The College Prep Podcast

Indiana Wesleyan University has revamped their Learning Center and peer tutoring programs to be more “Study Cycle” friendly. Back in August Gretchen interviewed Melissa Sprock, Indiana Wesleyan University’s Learning Center Director, and opened up the interview for others to attend on Zoom. Listen in as Melissa and Gretchen discuss the Learning Center staff’s recent training in the Art of Inspiring Students to Study Strategically toolbox. As a result of this training, the Learning Center has overhauled three key services they provide students: * their peer-to-peer tutor training, * a student success class for “Conditionally Admitted” university students, and * academic coaching in the TRIO program. This experiment has been so successful that Melissa and Gretchen are starting to do presentations at conferences around the country. This episode of the podcast provides a “sneak peek” of their presentation.

If you have a high school junior or senior, you’ve probably seen the college admissions marketing machine in action. Colleges are spending about $1 million dollars each year to attract new students and there are some things you need to understand. On today’s episode, Megan shares: * The reasons the college search process is dependent on marketing and branding * The different ways that colleges market to you, some obvious and some less obvious * The effects of these marketing strategies on your students’ self esteem and well being, and * Tips for how to deal with the onslaught if it becomes too much If you want to read more about marketing in higher education, here is an interesting read.

Whether you are in middle or high school, it’s not too early to put several key organizational habits into place that help you be college ready. In today’s episode, Gretchen shares a funny story about a conversation with students that happened recently when she went to water aerobics at the swimming pool of a local high school. She then unpacks that conversation to reveal three important habits for students to focus on building this year: (1) relationship building with professors, (2) knowing how to make time visible, and (3) learning tools for active studying. If they can successfully follow through with these habits, they will be able to take better advantage of their college experience. Tune in for more details!  

How do parents and teachers support students in becoming more and more independent? Elaine Taylor-Klaus from ImpactADHD walks us through the four phases of transition in the adult/student relationship, and shares how taking on a Coach Approach to communicating with teens can help smooth out the bumps in these transitions. Specifically she shares: * What’s the difference between supporting versus enabling students * What the four phases are in the adult/student relationship * How to help make the transition between these phases more flow and fewer bumps * A simple behavior tip that can make a big difference in parent/student communication * And more! Elaine Taylor-Klaus, PCC, CPCC is a certified coach and author, the co-Founder of ImpactADHD® and co-creator of Sanity School® — a behavior management training program. A sought after speaker and presenter at national conferences, Elaine provides online training, coaching and support for parents and teachers of “complex” kids around the globe. Regularly featured in ADDitude and Attention magazines, she is the co-author of Parenting ADHD Now! Easy Intervention Strategies to Empower Kids with ADHD, and the mother of 3 young adults an ADHD Family of 5. You can find a wealth of resources on her award-winning blog at ImpactADHD.com. 

Questions! Questions! We love questions! Below are two questions about the SAT and Advanced Placement tests that we got recently from two moms: (1) “I just heard someone talking about their 2nd child who took a gap year and delayed taking the SAT until after high school. For kids who just aren’t ready for college or who haven’t progressed to Pre-Calc by their junior or senior year, is there a benefit, or even an option, of taking the tests later?” (2) “A fellow mom and I have been having a long conversation about what colleges can and can’t see from your college testing record. This includes your SAT scores, your SAT subject test scores, your AP scores. […] My question is – can you still list [a course] as an AP course, but not report your testing score (say you do great in the class, but not so great on the test or does that look like your school is weak?) Or do you only report the class as an AP course if you have a score that is worthy of reporting? Otherwise would you simply call it Honors?” Tune in for Megan’s answers!

Well-meaning teachers make mistakes when it comes to setting students up to study effectively! Listen in as Gretchen shares five mistakes teachers accidentally make, including tips for how both students and teachers about how to handle the fallout of these mistakes. Here is the list of mistakes Gretchen covers; tune in to hear her explain WHY it’s a mistake, and what teachers and students can do instead. * Mistake #1 – We don’t teach them to study. * Mistake #2 – We teach our favorite strategies without explaining WHY they work. We give instructions that students do or don’t follow, but without teaching the bigger picture. * Mistake #3 – When we do teach studying, we often make it too complicated. Too many steps. * Mistake #4 – We teach learning styles as if that is the answer. * Mistake #5 – We don’t actively practice the tools we teach. If after listening to this podcast, you’re inspired to join Gretchen for one of her courses, click one of the following links: * If you are a student or parent, click here for access to the Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying * If you are a teacher, administrator, tutor or coach, click here for access to the Art of Inspiring Students to Study Strategically.

Are you buying into some faulty information about ACT science? Megan walks you through what this section of the standardized test is really about — and believe it or not! — it’s not science. Go figure. Specifically, we discuss: (1) What the ACT science portion actually tests, if it’s not your knowledge about science, and (2) What your score on this section of the test does (and doesn’t) tell you about your aptitude for studying science in college and working in science related careers.

How do you help a teen overcome their procrastination and take action on academic assignments they don’t want to do? In today’s episode Gretchen walks you through a checklist of four ways to help teens “get in gear” when they are procrastinating. Tune in to find out more information about how to help students troubleshoot which of the following is  their weakest “time management” link: * Tools * Team * Routines, and * Self Talk To go deeper with this checklist, or for more information about how to help students overcome procrastination, check out Gretchen’s upcoming course for educators The Art of Inspiring Students to Study Strategically.

For many families, the costs of taking standardized tests like the ACT, SAT and AP’s are out reach. However, it is possible to receive fee waivers, and Megan breaks down exactly how. Tune in to learn more about topics like: * The difference between reduced and waived fees * How to use the “free lunch waiver” as the first step in waiving testing fees * The costs of regular registration * How to use these processes for waiving university application fees as well. This is a super important episode, and many families don’t realize the college-related reasons they should apply for the “free lunch waiver.” Please spread the word among friends, local organizations, and those who work with students who may need assistance.

The most important part of studying is retrieval practice (in other words, testing yourself)… …but how do you test yourself in new and interesting ways so that you don’t bore yourself to tears? Tune in for Part 4 of the Anti-Boring Summer Series, where Gretchen walks you through how to create quizzable study tools, so you have lots of choices for how to test yourself . If this anti-boring tip delights you and you want more from where this came from: * More tools to fill your study toolbox? Check out the Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying. * Gretchen’s training for educators? Check out The Art of Inspiring Students to Study Strategically? * Summer coaching? Check out these certified Anti-Boring Approach Coaches.

It’s possible to receive accommodations on the SAT & ACT for students with physical or learning differences. However (and this is a super important point for families of these kinds of students):  you need to apply in advance. Both SAT & ACT have tried to make the process easier, but unfortunately not all families know this is an option. Listen in as Megan breaks down common issues related to applying for accommodations on standardized testing. Then, for more information, check out an article she wrote on the topic.

Do you ever review your lecture notes after you take them? Most people don’t… mostly because it seems like a lot of work and they don’t know how. This simple note taking tip could change your entire ability to learn effectively. It’s not easy, but if you could get yourself to do it — you’d e so much more ready for every test and feel that much more confident as a learner Tune in for Part 3 of the Anti-Boring Summer Series, where Gretchen walks you through a simple model for how to process, or ‘hone,’ your notes so you actually learn the information your teachers is sharing. If this anti-boring tip delights you and you want more from where this came from: * More tools to fill your study toolbox? Check out the Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying. * Gretchen’s training for educators? Check out The Art of Inspiring Students to Study Strategically? * Summer coaching? Check out these certified Anti-Boring Approach Coaches.

Many schools assign summer reading, and most students wait until the last minute to do it. Tune in as Megan and Gretchen provide four tips for getting a head start on your summer reading, and getting it done well before the due date. Tips include: * How to check for assignments, particularly if you are attending a new school in the fall, * When to get started with the assignment * How parents can use summer assignments to set a new positive tone for the coming school year, and * How to look over the assignment and make a plan You might also find this helpful: Gretchen’s video series about how to read a 400 page book in 2 hours.

Is studying tedious and boring? Use the Study Senses as a simple checklist for how to engage your brain while learning, so that you learn more in less time. Tune in for Part 2 of the Anti-Boring Summer Series, where she walks you through a simple model for how to mix up your studying so you’re processing information in multiple ways. If this anti-boring tip delights you and you want more from where this came from: * More tools to fill your study toolbox? Check out the Anti-Boring Approach to Powerful Studying. * Gretchen’s training for educators? Check out The Art of Inspiring Students to Study Strategically? * Summer coaching? Check out these certified Anti-Boring Approach Coaches.

Essays are an important component of college applications, but most people– students, parent, and even educators– have little idea what a winning essay looks like or how to write one. Listen as we help you get started and share advice from some colleges. Also, check out these resources that we highlighted on the episode: * Megan’s online course all about how to write an admissions essay * Examples of essays that worked  * Tips from an admissions office