All Episodes

709: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 8: Molding Clay) with Calvin Pickett

708: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Storytelling (Ep 7: Robes) with Andrew Callery

707: Inside the Personal Statement Process (Part 5): Making the Decision with Alisha, Class of 2026

706: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Storytelling (Ep 6: Raspberry Sky) with Wendy Zheutlin

705: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Storytelling (Ep 5: The Stains on My Baseball Pants) with Kaila Barber

704: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 4: Tiny Windows into My Being) with Ali McKeon

703: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 3: The Pilgrim and The CEO) with Jane Longley

702: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 2: Much Ado About Nothing) with Dr. Greg Ungar

701: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 1: My Desk & Magic) with Amanda McRaven

623: Standing Out in STEM: Practical Advice for Future Scientists, Engineers and Techies

622: Inside the Personal Statement Process (Part 4): Supplemental Essay Deep Dive with Alisha, HS Senior

621: Financial Aid Tips for International Students (and Their Counselors)—2025 Edition

620: Navigating Student Health in College: A Doctor's Guide to Sleep, Stress, and Student Life

619: Inside the Personal Statement Process (Part 3): How Reflection Leads to Insight with Alisha, HS Senior

618: Inside the Personal Statement Process (Part 2): Discovering Values Through Revision with Alisha, HS Senior

617: Inside the Personal Statement Process (Part 1): The Sand Essay with Alisha, HS Senior

616: Authoring Your Life: Why the Personal Statement Is About (Much) More Than Getting into College

615: Rethinking "Best" Colleges: Tools, Tips, and Mindset Shifts for a Better College List with Jay McCann and Dr. Steven Antonoff, Co-Authors of The College Finder

614: 13 Mistakes High School Students Make When Creating Their College List

613: Inside the Application (Part 6): Making the Decision with Cassidy, Class of 2025

612: Admission Nutrients (Part 6 of 6: Intellectual Curiosity): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Hillary Dickman

611: Admission Nutrients (Part 5 of 6: Service to Others / Community Impact): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Nathan Faust

610: Admission Nutrients (Part 4 of 6: Consistent Engagement): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Dysean Alexander

609: Admission Nutrients (Part 3 of 6: Leadership): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life

608: Admission Nutrients (Part 2 of 6: Collaboration): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life with Raissa Diamante

607: Admission Nutrients (Part 1 of 6: Intro): Important Ingredients for a Well-Balanced College Admission Process—And Life

606: Navigating College Applications with AI (Part 2): What Colleges Say + My Advice to Students and Counselors

605: Navigating College Applications with AI (Part 1): How High School Teachers and Students Use Tools Like ChatGPT

604: Inside the Application (Part 5): How to Decide Which College to Attend with Cassidy, HS Senior

603: Leading Through Chaos: 7 Superpowers for Uncertain Times with Angel Pérez

602: Roles and Identities Part 2 (for Counselors and Educators): A Framework for Understanding How Your Roles Shape Your Work

601: Roles and Identities Part 1 (for Students and Parents): A Framework for Exploring Who You've Been, Who You Are, and Who You're Becoming

523: Busting College Admission Myths Using Data: Standardized Tests, Rankings, and the Cost of College with Akil Bello

522: Storytelling & Identity with Ethan Sawyer (Part 4 Bonus Episode!): On Balancing Identities, Writing as a Journey, and the Mystery of Enoughness

521: Storytelling & Identity with Ryan Maldonado (Part 3 of 3): On Code-switching, Photographing Living Rooms, and Growing up Not-Rich in Miami

520: Storytelling & Identity w/Whit Anderson (Part 2 of 3): Beating Writer's Block, Writing RomComs and Space Operas, and Female Representation in Hollywood

519: Storytelling & Identity with Dave Callaham (Part 1 of 3): What it's Like Writing Marvel Movies, Asian-American Representation in Hollywood, and Advice on Finding Your Voice

518: Inside the Application (Part 4): How to Know if You're "Almost Done" with Your College Application

517: Inside the Application (Part 3): Supplemental Essay Deep Dive + Developing the College List w/ Special Guest Renee Ferrerio

516: Inside the Application (Part 2): Developing the Personal Statement, Supplemental Essays, and College List with Cassidy, HS Senior

515: Inside the Application Part 1: Brainstorming, Outlining, and Drafting with Cassidy, HS Senior

514: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Student Perspective

513: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Admission Officer Perspective with Christina Lopez

512: Navigating Mental Health Disclosures in the College Application: The Counselor Perspective

511: Identity, Self-Care, and the Future of College Admission w/ NACAC CEO Angel Pérez

510: What Colleges Want (Part 9): A Crash Course in Standardized Testing

509: What Colleges Want (Part 8): Extracurricular Activities Deep Dive: How Getting Involved In and Out of School Can Boost Your Application

508: What Colleges Want (Part 7B): Recommendation Letter Crash Course for Counselors and Teachers

507: What Colleges Want (Part 7A): Recommendation Letter Crash Course for Students and Families

506: What Colleges Want (Part 6): Demonstrated Interest: What Is it, Why Is it Important, and How Do You Show it? with Dean of Enrollment Christine Bowman

505: What Colleges Want (Part 5): A Crash Course in the Supplemental Essays + Application with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)

504: What Colleges Want (Part 4): A Crash Course in the Personal Statement with Ethan Sawyer (College Essay Guy)

503: What Colleges Want (Part 3): "Positive Character Attributes": What Are They, and How Do You Show Them in Your College Application?

502: What Colleges Want (Part 2): A Deep Dive into GPA, Course Selection, and Making the Most of the Academic Opportunities Available to You

501: What Colleges Want (Part 1): A Deep Dive into the Factors Colleges Deem Important & State of College Admissions Report

414: A Crash Course in Paying for College & Common Affordability Myths

413: Intellectual Curiosity + College Admissions: What It Is, Why It Matters to Colleges, and How to Show It

412: Applying to College as a First-Generation or Low-Income Student: The Matchlighters Scholars Program Experience

411: Finding Your Why, What a Liberal Arts Education Really Is, and How to Figure out What You Actually Want

410: Regional Spotlights: Attending College in The South w/ Renee Ferrerio

409: A Crash Course in College Athletic Recruiting w/ Katie Andersen

408: 10 Critical Things Trans Youth (and Their Counselors and Caregivers) Should Know in High School and When Applying to College w/ Shannon and Sam Bergeron

407: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Office + Supplemental Essay Deep Dive w/ Rick Diaz

406: Why You Don't Have to Write about Trauma in Your College Essay to Stand Out—and What You Can Do Instead w/ Tina Yong

405: 7 Cosas Que Las Familias Latinas Deben Saber Sobre Cómo Prepararse Para la Universidad / 7 Things Latinx Families Need to Know About Preparing for College w/ Lorenzo Gamboa

404: Race-Conscious Admission Was Struck Down—What Does This Mean and What Can Students and College Counselors Do? w/ Jay Rosner

403: AP, IB, Honors, Oh My! How Admissions Officers View Your High School Courses, Rigor, and School Context w/Susan Tree

401: NACAC CEO Angel Pérez—Self-care for counselors, leaders, and professionals in helping roles

402: How to Create a (Sustainable, Nourishing, Energizing, Intentional) Morning Ritual with Sage Simpson

301: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Counselor's Life w/ Kati Sweany

302: Part 1: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Office w/ Tom Campbell

303: Part 2: Behind the Scenes of an Admission Office w/ Tom Campbell

215: 17 Things Students of Color (+ Their Counselors and Parents) Should Know When Applying to College

214: Resources for LGBTQ+ Students from Campus Pride

213: Self-Directed Learning (Why You Can Quit HS & Be Okay)

212: Advice for Homeschooling Students

211: Financial Aid Tips for International Students (and Their Counselors)

210: The Being Not-Rich Guide

209: Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream

208: Resources for First-Generation Students (and Their Counselors)

207: 17 Things to Do Before Going to College

206: 30 Ways to Center Equity And Justice Today w/ Marie Bigham

205: That One Time a University Revoked More Than 60 Full Scholarships (And What You Can Do About It)

204: What You Need to Know About Standardized Tests and Mistakes to Avoid

203: 10 Ways Parents Can Support Their Students Through The College Application Process

202: 25 Practical Ways to Reduce Testing Anxiety

201: Test Optional Admissions 101: What, Why, Where, Who?

124: College Interview Tips and Strategies

123: Should You Apply Early Decision or Regular Decision? (And the Chart That Can Help You Decide)

122: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (International Version)

121: Which Schools Are the Most Generous With Financial Aid? (US Version)

120: College List Hacking: Better Fit, Less Time, More Fun

119: How to Improve Your Personal Statement in 20 Minutes

118: Who is the College Essay Guy?

117: How to Improve Your ACT Score By 2 Points in 20 Minutes

116: Who is Tutor Ted? (and Resources for Brainstorming a Personal Statement)

115: Quick & Dirty College List Builder & The Myth of Fit

114: Free College Application Tools That Students (and Counselors!) Should Know About

113: Debunking the Myth of the Starving Artist

112: How to Listen (And Why)

111: Using the Secrets of Screenwriting to Write Your College Essay

110: How to Create a Great College List (Part 2)

109: How to Figure Out Which School is Right for You