The College Prep Podcast

The Corona Virus is changing everything for parents, students, and teachers, for the short term and possibly the long. Megan and Gretchen weigh in about how to maneuver through all the changes one day at a time. Specifically they discuss: * How they are each affected by the various school closures happening in their regions* Megan’s analysis of how college admissions for high school juniors and seasons will be shifting* Gretchen’s ideas about how her Anti-Boring coaches may be responding* Some initial advice for parents, students, and teachers as we all struggle to cope* And more If you have specific questions about how to handle situations related to college admissions, teaching remotely, or homeschooling students, please email us at collegepreppodcast@gmail.com.

School is boring much of the time! So how do you stay awake and engaged when your whole system wants to tune out? Gretchen walks students through more than 10 simple ways to keep yourself going so you can learn what you need to learn. Specifically she discusses: * Silly and serious tips for moving your body enough to keep you awake* Smart ways to engage with the subject matter at hand, to keep you alert * Anti-boring ways to listen deeply to your teacher, to keep yourself curious* And more! Try some of these tips out yourself, and let Gretchen know if any of them help.

Many students experience a rude awakening when they get to college, and realize they aren’t ready to do the kinds of learning and thinking tasks college professors expect. Guest Expert Leonard Geddes breaks down the key differences between high school and college. Listen in to this excerpt from a 2 hour training Leonard provided for Gretchen’s Anti-Boring Educators’ Club, as they discuss: * The definition of metacognition* What metacognition has to do with levels of learning* Key differences between the thinking required in both high school and college * How students’ awareness of these differences can help them show up differently in their classes Leonard Geddes is the founder of The Learn Well Projects, which engages in a diverse collection of partnerships, collaborating with institutions to develop comprehensive plans to enhance student learning and invigorate the teaching culture to improving the academic performance of specific groups such as student-athletes or first-generation students. Whether working with administrators, teachers, learning support professionals or directly with students, The LearnWell Projects employs an empathic design approach that consistently exceeds clients’ expectations.

Visiting colleges is an important factor in deciding what school to go to! Megan breaks down the who, what, when, where, why and how of planning and going on your college visits. Specifically she discusses: * why college visits are important and should be prioritized* when during your high school career to do college visits* who should go on those trips with the student* where to go (in other words, which colleges you should visit), * how to schedule your visits,* and more!

There are two huge reasons why students don’t ask for help, but this can change with a little prodding. Gretchen breaks down how to help students get over their discomfort with looking “stupid” and asking the right questions to get the help they need. Specifically, she discusses: * the two main reasons students don’t ask for help* how knowing the Study Cycle can help students understand what kind of questions to ask when they need help* how parents and teachers can support students with building their “ask-for-help” competencies To take the free course on the Study Cycle that Gretchen recommends, go here: http://gretchenwegner.com/study-cycle-overview/

There are a number of misconceptions that families have about state schools and in- and out- of state tuition. Megan breaks down everything you need to know if you’re considering going to a state school (and might convince you why you should be considering one, if you’re not considering it). Specifically she discusses: * What we mean when we say “state school” and “in state tuition”* A comparison of college costs between in- and out-of-state tuition, and private school* What it takes to qualify for in-state tuition* Why you might want to pay out-of-state tuition,* And more!

This episode is a re-broadcast of episode 30 originally published on February 30, 2015. However, the content is still relevant today! Enjoy. It’s course selection time at high schools across the country! If you’re the parent of a rising freshman, this podcast is a must-listen, as we walk you through the ins and outs of how to choose courses in high school that prepare your student for college. First, it’s important to make a 4-year plan right from the start and get to know the college requirements for a variety of schools your student might be applying to (for example, if you live in California and think you might like to go to a UC school, getting to know the A-G requirements is a must). Next, understand these four areas that impact course decision making: * Get the minimum graduation requirements from your high school* Ideally, a college bound student has four years of all their core academic subjects, including a language other than English.* Get to know your school’s policies about higher level courses, and understand the differences between regular, honors, Pre-AP, AP and IB.* Choose electives that help develop a students interests and strengths. Some common mistakes people make in course selection include: * Choosing the “easy” courses.* Thinking that it’s enough to meet the minimum requirements.* Overloading themselves with too many hard courses.* Allowing too many off periods.* Not being thoughtful and having a plan. For more information about course selection, listen to the entire podcast and then visit Megan’s website at www.collegeprepresults.com.

Have you ever wondered what teachers’ who care about student learning talk about when they’re in a room alone withe each other? In this episode Gretchen lets you “in” on what the discussions in her Anti-Boring Educators’ Club are like. For confidentiality reasons she can’t share the ACTUAL discussion. In this episode, however, she walks you through the questions that educators’ asked in an October training call, and summarizes the discussion. This wide ranging discussion spans topics such as: * shame and learning* perfectionism* note-taking* retrieval practice,* and more! Gretchen also gives a little more information about her new Anti-Boring Educators’ Club, and reveals that there may be a time soon that it’s open to the general public. If you want to be alerted when that happens, sign up for the newsletter at www.gretchenwegner.com.

Thanks to the Varsity Blues scandals, colleges are reviewing their application policies and looking to improve the integrity of their admissions systems. What does this mean for high school seniors applying to colleges? Tune in to find out. In today’s podcast, Megan shares that the new policies have implications for even non-athlete, regular applicants. She shares with Gretchen: * The ways in which colleges have stepped up their review of applications for accuracy* The kinds of verifications of achievements that recruited students must provide. * A new emphasis on details of a student’s history that some consider insignificant, but are now important to track* Advice for how to account for these changes on your own college applications.

Parenting is always challenging, and being a parent of a “differently wired” kids comes with its unique set of adventures. Listen in as parenting expert Debbie Reber shares tips for navigating the transition from homeschooling to high school with a 2e kid. Specifically, we chat about: * What it means to be “differently wired” and “twice exceptional” (aka 2e)* Some of the challenges that come with parenting differently wired kids* Why Debbie initially chose to homeschool her son, and how they transitioned into high school* Advice for parents about the importance of self care and how to stay grounded * A great college for differently wired kids* And more In this episode, Debbie mentions Landmark College, and we promised you to provide a link to this interview she did with Landmark College representatives. Enjoy! Debbie Reber is a parenting activist, New York Times bestselling author, keynote speaker, and the founder of TiLT Parenting, a website, top podcast, and social media community for parents who are raising differently wired children. Her newest book, Differently Wired: Raising an Exceptional Child in a Conventional World, came out in June 2018. After living abroad in the Netherlands for the past five years, Debbie, her husband, and 15-year-old son recently moved back to New York City. For more information about Debbie’s community for parents, visit her website at www.tiltparenting.com.

A downside of being a student is that you’re the subject of constant comparison to other students — whether it’s related to smartness, grades, SAT scores, or what college you got into. There are some simple ways adults can shift they way they talk to teens to avoid “compare and despair.” Tune in to hear Gretchen and Megan riff on this important topic. Specifically they cover: * Some typical ways that students compare themselves to other students, and adults fall into a similar trip* The ways in which this comparison habit is counter productive* Advice for what kinds of questions to ask students and parents when discussing academics and college admissions, that bypass this comparison trap* And more

Can it be that we are still podcasting as we start our 7th year?! We’ve outlasted many of our “competitors” who were also doing college prep podcasting back in 2014 when we began. Join Megan and Gretchen as we reflect about the last 7 years. Specifically we’ll share: * What our original goals were, and where we are in regards to achieving those goals* What’s changed: in our lives, in the podcast, in the landscape of coaching* Some amusing anecdotes from our almost 300 episodes together* And more! Enjoy this walk down memory lane…

The advice has changed! Although we used to suggest that students should always write the “optional” essay on the ACT/SAT, now it really depends. Tune in to hear the updates on this key college admissions topic. Specifically, Megan walks you through: * What the written essay is (for those of you who don’t know)* Why the number of colleges requiring the written essay has dropped* What students should write the essay and why* What students shouldn’t write the essay and why

Junior year is supposed to be “the most important year” of high school! Megan breaks down why that is, and gives you a 5-part checklist for how to tell if you’re on track with making the most of the year. Specifically, she shares: * Why junior year grades are the first thing colleges see when they review your application, and how to decide if your grade trends are moving in the right direction* How to tell whether you’re on track with the SAT/ACT, and what the remaining testing dates are to consider, if you’re behind* How to ensure that the activities you choose to do over the summer are aligned with what students hope to study in college (including the wonderful empower question: “What are you interested in studying? How would I know that if I looked over how you spent your time?”* Where you should be with your college list at this point in the year, and why it’s important to plan 3 college visits before the year is over* How to identify your family’s deal breakers for the college planning process

University learning centers are a lesser-known gem on college learning centers. Guest expert Lauren Hensley from the Ohio State University explains about how their learning center helps students learn how to learn, and provides tips for parents and students about how to prep best for college. Specifically, she shares: * What kinds of supports learning centers (in general) and OSU’s learning center (specifically) provides, and what types of students it serves* What can students and parents practice in high school to better prepare students to take advantage of learning centers in college, * How to incorporate research about university learning centers into making your college application list* The best time to visit a campus’ learning center* Details about a Learning to Learn course that they teach at OSU* And more! In her free resource, Lauren recommends students follow www.collegeinfogeek.com. However, Gretchen also recommends folks check out OSU’s free tutorials on all kinds of topics. Lauren Hensley discovered her passion for working in the college environment while an undergraduate at the University of Richmond. She joined the leadership team of the Dennis Learning Center at The Ohio State University after receiving her master’s in Higher Education and Student Affairs. She also holds a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Ohio State and continues to conduct research on factors that support college student success. Lauren has received The Ohio State University Distinguished Staff Award and holds level 4 leadership certification from the National College Learning Center Association.