The College Prep Podcast

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. This recording originally aired on October 1, 2018 as episode 232.

Preparing for college is not just about academics! Megan and Gretchen discuss a host of easy-to-create, growth-filled experiences that help students gain the skills necessary for independent living on a college campus. For example: * social skills and how to meet new people* independence and the importance of spending a week away from home* how to assume more responsibility* practice communicating directly with adults and advocating for yourself* and more!

The excitement of the new year has worn off. Summer is still too far away and many students fall into a March slump. Gretchen walks us through strategies to stay focused during this challenging part of the school year. Listen in as she discusses specific tips for students, educators, and academic coaches building their businesses.

Gretchen is hot off of a speaking gig all about note taking, and was impressed with the good questions the high schoolers asked her. Hear her answers, and take your note taking to the next level. * What if you can’t tell what’s more important to write down?* What if you don’t have time to hone your notes?* If your grades are already good, should you take notes?* What if you lose your notes?* And more!

Would you benefit from extra time on the SAT, or other accommodations? Megan breaks down everything you need to know about accommodations on college prep testing. Together with Gretchen, she discusses: * who can receive testing accommodations* what accommodations are possible* how should families approach this process* common reasons why your request for accommodations might be denied* and more!

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. This episode original ran February 18, 2019.

Recently the New York Times shared an article questioning how binding early decision admissions truly are to families. Megan shares more about the controversy that erupted, and shares her own two cents about how families can navigate early decision with integrity and smarts. Specifically she and Gretchen discuss: * What Early Decision (ED) is and what does “binding” really mean? * How to understand ED terms and your family’s priorities * How to research costs and aid BEFORE you apply (keep in mind the #1 form of financial aid is still loans) * The importance of applying to other schools, including more affordable options or schools where scholarships are likely * If you don’t think your ED school has offered adequate aid, reach out. Open communication allows you to act with integrity Here is the New York Times article that we referenced in the episode.

It’s the start of a new semester, which means time to hone your study skills!! Tune in while Gretchen breaks down her three step study cycle, and explains how to use a very specific study tool to rock your learning and teaching. Specifically, she and Megan discuss: * An overview of the science of learning in three easy steps* Why a white board is such a good study tool* How to use a white board to “test yourself” (or have your students test themselves)* How to use a white board to teach yourself new material* And more! Feel free to download Gretchen’s free guide to the Study Cycle at www.gretchenwegner.com/actionguide.

Finding the right scholarships takes planning! Megan breaks down how sophomores and juniors in high school can consider scholarship potential as they are 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. This episode originally aired as episode # 254 on March 4, 2019.

Students are hesitant to turn their videos on in zoom classes. What other ways are there to participate effectively in virtual (and in person) classes? Gretchen shares some wisdom from a recent teacher PD she taught. Specifically, she and Megan discuss: * the relationship between participation and engagement and motivation,* why turning the camera on in a virtual class is not the best sign of engagement* a unique “Participation Bingo” game that she came up with to teach teachers how to help students participate* and some specific examples of things students and teachers can do to break participation skills down into bite size parts. If you’d like to remain in conversation with Gretchen about any of these ideas, please sign up for her next FREE Q&A at www.gretchenwegnerc.com/live.

Student mental health troubles is at an all time high! How can families and educators pay attention to the signs, and what can we do to better prioritize our student’s health and happiness first and foremost? Gretchen and Megan discuss this all important issue. Specifically they discuss how to: * Normalize talking about and seeking mental health treatment * Re-prioritize college prep (grades, test scores, resumes) if there is a crisis* Watch kids who are hardest on themselves* Understand how learning disability diagnosis can help mental health issues* And more. Also, feel free to download Gretchen’s free document all about how to support students and ourselves with better nervous system regulation: www.gretchenwegner.com/regulation.

This fall we’ve seen some students rejected from schools where they expected offers of admission. In some cases these rejections seemed surprising. However, Megan lays out why the rejections made so much sense, and what famillies can do to avoid the potential pitfalls. Specifically she discusses: * Faulty assumptions that all schools are equally test optional * Lack of interest on the students’ part, and the school’s reaction to that* Recommendations or interviews that sent the wrong message* Failing to submit ALL elements of application on time * Over estimating student’s credentials

Did you know that better sleep actually helps us learn? But so many students choose to get less sleep because they are cramming or trying to learn! Megan shares what she learned from the book Why Sleep Matters, and provides some all important tips. Specifically she and Gretchen discuss: * Stories from their own lives about fitbits, sleep data, what gets in the way of sleep, and more* Stories about students and how to get them to try to up their sleep hygeniene* Some fun facts about how sleeps helps us learn better* Several tips about what not to do (and what to do) before bed to improve our sleep Also happy new year, everyone!

[This episode originally aired November 23, 2015.] There are six common myths and misunderstandings that many students and parents believe that cause extra stress senior year. They may also hurt your prospects for getting in to college. Megan breaks them down for you (see the list below), and tells you what the truth is instead (tune into the episode): * It’s too late to apply to college.* My weighted GPA for honors classes. will make my grades look better.* I can hide my bad grades from the colleges by making up for it in other ways.* I don’t meet a  college or major’s suggested requirements, so I shouldn’t bother applying.* Most students know what they want to major in.* Professionally written essays work.

What’s the best way to motivate students (and ourselves) to change behaviors? One way is to teach them how to run self experiments. Through stories and examples, Megan and Gretchen discuss what it means to self-experiment, why it works, and how adults can model this skill better in our own lives so that we better support kids. Gretchen also invites you to download the following related resources: * A guide to how to talk to students in a way that encourages them to listen: www.gretchenwegner.com/consent* A list of available coaches, if you’d like another adult to teach them this skill: www.gretchenwegner.com/trained-coaches* An opportunity to be in conversation with Gretchen about how run experiments in real life, or in building your own academic coaching business! www.gretchenwegner.com/live