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  • 636: Summer of Skills: Decluttering Your Bedroom

    636: Summer of Skills: Decluttering Your Bedroom
    2026/07/06

    This summer Erin will focus on building skills that will help students in the present and are essential to transition to a functioning adult. Today’s focus is on decluttering.

    Did you know that decluttering, organizing, and cleaning are three very separate tasks? Erin tackles the first of these with some of her best tips from her favorite declutterer.

    Resource: A Slob Comes Clean – Dana K. White

    The post 636: Summer of Skills: Decluttering Your Bedroom appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.
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    16 分
  • 637: College Essays: Discuss a Favorite Book

    637: College Essays: Discuss a Favorite Book
    2026/07/13

    This summer Megan will focus on different college application essay topics, pinpointing common pitfalls and offering suggestions for strong responses. Today’s topic: discuss a “great” book.

    — Not all colleges ask about books, but this question appears on a number of school’s supplemental essay lists.

    — Don’t overthink your answer; be genuine. There isn’t a right or wrong answer. (Trying to sound impressive isn’t the goal.)

    — Brainstorm the “why” part of your answer. Your thought process is a significant part of the essay.

    — Look at your application essays as a whole and understand how this response fits into the bigger picture.

    The post 637: College Essays: Discuss a Favorite Book appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.
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    9 分
  • 635: College Essays: How Have You Impacted Your Community?

    635: College Essays: How Have You Impacted Your Community?
    2026/06/29

    This summer Megan will focus on different college application essay topics, pinpointing common pitfalls and offering suggestions for strong responses. Today’s topic: “how have your impacted your community?”

    — No, you don’t need to cure cancer to impact your community.

    — Impact is far more about what you DO than developing an activity with an impressive sounding title.

    — There are a lot of misleading rumors every year that try to crack the code on what activities sound good to college.

    — Community can be defined very broadly.

    — This topic should prompt younger students to start evaluating their own activities.

    The post 635: College Essays: How Have You Impacted Your Community? appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.
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    11 分
  • 634: Summer of Skills: Self-Care

    634: Summer of Skills: Self-Care
    2026/06/22

    This summer Erin will focus on building skills that will help students in the present and are essential to transition to a functioning adult. Today’s focus: self-care.

    We want our students to grow up and develop the skills needed to successfully get themselves through college and live independently. This week we are talking about self-care. What does that mean? It isn’t bubble-baths and me-time. And when does self-care turn into something that isn’t actually helpful at all?

    Resource: How to Raise an Adult – Julie Lythcott-Haims

    The post 634: Summer of Skills: Self-Care appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.
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    13 分
  • 632: Summer of Skills: Habit Loops

    632: Summer of Skills: Habit Loops
    2026/06/08

    Megan and Erin kick off their summer with shorter episodes. Listen now or save them up and listen when you get back to school in the fall.

    This summer Erin will focus on building skills that will help students in the present and are essential to transition to a functioning adult. Today’s focus: habits.

    Learn

    • How do you make change?
    • How do you know you are ready?
    • How do we form habits?

    Here are some resources mentioned:

    The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg

    Atomic Habits – James Clear

    The post 632: Summer of Skills: Habit Loops appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.
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    12 分
  • 631: College Essays: Why Do You Want to Apply Here?

    631: College Essays: Why Do You Want to Apply Here?
    2026/05/25

    Megan and Erin kick off their summer with shorter episodes. Listen now or save them up and listen when you get back to school in the fall.

    This summer Megan will focus on different college application essay topics, pinpointing common pitfalls and offering suggestions for strong responses. Today’s essay challenge: “Why do you want to apply HERE?

    — Responses should go beyond superficial likes such as location, good weather, or proximity to the beach, mountains, city, etc.

    — Before starting this topic, students should take time to dig into the specific reasons they like that particular school. Look into course offerings, specialized programs, and unique features.

    — When writing the essay, don’t focus exclusively on the school. (Yes, they know they are amazing!) Make sure to clearly connect your interest in the school with YOU.

    The post 631: College Essays: Why Do You Want to Apply Here? appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.
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    11 分
  • 630: How to Build a Rigorous (But Not Crushing) High School Schedule

    630: How to Build a Rigorous (But Not Crushing) High School Schedule
    2026/05/18
    Megan and Erin discussed how to build a rigorous but manageable high school schedule that balances academic rigor with student well-being. College Course Planning Strategy Megan and Erin discussed building a rigorous but manageable school schedule, emphasizing that colleges evaluate both grades and course difficulty when reviewing applications. They highlighted the importance of balancing strong grades with challenging classes, noting that simply achieving high grades in easy courses doesn’t guarantee college admission. The conversation focused on addressing common misconceptions about course selection and academic planning for college preparation. High School Course Structure Planning Megan outlined the ideal high school course structure, which includes English, Math, History, Science, and Foreign Language as core subjects, with students taking at least one rigorous course per year. She advised students to evaluate their ability to handle higher-level classes like honors, IB, AP, or accelerated courses rather than focusing solely on personal preference. Megan emphasized the importance of forward-thinking and considering academic challenges when making course selection decisions. Academic Course Level Discussion Megan shared an anecdote about a student who struggled in advanced pre-calculus due to emotional attachment to being labeled as a “smart kid,” rather than accepting that the class was too challenging. Megan explained that colleges typically prefer seeing students succeed in regular-level courses rather than fail repeatedly in honors classes. She advised that it’s okay to excel in some subjects while struggling in others, and suggested that stepping up to more challenging courses is often easier than stepping down, contrary to parents’ concerns about starting with easier courses. Course Selection Strategy Advice Megan advised Erin to choose more challenging courses when in doubt, emphasizing that it’s easier to reduce rigor later if needed. She recommended filling core course requirements first, then considering other mandatory credits like arts or theology requirements. Megan noted that students often make the mistake of trying to create a college-like course schedule rather than focusing on the basic requirements first. High School Specialization Challenges Megan and Erin discussed the challenges of specializing in high school subjects, noting that most high school requirements focus on core academic courses, leaving limited room for specialization. They emphasized that colleges expect a broad liberal arts education rather than early specialization. The conversation then shifted to the importance of balancing academics with other commitments, including extracurricular activities, and the need to assess the feasibility of a proposed schedule before making requests to the school. Academic-Extracurricular Balance Discussion Megan and Erin discussed the balance between academic and extracurricular commitments, emphasizing that it should be a family decision tailored to each student’s individual circumstances. Megan highlighted that while some students can successfully manage heavy loads of AP courses, sports, and extracurricular activities, others may become overly stressed, affecting their performance across all areas. They agreed that parents know their children best and should consider their child’s well-being and ability to manage multiple demanding activities when making decisions about course load and involvement in extracurriculars. College Preparation Mistake Discussion Megan and Erin discussed common student mistakes regarding college preparation and course selection. They highlighted how students sometimes prioritize sports over academic preparation, even when the sport will end soon, and how others choose courses based on perceived college requirements rather than personal interests or career goals. The conversation focused on the importance of aligning course choices with students’ actual interests and future plans rather than following unverified rumors about college admissions preferences. Course Scheduling for College Applications Megan advised Erin to align her course schedule with her college application goals, emphasizing that taking advanced classes like AP courses is crucial for applying to highly selective academic institutions. Megan explained that students cannot expect to be competitive for certain colleges while choosing easier courses and maintaining off periods. She recommended prioritizing core academic courses and required credits like PE and arts, suggesting that once these are scheduled, the remaining course choices become more manageable. The post 630: How to Build a Rigorous (But Not Crushing) High School Schedule appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.
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    19 分
  • 629: Surprising Results: Erin’s Admissions Questions

    629: Surprising Results: Erin’s Admissions Questions
    2026/05/11

    Megan and Erin discussed a challenging college admission situation involving a student with strong academic credentials (1520 SAT, 4.0 GPA, all A’s) who was rejected by highly competitive schools despite thorough preparation and professional guidance. The student ultimately gained admission to a school with rolling admissions that better suited his needs, though his parents and mentor experienced disappointment and felt personally invested in his success. Megan emphasized that highly competitive schools (accepting less than 20% of applicants) are becoming increasingly difficult to gain admission to, and advised building a diverse college list with some safety schools that still offer quality education. The conversation highlighted the emotional impact on both students and professionals when well-qualified applicants are rejected, and the importance of having alternative options that can ultimately be positive outcomes.

    The post 629: Surprising Results: Erin’s Admissions Questions appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.
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    20 分