College 4 All

You gotta take the time to visit some colleges to understand what you like and what you need and what you need to avoid.  Give yourself a moment to hear from students about their experiences with great tips when they visited six colleges (small, big, and medium) and their experiences when they visited campuses like UCLA, Whittier College, Cal Poly Pomona, Loyola Marymount University, University of Southern California AND Chapman University.

We got answers to the many questions that are out there on admissions. They are also changing to listen so our world can be college 4 all!

As college admissions get earlier and earlier, the time to start college begins now. Listen to tips on how and what you can search for so you can draft your college list NOW!

It is time for every senior in the country to look on what they have not done and what they need to get done like: Final draft list of collegesTheir requirements for admissions, interviews, rep visits and financial aid (check this one!)Drafts of statements for each application and for each campus (there will be a lot)Check with recommenders (two core teachers, counselor and outside recommender if desired)Check your emails -- they can see if you read your emails or notGet connected with your repsTriple check your list that there are challenge, possible and likely campuses for admissions and paying for collegeGood luck!

Seniors it is time to get ready to work on your college applications before applications open up and deadlines approach.There is a lot you can do like statements, interviews, research and so much more. Let's just listen and for more information go to www.college4all.com.

Lots of changes are moving fast and forward in college admissions due to the decisions made this June by the Supreme Court of the United States aka SCOTUS. The world of college admissions will be transforming again. Some individuals in society do not know what has happened, many outlets are not talking about it extensively, many discussions are happening behind close doors and individuals are trying to adapt, pivot and understand.Here is a reflection.

On June 29, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) made the decision to stop allowing college admissions across the nation to use Affirmative Action. Since 1978, the Supreme Court has upheld the use of affirmative action as one factor for admissions until today even though colleges throughout time have proven time and time again that the use of holistic admissions has many factors not just one. On this day, it is important that we all understand that research and data have shown time and time again that diversity (race, experience, background, and ideas) benefits not one, but ALL.We need to continue to move onward and upward TOGETHER despite the decision. As colleges must follow the law like how the UC's and Cal States did when CA voters voted to ban affirmative action in our public system -- it is imperative for all of us to remind students to still honor the stories of students who have illustrated their passions despite it all, demonstrate their strengths despite it all and rise above despite it all. WE MUST! So everyone can get a fair shot and rise above so we as a nation can rise. Bob Schaeffer, a long-time warrior and advocate for equity took some time to discuss college admissions, testing, affirmative action, and more. He shared his wisdom with us on the ongoing changes in college admissions in this interview. Bob has served as Public Education Director of FairTest, since its founding in 1985, and is a member of its Board of Directors. Previously, he was Editorial Writer at the NBC-TV affiliate in Boston, Research Director of the Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Human Services and Elderly Affairs, and worked for several years as a research associate at the Education Research Center of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is author of Standardized Tests and Teacher Competence (School Voices, Fall, 1996) and coauthor of Standing Up to the SAT (ARCO/Simon & Schuster, 1989). He has also coauthored many FairTest publications, includingTesting Our Children: A Report Card on State Assessment Systems, Standardized Tests and Our Children: A Guide to Testing Reform, Implementing Performance Assessments, The SAT Coaching Cover-Up, Test Scores Do Not Equal Merit, and Sex Bias in College Admissions Tests: How Women Lose Out.

It is time to get starting in writing your personal statement. The key thing to is to start writing, but if you need a little bit more help. Here are just tips on how to start. So let's get going.

Welcome to Rice University in Houston, Texas. This urban campus is located in 300-acre tree-lined area with the most breathtaking research and innovative opportunities. Since 1912, the university has produced doctorates and continued to create impressive numbers. Rank top 20 university in the United States.Top 10 schools with resources per the Wall Street Journal and Timers HIgher Education.Amazing in quality in life as well as "race/class interaction" per Princeton Review. The close instructor contact along with amazing peer opportunities allows for a great amazing research opportunities in this NCAA Division I campus. So let's listen and learn from some of their students.

It is summer time! Time to rest.Time to connect.Time to have fun.Time for college. Yes, college. Let's make sure you have volunteer, internships or work lined up along with showing your curiosity in subject areas and fields, virtual tours, virtual interviews, research and getting that Common App and Personal Statements done. Let's go!

We have our wonderful expert in financial aid, Dino Koff, who is the Director of Financial Aid at Dartmouth College. He will address the critical question of how to afford college! As college cost increases, active research on the different aspects of financial aid is critical as understanding the limits for both colleges and families. In addition, tips will be addressed, and questions will be answered. Families will also learn about some of the changes from the changes on FAFSA, beginning with the 2024-2025 application seasno from the Simplification Act. Learn, listen, and let's move forward and onward TOGETHER!

Welcome to Regis University where we get interview a current student on campus to learn more about this Jesuit university that has been recognized as a college of distinction on Business, Nursing, Equity and Inclusion, Military Support. It has been long recognized for being a career readiness for their first generation college student. With an enrollment of over 6000 students with almost 100,000 alums that is an impressive number. Close to transportation to get you into downtown Denver but still provides activities on campus even with their local pub on campus. The one thing that is honored time and time again is the connection students make with their professors. It is an intimate classroom that allows students to connect with their instructors. At the same time being a "Ranger" also means you get access to days like Welcome Week, Ranger Week, Snow Week, Christmas Tree Lighting and more. So listen and learn about Regis University!

Are you the first person in your family attending college? Are you and your older siblings are the first? Whether you are first or not, learn about how being one of the few and creating a "road never traveled" can feel alone, frustrating, hard AND SO REWARDING! Listen to our host and our guests who are all First Gen!

There are a lot of instructions, information, facts and details. IT IS OVERWHELMING which creates a crazy roller coaster ride for any future prospective college admissions. Thus many topics and critical steps often are overlooked like: verification, additional required documentation and many more. Let's listen to a senior who just went through this process who is going to tell you what she didn't know and wished she knew ahead. SYou are lucky that you are listening to this podcast now!

One of our last stops was visiting some great students at Chapman University like Matt. Chapman University is very fortunate to have a student like Matt and it tells. They are a growing popular campus in Orange County in California with beauitful facilities and opportunities.Fifteen miles from the beach from their mid-sized community known for its historic architecture and great weather. This private campus was founded in 1861 filled with about 10,000 students from 49 states and 82 countries. With the small classrooms they offer a variety of academic areas such as Advertising, Animation & Visual Effects, Broadcast Journalism, Biophysics, Engineering, Creative Producing, Graphic Design, Health Sciences Music Composition, Writing for Film & Television and more! Need more information - here are some rankings:*No.4 - Top American Film Schools - Hollywood Reporter*No.52 - Most Innovative Schools - U.S. News*No.72 - Best Business Schools - U.S. News*No. 76 - Best Colleges for Veterans - U.S. NewsStill need more, then take a moment and learn in a short time what have been Matt experiences at Chapman University.

While on the road, stopped by Loyola Marymount University and visited with one of my former students who is a current student at LMU. Loyola Marymount is one of 28 Jesuit (a Catholic university) colleges that are located in 17th states, the District of Columbia and Belize. Jesuit colleges like Loyola Marymount University in California welcome students of all faith and strive to instill values of menaing and empathy for their students. At the same time, their mission is encourage students to become leaders not only in their profession but social justice as well. Loyola Marymount University founded in 1911 has 143 acres with over 6,000 student and has a range of rankings like:*Top 2% in Diversity - College Factual, 2021*No. 3 in Promotion of Latinx Student Success - Education Trust, 2017*No. 4 in "Students Most Engaged in Community Service," Nationally - Princeton Review, 2023*No. 8 in "Best Catholic College," Nationally - Niche.com, 2023*No. 14 in "Best Undergraduate Teaching" Among National Universities - U.S. News*No. 46 in Best Colleges for Veterans, Nationally - U.S. News, 2023*No. 77 in "Best U.S. National Universities" - U.S. News, 2023*No. 90 - Nationally - Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education, 2022Now rankings give us one picture and academic offerings at LMU like Animation, Engineering, Film & Television, Marketing, Recording Arts, Screenwriting, and Studio Arts can provide us some of the options at Loyola but let's find out the inside story from a student and how they master the admissions and financial aid process to move forward with their dream school - Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.

We are back again on the road talking with college students to give you real stories of their experiences. This podcast is about one of the nine University of California campuses - UC Riverside! It is 1,200 acre campus with over 26,00 students with two Nobel Prize winners, 11 Fulbright Scholars and 28 National Academies Members located in a diverse geography from the desert to the coast with a group just as diverse. Located Inland Southern California and graduated the first class of 20 students in 1955. Since then he has made some impressive rankings:*No 1 public univeristy in US for social mobility - U.S. News*No 1 for Hispanic enrollment - Urban Institute *No 2 in the country for financial aid - Business Insider*No 2 in Entomology research in the world - Center for World University Rankings*No 3 in Hispanic STEM graduates in the US - Natioanl Science Foundation*No 4 for Pell Grant (low income) student performance - Washington Monthly*No 9 among public universities for sustainability - Princeont Review*No 11 most diverse medical school - U.S. News*Top 12 public university - Forbes "America's Best Value Colleges"*No 14 public university - CNBC "Colleges That Pay Off the Most"*No 31 in the world in plant and animal sciences - U.S. News Yes, impressive now let's hear it from a UCR aka Highlander (school mascot) student point of view.

The Posse Foundation was founded in 1989 by Deborah Bial who received the MacArthur "Genius" Grant for her work to recruit students from across the nation and connect them with partner colleges and universities in the United States as a leadership cohort that is about inclusiveness, support, understanding and game changers. It is one of ten organizations chosen by President Barack Obama to receive a portion of his 1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize and has expanded their program not only with the Posse Arts Program in collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Miranda Family Fund but also with a new chapter in the Bay Area. With over 10,000 alumni there is no stopping these students and it is clear with data.Posse Scholars who are nominated their junior year by Posse nominators and selected late Fall their Senior year have quite a resume like cardiologist, state assembly member, CEO, writer, city council members and so much more. The program is still growing with additional grants from Google's Global Impact Award with a 1.2 million grant for the Posse Veterans Program, Netflix's $5 million donation to organize opportunities for Black creators, Black youth, and Black-owned businesses and even developed a STEM program. The four-year Campus Program works to "ensure the retention of Posse Scholars and to increase the impact of the program on campus." How does this happen? Posse staff visit schools four times annually and there are weekly Posse Scholar mentors weekly with their group - their "Posse."The program has expanded to a Career Program that helps schoalrs and alumni to a variety professional opportunities. There are over 20 chapters located in D.C, Virginia, Phoenix, Philadelphia, New York, New Orleans, Newark, Minnesota, Miami, Memphis, Los Angels, Indiana, Houston, Denver, Dallas, Cleveland, Chicago, Charlotte, Boston, Atlanta and NOW - the Bay Area. How does this process work to obtain a full tuition scholarship with priceless amount of support throughout college and beyond! Welcome to a great opportunity to listen to Mia - yes - Mia a Posse Scholar at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

If you haven't heard about UC Scouts - you need to know about it. We are here to inform you about an online opportunity to help you to remediate a course or advance your skills in subject areas that may not be available at your high school. This is podcast for anyone who is a lover of learning from 8th grade to high school. Let's learn and grow!

Let's learn about one of the big leaders in higher education - Boston University. This large university with "endless" amounts of opportunities is the gateway to so many different majors, scholars and fun all around Boston. We will learn from one of their best - BU Alumnus - Rob who will talk about his best experiences at BU and how Boston University can be a great fit for YOU!

Did you know some colleges offer optional college interviews? Yes, they do! But do not worry we have a student who will share their experiences before, during and post interview along with suggestions on how you can schedule, prepare and how to obtain a great mindset before you go onto your next college interview!

Changes are still coming your way whether you are a Senior, Junior or even a Sophomore. We are here again to talk about standardized test requirements for U.S. colleges like over 1800 of them. What have they decided since the Fall 2022 college admission cycle? Let's learn, let's understand TOGETHER and YOU DECIDE whether to test or not to test for college admissions. The key thing is to take ownership of the college process and focus on one's talent and moments that will benefit the students short term, mid-term and long term! YOU MATTER NOT A NUMBER. Let's go!

Have you been asked about your college list? Do folks forget to ask you how you are and rather ask you where you are applying to? Let's listen to a Senior who is going through this process right now and how she is going to decide whether to share or not to share.

We are here today to cover some vocabulary words that are often used in college admissions that most folks do not know. There are many out there, but never hesitate to ask the college rep or your counselor because YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE!

We are bringing over twenty years of experience of planning, coordinating and following up on college visits with high school students with a school counselor and a coach, award winning Coach Nicole Dinas, who really just want their amazing students see themselves at a college campus. Whether you can fly out or just deciding to check out colleges online, here are some imperative tips for you that are critical for you on your college journey so you can reach higher and know that nothing is impossible unless you think it is impossible.

So honor to interview with St. Ignatius Magis Alum Ed who is a current student at Seattle University in Washington. He is also a Sullivan Leadership Scholarship winner and is a great example of how to make an impact in college both inside and outside the classroom. Let's learn together about Seattle University, one of 28 Jesuit universities and colleges in the USA. For more details go to: https://www.ajcunet.edu/institutions

Welcome to another episode where we prepare you this summer to get ready for your college applications this summer. Let's do this thing!

It is time for some college advice whether you are just starting to think about college, heavy in the work or just asking yourself how should I present myself. Here is some college advice from AMV with almost 30 years of experience in college admissions.

Listen up everyone who wants to be a superhero - aka a nurse. We are fortunate to have Jonathan Rice from the University of San Francisco share his wisdom for prospective students passionate about nursing. He will talk about what colleges are looking for in prospective nursing majors, what to expect in college as a nursing major, future careers in the medical field and so much more. Let's do this thing!

We went to visit the beautiful campus of University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. Here we get to catch up with Jacob, a student at the University of Puget Sound, who is also a Posse Scholar. Yes, that is right he earned a full scholarship for free tuition and the most priceless thing - support by his posse. Listen to words of wisdom from Jacob, tips on the Posse process and the secret to success not only in college but in LIFE! #cantstopwontstop

We are so excited to have an opportunity to learn about Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington from Gio who is a nursing student at Gonzaga. Here we will get a student point of view of their experiences as we all learn more about being a Zag!

California State University, Long Beach is our next tour that we took in Southern California. Before our visit we did some homework on the history of Long Beach State - THE BEACH (their mascot). Here you will learn about some unique majors and colleges along with a special interview with two of there very own students. WARNING: Long Beach State is near Long Beach Airport and as we were being safe doing the interview outside due to COVID - it was kinda noisy during the interview. We will do better next time. But let's learn together.

Take a moment as Julia Mata who has worked on both sides in college admissions and I sit down and talk about college admissions results and what does that mean what to do or not to do as we continue to pivot with the ongoing fluid changes in admissions.

Let's learn about Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. We get an unique opportunity to learn about the campus through one of their students. Jordan is studying Public Relations and is loving Pepperdine. Here is an opportunity to learn about the pros and cons about this college campus located in the gorgeous Malibu mountains facing the Pacific Ocean with all its beaches. If you want to learn more about Pepperdine go visit them in person or even virtually here: https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/about/visit/virtual/ They also have virtual college workshops and here https://apply-seaver.pepperdine.edu/portal/visit?tab=workshop you can meet your counselor and request for more information and materials. So let's learn together with as we sit one on one with Jordan on campus at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

IT IS TIME! Decisions have come in and whether you are excited or not sure how to feel - you gotta decide on the next chapter in your life. It is SIR (statement of intent to register) to one college campus. Yes, you have to pick one college after all the decisions and award letters come in. We have a guest who had to go through this process with all the acceptances, denials and waitlist and figure out what is best. Basically, following your gut and sticking with it. We will also talk about next steps you should take and how to get ahead in a confusing and very important process called - college.

Help the UC Campuses see YOU through your college app statements known as PIQ's. We don't get one but two college representatives from the famous University of California system. They bring their perspectives, experiences and wisdom on what a student do and not to do on their statements on the UC college application. But also remind students how GPA's and courses play a big part but just as important is what you do outside of the classroom, how you explain why you couldn't and why you did. They emphasize using your voice so they can hear you and yes even see you. Now it is time to listen to them....

As college admissions decisions flow into the lives of seniors - it is important for seniors and everyone connected to them are aware that there is a painful, stressful, hard waiting game for that decision. Listen to Isabel about questions do ask, not to ask and other things to be aware of. THERE IS MORE -- we will get to listen as Isabel reveals an admission decision from one of her colleges. Drum roll please....

Thinking about applying to an UC - the University of California? Well while the campuses (all nine) are amazing, the application can be overwhelming. So let's listen to Isabel who already submitted her UC application and how you can get ready for your Fall application. New application opens up August 1st.

There are so many resources how to look into colleges on how to find the good, the bad, the affordable and the ones you gotta check out. Take some time and listen from a veteran college counselor and a high school student, Mia, on the different perspectives on a variety tools - the best one is a student's!

Whether you are a 9th grader, 10th or 11th grader - it is time to find ways to enrich your life with activities outside of the classroom. It doesn't matter whether you are doing your own experiments like how to dissemble a toaster and put it back together, do a Pre-College program, internship, a job AND MORE! Find out with my guest, Mia, why these activities are so important for you and COLLEGE!

Are you ready for a college road trip? Our guest, Mia, went on to visit many colleges in Southern California. She will share her experiences at various type of universities for YOU!

Let's learn about some of the key tasks junior students in high school need to take to get ready for the college admissions process with our special guest - Mia.

Let's take an unique moment and listen to the college admissions journey with Mia from the Class of 2023. It is a crazier ride for her grade level - however - this class knows how to endure and with Mia as our guest she will help gives us insight what students need, what they know and what they need to know. Listen and learn! NOTE: Since this podcast was produced - Stanford has decided to continue to be test optional. To obtain a current list go to fairtest.org.

Listen to another journey with Isabel as she works hard to complete her UC application and learns about AG list, the importance of marketing your activities and accomplishments and undertaking the many Personal Insight Questions known in UC admissions as PIQ's.

Some hard decisions is coming really fast for the Class of 2023 and even Class of 2024 regarding college admissions and standardized testing. The key thing is to take ownership of the college process and focus on one's talent and moments that will benefit the students short term, mid-term and long term. Listen to why YOU, THE STUDENT, SHOULD DECIDE!

Let's go on a field trip with our guest, Isabel, a senior beginning her college admissions journey. She is here to tell us about her campus tour visits from UCSB, UCSC and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. We cover how to prepare for future visits, great follow up tips and of course how to do virtual visits, too! Let's learn and grow.

There are so MANY rumors out there in college admissions now. Too many! So we are here to play the game Myth or Truth. So let's see what are the myths and truths out there now in college admissions. Let's listen in.

Are you ready for the crazy ride for college admissions? The season is here again but with so many great changes which lead to a lot more questions. We are here to break down those barriers to help you and highlight what to do and not to do. Let's Go!

The show is honored to have a special guest from the Class of 2022 who will allow us to join the college admission journey with her. We will have more follow up podcasts to listen to this senior who is taking brave steps not only opening doors towards college but opening windows so we can hear her experiences in this maze they call admissions.

Take a moment and listen in on recommendations after you have been accepted into college! Congratulations.

Take a moment to listen what the 21st Century has in store for us in college admissions from a veteran college admissions director and college counselor. Listen, learn and let's go!