Paying for Multiple Kids in College, First Generation Students, and College Interviews

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. Ian began by resuming our conversation on college access. He welcomed guest Angela Quitadamo, Director of Retention at Worcester State University, where she is responsible for the coordination of university persistence and retention efforts and services. They began their conversation by first defining what exactly IS persistence and retention and why you should care about it when researching colleges and universities. Angela explained how to make sense of the various IPEDs ratings, where to find them, what is the difference between a 4-year and 6-year graduation rate, and what subtleties might be behind these numbers. They discussed what resources and clues to look for in order to maximize future success for your student. After the break, the second segment began with an announcement about our new contest! Head to our Facebook page where you’ll see the contest pinned at the top of the page. To enter, all you have to do is comment below the post, asking us a question about college admissions or finance. Each week we’ll pick a winner to get a $50 Amazon gift card, and, at the end of the competition, the grand prize winner will get a swagbag and a free 30 minute counseling session with one of our educators. That extra cash or free session might come in handy if the rest of the segment applied to you.  Ian welcomed back Beth Feinberg Keenan to talk about paying for college when you have multiple children enrolled in college at once. Yikes—I listened closely for this one as that will likely apply to me one day! Beth discussed whether or not BOGO pricing applies at college (SPOILER ALERT: it doesn’t), the pros/cons of opening separate savings accounts for each child, and what the implications might be on your expected family contribution. Last but not least, the show wrapped up with the conclusion of our School's Out! Application Workshop series.  Zaragoza Guerra (former MIT and Cal Tech admission officer) joined Ian to talk about what to expect in a college interview and how you can prepare. Zaragoza explained how the interview is used (and how it isn’t!) by the admission committee, what kinds of questions might come up, what to wear, and what kind of questions you might want to ask. Ian gave us a peak behind the curtain of the Reed admissions office by sharing the types of questions that made him most excited in his interviews. Catch up with the latest episode here or, better yet, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!