College Admissions Consulting Why I Chose the University of Southern California Written by Tova Javetzon March 16th, 2016 I began my career as both a tour guide and senior interviewer at my alma mater, Barnard, where I later joined the admissions team and read and reviewed applications from students applying from the northeastern, midwestern, and western regions of the United States, as well as Canada. A few years later, while pursuing my master’s degree, I briefly left admissions to be the director of student life at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Realizing I missed working closely with students on the high school side of college counseling, I joined the admissions team at Fordham University where I recruited and reviewed applicants applying to Fordham’s liberal arts and business colleges. My most recent experience at Montclair State helped me understand what the application process looks like outside of highly selective colleges and how to help students who may not be fully prepared for college-level work. One of my favorite past experiences was managing the athletic recruitment process at Fordham as well as a number of sports at Barnard. Understanding the inner workings of both the Ivy and Patriot athletic leagues meant I was able to guide students to find the best athletic matches as part of their college search. Learn More About Tova choosing the right college, deciding on a college, getting in, researching colleges, Last week’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation continued the student perspective series, offering you advice straight from those who know the college search process best: a first-year college student! The Student Perspective Beth began the show with current University of Southern California first-year student Noa Braun about her search process. They chatted about Noa’s primary selection criteria, the role rankings played, and what happened the summer after junior year when she went on a big college tour. Noa joked that she was the example of just how many applications is too many. When presented with wonderful opportunities, Noa chose USC. She explained just what her parents had to say about her decision. College Finance Questions Answered In the second segment, Beth and finance expert Tara Piantanida-Kelly answered college finance questions submitted by our listeners. Tara tackled questions on what families should be doing after they submit the FAFSA, how to cover gaps in aid packages, what happens if it seems like the school is pushing for an early deposit prior to May 1, and what actually is federal work-study money?? Next time we will tackle financial aid appeals and scholarship negotiation. Check out 5 Tips for Increasing your Financial Aid Offer if you’re looking for some spoilers. Encouraging Creativity in Students Beth wrapped up the show with guest Kara Courtois to talk through the New York Times article from January on how to raise a creative child. Give a listen to hear Beth and Kara discuss what they liked, their thoughts on whether or not creativity can be bought or micromanaged, and the implications when the student progresses to high school. On tomorrow’s episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, we’ll continue our student interview student with a Brown freshman, dive into Harvard’s Turning the Tide report on the state of college admissions, and discuss some of the way you can negotiate a better financial aid package. See you then! Recent Episodes of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation: Why I Chose the University of Southern California: One Student's Story Comparing Financial Aid Offers Can I Pay In-State Tuition in Another State?: Tuition Reciprocity Agreements Part 1 Related Resources Read | Posted on April 22nd, 2025 Demystifying Liberal Arts: What They Are and Aren't Read | Posted on March 11th, 2025 Does a Teen Need to File a Tax Return? Read | Posted on March 5th, 2025 Mastering the Final Round: How to Ace Your College Scholarship Interview and Stand Out
