College Admissions Consulting Barnard and Wash U Essay Prompts, and the Ins and Outs of Co-op Programs Written by Lauren Randleon December 27th, 2018 I learned firsthand about the world of highly selective admissions as a former assistant director of admissions at Georgetown University. I traveled the United States, in and out of high schools and auditoriums, to eagerly educate students and their families about the application process, and then painstakingly reviewed thousands upon thousands of applications to fill our class. I reviewed applications for all four of Georgetown’s colleges (Georgetown College, McDonough School of Business, Walsh School of Foreign Service, and School of Nursing & Health Studies), and chaired the admissions committee for the School of Foreign Service. I experienced the nuances of the recruitment process as the admissions liaison to the Georgetown women’s soccer team, and also understood the significance of the admissions interview as the co-coordinator for Georgetown’s alumni interviewing process. I left admissions to pursue a master of education degree at the University of Virginia to broaden my knowledge of student development theories and current trends in higher education. There I decided that it was time to work more directly with students and families at the high school level, where my support and encouragement would have a more personal impact. That desire led me across the globe to Hong Kong, where I worked at a competitive international high school helping students with their college applications to the world's best universities. My international experience offered me the opportunity to work with extraordinary students and see extraordinary places. Learn More About Lauren co-op programs, co-ops, essay prompts, getting in, On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Sally Ganga digs into the supplements for Barnard College and Washington University in St. Louis, the ins and outs of co-ops, and the financial implications of attending a college with a co-op program. Essay Prompts: Barnard College and Washington University in St. Louis Admissions expert Kyra Tyler joins Sally for the first segment to discuss two interesting supplemental essays prompts from different institutions. A student can learn a lot about what a college values by reading into their prompt, and this rings true for both Barnard College and Wash U. If you’d like to learn more about either of these colleges and their supplemental essays, tune into this segment! Co-op Programs: What are they? Northeastern University and Drexel University are known for their co-op programs, so we are fortunate to have former admissions officers from these institutions join Sally for this segment. Sara Calvert-Kubrom of Northeastern and Kennon Dick of Drexel go over everything a student needs to know when considering co-ops as a professional opportunity to complement their academic work. If you think you might be a good fit for a co-op education or are wondering how it differs from internships, you need to listen to our experts! Co-op Programs: What are the financial implications? Continuing the conversation on co-op programs, finance expert Laurier Peltier joins to cover the financial implications for students. Will families have to pay tuition, room/board, or other costs to the college while the student is on the co-op? Are the earnings from the co-op taxable? And, perhaps most importantly, how does a co-op impact a financial aid award from the college? Laurie and Sally answer everything you need to know about co-op finances. On the next episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Elizabeth Heaton will go over the nuts and bolts of submitting an application, how to follow up to confirm it was received, and whether it’s possible to receive in-state tuition as an out-of-state student at a public university. Related Resources Read | Posted on June 4th, 2025 Legal Documents Your Child Needs to Sign Before Heading to College Read | Posted on May 20th, 2025 What is Demonstrated Interest? Read | Posted on April 29th, 2025 Navigating the Ethical Use of AI Tools in College Admissions
