Getting Organized

This is the first in a series of blog posts in which Jan Combs, college finance consultant and mother of a high school senior, will walk us through her son’s college application process. Along the way, Jan will share tips and tricks to help your family manage, and even enjoy, this nerve-wracking journey for you and your child.

She’s back! After a month away, Beth Heaton has returned to the mic! On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Beth hosted two phenomenal guests—Jessica Elberfeld and Kara Courtois—to discuss two vastly different topics—undergraduate debt repayment and college-specific supplemental essays.

Whether you’re putting together a resume as a required piece of your college application or contemplating sending one along as a supplement, there are a few things to keep in mind when you get started.

It’s after Labor Day and school has started! The latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation celebrated with two (yes, two!) segments dedicated to the School’s In! Application Workshop. Guest host Ian Fisher welcomed college admission expert Julia Jones and college finance expert Laurie Peltier to talk about all aspects of creating a college list on short notice and then narrowing it down quickly to arrive at a final list of schools to apply to. He wrapped up the program with a discussion of the Cambridge system with guest Zaragoza Guerra.

Whether your student is embarking on their first year of high school or plugging along with their sophomore or junior year, the concept of academic tracking is one to consider. Simply put, tracking is the series of courses your student will be slotted to take each year of high school within the five core courses: English, history/social studies, math, science, and world language. 

The latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation kicked off the month of September with great advice for high school seniors on what they can do now to impact their college applications, an insightful discussion on the International Baccalaureate program, and guidance on how to navigate the financial aid process for students with divorced parents.

Our latest episode of Getting in: A College Coach Conversation was hosted by Ian Fisher and covered issues of student retention, paying for college for multiple children, and a continuation of our School’s Out! Application Workshop series.

Students often wonder if their involvements outside of the classroom are impressive enough to help them get into a highly selective college. Is the boy who spends his weekends at a Yo-Yo competition more striking to the admissions committee than the girl who sits by a tree and writes poetry on Sunday afternoons? It’s all about the ways in which these students choose to present themselves. So, let’s think about the question this way: What do the Ivies and other highly selective colleges want to learn from a student’s Extracurricular Activities? What kind of people do these colleges seek?

Sally Ganga guest hosted the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation. The show started with the weekly School’s Out Application Workshop session, moved to a conversation about how being a recruited athlete can impact a student’s chances of admission, and finally wrapped up with tips for making a strong financial transition to college.

Ian Fisher guest hosted the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation. Continuing with Beth’s “office hours” series from the week before, Ian devoted the majority of the segment to answering our listeners’ questions. A wide array of topics were covered—including an entire segment on living like a college student—providing listeners a fun, humorous, and informative hour.