Making the Most of Summer with Your College Application in Mind
College Bound Mentor
It’s never too early to start figuring out what your student will be doing next summer. There are endless options, but which one will be the most rewarding - for personal growth AND adding to that resume? In this episode, we first cover how to make the most of your summer experiences, how to nail the outreach letter for internships, and whether it’s still beneficial to get a summer job. Then, we share case studies so you can hear how high school students with very different passions & interests used their summer experiences to make a truly remarkable impact on their communities - and...
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Should You Work with an IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)? With Kristina Dooley
College Bound Mentor
An IEC (Independent Educational Consultant) can be a huge help on your student’s high school & college journey. How do you know whether an IEC is right for you - and what should you look for in an IEC? In this episode, we welcome on Kristina Dooley, a Certified Educational Planner and Founder of Estrela Consulting - a multi-consultant educational consulting firm based in Ohio. In addition to her 18 years of experience as an IEC, Kristina has previously served as a college admission officer, a school-based college counselor, and as a Past President of the Independent Educational...
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A Conversation with Parents: College Admissions Trends 2025
College Bound Mentor
Want to know the key trends & takeaways in college admissions for 2025? We’ve got you covered. In this webinar, hear why the demographic cliff is real, how schools are using AI in admissions, how to show you’re a great fit for your major, why standardized testing is making a comeback, and what’s happening with supplemental essays. Watch the webinar on , and Subscribe to College Bound Mentor on your favorite podcast platform and learn more at
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Extra Credit: How to Handle the Why College/Why Academic Interest Essay with Lisa Marker-Robbins
College Bound Mentor
Some of the trickiest essays to pin down on college applications are the Why College/Why Academic Interest essays. This has never been more true than today, so we wanted to bring back our interview with special guest Lisa Marker-Robbins, Founder of Flourish Coaching, who’s helped over 4,000 high school students and young adults gain the insight, experiences, and confidence they need to successfully embark on their post-high school path. She busts some myths about the Why College/Why Academic Interest essays, reveals some findings of her study of the Top 50 public universities and their...
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Applying to College without Going Broke with Jeff Levy
College Bound Mentor
What’s new with financial aid? A lot. In this episode, we welcome back returning guest Jeff Levy, Co-Founder of Big J Educational Consulting, who’s been an educational consultant since 2007. Hear the latest changes impacting financial aid, the key deadlines for the FAFSA application and CSS Profile, how common full ride scholarships actually are, things to keep in mind when saving for college as it relates to financial aid, and how to maximize your potential for merit aid. Check out Jeff’s resources at and connect with him on , and Subscribe to College Bound Mentor on your favorite...
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Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You with Jeff Selingo
College Bound Mentor
What’s more important: where you go to college, or what you do in college? Jeff Selingo has written about colleges and universities for more than 25 years and is a New York Times bestselling author of four books. His latest, Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You, draws on more than two years of research and a survey of some 3,000 parents to give families permission to think more broadly about what signals a “good” college and then the tools to discover their dream school. Hear the Top 5 biggest changes to college admissions in recent years, why you should dig deeper...
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Peeling Back the Curtain on Highly-Selective College Admissions with Dr. Andrew Hoffman
College Bound Mentor
There are some tough, tough colleges to get into these days. Why is that the case? And how can your student crack the code? Dr. Andrew Hoffman is a College Admissions Strategist who’s worked in college admissions since college, including being the Director of Admissions for Swarthmore College and the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Vanderbilt University. He leads his consulting firm with parents in mind - getting you ready for college admissions. Hear what students should know when approaching the college application process, how students can excel at college fairs, how the...
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Putting the Wow in Your College Essays with Susan Knoppow
College Bound Mentor
Writing college essays is one of the most challenging aspects of the college application process. Where do students even get started? Susan Knoppow is Co-Founder & CEO of Wow Writing Workshop, where she created the Wow Method - a simple, 10-step process for writing college essays. A former executive speechwriter and copywriter, Susan is also a published poet and essayist. Hear the key elements to a successful college essay, how parents can help - not hurt - their students’ essays, how to reduce overwhelm for students when writing college essays, how to approach supplemental essays, and...
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New ACT & Testing Tips with Sean Quinn
College Bound Mentor
What’s new with the ACT? A lot. That means students have to change how they prep for the test AND how they approach things on test day. Sean Quinn has you covered. He’s the Founder & Tutor at Onsen Education, providing one-on-one preparation tailored to your needs. He and his team have helped students across the states and in over 20 other countries. Hear what’s different about the new ACT, how the average scores compare to previous years, whether you should focus on the SAT instead, how to prepare for the new ACT test, and how to get over testing anxiety. Connect with Sean at , on ,...
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Creating a Stellar Engineering Maker Portfolio with Jyoti Jain
College Bound Mentor
The engineering field is getting increasingly competitive. How do you stand out as an engineering student today? Jyoti Jain believes the best way is to create a stellar engineering maker portfolio. Jyoti is the Founder of Jain College Consulting. She found her passion for college counseling while helping her own child through the college admissions process. Hear why engineering students should consider submitting an engineering maker portfolio, the key components involved, how to tailor your portfolio to the audience, where engineering students can find meaningful experiences outside the...
info_outlineWant to continue your athletic career into college? It can set the stage for the experience of a lifetime - or turn into a nightmare, if you’re not careful. In this episode, we welcome on special guests Katie Andersen & Reid Meyer of The Student-Athlete Advisors. They’re part of the team of experienced consultants, former coaches, and former student-athletes dedicated to providing personalized college prep guidance for student-athletes. Hear how athletic recruiting can affect your college experience, how to find the college that’s right for you, how to proactively reach out to coaches, why it’s important to remember you’re more than just an athlete, and why athletic recruiting is a marathon, not a sprint. Connect with Katie & Reid on LinkedIn and at TheStudentAthleteAdvisors.com, and Subscribe to College Bound Mentor on your favorite podcast platform and learn more at CollegeBoundMentor.com