In the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coast Conversation, guest host Sally Ganga covers a wide range of topics, beginning with a discussion on how to prepare to repay student loans, and then an in-depth look at the supplemental essays for Loyola Marymount University and Occidental College. She wraps up with a lively conversation about the differences between studying the sciences and studying engineering in college.

Guest Post By Marie Schwartz, CEO, TeenLife Media

If you’re the parent of a student interested in the arts, your emotions probably ricochet between amazement and panic.

There’s nothing like the thrill of seeing your children’s artwork on a gallery wall, or hearing them play in a concert, or seeing them perform on a stage. Then, comes the fear that they might actually want to do this as a career. And, you’re imagining them living in the basement forever.

In the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Beth Heaton talks with her guests about considerations when selecting a major in the college application process, how to complete the CSS Profile®, and how to send standardized test scores to colleges and universities. In other words, this episode is chock full of highly relevant information for high school seniors and their parents, as well as 11^th grade parents and students who are planning ahead!

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Ian Fisher welcomes a special guest to discuss what you can do with a humanities degree. During Office Hours, he talks with colleagues to better understand what demonstrated interest means and goes on to cover where to get help filling out the FAFSA.

These days, high school students are encouraged to try out possible careers or majors through jobs and internships.

But sometimes that’s easier said than done.

High school internships aren’t always easy to find. Employers often prefer college students, can’t afford to pay interns, or don’t have the time to supervise them. Teen part-time jobs, while valuable, may not offer the kind of experience that will tell you if engineering is the right major for you.

One solution: community service.

With college applications looming on the horizon, many rising high school seniors are feeling the pressure to figure out in the next few months, not only where they want to study, but what they want to study.  This choice, many believe, will determine the path of the rest of their lives.  That’s a weighty burden for a 17-year-old student to bear, and some may wonder if all this stress is really necessary.  Find out from former Barnard and Whittier College admissions officer, Mary Sue Youn, in this installment of the College Coach video series, Ask the College Admissions Expert. Mary Sue answers the burning question on the minds of rising seniors and their parents, “Is It Okay To Apply To College With An Undecided Major?”

I studied philosophy in college. And if my degree isn’t the punchline to a joke about useless college majors, it’s almost certainly a part of the set up. For years, I’ve had to field questions about what I could possibly do with that, aside from having plenty to think about while mixing a latté. Even Marco Rubio took some of his speaking time in a 2015 presidential debate to proclaim that what we need in this country is “more welders and less philosophers.” For many of us in the humanities, it can feel like an uphill battle to convince the world of the value of our degree, with skeptics everywhere questioning the practical value of an English, history, or religion major.

On this week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Ian Fisher unpacks how to think about your college major, athletic recruitment at highly-selective institutions, and income-driven student loan repayment plans.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Sally Ganga talks about the connection between major and career and tackles a number of our listeners’ questions.

Community colleges were once considered a place to go if you couldn’t get in to a “better” college. How times have changed! More students and their families are giving serious consideration to community colleges as a great place to start their education. Why?