The College Prep Podcast

Are you a high school student who is also an artist — a dancer, actor, designer, video game designer, painter, musician, and more? Are you curious how to use your college education to prepare you for becoming a working artist? Guest Expert Madison Alexander breaks down how to choose the right arts-focused college, write an appealing application, and what on campus resources will help you build your resume and start getting paid for your art sooner rather than later. After she shares her personal story about becoming a working artist, Madison enthusiastically answers the following questions: * What are key considerations for writing a artistic personal statement for college admission? * What are important things to look for in a college when pursuing the arts is a student’s long-term goal?* What can students be doing to prepare to enter a career in the arts during their time in college?* * Lastly, how can parents best support their burgeoning artist throughout this journey? Madison encourages high school and college artists to read more about her tips via this article on her website. You can also reach out to her via email to ask questions! Her email address is Madisongreer [at] post [dot] harvard [dot] edu. Madison Alexandra holds an Honors A.B. in English from Harvard University and is the founder of Red Inc, a one-on-one virtual editing service that undergraduate and graduate-level application essays, professional personal statements, and interview prep. Besides her work with Red Inc., she has worked in the educational industry for four years as an instructor in SAT/ACT prep, college essay advisement, and curriculum development for grades 4-12. Madison has also acted as a Harvard alumni interviewer, conducting interviews for admissions. Visit her website at www.inredinc.com.

It’s final exam season again! In this episode from the archives, Gretchen walks you through exactly how to prepare for your final exams. Tune in to the episode to hear more about each of these tips: * Map out your entire approach to final exams on one page, so you can see it all at once.* Plan in breaks so you don’t forget to have fun* Practice breaking down each final exam into actionable parts, so that you’re clear exactly what you need to do each day to study.* Organize all your papers and supplies so that you locate notes, worksheets, and old tests that can serve as quizzable study tools.* Study in the manner of the test, and plan backwards.* Build in incentives so you follow through with your plan.* Create clear study routines that are attached to a) things you already do or b) things you like doing. Please note: This podcast originally ran in November of 2015, so Gretchen and Megan refer to Thanksgiving the upcoming winter holidays. However even though the season is different, all the tips are still super relevant. Please tune in!

Have you ever considered whether your new college student’s medical and mental health needs will be appropriately met by their school’s on campus resources? Megan outlines 10 tips for families to consider about campus medical care as they prepare to transition their students out of the nest family nest and into independent life. * Do your teens know about your health insurance and how to use it to advocate for their own health?* Does your health insurance work at your child’s college? * What medical services are available on campus? * Where should students go for after hours needs / urgent care / non emergency “emergencies” * Where / how will your student get his or her prescriptions filled? * Can campus health monitor ongoing or preexisting medical conditions? And what do you need to do to set it up? (allergy shots, lab work, etc.) * What is the extent of the mental health services on campus? What conditions are treated (not treated)? How can see a counselor, who is doing the counseling, how frequent? * What are your off-campus options for counseling / therapy? * What do you need to do medically to enroll your freshman (ie. do they need a physical? Do they need immunizations?)* How can you as a parent stay informed? What type of paperwork should you put in place for medical emergencies? For questions or comments about this episode, please email collegepreppodcast [at] gmail [dot] com.

How do you get help in a class where you’re convinced your teacher is a “bad explainer”? Gretchen walks you through 10 practical tips for things to try first before giving up on getting answers from on your teacher. The tips include how to: * Do your homework and use your resources (textbooks, class notes, classmates, other teachers, google) to supplement what the teacher is teaching* Remember that people show up differently in different settings, so just because the teacher seems to be a “bad explainer” in class doesn’t mean that they won’t be a “good explainer” one-on-one* Know where you are on the Study Cycle before you get help from when you go to the teacher. Do you need retrieval practice or encoding practice? * Build a personal relationship with the teacher so that you know and like each other* Make sure you’re choosing the right time to go talk to the teacher so that they have time and space to explain things better* And more!

Student stress is at an all time high! What is the cause, and what can parents, students and educators do about it? Join guest Mary Hofstedt from Challenge Success to learn about the results of an interesting research project on student wellbeing, and find out what parents, students, and schools can do to reprioritize student wellbeing without losing rigor, though college and beyond. Specifically they cover: * The interesting story behind how Challenge Success got its name (and how it involves a grown up shadowing students for a full year)* Some staggering statistics about what contributes to student stress being so high, including the results of a survey that includes over 175,000 students* Two of the biggest contributors to student stress (according to students!!), and how Challenge Success is working with students, parents and schools to address these issues* The myth that the more selective colleges will bring you more “success” in life* Practical tips for parents for how to support student wellbeing,* and more! If you’d like to explore sending a school leader or administrator to Challenge Success’s conferences, here is more information about the Summer Leadership Seminar. For whole school communities who are interested in getting involved, here is more information about the School Program. If you would like to read more research about college selectivity, the cheating epidemic, and more, check out these excellent White Papers. Mary Hofstedt, Ed.M., is a School Program Director at Challenge Success. In her role, she works alongside Challenge Success school teams to advance student well-being and engagement in learning, and provides interactive workshops to parents, educators, and students. Mary has an extensive background in curriculum and program design, positive youth development, leadership of school and community-wide initiatives to benefit youth, and social science research. She is the parent of a recent high school graduate and is passionate about working with others to ensure our young people thrive.

The final slide to the end of the semester can feel like a drag for students and parents! Try a few of these simple “spring cleaning” tips to create some momentum, and also get organized BEFORE finals roll around: * 4 things to clean out of your binders, bedroom and backpack* 2 things to update on your calendar and in your resume* 2 things to plan so you don’t lose track at the end of the year* 2 things to collect so that you’re ready for final exams Doing these things now will help you focus on studying and end-of-the-year festivities rather than rushing to find what you need last minute.

Many students complain that they are not “math people” and therefore struggle on standardized math tests. Join Megan as she breaks down three reasons why students tend to struggle needlessly, and five strategies for improving their scores. Specifically, she explores: * the difference between knowing your math facts and understanding concepts* the importance of grapple time and developing a tolerance for not knowing* how to be mindful about whether you’re in a solution mindset or a process mindset* specific strategies for raising your score* and more! If you’d like some specific advice from Megan related to applying these concepts in your ACT / SAT review, please email us at collegepreppodcast [at] gmail [dot] com.

Students often worry that studying effectively for tests will take more time than they have! In this episode, Gretchen takes a deep dive into retrieval practice, which is arguably the most important things students can do when studying. Specifically she explores simple ways to do retrieval practice: * Before class or reading,* Right after class, * While you are doing already assigned pieces of homework* In addition to your homework If you have any questions about how to apply these techniques in the specific context of your class, please send them to collegepreppodcast [at] gmail [dot] com!

There’s an important yet overlooked ingredient to performing your best on standardized tests! In this episode, guest expert Logan Thompson details how to apply some simple tools from the world of mindfulness to turboboost ACT and SAT performance. In a fun and wide-ranging conversation, they discuss: * How Logan began his journey with mindfulness* What mindfulness is and what it isn’t* How Logan accidentally started teaching his test prep students tools for observing their own thoughts, and how it helped them* A powerful metaphor Logan uses to teach these tools to test prep students,* and more! Check out Logan’s book Beyond the Content here on Amazon. Feel free to access these sample mindfulness recordings at Logan’s SoundCloud. After earning his MBA from Vanderbilt University, Logan Thompson pursued his passion for mindfulness by moving to a meditation center, where he lived and practiced for over two years. He then began teaching test prep for Manhattan Prep, a unit of Kaplan Test Prep (he has a 99th percentile score on the SAT®, GMAT® and GRE®), where he still teaches. He is also an adjunct professor of mindfulness at Endicott College and a Master’s student at Harvard University, studying Human Development and Psychology. Feel free to email Logan  at LoganJThompson [at] Gmail [dot] com.

Finding the right scholarships takes planning! Megan breaks down how sophomores and juniors in high school can consider scholarship potential as they’re narrowing down their list. Specifically she shares: * How to have realistic expectations for how much money is and isn’t available* How to identify your educational goals, so you can find complementary scholarships* How to apply to the right schools where scholarships are available* How to organize yourself and apply to the schools on time, so you don’t miss out on opportunities.

Summer is a great time to do meaningful summer activities that benefit your college application. Tune in to this episode from the archives (February 2015 to be exact), as Megan and Gretchen discuss how to choose activities that will help students round out their college applications. Specifically, Megan shares more detailing about the following four kinds of activities: * Summer School: Good reasons to take summer school include taking make up courses to raise grades, exploring interesting topics,  and making time for other activities during the school year. However, Megan also has a specific warning to families about what NOT to use summer school for, so tune in to hear that.* Work: When finding a summer job, it can be very beneficial to try to find one that offers teens 30-40 hours/week. Of course, it’s wonderful to be able to work in a field of interest, but even a job at McDonald’s can look impressive on a college admissions. Tune in to hear the explanation why!* Organized Programs / Camps: Organized programs help students develop a talent in more detail, explore new topics, and “test drive” a college or a major. Gretchen tells a story about an unmotivated client who found his passion during one of these programs.* Self-Designed Options. This is a catch all category that includes travel, reading, writing, business start ups, volunteering, and more. Summer is a great time to be scrappy, follow your curiosity, and create unique experiences.

Too often educators teach specific note taking strategies like Cornell Notes without teaching students WHY they work. Tune in to hear Gretchen outline a straightforward approach to helping take better notes. Specifically, she discusses: * Review the Study Cycle, which summarizes the three steps the brain needs to learn* Understand where good note taking fits into the Study Cycle (hint: encoding!)* Discuss the two steps to note-taking* Learn tips for how to put each of these steps into practice. At one point in this episode, Gretchen references the excellent graphic organizers at www.ThinkingMaps.com.

There are 5 key steps to take when planning how your high school student will take their college admissions tests. In this episode, Megan gives a detailed description for how to make a 4-year plan for managing your college admissions tests. Here are each of the steps; listen in for more thorough instructions: * Take the PSAT * Choose whether to take the ACT, SAT, or both* Plan ahead about WHEN to take the tests* Decide whether the subject tests are worthwhile* Make a plan ahead of time* And more!* If you have any questions or comments about this episode, please email us at collegepreppodcast [at] gmail [dot] com.

The science shows us that mistakes are an important part of learning and growing, yet our schools and homes are often structured to punish students for making mistakes. Why is this, and what can be done to create environments that celebrate mistake-making? Join Gretchen and Megan tin this wide ranging discussion that explores: * Some science behind why mistakes are a crucial part of learning* How the Study Cycle mirrors this science* Tips for creating a mistake-friendly environment* and More!* This is a topic that Gretchen is just beginning to think about with more depth, so if you have any thoughts to add, please email her at gretchen [at] gretchenwegner [dot] com.

Many AP Coordinators at high schools list all the benefits of taking AP classes, but rarely do they list the drawbacks and limitations. Megan spells out for families a number of reasons why you might not want to take AP classes if your goal is college admissions. In this episode, Megan will talk you through: * The real benefit is not saving you money in college, but actually the higher level thinking skills you’ll gain* The problem of “qualifying scores” (3 versus 4 versus 5) and that not all classes get the same credit* The lack of consistency about what those credits will count for when you get to college,* And more! Enjoy the episode, and email us at collegepreppodcast [at] gmail [dot] com if you have any comments or questions.