November 1 marked one of the biggest early application deadlines of the year, and many students submitted at least one application on that day. But what if you’re a senior and you’re just getting started thinking about your college applications? We have some good advice for you to help kick things off. In other segments, we’ll look at the financial impact of your college list and selection process. And, finally, last week we gave you the low down on the University of California application, and this week we’re tackling the application’s personal insight questions.

People who can write a check for $50,000 or $75,000 to pay for college make up a pretty small group, and not many colleges can or will offer that much aid even to those who qualify for it. If you’re not sure where the money to pay for your or your child’s education is coming from, check out our advice on how to look for and maximize merit scholarship opportunities. As early deadlines—Early Decision, Early Action, Priority, and rolling—approach, we’ll offer some tips on how to approach these deadlines and what to expect from the early process. Finally, we’ll welcome a guest with insight into using mindfulness as part of your test prep process.

There are a lot of early admissions deadline options: early action, early decision one and two, priority admissions, restrictive early action, etc. How do you know which, if any, is the right choice for you? We’ll help you figure that out. We’ll also help you figure out the college bill that’s coming your way, and discuss what makes a college a safety, i.e., a school where you have a better than 90% chance of being admitted.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Elizabeth Heaton is back in the host seat to tell you all about how to best proceed if you’ve just been deferred from your Early Action or Early Decision school(s). We’re also answering your questions in a two-segment Q&A, featuring listener submissions.

On last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Ian Fisher discusses three very different phases of the college admission process: writing supplemental essays, receiving admission decisions, and repaying loans.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, Elizabeth Heaton is in the host seat and here to talk about early action, supplemental essays for Georgia Tech and Emory, financial aid at Northeastern University.

Sally Ganga is in the host seat for the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, tackling early admission round trends, summer volunteer programs, and scholarship negotiation.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Elizabeth Heaton celebrates the historic third anniversary of our podcast by talking with her guests about summer opportunities for athletes and sports enthusiasts, appealing a financial aid award, and the complex and often mysterious outcomes of the Early Action admission process.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Ian Fisher welcomed the new year with a conversation about New Year’s resolutions for high schoolers, an update about some trends that have been noted in the outcomes of this year’s University of Michigan Early Action round, and a discussion of financial aid award letters and how to read and understand them.

It’s the time of year when admissions decisions begin to go out for seniors and when the search process begins to ramp up for juniors. This episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation is chock full of great advice for families with students in both circumstances—read on for recaps, but tune in for all the good details!