Your College-Bound Kid

Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews Our mission is to "make college knowledge available to all." Each Thursday, the "Your College-Bound Kid" podcast will discuss a hot college topic in the news; we will answer a question or two that listeners send in, we will interview a "thought leader" in the world of college admissions, and do a "deep-dive," we call Spotlights on a College. Every Monday, we have a second episode to discuss a "hot topic" and interview a "thought leader" in the admissions or college life world. YCBK combines "in-depth knowledge" with a light, easy-to-listen conversational style. We have eight co-hosts, six college counselors, and two current admissions officers, including an Admissions Dean.

YCBK 602: What Does a Seasonal Admission Officer Do, and How Do You Become One? 01/05/2026

YCBK 602: What Does a Seasonal Admission Officer Do, and How Do You Become One? In this episode you will hear: Mark has a discussion about the role of prestige when selecting a college Mark interviews Kate Stricklan on the Role of the Seasonal Admission Officer o What is going on in the admission office now o What is the role of the operations team that is mission-critical o We discuss the difference between seasonals and regionals, and Kate gives us a lot of details about seasonals o Kate talks about the training that is done for the seasonals o Kate talks about what she looks for when she is hiring a seasonal admission officer o Kate discusses how file reading calibration occurs as part of the training for seasonals o Kate discusses the role that a college major plays during the file reading process at CU Boulder Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at mark@schoolmatch4u.com. All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39607365

YCBK 601: You Just Got Deferred or Waitlisted? What Do You Do Now? 01/01/2026

YCBK 601: You Just Got Deferred or Waitlisted? What Do You Do Now? In this episode you will hear: (03:12) Mark and Julia discuss, what do you do if you found out that you were deferred or waitlisted from a college (39:38) Interview: Mark interviews Kev Sanders, Associate Director of Admissions, University of Utah Preview of Part 3 o Kev addresses one other concern that a pacific northwest family has about the University of Utah o Kev addresses one concern that one of my families who visited Utah had after leaving their visit o We transition and discuss the admission process and the scholarships that students are eligible for o Kev talks about some of the trends he is seeing at the University of Utah o Kev explains whether a student is applying into a major, into the college, undeclared, etc. o We discuss the roll of test scores in the admissions process o We close by Kevin going on the lightning round Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search for and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation, text Mark at 404-664-4340, or email us at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39578890

YCBK 600: Tips that Helped Me With Admissions That I Want to Share 12/29/2025

YCBK 600: Tips that Helped Me With Admissions That I Want to Share In this episode you will hear: Twenty of our listeners share tips that have helped them with the college process that they want to share with others. Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at mark@schoolmatch4u.com. All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39547730

YCBK 599: How To Get a College to Improve Their Financial Aid Award-3 of 3 12/25/2025

YCBK 599: How To Get a College to Improve Their Financial Aid Award-3 of 3 In this episode you will hear: (08:49) Matt Carpenter interview, Part 3 of 3 ² Matt and I continue with our conversation about a need-based appeal ² I share a story about how some colleges are not transparent when it comes to home equity and that can be a game changer ² Matt gives a shout out to a college that does a great job if your income changes from the base year ² Matt and I talk about the easiest way to win a need-based appeal ² Matt discusses whether it is best to make a specific ask versus a general ask when appealing for more money ² Matt and I discuss the importance of tone when you appeal ² Matt tells our listeners, don’t use the N word, but you have to listen to find out what the N word is ² Matt and I discuss the competitor appeal ² Matt gives some tips of how to know who is a good school for you to do a competitor appeal with ² Matt shares whether he recommends you send paperwork for one school or, or for no schools, or for many schools ² Matt gives more details about, what the appeal meeting with a financial aid officer looks like ² Matt and I talk about whether the student or parent should initiate the appeal process ² Matt and I discuss whether colleges lead with their best financial offer in the Early Decision round ² Matt closes with some great resources and a special financial offer for our listeners (35:09) Question - A mom from Arizona is a college counselor and she wants to know how she can invited to more college fly-ins. (01:08:32) Interview: Mark interviews Kev Sanders, Associate Director of Admissions, University of Utah Preview of Part 2 o Kev talks about the amazing location of the Utah campus, and he explains all of the opportunities that are available for students at the University of Utah o Kev tells us more about Salt Lake City, which is where Utah is located o Kev describes the athletic school spirit at Utah o Kev goes into more detail about approximately 10 of the strongest programs Utah offers o I ask Kev about some areas that one of the families I am working with that has a student at Utah wishes could be different, and Kev responds to these constructive criticisms Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search for and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation, text Mark at 404-664-4340, or email us at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39529955

YCBK 598: What To Say to a Student In Despair Because They Didn’t Get In 12/22/2025

YCBK 598: What To Say to a Student In Despair Because They Didn’t Get In In this episode you will hear: We welcome a new member to our podcast, Carter Delloro, Co-Director of College Counseling at the Marymount School of New York. Carter will discuss a New Yor Times article, Mark and Lisa answer a QFL from a listener who wants advice because a lot of the student in her area are discouraged because they didn’t get in to the colleges they applied to in the early round. Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at mark@schoolmatch4u.com. All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39488465

YCBK 597: How To Get a College to Improve Their Financial Aid Award 12/18/2025

YCBK 597: How To Get a College to Improve Their Financial Aid Award In this episode you will hear: (01:58) In The News, Part 2 of 3 We welcome a new member to our podcast, Carter Delloro, Co-Director of College Counseling at the Marymount School of New York. Carter will discuss a New Yor Times article, (25:18) Matt Carpenter interview, Part 2 of 3 ² Matt gives examples of colleges who almost never lead with their best offer ² Matt and I discuss now hard the job of a financial aid officer is ² Matt calls for greater transparency ² Matt and Mark discuss the kinds of colleges that are notorious for giving poor aid awards and gapping students ² Matt and I transition to discussing the different types of appeals and we will pretty much stay on the appeals topic until the end of part 3 of the interview ² We discuss why the high tuition, high tuition discount model is so popular ² Matt and I discuss the need-based appeal, and Matt tells us what the starting point is for him for the need-based appeal (50:28) Interview: Mark interviews Kev Sanders, Associate Director of Admissions, University of Utah Preview o Kev Sanders shares his interesting background, explaining he got into the field of admissions o Kev answers the question, If he was in an Uber Drive in Loudoin county Virgina, what would he say someone asked him, “Help me understand the University of Utah o Kev tells us what U Online is o Kev explains why the University of Utah is growing so fast and he shares the states where they are experiencing the largest increase of applications o Kev lets us know which programs at Utah attract the most students o Kev explains to use what WUE is? o Kev explains how there is a potential for students coming from a WUE state to get in state residence, and he tells listeners what they need to do to get in-state tuition . Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search for and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation, text Mark at 404-664-4340, or email us at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39445940

YCBK 596: A Debate About Early Decision and a Debate About the Value of Prestige 12/15/2025

YCBK 596: A Debate About Early Decision and a Debate About the Value of Prestige In this episode you will hear: We welcome a new member to our podcast, Carter Delloro, Co-Director of College Counseling at the Marymount School of New York. Carter will discuss a New Yor Times article, New Interview-Evan Mandery-How America's Elite Colleges Breed High-Status Careers—and Misery Preview of Part 3 of 3 ² Evan and Mark spend almost the entire segment debating whether you need to go to an elite college to have limitless career opportunities, he says some things Mark totally agrees with, and others Mark pushes back on, but we think you will find it interesting; honestly, the truth is somewhere between his view and my view ² Evan shares what are the next writing projects he is working on ² Evan shares his concerns about where our country is at ² Evan closes by picking Mark’s brain about his own kids and their educational journey and satisfaction with their college choices Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at mark@schoolmatch4u.com. All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39402670

YCBK 595: When Does A Parent Cross The Line of Parental Involvement 12/11/2025

YCBK 595: When Does A Parent Cross The Line of Parental Involvement In this episode you will hear: (12:16) Matt Carpenter interview, Part 1 of 3 ² Matt gives an overview of College Aid Pro ² Matt warns our listeners of some schools that have inaccurate net price calculators ² Matt explains how College Aid Pro, AKA CAP knows whether a net price calculator is accurate or not (42:48) QFL #1 Kate and Susan join Mark to answer a question about parent involvement when it comes to demonstrating interest. (01:07:18) Interview: Mark interviews Tom Ellett, the chief experience officer at Quinnipiac University. Tom gives an overview of the Quinnipiac University Preview ² Tom gives us an overview of how Quinnipiac is one of the few comprehensive universities at their size ² Tom explains what the three Quinnipiac campuses are like, and he explains Quinnipiac’s strategic location ² Tom explains what would make a student come all the way across the country to come to Quinnipiac ² Tom explains what Quinnipiac needs to improve to be an even better institution ² Tom explains what Quinnipiac has done in health sciences to help students ² Tom explains what Quinnipiac’s personality is like ² Tom explains what admissions is looking for ² Tom explains why students select Quinnipiac ² Tom lets us know why students who are admitted to Quinnipiac go elsewhere ² Tom goes on the hotseat, and Tom is in his 61 years old and he says something that shocked me . Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search for and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation, text Mark at 404-664-4340, or email us at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39358090

YCBK 594: Elite Colleges are Steering Kids to 3 Professions! Is this wrong? 2 of 3 12/08/2025

YCBK 594: Elite Colleges are Steering Kids to 3 Professions! Is this wrong? 2 of 3 In this episode you will hear: Mark and Hilary answer a question about submitting the science portion of the SAT New Interview-Evan Mandery-How America's Elite Colleges Breed High-Status Careers—and Misery Preview of Part 2 of 3 m Evan distinguishes his scathing criticisms of elite schools, and how he differentiates between the colleges that are steering kids to 3 professions vs the students who end up in these professions m Evan talks about how Ed Blum is now going after legacy preferences, and he briefly talks about class-based legacy preferences m Evan and I go off topic and talk about anti-Semitism on college campuses m We talk about whether donor preferences are valid because they lead to increased generosity, which enables a college to support more under-resourced students m Evan gives advice to parents who are listening to help them to help their student from falling into the trap that they need to either go into a wall street job, a tech job or management consulting m Evan, talks about the value of starting your career with service m Evan and Mark have a debate about how much it matters where you go to college Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at mark@schoolmatch4u.com. All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39314345

YCBK 593: Can Admission Officers Tell If Students Get Help With Their Essays? 12/04/2025

YCBK 593: Can Admission Officers Tell If Students Get Help With Their Essays? In this episode you will hear: (02:47) QFL #1 Hilary and Mark answer a question from an anonymous listener who wants to know if an admission officer can tell when a student gets help with their college essays (18:24) QFL #2 Kate and Susan join Mark to answer several questions that Emily from Columbus has about dual enrollment courses. (41:46) Interview: Mark interviews Tom Ellett, the chief experience officer at Quinnipiac University. Tom gives some sage advice on things students can do to be successful while in college Preview v Tom Ellett gives his unique background that includes two transfers while he was a student, and multiple roles at several different colleges v Tom was the first chief experience officer at any US college, and he explains to us what is involved in this role v Tom explains how he has used his experiences at all of his other schools to improve student life at Quinnipiac v Tom explains how the challenges college students face has changed over the years and decades on college campuses v Tom gives his advice about things a student can do to increase his or her chances of graduating, and you are going to want to listen closely because Tom’s advice is priceless v Tom explains why he is so bullish about Living Learning communities on college campuses v Tom explains why he likes to live on campus, even in his 50’s and early 60’s Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search for and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation, text Mark at 404-664-4340, or email us at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39255270

YCBK 592: Elite Colleges are Steering Most Kids to 3 Professions! Is this wrong? 12/01/2025

YCBK 592: Elite Colleges are Steering Most Kids to 3 Professions! Is this wrong? In this episode you will hear: Mark and Vince talk about a range of topics-Part 2 of 2 New Interview-Evan Mandery-How America's Elite Colleges Breed High-Status Careers—and Misery Preview of Part 1 of 3 m Evan gives his background m Evan talks his book Poison Ivy and he tells us how it lead to a non-profit organization, called, “classactionorg” that fights legacy preferences, for great educational equality on elite campuses m Evan gives an overview of the article that will be the basis of our interview; it was written in Mother Jones, and it is entitled, How America’s Elite Colleges Breed High Status Careers and Misery m Evan discusses why we don’t teach, how to live a happy life Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39212430

YCBK 591: What College Grads Need To Do To Land Quality Jobs 11/27/2025

YCBK 591: What College Grads Need To Do To Land Quality Jobs In this episode you will hear: (03:10) In the News Vince and Mark just chit-chat and discuss a range of topics about colleges and college admissions-Part 1 of 2 (33:07) Interview: Mark interviews Jin Chow, the Founder of Polygence, but now they have a new exciting service called, “Work Lab’. Jin explains to us how Work Lab helps students Preview of Part 2 v Jin, shares what are the things that you observe about a student and you say, this is just not going to work v Jin, shares the things that she has learned so far about Work Labs v Jin, shares what her vision is for what Work Lab can grow into, and Friends, Jin has a big vision v Jin talks about the age limits of the work lab participants v Jin, talks about the value of working with a founder or an entrepreneur v Jin, talks about the cost to participate in Work Lab v Jin shares some trends she is noticing that employers are looking for when it comes to the soft skills v Jin, shares one thing that parents and counselors need to think about before they sign up for a Work Lab opportunity v Jin shares one other thing that it takes to be successful at Work Lab that students can start working on right now v Jin shares the next step v Friends, please reach out to Jin at , that’s jin@polygence.org if you either enjoyed this interview and you want to let Jin know, and you want to say thank you, or if you have additional questions for her v Friends, we close by hearing from a student I know who participated in Work Lab (01:00:37) College Spotlight-Mark interviews Daniel Lachance, a student at Rochester Institute of Technology and Daniel talks about how internships, certificates and college clubs set him up for success at getting hired by Microsoft. Part 1 of 2 Preview of Part 2 ² Dan shares some other colleges who he feels have very good cybersecurity programs ² Dan shares what are the ways in which a good college cybersecurity club helps you ² Dan gives our listeners 4 things to look for to know if a cybersecurity club is a strong club that can set you up for success ² Dan shares some great questions to ask the club contact to learn more about the strength of the club ² Dan tells us whether the cybersecurity graduates are getting jobs in cybersecurity ² Dan shares some wisdom for our listeners ² Dan gives our students advice for how to maximize LinkedIn Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation, text Mark at 404-664-4340, or email us at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39183750

YCBK 590: More Controversy Over Tulane Putting 4 High Schools On A 1 Year ED Ban 11/24/2025

YCBK 590: More Controversy Over Tulane Putting 4 High Schools On A 1 Year ED Ban In this episode you will hear: Mark expands on what he said about colleges waiving application fees and Mark reads multiple responses he received from people who heard the discussion about Tulane penalizing four high schools by not allowing their students to apply Early Decision to Tulane for a year. New Interview-Dr. Jay Hamilton, Stanford professor and author of the book, “You Got In! Now What? Preview of Part 2 of 2 m Jay shares some of the other books that really impacted him of the 300 he read from Stanford grads while preparing to write his book m Jay talks about how important friendships are m Jay talks about how important it is for students to be stretched outside of their comfort zone m Jay tells a great story about Carly Fiorini m Jay shares how the book has been used, and he also shares how it is being used. He answers the question, is primarily for students, or parents m Jay talks about the importance of reading Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39141510

YCBK 589: Was Tulane Justified By Punishing a HS When a Student Rejected Tulane’s ED Acceptance 11/20/2025

YCBK 589: Was Tulane Justified By Punishing a HS When a Student Rejected Tulane’s ED Acceptance In this episode you will hear: (05:56) In the News Vince and Mark discuss an article that appeared in the New York Times onn October 26, 2025, entitled, “An Early-Decision Student Backed Out of Tulane. Tulane Punished High School. (38:05) Interview: Mark interviews Jin Chow, the Founder of Polygence, but now they have a new exciting service called, “Work Lab’. Jin explains to us how Work Lab helps students Preview of Part 1 v Jin explains what Work Lab Is v Jin talks about the research they did before they started Work Lab v Jin tells us where the companies are located that students work with v Jin tells us what the next steps are for a family that wants to explore this opportunity v Jin explains how Work Lab is different from the student driven academic projects that students due, under the tutelage of a mentor v Jin talks about what is the value of Work Lab, how does it help students v Jin goes into detail of process, step by step from start to finish (01:05:39) College Spotlight-Mark interviews Daniel Lachance, a student at Rochester Institute of Technology and Daniel talks about how internships, certificates and college clubs set him up for success at getting hired by Microsoft. Part 1 of 2 Preview of Part 1 ² Dan gives an update of what he had done in the last 18 months since he appeared on our podcast to talk about RIT and Cyber-security ² Dan tells us how he got a full-time job offer at Microsoft after only two years of college ² Dan talks about how the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification helped him get through the initial screening Microsoft used ² Dan recommends several other certifications that he would recommend ² Dan talks about which jobs in computer science are oversaturated and students are having a hard time finding jobs vs areas of computer science where students are not having a hard time finding employment ² Dan explains why students are having a hard time getting jobs in computer science these days ² Dan talks about what his experience was like doing an internship at Microsoft in Seattle ² Dan explains why he was selected to get an internship at Microsoft when they only admit 1% out of the 330,000 who apply ² Dan tells us what full time is job will be at Microsoft right after graduating ² Dan tells which colleges the biggest feeders are to get jobs at Microsoft ² Dan tells us other areas besides cybersecurity in both computer science and engineering where he sees students getting great jobs ² Dan gives advice for how to stand out on your internship or co-op, so you can get a full time offer like Dan got from Microsoft Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation, text Mark at 404-664-4340, or email us at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39096270

YCBK 588: You Got Into College! Now What Do You Do? 11/17/2025

YCBK 588: You Got Into College! Now What Do You Do? In this episode you will hear: Heath Einstein answers two questions that listeners sent in about teacher recommendations: Mark Stucker gives us another addition of: Admissions Vernacular, The Big Number, an Admissions Tip and He Brings Back an Old School Favorite, “What is grinding hs gears” New Interview-Dr. Jay Hamilton, Stanford professor and author of the book, “You Got In! Now What? Preview of Part 1 of 2 m Jay explains how his sons led him to write a book about college m Jay gives his backstory m Jay explains how the Stanford Long range Planning process influenced the book he wrote m Jay explains why Mitchell Stevens book, “Creating a Class” is so special m Jay explains why economist often have so many cutting edge insights in explaining how college works? m Jay shares what he believes are the 7 goals of a liberal arts education m Jay shares in detail what Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39049365

YCBK 587: Insights Into How Admission Decisions Are Made That Are Rarely Shared in Public 11/13/2025

YCBK 587: Insights Into How Admission Decisions Are Made That Are Rarely Shared in Public In this episode you will hear: Results from our 507 listeners are shared (11:06) In the News Andy Strickler shares some more information about AP Tests scores, but then Andy and Mark transition to discuss a range of other ways that admissions files are read that are usually kept in secret, and are rarely shared publicly (37:08) Interview: Mark interviews Stephen Master, an expert in Sports Management Careers. They discuss “Opportunities for Careers In Sports Management”  Stephen continues to talk about the importance of networking  Stephen talks about how to reach out to a potential employer,  Stephen talks about how to stand out in an interview  Stephen talks about some of the other skill sets that make a student a standout for sports management careers  Stephen talks about the sports bootcamps he runs and how they are a great way to find out if you are thinking about a career in sports and you want to learn more  Stephen goes on the hotseat, I really want you to hear his answer when I asked him, “what do you wish your 18 year old self new . (01:07:06) College Spotlight-Mark interviews Carmen Chavez, a recent Duke alumnus and she gives her take on what Duke does very well and what she wishes Duke would change. Preview of Part 2  Carmen continues to share things she feels Duke can do better, as well as things that made Duke special  Carmen shares the cultural adjustment she had transitioning from multicultural Miami to Duke  Carmen describes the type of student Duke will be great for  Carmen describes the type of student that Duke is not a good fit for  Carmen answers the question, what is Duke’s personality  Carmen lets us know what she would do differently if she had to do it all over again Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation, text Mark at 404-664-4340, or email us at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/39006440

YCBK 586: What Do Colleges Want To See In Teacher Recommendations-3 of 3 11/10/2025

YCBK 586: What Do Colleges Want To See In Teacher Recommendations-3 of 3 In this episode you will hear: Kate and Susan answer a question from a mom whose daughter is struggling with her gender identity, and she has been bullied, and she wonders if this is a good essay topic for her to write on Heath Einstein explains to us what colleges want to see in teacher recommendations: Preview of Part 3 v Heath continues by sharing things you should not say in the teacher recommendation letter v Heath answers the questions, is it okay to get a rec letter from a 9th, 10th or 12th grade teacher v Heath shares the maximum number of rec letters a student should submit v What should a student do if a teacher has committed to write a letter but they are not submitting it? v Should students give a thank you gift to a teacher who gets a rec letter Recommended Resources on Episode 584 Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Here is a link for our new YCBK listener survey so you can take the survey: Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38963915

YCBK 585: All 39 AP Courses Rated As Most Rigorous or Just Rigorous 11/06/2025

YCBK 585: All 39 AP Courses Rated As Most Rigorous or Just Rigorous In this episode you will hear: (03:45) In the News Andy Strickler and Mark Stucker discuss all 39 AP Courses. Andy gives his opinion which ones are the most rigorous (23:27) Interview: Mark interviews Stephen Master, an expert in Sports Management Careers. They discuss “Opportunities for Careers In Sports Management” v Stephen shares his impressive resume and his background, what he is doing now when it comes to careers in sports management v Stephen tells us how he defines sports management v He tells us how sports has become big business and this has led to a range of jobs in sports careers that were unheard of, even five years ago and Stephen shares the range of jobs in sports that are out there v Stephen tells us about the 400 different programs at colleges that are sports-related these days v Stephen tells us the kind of person who is great candidate for sports business v Stephen tells us the skill set you need to have to be successful in a career in sports v Stephen tells us what he feels are some of the best college programs in the country for sports management v Stephen talks about some of the different majors you can pursue in college besides a sports management degree to break into careers in sports v Stephen closes with the most important thing he wants every student to know when it comes to breaking into the sports business (55:57) College Spotlight-Mark interviews Carmen Chavez, a recent Duke alumnus and she gives her take on what Duke does very well and what she wishes Duke would change. Preview of Part 1 v Carmen gives her background; shares a major obstacle she encountered that really impacted her origin plans while at Duke; she shares her career plans v She shares what she feels Duke does extremely well. v Carmen tells us what she feels Duke needs to change to be an even better school Recommended Resource-Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38924745

YCBK 584: What Do Colleges Want To See In Teacher Recommendations-2 of 3 11/03/2025

YCBK 584: What Do Colleges Want To See In Teacher Recommendations-2 of 3 In this episode you will hear: Mark shares some recommended resources to help families and he also answers a question from a listener. Heath Einstein explains to us what colleges want to see in teacher recommendations: Preview of Part 2 v I replay what Heath said about persistence and grit because I thought it was that important v Heath and I discuss whether you should ask a teacher for very specific things that you would like for them to say about you in the teacher rec v What should a student do if a teacher says, “you write the letter of rec and I will sign it” v Heath transitions to several things that as a teacher, you don’t want to talk about in your teacher recommendation v Heath says when a teacher should say, “no” when asked to write a rec letter Recommended Resources on Episode 584 Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Here is a link for our new YCBK listener survey so you can take the survey: Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38886180

YCBK 583: Two Students Speak Out About Stress, Peer Pressure & College Admissions 10/30/2025

YCBK 583: Two Students Speak Out About Stress, Peer Pressure & College Admissions In this episode you will hear: (02:07) In the News Andy Strickler and Mark Stucker discuss some trends in college admissions that present challenges to enrollment officers-Part 2 of 2 (22:52) Interview: Lisa interviews two students, a female student who is a freshman in college and a male student who is a rising senior in high school. Each student is very transparent about the pressure and stress they experienced with the college process. They share advice to any students and parents who will listen-Part 2 of 2 (49:58) College Spotlight-Lisa shares her recent visit to Champlain College and she shares her thoughts. Recommended Resource-Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38836445

YCBK 582: What Do Colleges Want To See In Teacher Recommendations-1 of 3 10/27/2025

YCBK 582: What Do Colleges Want To See In Teacher Recommendations-1 of 3 In this episode you will hear: (08:25) Kate Stricklan from CU Boulder and Susan Tree discuss takeaways from the NACAC conference and they share insights into file reading. (23:50) Heath Einstein explains to us what colleges want to see in teacher recommendations: Preview of Part 1 v Heath gives updates on TCU v Heath shares what he learned about admissions from being a parent v Heath shares some major changes happening at TCU v Heath shares how you can know if a teacher rec is important v Heath shares why teacher recs are important v Heath gives everyone writing recommendations some great advice, but if you’re a student, there is plenty of advice packed in for you to help you decide who to ask v Heath gives us examples of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to teacher recommendations. Here is a link for our new YCBK listener survey so you can take the survey: Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38786980

YCBK 581: What Is Keeping Chief Enrollment Officers Up At Night 10/23/2025

YCBK 581: What Is Keeping Chief Enrollment Officers Up At Night In this episode you will hear: (02:10) In the News Andy Strickler and Mark Stucker discuss some trends in college admissions that present challenges to enrollment officers (25:15) Interview: Lisa interviews two students, a female student who is a freshman in college and a male student who is a rising senior in high school. Each student is very transparent about the pressure and stress they experienced with the college process. They are transparent about their experience and give advice to students and parents-Part 1 of 2 (56:04) College Spotlight-Lisa shares her recent visit to Middlebury College and she shares her thoughts. Recommended Resource-Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38749550

YCBK 580: Tips To Help You Understand How Colleges Make Admissions Decisions 10/20/2025

YCBK 580: Tips To Help You Understand How Colleges Make Admissions Decisions In this episode you will hear: (13:15) Kate Stricklan from CU Boulder and Susan Tree discuss takeaways from the NACAC conference and they share insights into file reading. (33:54) Mark Stucker and Hillary Dickman discuss some takeaways from the Case Studies, there focus is on key insights we hoped the listeners didn’t miss that give students and parents insights into how admissions decisions are made Here is a link for our new YCBK listener survey so you can take the survey: Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38637670

YCBK 579: Why Are So Many Students Applying Early Decision to U Chicago 10/16/2025

YCBK 579: Why Are So Many Students Applying Early Decision to U Chicago In this episode you will hear: (01:50) In the News Lynda and Mark discuss why they are seeing so much interest in Early Decision to the University of Chicago this year (30:52) Interview with Daniel Chambliss, author of the book, “How College Works” Part 4 of 4 § Dan talks about the importance of motivation § Dan explains what you can do to as a professor to bring out the best in students § Dan talks about how his book has been used by those in student life, those in alumni life, Presidents and by architecture firms, but he explains why the book didn’t resonate as much with professors § Dan talks about how the concepts in the book were cost neutral, so they could be applied § Dan talks about he applied the results of the book in his own teaching and how the book made him a much better professor § Dan talks about the most important thing in college § Dan goes on the hotseat in the lightning round and he gets really honest and open with us § Dan talks about a great book from a former student of his, called, Creating a class § Dan talks about what he would write on if he had another book in him (58:02) College Spotlight-Lisa shares her recent visit to Bennington College and she shares her thoughts. Recommended Resource-Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38599065

YCBK 578: Hot Topics Admissions Officers and Counselors Discussed at NACAC 10/13/2025

YCBK 578: Hot Topics Admissions Officers and Counselors Discussed at NACAC In this episode you will hear: Kate Stricklan shares her background and then Susan and Kate discussed some of the hot topics college counselors and admission officers were discussing at the recent NACAC conference in Columbus, Ohio. This is your chance to see how admissions committees make decisions. Read the admissions file for Layla on the Yourcollegeboundkid.com website under the resources tab and then either watch the committee discussion, or listen to it Here is a link for our new YCBK listener survey so you can take the survey: Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38556470

YCBK 577: New Ways In Which AI Is Being Used In Admission Offices 10/09/2025

YCBK 577: New Ways In Which AI Is Being Used In Admission Offices In this episode you will hear: (01:56) In the News Hilary and Mark discuss some new ways that were revealed at the recent Slate conference that AI is being used in college admissions (38:04) Interview with Daniel Chambliss, author of the book, “How College Works” Part 3 of 4 § Dan talks about the importance of mentorship, but he talks about what works and what doesn’t work § Dan talks about the importance of spaces, including architecture § Dan talks about the importance of high contact activities § Dan talks about what he learned from the Hamilton school choir, from sports teams and from certain dormitories § Dan talks about the importance of keeping your social and academic options open § Dan talks about the importance of friendships § Dan explains why he valued residential colleges § Dan takes on some sacred cows and exposes the myths of several things that administrators often think are crucial for quality teaching and educational impact § Listen to what Dan said about strategic plans, pedagogical innovation and curriculum (01:06:09) College Spotlight-Lisa shares her recent visit to Saint Michael's College and she shares her thoughts. Recommended Resource-Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38518865

YCBK 576: Admissions Committee Discusses How They Evaluate Students-3 of 5 10/06/2025

YCBK 576: Admissions Committee Discusses How They Evaluate Students-3 of 5 In this episode you will hear: Mark answers a queston from a listener about whether playing a varsity sport in college hurts you from getting a job after college. This is your chance to see how admissions committees make decisions. Read the admissions file for Layla on the Yourcollegeboundkid.com website under the resources tab and then either watch the committee discussion, or listen to it If you want to reach out to our three admission officers who participated in the case studies, here is there contact information: • Kate Stricklan - katherine.stricklan@colorado.edu • Grace Robertson-Lloyd - lloydgra2@grinnell.edu • Hillary Dickman - hdickman@coloradocollege.edu Here is a link for our new YCBK listener survey so you can take the survey: Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38473120

YCBK 575: How College Works: Results of a 10-year million dollar research project 10/02/2025

YCBK 575: How College Works: Results of a 10-year million dollar research project In this episode you will hear: (02:00) Question from a Listener Vince and Mark answer a question from a listener about the lawsuit against Early Decision. Vince and Mark answer this by discussing a recent article on this topic. (30:34) Interview with Daniel Chambliss, author of the book, “How College Works” Part 2 of 4 § Dan about the importance of your peer group § Dan talks about ideas colleges can do to bring students together § Dan talks about Living Learning Communities § Dan talks about Honors Colleges § Dan talks about what he learned from studying world class competitive swimmers § Dan talks about the importance of focusing on having great experiences at the start of the college experience § Dan talks about orientation programs § Dan talks about the disconnect between how professors feel versus how students feel when it comes to fun, and the students social lives § Dan talks about affinity groups § Dan explains what he means by the importance of the arithmetic of engagement (57:18) College Spotlight Interview, Grant Gosselin, Chief Enrollment officer at Boston College-Part 4 of 4 Recommended Resource-Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38424150

YCBK 574: Admissions Committee Discusses How They Evaluate Students-2 of 5 09/29/2025

YCBK 574: Admissions Committee Discusses How They Evaluate Students-2 of 5 In this episode you will hear: (09:18) Lisa and Lynda discuss Lisa’s recent visit to the University of New Hampshire (31:42) A student at Berry College who is considering law school, asks a few questions about law school. Jon and Jeff, our two law school partners answer the question This is your chance to see how admissions committees make decisions. Read the admissions file for Allen Landon on the Yourcollegeboundkid.com website under the resources tab and then either watch the committee discussion, or listen to it Here is a link for our new YCBK listener survey so you can take the survey: Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: On X for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please follow our podcast. It really helps us move up in Spotify and Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at . All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38384950

YCBK 573: Do You Need A Passion Project To Get Admitted To Selective Colleges 09/25/2025

YCBK 573: Do You Need A Passion Project To Get Admitted To Selective Colleges In this episode you will hear: (02:08) Question from a Listener Hilary and Mark answer a question from a student from mom from suburban Philly and she wants to know how colleges read athletes that won’t play at their college. Hilary and Mark also discuss our thoughts on passion projects. (36:07) Brand new interview with Daniel Chambliss, author of the book, “How College Works” Part 1 of 4 § Dan gives his backstory § Dan tells us why he decided to study how college works § Dan shares the funding he got to do this 10-year project § Dan shares the methods he used to do the study § Dan shares the challenges involved in doing this study § Dan shares the most surprising takeaways from the study § Dan unpacks the one sentence that really explains the essence of the book’s findings § Dan talks about how colleges should deploy teachers § Dan talks about the misunderstandings about introductory classes § Dan talks about the importance of physical space § Dan tells us what he regards as the worst idea in higher ed in the last 25 years § Daniel talks about the disconnect between how professors think and how students think . (01:02:04) College Spotlight Interview, Grant Gosselin, Chief Enrollment officer at Boston College-Part 3 of 4 Recommended Resource-Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: Check out the college websites Mark recommends: If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/ /episode/index/show/yourcollegeboundkid/id/38346380

Your College-Bound Kid

TOPICS