YCBK 609: Are College Parent Facebook Groups Helpful or Toxic?
Release Date: 01/29/2026
Your College-Bound Kid
In this episode you will hear: Jed continues with what he started in part 1 giving us a broad overview of self-prep, group prep and one on one and various hybrid models Jed discusses ways to support kids struggling with negative self-talk, and explores how tutors can assist students dealing with test anxiety Jed talks about the biggest value that the one-on-one tutor brings Jed answers the question-if a student wants to do self-prep, is this best done at the start or at the end of a student’s self-prep Jed talks about what his research shows on whether the size of the...
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In this episode you will hear: (05:20) Carter and Mark discuss some of the things their seniors and juniors are doing right now (23:19) Lisa interviews Suzanne Hanna and they discuss tips to help girls successfully transition to college-1 of 3 Preview of Part 1 o Suzanne is a life coach for college girls-she gives her backstory o Suzanne tells us what a life coach for college girls consists of o Suzanne talks about the types of struggles girls...
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In this episode you will hear: (04:51) Kate joins Mark to answer a question from a listener who wonders what her student can do in her application when all her time has been spent on gymnastics in HS, and she won’t be doing gymnastics in college (25:29) Susan and Mark respond to a mom asking how her student, who struggled with depression and anxiety in high school, can obtain a strong teacher recommendation. (44:15) College Spotlight-Lisa joins Mark to discuss his recent visit to the University of Miami. This is a 60-minute Spotlight that you will hear over...
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In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares two important announcements o Heath tells us whether he thinks Texas schools emphasize resumes more than other colleges o Heath makes a statement about a trend he is seeing when it comes to class rank and student applications o Heath tells us how we can read between the lines to know if a college admission office likes you to submit a resume o Heath hammers home one final...
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In this episode you will hear: (14:07) Kate joins Mark to answer a question from a listener who wonders how her student can pick a college when they are undecided about which college major is right for them (28:51) Susan and Hilary join Mark to answer a question about how much rigor is enough rigor for a student hoping to be an athletic recruit (45:55) College Spotlight-Lisa joins Mark to discuss his recent visit to the University of Miami. This is a 60-minute Spotlight that you will hear over the next three Thursdays-Part 2 of 3 ...
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In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares on additional important point about who gets in the most competitive colleges Heath Einstein, the chief enrollment officer at TCU-Tips for Submitting a Quality Resume for College o Heath tells us how a college resume is different from a work-based resume o Heath tells us what makes an effective resume o I share with Heath the things I tell students to emphasize in their resumes, and I ask Heath for feedback on whether some of the things I tell students are more important...
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In this episode you will hear: (04:14) In our Question from a Listener-Susan and Hilary join Mark to respond to a comment from a listener about something that is grinding his gears (20:47) In the final segment on how to stand out in the most competitive applicant pools, Mark shares observations and similarities he sees from the kids who have been admitted to the most selective universities in all regions in the country (38:14) College Spotlight-Lisa joins Mark to discuss his recent visit to the University of Miami. This is a 60-minute Spotlight that you will...
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In this episode you will hear: Carter, Susan and Mark recorded a conversation for over 90 minutes on what standard strong students can do to excel once they get to campus Part 5 of 6 o We talk about the different way colleges admit students and the different calendars colleges have, and how that impacts your application o We talk about how this focus on fit cannot be emphasized enough, not only in your selection of where to apply but also in the discussion of whether the college selects you-to quote Susan, “fit works both ways” o Carter...
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In this episode you will hear: (02:33) Mark and Susan and Hilary continue their discussion about some of the intangibles that make a student stand out in a competitive admissions process-4 of 5 o We discuss how admission buckets impact admission reads and admission decisions (24:51) In our Question from a Listener-Susan and Hilary join Mark to answer a question from Michael, a student about how he should communicate with admissions about a D he received in Algebra 2. (41:58) College Spotlight-Lisa and Lynda discuss State Tech in...
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(04:08) In the News-Hilary and Kate join Mark to discuss an article that appears in USA Today that asks the question, “Are parent Facebook groups helpful or toxic”? Rachel Hale is the author of the article, which is entitled: “College, parent Facebook groups and when helicopter parenting goes too far”
(27:35) Mark interviews Lisa and Lynda about their new book, “The Calm College Method “Part 2 of 2
v Lynda explains who the book is good for
v Lisa and I talk about the practicality of the book, and I share some of the audience that I feel will be great for the book
v Lisa talks about the structure of the book, and how the book really answers the questions people have through checklists and worksheets
v Lisa and Lynda talk about their chapter in the book on AI in college admissions
v Lisa explains what a successful college search looks like and she shares the single thing that is the most important thing to her when working with a student
v Lisa and Lynda share what they feel is the number one take away from the book and I share my number one take away from the book
v Lisa talks about one thing that families can do to reduce student stress
v Lisa talk about the three ways listeners can get the book
(47:29) College Spotlight-Susan Brisson-Olin College of Engineering
Preview of Part 3
¨ Susan tells us how demanding Olin in terms of intensity
¨ Susan tells us the role major plays in the admission process, and she tells us some of the main majors Olin is known for
¨ Susan explains why they are so confident they will remain test-optional
¨ Susan shares how Olin looks at AP test scores in their academic evaluation
¨ Susan explains how they look at students who come in with design or engineering experience
¨ Susan discusses study abroad, research opportunities and scholarships at Olin
Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Application guide for first-year students
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