For most people, writing a check for the tuition bill is a frightening prospect. What if you could spread those payments out? We have information on tuition payment plans offering an installment plan. We’ll also take a close look at the Common App essay topics and offer suggestions for approaching those. Finally, Bright Horizons’ director of learning and development services will join us to share data on strengths-based coaching.

One of the most important parts of the Common App is the section in which students list their activities. Involvement outside the classroom is a major selection component for many universities, and this is the primary opportunity to share the depth and breadth of that involvement. We’ll offer tips for these 10 entries to maximize their impact. In other segments, we’ll go over what you need to know about FERPA and one of our educators will share her experiences studying engineering in a liberal arts college.

by Elyse Krantz, former admissions officer at Barnard College

Your love of playing cello…

Your fascination with mountain biking…

Your desire to speak out against prejudice…

Your journey to become student body president…

A strong Common App essay can be written on virtually any topic.

by Ian Fisher, former admissions officer at Reed College

Last week, the Common App announced it will add a short COVID-19-themed essay question for students applying to college this fall. This came as little surprise to those of us at Bright Horizons College Coach, where one of our more prescient educators even had a dream about this addition, way back on April 10. We have long anticipated that colleges would offer a way for students to express how this global pandemic has upended the ordinary parts of their lives, and the question below will give them an opportunity to do exactly that:

If you’re a high school senior who’s been diligently scouring the Common Application searching for college-specific essay questions, you may have come across this particular prompt:

Who in your life is depending on you? What are they depending on you for?

This question is brand new this year, and it was made available to all Common App member colleges as a “bank question” for use on their supplements. Barnard College, Harvey Mudd College, Marquette University, and the University of South Carolina have elected to include this prompt (as an optional question) on their 2019-20 applications.

Many of the most selective colleges in the country rely on alumni interviewers to get some additional perspective on applicants. We’re excited to welcome one of our regular listeners, who also happens to be an alumni interviewer for her alma mater, to the show to offer some perspective on how the process works and tips for interviewees. We’ll also discuss FERPA, including what it is and how it impacts students and families. And finally, in Office Hours we’ve got insight on how to maximize the Common App activities section.

It’s sleek. It’s modern. It has a snazzy new blue and white color scheme. But there’s so much more to love about the 2019-20 Common App. Below are some of our favorite Common App elements that have students everywhere shouting from the rooftops, “This is why applying to college can be fun!”

Michelle Jones, founder of Wayfinding Academy, joins this week’s show to offer her thoughts on how Wayfinding is approaching college from a different perspective. We’ll also discuss this year’s changes to the Common App and talk about how you can prepare your college bound student for the financial challenges ahead.

The Common App is here! As of August 1, this year’s Common Application is available to all applicants. If you have not yet created your Common App account, follow steps 1-7 below. If you created a Common App account prior to August 1, steps 8-10 are for you! Either way, take a few moments to bookmark this site. You’re going to be using it a lot over the next few months.

Dear Debt’s Melanie Lockert paid off $81 thousand in student debt in just a few years. She’ll join us to talk about how she got to $81 thousand in the first place, what she would do differently if she could do it all again, and what led to the creation of her Dear Debt blog (now also a book). We’re also discussing how to choose your Common App prompt and what Common App supplemental essays are all about.