, and more. They will also host experts on a number of subjects including scholarships, parenting, test prep, learning differences, NCAA athletics, and more! About the hosts: Megan is a college admissions consultant and test prep guru who helps students and parents plan and prepare for college admission. Gretchen is an academic life coach who helps stressed out students and their families feel smart, confident and ready for the rigors of college without losing their lives to school and studying. Together, they are a one-stop shop for how to survive…and thrive!…during the final approach into higher education.

College Prep Genius

College Prep Genius will teach you all the tips and tricks to ace the SAT and get FREE money for college (no strings attached)! Jean Burk’s program will give you all the inside information on how to get money for college, put together a college transcript, and become a logic-based thinker. Jean will debunk myths and misconceptions, all while providing you all the information on how to stop fearing the SAT.

Inside the Admissions Office: Advice from Former Admissions Officers

Need help navigating the college admissions process? Every other Monday they bring you exclusive interviews with Former Admissions Officers, graduates from top universities, and admissions experts. Each episode will be filled with application tips and first-hand experiences that will help you get into your dream school. Brought to you by InGenius Prep, the world’s largest team of Former Admissions Officers.

Admissions Uncovered – College Applications and Admissions Explained

Two high school seniors and one Columbia freshman explore the black box that is the college application process. They cover topics like handling deferrals, asking for letters of recommendations, the college essay and more.

Getting In: A College Coach Conversation

Each week on VoiceAmerica College Coach hosts their internet radio program and podcast, Getting In: A College Coach Conversation. Each week, former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer Elizabeth Heaton leads the discussion on a variety of admissions and college finance topics including: approaching and crafting essays, successfully appealing financial aid decisions, selecting the right college, determining the most effective savings vehicle to help pay for it and more!

Demystifying College Admissions

Julie Kim, a Harvard-graduate college consultant, the founder of Julie Kim Consulting is the host of Demystifying College Admissions. This podcast is designed to inspire high school students to identify their passions, learn all about the most updated college admissions strategies, with guests and experts from all industries! She also dives into mental health so that this podcast will be a healthy, safe, and vulnerable space for all teens and parents.

College Admissions Podcast

Applying for college is more complex and often times more confusing than it used to be. In addition, there are so many resources out there. How do you know which is the right one? The best one? Shouldn’t everyone have access to the best information out there, regardless of price? On this podcast, Mark Hofer and Anna Ren, both independent college consultants, share real and relevant topics in college admissions to provide you with a fresh perspective and truly actionable takeaways that you can use as you prepare to apply for college.

Your College-Bound Kid

Let a college admission expert (Mark) and a mom who’s been through the process (Anika) guide you through the college admission process. Learn key strategies and hear true stories on topics ranging from building the right college list, getting admitted to the colleges on your list; how to pay for college, and even choosing the right career. The podcast combines in depth knowledge and insights about college admissions and college life with a lighthearted, and at times, entertaining style that makes Mark and Anika easy to listen to.

College Prep: A Podcast Interview with Prepped and Polished

 

 

college prep

A few weeks ago, Alexis Avila from Prepped and Polished interviewed me on his podcast about college prep. The jest of the interview: how did you get involved helping parents with college prep? Of course, this is my favorite topic.

Alexis and I talked about college prep and the obstacles I faced. We discussed what I learned along the way and the mistakes we made. You will learn about my “Ah ha” moments. And also how I started helping parents along with what parents need to know to be an effective college coach.

Take 15 minutes out of your day and listen to the interview. Have questions? Feel free to email me at suzannemshaffer@gmail.com.

Need MORE expert advice, check out my posts here:

50 College Info Websites

50 More College Info Websites

College Prep Resources

Here are the experts I recommended along with Alexis’ podcast links (apart from test prep recommending Prepped and Polished):

Financial Aid: Jodi Okun and my podcast with Jodi Okun

College Visits: Kelly Queijo and my podcast with Kelly Queijo

College Planning: Paul Hemphill

College Essays: College Essay Guy 

Check out the interview with interview notes and links:
The Prepped and Polished Podcast-Parents Countdown to College

Mom-Approved Tips: Listen to College Podcasts

 

college podcastsEvery day I grab my trusty iPod and head to the mall to do my 2.5 miles of walking. I hate walking. To me, it’s boring and a waste of my time. However, it’s critical to my health and every day I tell myself it’s just something I have to grin and bear.

But then I discovered podcasts. Not only are they great when exercising, you can listen when you’re cooking dinner, commuting to work on public transportation, eating your lunch, or any other time that you are performing daily tasks and want to make them more productive.

Why college podcasts?

When I say “college podcasts” I’m not suggesting you listen to podcasts from the colleges themselves; although many of them have excellent podcasts providing good information to prospective and current students. The podcasts I am recommending have to do with higher education and the college admission process.

The information you will glean from these podcasts will blow your mind. You can learn about everything from how to pay for college, to admission tips, to how colleges look at applicants, to how to find scholarships, and the list goes on. If you subscribe to podcasts, you are automatically notified when a new one is posted. And it will automatically be added to your podcast directory for you to listen to at your convenience.

Don’t have an iPhone or Apple device? Many are also available for android on Google Play. A quick search on Google can get your hooked up and ready to listen.

Where do you find these podcasts?

As luck would have it, I’m going to give you some incredible podcast links for you to begin with. If you need more you can do a google search for “higher education podcasts” or search within iTunes and  Google Play. The links I’m providing are for iTunes and some site specific podcasts. But most, if available on iTunes, are also available online through other podcast listening channels.

Following are my favorites and you can start with these.

How to Pay for College HQ

The How to Pay for College HQ Podcast will provide inspiration and guidelines to help parents and students learn what preparation and steps can be taken to earn a degree debt free without the assistance of loans. Each week, Celest Horton, interviews guests from all facets of the college prep business in the hope that what you learn will help you finance your college-bound teen’s college education.

College Cash Man

From the Author of Free Ca$h for College and CollegeMoneyMan.com, Jose “JR” Vazquez (AKA The College Money Man™) gives real advice from someone who knows what it takes to find the money you need to pay for college. With real stories from listeners, interviews with experts, and answers to listener questions, JR explains financial aid comments in a way that makes sense.

Chronicle of Higher Education

This podcast provides interviews with prominent researchers, college leaders, and Chronicle reporters about pressing news and big ideas in higher education. What better way to learn about admissions than from those in the field of higher education?

American Radioworks

American Public Media’s American RadioWorks creates documentaries, series projects, and investigative reports for the public radio system and the Internet. They offer good information and data about higher education. You can pick and choose the podcasts that interest you.

NPR Education Podcasts

You can listen to NPR’s podcasts related to education on their website. Great content and interesting debates over the cost of college and all things college prep.

The College-Bound Chronicles Podcast

This podcast offers advice for parents on the college admissions process; hosted by expert/psychologist Dr. Nancy Berk and broadcaster Lian Dolan. It’s information, advice and empathy in a light-hearted format.

Every parent knows that knowledge about the college prep process is half the battle. These podcasts will help educate and inform, while providing good solid advice to help you navigate the college maze.

Do you know of or listen to others? Leave a comment here and we’ll add them to the list.