Ol' College Try cover art

All Episodes

Ol' College Try — 64 episodes

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Title
1

College Payment Plan Explained: Loans, 529s & What to Do Before Decision Day

2

College Waitlist Explained: What It Means, Your Chances & What to Do Before May 1

3

The Final Countdown to May 1: Making the Right College Decision

4

Too Rich for Aid, Too Poor to Pay: Inside College Costs with Dr. Jason Slone

5

The Truth About College Admissions: Essays, Odds & Financial Reality

6

Student Loans, Myths & Middle-Class Reality: What Families Need to Know Right Now

7

The End of Student Loan “Blank Checks”: What Families Need to Know Now

8

A Stanford Grad’s Advice on Elite Colleges, Admissions & College Fit

9

The “Prior-Prior Year” Rule: The Financial Aid Secret Most Families Miss

10

Your Monthly Financial Aid Grab Bag Q&A: Blizzards, Bruce & Big Questions

11

From TRIO to NASA: How Students Are Turning Lab Culture into a Launchpad for College

12

Private Scholarships Demystified: How to Find Them, Win Them, and Avoid Costly Mistakes

13

High School Counselor Insights: What Makes a College Application Stand Out

14

Monthly Grab Bag: FAFSA vs. CSS, AI Anxiety, and Other Questions Keeping Parents Up at Night

15

Appealing Need-Based Financial Aid: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents

16

Merit Scholarship Appeals: What Works, What Doesn’t, and When to Ask

17

Financial Aid Award Letters Explained: Grants, Scholarships, Loans & What You Really Owe

18

Four College Resolutions Every Family Should Make This Year

19

Holiday Q&A: Financial Aid Appeals and FAFSA Myths with a Special Guest

20

College Rejections: What to Do If Your Child Doesn’t Get Into Their Dream School

21

How to Appeal Early Decision Financial Aid (Without Breaking Your ED Agreement)

22

Demonstrated Interest with Mark Stucker: What It Is and How It Impacts College Admissions

23

CAP's Thanksgiving Special: Financial Aid Q&A for Stressed-Out Parents

24

Private Scholarships vs Merit Scholarships: What Families Need to Know

25

The Truth About College Net Price Calculators: What They Don’t Tell You

26

Colleges That Give the Most Financial Aid with The Princeton Review’s Rob Franek

27

FAFSA for Divorced and Separated Parents: Who Files and How Colleges Decide

28

Should You Apply Early Decision? Here's What You Need to Know

29

Financial Aid Myths, Appeals, and Real-Life Case Studies with Expert, Kevin Murphy

30

PSAT Prep, Practice & Purpose: What Families Need to Know

31

Top FAFSA & CSS Profile Mistakes to Avoid: Financial Aid Pitfalls That Cost Families Thousands

32

CSS Profile vs FAFSA: What Parents Need to Know About College Financial Aid

33

FAFSA Made Simple: FSA IDs, Custodial Parent Rules & Prior-Prior Tax Years Explained

34

FAFSA 101: Why Every Family Should File the FAFSA (Even If You Think You Won’t Qualify)

35

The One Big Beautiful Bill: What Families Need to Know About New College Loan Limits & Accountability

36

Behind the Scenes of College Enrollment: Why It Matters for Families

37

How to Write a Standout College Essay: Expert Tips on the Common App, Supplemental Essays, and Using AI Wisely

38

Parents’ Guide to Decoding Financial Aid Award Letters: College Cost Transparency Explained

39

Rob Franek on College Admissions, Scholarships & The Princeton Review’s Best Value Colleges List

40

Why Liberal Arts Colleges Create Well-Rounded, Career-Ready Graduates: Insights from Admissions Veteran Peter Pitts

41

College Admissions Made Simple: Early Decision, Early Action & Admissions Terms Explained

42

The Ultimate Common App Guide: Tips, Deadlines & Insider Advice with Admissions Expert Dan Bisig

43

Big Beautiful Bill, Big Changes: What the New Higher Ed Reform Means for College-Bound Families

44

The College Pricing Playbook: How Colleges Discount, Compete, and Poach

45

The College Money Talk: Real Advice from a Parent-Student Duo Who've Been Through It All

46

Are Colleges Feeling the Heat? Endowment Tax, International Student Ban from Prestigious Universities & 529 Truths

47

Our Journeys as Parents: How We Saved (or Plan to Save) for Our Kids’ Education—Plus 529 Tips & Big Policy Shifts

48

Major Changes to Student Loans, PLUS Loans & Pell Grants: What Families Need to Know

49

What’s New in College Planning: MyCAP 2.0, Last-Minute Appeals, Student Loan Rates & College Accountability Reform

50

🎙️ New College Affordability Changes: Endowment Tax Hikes, Pell Grant Rules & Cost of Attendance Overhaul

51

Student Loan Defaults, Post-Decision Day Aid Boosts & College Cost Strategies Every Parent Needs to Know

52

Student Loan Shakeup: What Borrowers & Families Need to Know About the New & Proposed Changes

53

College Planning From the Mom Side: Real Talk on Costs, Choices & Second Chances

54

Get to Know Our CEO & Our Plan to Fix the U.S. College System Part 2

55

Get to Know Our CEO & Our Plan to Fix the U.S. College System Part 1

56

What Parents Need to Know About FAFSA Chaos, Loan Forgiveness & College Costs in 2025

57

College Costs, Harvard’s Tuition Shift, and What Could Go Right?

58

🎓 The Future of College Costs: Financial Aid, Loans & What Families Should Expect in 2025

59

The Future of College Funding: Student Loans, Policy Shifts & What Parents Must Know

60

Navigating DOE Policy Changes: How New Financial Aid & Student Loan Shifts Impact Families

61

Understanding Recent & Potential Policy Changes in Education

62

Department of Education Federal Funding Freeze: Latest Updates & Implications

63

Matt's Story | Navigating the Complexities of College Financial Aid and School Selection

64

Peg’s Story | Navigating the College Journey: Insights & Experiences