Its summer! Time for ice cream, blockbuster movies, and college visits and essays! Join us for insight into making the most of your college visits in preparation for writing supplemental essays in the fall. Speaking of essays, we’re taking you through the Common App essay prompts for fall 2019. And finally, we have suggestions for how to research information about paying for college on those institutions’ websites.

Heard about The College Board’s new adversity score that will be accompanying test results at a pilot group of colleges this fall? We’ll share our thoughts about the score, including information about what it’s based on, why it was created, and what the impact will be for applicants this year. We’re also offering suggestions for getting the most out of your summer experience, whether a job, internship, course, or something else, and we’re answering your questions in Office Hours.

In an era of smart phones and technology always at our fingertips, social media is a deeply ingrained part of the daily lives of most teens (and often their parents!). As students prepare to apply to college, many families ask me about the role of social media in college admissions, specifically the college research, application, and selection process. Here are a few things to consider:

In the second in our Kindness Matters series, we’ll tackle the question of service work: what qualifies, why students might want to do it, and whether or not it’s truly important in the admissions process. We’ll also devote most of today’s show to helping students make a successful transition to college.

Many academically strong California juniors recently received forms from their high schools asking for permission to share their academic data with the University of California System in order to determine Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC). If you’ve received this form, congratulations! It means you are among the strongest students in your graduating high school class. Using this statewide data it has requested from you and your school, the UC system will identify the top 9% of students statewide, as well as the top 9% within each participating high school.

One of the most popular majors in recent years is business, and more colleges are offering programs in this area. If you’ve ever wondered what students actually study or whether or not you should major in business if you want a career in business, you’ll want to listen to this week’s show. For those looking to spend a semester in another country, we’ll take a closer look at the financial side of study abroad and offer some tools and resources for high school students hoping to discover and explore their interests.

Many international students strive to attend university in the United States, but end up confused by the U.S. admissions process, which tends to be less straightforward than admissions processes elsewhere.  One question we often get is how an international transcript will translate in the U.S. system. Former MIT and Caltech admissions officer, Zaragoza Guerra, answers this question in the latest installment of the College Coach video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert.

Many colleges and universities recommend that applicants have a college interview; several even require an interview as part of the admission process. As an international student applying to schools in the US from abroad you might be thinking, “Can I interview?” The simple answer is yes. However, let’s get a better understanding of the process and determine if having a college interview is right for you.

More and more students are considering universities in other countries. Today we’re welcoming a representative from University College in Dublin to discuss studying in Ireland. We’ll also take you through tips for using your 529 or prepaid tuition plan to pay for college. Finally, in Office Hours we’re helping students get started on an activity list (otherwise known as a resume) for their college applications.

Guest Post by Matt Symonds, Fortuna Admissions

Common sense suggests you should apply to business school when you’re ready. But let’s demystify how things work behind the scenes of MBA admissions and the reality of how seats are allocated from one round to the next.