In this episode, host Michelle McAnaney of The College Spy speaks with Beth Felsen, founder of Spectrum Transition Coaching, about the challenges autistic students face when transitioning to college.

Beth Felsen is the founder of Spectrum Transition Coaching and an autism specialist with a Master’s in Psychology. Beth brings over twenty years of experience in the autism community to her coaching practice and as a parent of an autistic young adult, she understands the challenges of raising autistic adults firsthand. Beth is a graduate of the Autism Association of New England’s Intensive Autism Coach Training & Teens and College Students Executive Function Coach Training through JST Coaching and Training. She is also a certified provider of the UCLA PEERS for Young Adults Social Skills intervention and a trained counselor for the Greenwood Holistic Career Assessment. Beth is a member of WISER and the College Autism Network (CAN) and a frequent speaker at neurodivergent focused events.

We dive into why the college transition is hard for ALL students and how it can be specifically challenging for autistic students due to loss of familiar scaffolding, social challenges, executive function demands and self-advocacy requirements.

Today's episode includes practical strategies for parents to help prepare their children for this significant life change. Start with understanding the differences between high school and college and helping your student discuss their diagnosis. Michelle and Beth also encourage parents to allow their student to experience controlled failure while still at home so they build confidence, resilience and independence.

Also in this episode:

Admission Tip of the Day: Don't hesitate to share an autism diagnosis on college applications. This information can help with acceptance as colleges seek diversity, including neurodiversity, and it highlights the student's unique strengths.

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College Spotlight: Nova Southeastern University

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Key points in this episode

1:52 Meet Beth Felsen, Founder of Spectrum Transition Coaching

6:57 Why the transition to college can be difficult for all students

14:40 Deciding if college is the right next step after high school

23:32 How College 101 helps families prepare in high school

31:56 Tip of the Day

32:30 College Spotlight on Nova Southeastern University

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College 101: Preparing Your Autistic Student by Spectrum Transition Coaching: A comprehensive online course for parents. Use promo code "THECOLLEGESPY" to save $50.

Spectrum Transition Coaching

Learn more about our Countdown to College Package - our concierge package as your personal college counselor: https://thecollegespy.com/countdown-to-college-package

Learn more about The College Spy and the admissions advisory services offered by Michelle and her team -- Go to The College Spy Website

Contact Michelle McAnaney at Michelle@TheCollegeSpy.com

We all know that college admissions officers look at your student’s GPA, course rigor, extracurriculars and test results.

But would you be surprised to know that your intended major can also impact admissions decisions?

This conversation with Lisa Marker Robbins is a must-listen as your high school student plans for college applications. Thinking ahead to majors and career goals can have a significant impact on which universities your student wants to apply to as well as their admissions prospects at those schools. Lisa and her team completed in-depth research with the 50 flagship state universities to learn more about how majors play a role in their admissions decisions.

Lisa Marker Robbins has the heart of a teacher, coupled with a purpose and passion for supporting families, teens and young adults through her career coaching course, Launch Career Clarity. Since 1999, she has supported thousands of students as an independent college counselor.

In 2010, she doubled down specifically on college major and career coaching for students because she realized those two things were the cornerstone of post high school planning. Four thousand students have benefited from her proven three pillar framework, moving them from overwhelmed and confused to clear, confident and motivated about their future. In 2018, Forbes magazine cited her work as a crucial first step in improving the ROI of college.

Also in this episode:

Admission Tip of the Day: Start job shadow experiences and informational interviews in high school. Online resources are helpful but talking to a real person working in the field can bring a new perspective.

College Spotlight: Colorado College

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Key points in this episode

2:49 Meet Lisa Marker Robbins

5:28 Research on the impact of major & college selection

6:33 What do 90% of flagship colleges care about?

10:08 The busy phase of raising teenagers

12:07 Who owns the career exploration process?

15:40 How colleges try to balance their incoming class

20:01 Thoughts on transferring colleges

20:43 Recommended career resources

25:00 Flourish Coaching’s practice and data

29:05 Admissions Tip of the Day

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Additional Resources

BLS.gov - The Occupational Outlook Handbook

O-Net Online

Launch Career Clarity by Flourish Coaching

Lisa Marker Robbin's research for all 50 state flagship universities

Learn more about College Admissions 101

Learn more about The College Spy and the admissions advisory services offered by Michelle and her team -- Go to The College Spy Website

Contact Michelle McAnaney at Michelle@TheCollegeSpy.com

Join us for my interview with Ryan Palm, Executive Director of the Brad McGarry Center for Neurodiversity at Mercyhurst University. Not only will you learn about the AIM program at Mercyhurst and how it supports autistic students, but we also cover how to research and evaluate these kinds of fee-based programs, how college is different from high school for neurodivergent students and what you can do as a parent of an autistic student to help prepare them for college while they're in high school.

Ryan Palm is the executive director of the Brad McGarry Center for Neurodiversity at Mercyhurst University and is working to expand the mission of the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst (AIM) with a focus on increasing enrollment and building corporate relationships and employment opportunities. In this role, Ryan brings employment experience in three primary sectors, government, non profit, and corporate, and leverages those experiences and connections to help AIM students with their career aspirations. Ryan also identifies new partnership opportunities that will benefit both Mercyhurst students, as well as the external partner, creating a new or expanded pipeline of neurodivergent talent.

Also in this episode:

How Academic Coaching can help your neurodivegent student prepare for college.

Admission Tip of the Day: Make sure to be working on the following college ready skills while your student is in high school so they're most likely to have a successful transition to college.

• The ability to make decisions on their own.

• The ability to solve their own problems.

• Money management skills.

• Advocating for oneself

• Being able to complete work independently

Learn about Academic Coaching: https://thecollegespy.com/academic-coaching-package-high-school

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College Spotlight: Elon University

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Key points in this episode

1:52 Meet Ryan Palm

4:25 Introduction to AIM and how does the program support autistic students

6:00 Why autistic students struggle in college

6:45 Modifications vs Accommodations

8:44 Recommendations for researching fee-based college support programs

13:45 Admissions at AIM is not related to admissions at Mercyhurst

17:22 Academic Coaching to prepare students for college

18:20 Challenges for families as their students transition to college

19:53 FERPA waiver discussions

21:50 Fees and financial aid for a fee-based support program

24.35 CREATE program at Mercyhurst

30:28 Tip of the Day

31:15 College Spotlight: Elon University

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Learn more about Mercyhurst University’s AIM program: https://www.mercyhurst.edu/student-services/autism-initiative

Learn more about our Countdown to College Package - our concierge package as your personal college counselor: https://thecollegespy.com/countdown-to-college-package

Learn more about The College Spy and the admissions advisory services offered by Michelle and her team -- Go to The College Spy Website

Contact Michelle McAnaney at Michelle@TheCollegeSpy.com

Join us for my interview with Brett Fuller of Pioneer Academics, a company that coordinates research opportunities for high school students. We discuss the impact of academic research on the college admissions process, why it makes sense for some students and what to look for in a research program. You’ll learn if publication really matters, how to share this on your application and what a research experience with Pioneeer Academics looks like.

Brett Fuller has more than a decade of experience in the college admissions world. He began his career at Manhattan College before spending five years in the undergraduate admissions office at Columbia University, where he also earned his master's degree in higher and post-secondary administration. He later served as Associate Dean of Admissions for Wake Forest University before joining Pioneer Academics in 2022.

Also in this episode: What’s included in our concierge level package - Countdown to College. Looking for unlimited touchpoints and a personal approach? This is for you.

Admission Tip of the Day: Look for ways to extend and expand on your activities and interests. Start a blog, website or YouTube channel sharing your expertise. Or find a volunteer opportunity. Academic research is just one of the ways to show your interests and intellectual curiosity.

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College Spotlight: Howard University

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Key points in this episode

2:49 Meet Brett Fuller

3:39 What are the benefits of academic research in high school

8:34 Skipping ‘manufactured’ applications

9:32 How to find a research experience

11:04 Academic research programs - product fulfillment vs. guided research

12:45 Does publication matter?

15:34 What is intellectual curiosity?

19:44 What a Pioneer research experience looks like

23:27 Sharing research on a college application

30:10 Tip of the Day

31:01 College Spotlight

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Learn more about Pioneer Academics: https://pioneeracademics.com/

Learn more about our Countdown to College Package - our concierge package as your personal college counselor: https://thecollegespy.com/countdown-to-college-package

Learn more about The College Spy and the admissions advisory services offered by Michelle and her team -- Go to The College Spy Website
Contact Michelle McAnaney at Michelle@TheCollegeSpy.com

#23: Charting Your Course Preview: An Interview with Aaron Basko

Join us for an interview with Aaron Basko, author of “Find Your Purpose. Manage Your Career” and instructor for our upcoming live class Charting Your Course. As a higher education leader, speaker and author, Aaron has led four different colleges to enrollment turnarounds and been quoted in Forbes, Inside Higher Ed and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Today, we’ll be talking about his practical book full of hands-on advice to help students discover where their passions lie and turn that into a rewarding career. You’ll learn why starting early is so important, how to think about selecting a major and a pro tip for triangulation that you can use in creating a compelling application package.

Also in this episode:

Admission Tip of the Day: There is a wide range of competitiveness in college athletics from Division I to club sports to intramural sports. If sports have been an important and positive part of your high school career, look for ways that it can be part of your college life too! There will be a level where you are ‘good enough’ to play!

Course registration: Sign up for our live, interactive course with Aaron Basko starting on October 29. This class is designed to be taken by parents and students together to help students make progress towards deciding their major and career path. Space is limited. Register here.

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College Spotlight: American University

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Key points in this episode

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3:40 Meet Aaron Basko

4:24 Aaron’s favorite way to help people maximize their potential

4:38 The 3 reasons why Michelle loved Aaron’s book

6:16 The 3 keys to a career fit: design, desire and demand

7:35 Why grade 10 is a good place to start

9:23 Why “find your passion” isn’t enough

13:10 Michelle’s love/hate relationship with assessments

18:47 Managing your ‘brand’ in the admissions process

20:50 Aaron’s insider tip on triangulation

22:11 What typical career paths look like today

23:13 The power of informational interviews

28:23 How to get Aaron’s book

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Register for Charting Your Course - 1 spot per family

Learn more about Aaron Basko

Order Aaron’s book on Amazon

Register for the next College Admissions 101 session

Learn more about The College Spy and the admissions advisory services offered by Michelle and her team -- Go to The College Spy Website

Contact Michelle McAnaney at Michelle@TheCollegeSpy.com

Is academic research an important part of the admissions process? How do you know if it’s right for your student? And how do you find a position that fits your student’s interests?

We cover all of these topics and more in today’s episode with Dr. Robert Malkin, Professor of the Practice of Biomedical Engineering and Global Health, Emeritus at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He is also the Academic Director of the International Research Institute of North Carolina. Dr. Malkin was the founder and Director of Engineering World Health and The Global Public Service Academies, organizations dedicated to improving healthcare in the developing world.

Dr. Malkin talks to The College Spy about why academic research can help a college application stand out from the crowd. He also explains why experienced mentorship is so crucial to a research position. You’ll learn the importance of correct citation of your research and why apprenticeship is the key method to learn research skills.

Dr. Malkin published a helpful guide for high school students looking to get into academic research that we highly recommend. Link below.

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Tip of the Day: Think about whether a large university is right for your student. These schools often have wide varieties of majors and student organizations but some students feel that it takes time to find their place and get to know professors. Visit large, small and medium sized colleges to get a feel for what is best.

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College Spotlight: Northeastern University

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Key points in this episode:

2:57 Meet Dr. Robert Malkin

6:40 The best ways to get research positions

10:55 The importance of mentorship

13:08 Why your mentor matters more than the institution name

17:40 Why networking matters in research

19:30 How important is research to getting in?

22:00 Is research a good fit?

23:40 Goals for academic research

26: 37 Tip of the Day

27:45 College Spotlight on Northeastern University

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Read the podcast transcript: https://thecollegespy.com/podcast

Learn more about The College Spy and the admissions advisory services- Go to The College Spy Website

Learn more about Dr. Malkin

Buy "A Guide to Academic Research for High School Students: Finding and Managing Your Lab Experience"

Contact Michelle McAnaney at Michelle@TheCollegeSpy.com

Back to school season is here! High school students often start the year excited to reinvent themselves. Learn how to harness this positive energy to start the semester on the right foot.

Today, we’re talking with Lisa Delfino, The College Spy’s academic coach for students with autism, ADHD and other learning disabilities. As a high school special education teacher for over 40 years, Lisa helps students master their strengths, organize their time and improve their grades.

Here’s Lisa’s top 4 tips to help your neurodivergent student hit the ground running this year!

1. Encourage your student to send an email introducing themselves to their teachers. This is a great way for students to share their learning disability, accommodations and why they need those accommodations. Thank the teacher for reading the email.

2. Find an organization system that your students want to engage in. Don’t impose your own organization style on your student (and don’t write their name in marker all over every folder!)

3. Create a plan for grade checks. Once a week seems to be the right cadence. Choose a set time such as Wednesday afternoons or Thursday evenings to check grades together.

4. Every student has to maintain some type of a calendar. How they do it needs to be up to them. The student should maintain their own calendar and consult with the parent, rather than vice versa.

   
   

Academic coaching can help your student become a better learner, a more efficient student and generally happier kid.

Studying now is different than it was for parents. Google classroom, technology tools and AI have all dramatically changed the skills you need to study effectively.

Reach out to get started with academic coaching? Email us at Michelle@TheCollegeSpy.com.

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Tip of the Day: Take a walk around a college campus this fall — no matter what age your kid is. Just drive to the closest campus, grab a cup of coffee and take a stroll.

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College Spotlight: California Polytechnic University

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Key points in this episode

2:12 Meet Lisa Delfino, The College Spy’s academic coach for students with disabilities

4:18 Four strategies to help your student succeed this semester

14:57 Why every student needs to maintain their calendar

18:00 College changes

22:21 How the right schedule can make all the difference

24:15 All about academic coaching

31:52 The College Spy’s Tip of the Day

33:00 College Spotlight

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Read the podcast transcript: https://thecollegespy.com/podcast

Learn more about academic coaching with Lisa Delfino for high school students:

https://thecollegespy.com/academic-coaching-package-high-school

Learn more about academic coaching with Lisa Delfino for college students:

https://thecollegespy.com/academic-coaching-package-college

Learn more about The College Spy and the admissions advisory services offered by Michelle, Lisa and the College Spy team -- Go to The College Spy Website

Contact Michelle McAnaney at Michelle@TheCollegeSpy.com

Today, we widen our lens to help students connect their education and career success. We’re talking with Sonia Cacique of DiscoverU, College and Career Ready Coaching. Sonia is a student advocate and career coach expert that is challenging the status quo of college and career readiness by bridging the gap between education, careers and the current workforce. Her goal is to help students create career connections early in their education journey. She helps students with character development, identity, self-advocacy, career connections and networking skills among other soft skills.

We dive into how to prepare your student to make the most of any college they attend. We also talk about the importance of connections for career exploration and why students’ should prioritize getting a real life ‘behind the scenes’ look at their careers of interest to gauge if it’s a good fit. We wrap up with conversations about defining success between generations and how parents can truly listen to what their kids are saying.

Tip of the Day: Follow the college’s official social media accounts as well as student group accounts (like the marching band or student organizations). By following lots of accounts about a particular college, you’ll get a lot of information.

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College Spotlight: The College of William & Mary - the second oldest college in the US!

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Key Points in this Episode

2:59 Meet Sonia Cacique

6:04 Why career assessments aren’t a easy button

8:33 Coaching parents to be connectors for their kids

12:01 Sharing with students that they have something special to offer

13:29 Connections and why they matter so much

15:10 Why 30% of college students don’t complete their degree

17:27 Why Gen X parents are advocating for their Gen Z kids

19:38 Defining success if different seasons of life

21:15 “The Not Your Mom” phenomenon and tips for parents to connect with kids

22:40 Sonia’s latest course to be college and career ready

27:53 Tip of the Day

28:38 College Spotlight:The College of William & Mary

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Read the podcast transcript: https://thecollegespy.com/podcast

Learn more about Sonia Cacique: https://collegecareerready.org/

Get in touch with Sonia Cacique: info@collegecareerready.org

Listen to the “Not Your Mom” podcast episode: Episode 16

Register for The College Spy Bootcamp: https://thecollegespy.com/coursesandcamps/the-college-spy-boot-camp

Learn more about The College Spy and the admissions advisory services offered by Michelle and her team -- Go to The College Spy Website

Contact Michelle McAnaney at Michelle@TheCollegeSpy.com