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.
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YCBK 637: Tips to Help Girls Successfully Transition To College
05/07/2026
YCBK 637: Tips to Help Girls Successfully Transition To College
In this episode you will hear: (05:20) Carter and Mark discuss some of the things their seniors and juniors are doing right now (23:19) Lisa interviews Suzanne Hanna and they discuss tips to help girls successfully transition to college-1 of 3 Preview of Part 1 o Suzanne is a life coach for college girls-she gives her backstory o Suzanne tells us what a life coach for college girls consists of o Suzanne talks about the types of struggles girls face in college o Suzanne has some words of wisdom about small talk o Suzanne talks about the value of repetition o Suzanne gives some academic tips for girls o Suzanne gives some tips about homesickness (44:56) Kevin Newton shares the opportunities available for students to leave the country for a graduate degree-Part 1 of 3 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 Text messages are preferred 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/
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YCBK 636: Is Self-Prep, Group-Prep or One-On-One ACT/SAT Prep Best For You
05/04/2026
YCBK 636: Is Self-Prep, Group-Prep or One-On-One ACT/SAT Prep Best For You
In this episode you will hear: o Mark plays an important message a listener sent in via Speakpipe Jed Applerouth-Is Self-Prep, Group-Prep or One-On-One Test Prep best for your student-1 of 3 o Jed gives his background, how he went from consulting with Mckinsie to starting a national test prep company that has over 200 tutors o Jed spent 7 years working on his PHD where he looked at 2500 kids who did test prep, and he shares the results of his research o We have a discussion on which family Jed has seen that has the highest test score-the high education low-income family vs the lower education high-income family o Jed talks about the executive functioning work that he personally does o Jed gives us a very detailed overview of who is the best kid for self-prep, group prep vs one-on-one test prep College Spotlight San Diego State interview with two students-Part 3 of 3 o Lauren tells us what SDSU’s core principles are o Lauren and Sophie discuss the perception that SDSU is not a hard admit out of state but it is competitive for Californians o Lauren describes SDSU’s personality o Sophie and Lauren tell us about their experience SDSU professors. o Sophie talks to us about how the professors grade o Lauren tells us which academic departments are strong o We discuss nursing at SDSU o Sophie tells us about whether it is best to live on or off campus o Sophie and Lauren tell us what they would do differently if they were starting at San Diego State all over again 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: 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/
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YCBK 635: What Can You Do If You Have Only Had One Activity in High School
04/30/2026
YCBK 635: What Can You Do If You Have Only Had One Activity in High School
In this episode you will hear: (04:51) Kate joins Mark to answer a question from a listener who wonders what her student can do in her application when all her time has been spent on gymnastics in HS, and she won’t be doing gymnastics in college (25:29) Susan and Mark respond to a mom asking how her student, who struggled with depression and anxiety in high school, can obtain a strong teacher recommendation. (44:15) College Spotlight-Lisa joins Mark to discuss his recent visit to the University of Miami. This is a 60-minute Spotlight that you will hear over the next three Thursdays-Part 3 of 3 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 Text messages are preferred 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/
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YCBK 634: Tips for Submitting a Quality College Resume in Your App-3 of 3
04/27/2026
YCBK 634: Tips for Submitting a Quality College Resume in Your App-3 of 3
In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares two important announcements o Heath tells us whether he thinks Texas schools emphasize resumes more than other colleges o Heath makes a statement about a trend he is seeing when it comes to class rank and student applications o Heath tells us how we can read between the lines to know if a college admission office likes you to submit a resume o Heath hammers home one final message that is very important for students in their applications and he shares a very important message that he used to share with his students when he was a college counselor at Hockaday school in Dallas Texas o Heath talks about how far the resume should go back, should it include elementary or middle school? o Heath answers the question; does he think his admission counselors spend more time looking at the activity section of the common app or the resume o Heath tells us some things you do not need to put on the resume, in other words, what are some mistakes students make on resumes o We close by talking about whether TCU is a school Jewish students should feel comfortable attending o rank San Diego State interview with two students-Part 2 of 3 o Lauren and Sophie share what are the things that they didn’t know until they arrived at SDSU o Sophie and Lauren share what they feel are the stereotypes of SDSU and they comment on whether they feel they are true o Lauren and Sophie talk about the kind of student who is a really good fit for SDSU o I share some of the statistics for SDSU when it comes to their size and their growth o Lauren and Sophie talk about the kind of student that shouldn’t go to SDSU o Sophie and Lauren talk about the political climate at SDSU, and they answer the question, would a conservative be comfortable at SDSU 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: 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/
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YCBK 633: How Can You Pick a College When You Are Undecided About Your Major
04/23/2026
YCBK 633: How Can You Pick a College When You Are Undecided About Your Major
In this episode you will hear: (14:07) Kate joins Mark to answer a question from a listener who wonders how her student can pick a college when they are undecided about which college major is right for them (28:51) Susan and Hilary join Mark to answer a question about how much rigor is enough rigor for a student hoping to be an athletic recruit (45:55) College Spotlight-Lisa joins Mark to discuss his recent visit to the University of Miami. This is a 60-minute Spotlight that you will hear over the next three Thursdays-Part 2 of 3 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 Text messages are preferred 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/
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YCBK 632: Tips for Submitting a Quality College Resume in Your Application
04/20/2026
YCBK 632: Tips for Submitting a Quality College Resume in Your Application
In this episode you will hear: o Mark shares on additional important point about who gets in the most competitive colleges Heath Einstein, the chief enrollment officer at TCU-Tips for Submitting a Quality Resume for College o Heath tells us how a college resume is different from a work-based resume o Heath tells us what makes an effective resume o I share with Heath the things I tell students to emphasize in their resumes, and I ask Heath for feedback on whether some of the things I tell students are more important than others o Heath chimes in on the debate between angular student’s vs well-rounded students and he doesn’t hold back his thoughts on this hot debate o Heath gives his view of students adding a passport size photo on their resume o Heath gives his thoughts on how long is too long for a resume o Heath answers a question from a listener about TCU feels about someone submitting a UT-Austin expanded resume to them o Heath gives a tip for the UT-Austin expanded resume o Heath makes a surprising statement about trends he is seeing with class rank San Diego State interview with two students-Part 1 of 3 o Friends, from time to time in this Spotlight, the students say something that is very profound, so I stop and share with you, our listeners, a teachable moment that I hope you don’t miss o You will hear from one recent SDSU grad, who came across the country to go to SDSU, and one current junior at SDSU who came from Northern California, they introduce themselves and they share their college journey and what led them to select San Diego State o Lauren and Sophie share what they feel are the best things about San Diego State university o Sophie and Lauren share what they got involved in while at SDSU o Lauren and Sophie share what they would change if they were in power. 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: 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/
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YCBK 631: Observations About Kids That Got In the Most Selective Colleges
04/16/2026
YCBK 631: Observations About Kids That Got In the Most Selective Colleges
In this episode you will hear: (04:14) In our Question from a Listener-Susan and Hilary join Mark to respond to a comment from a listener about something that is grinding his gears (20:47) In the final segment on how to stand out in the most competitive applicant pools, Mark shares observations and similarities he sees from the kids who have been admitted to the most selective universities in all regions in the country (38:14) College Spotlight-Lisa joins Mark to discuss his recent visit to the University of Miami. This is a 60-minute Spotlight that you will hear over the next three Thursdays-Part 1 of 3 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 Text messages are preferred 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/
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YCBK 630: How Can My Student Stand Out in a Competitive Applicant Pool-5 of 6
04/13/2026
YCBK 630: How Can My Student Stand Out in a Competitive Applicant Pool-5 of 6
In this episode you will hear: Carter, Susan and Mark recorded a conversation for over 90 minutes on what standard strong students can do to excel once they get to campus Part 5 of 6 o We talk about the different way colleges admit students and the different calendars colleges have, and how that impacts your application o We talk about how this focus on fit cannot be emphasized enough, not only in your selection of where to apply but also in the discussion of whether the college selects you-to quote Susan, “fit works both ways” o Carter and I close out with an admission tip Heath Einstein, the chief enrollment officer at TCU o Heath introduces himself and he gives us updates on 4 key takeaways from TCU’s new strategic plan, and I ask Heath a few follow-up questions o Heath shares some of the new college majors that TCU is offering o We introduce the topic we will be covering for the next few weeks, and Heath explains why there is some backlash in admissions offices toward resumes o 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: 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/
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YCBK 629: Understanding How Admissions Buckets Impact Admission Decisions
04/09/2026
YCBK 629: Understanding How Admissions Buckets Impact Admission Decisions
In this episode you will hear: (02:33) Mark and Susan and Hilary continue their discussion about some of the intangibles that make a student stand out in a competitive admissions process-4 of 5 o We discuss how admission buckets impact admission reads and admission decisions (24:51) In our Question from a Listener-Susan and Hilary join Mark to answer a question from Michael, a student about how he should communicate with admissions about a D he received in Algebra 2. (41:58) College Spotlight-Lisa and Lynda discuss State Tech in Linn, Missouri 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/
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YCBK 628: How Can My Student Stand Out in a Competitive Applicant Pool-3 of 5
04/06/2026
YCBK 628: How Can My Student Stand Out in a Competitive Applicant Pool-3 of 5
In this episode you will hear: Carter, Susan and Mark recorded a conversation for over 90 minutes on what standard strong students can do to excel once they get to campus Part 3 of 5 o Susan and Carter and I continue our conversation about how applicants can stand out in a highly selective college admission process and we have some real straight talk in part 3 of 5 o Carter shares what he doesn’t like about the term passion project o We talk about what are some practical things students can do Lisa interviews Jennifer Gershberg on the topic of, “How students can excel academically once they get to college” o Jennifer talks about impostor’s syndrome, and she gives students some tips of how to work through imposters syndrome o Lisa and Jennifer talk about how women uniquely wrestle with impostor’s syndrome o Jennifer gives some tips for test taking o Jennifer talks about why she created her course o Jennifer gives her advice for parents of college-bound kids, concrete tips to help all of us o 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: 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/
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YCBK 627: How Can My Student Stand Out in a Competitive Admission Pool
04/02/2026
YCBK 627: How Can My Student Stand Out in a Competitive Admission Pool
In this episode you will hear: (03:04) In our Question from a Listener-Susan joins Mark to answer a series of questions about the role of the territory manager in admissions decisions (29:28) Mark and Susan and Carter continue their discussion about some of the intangibles that make a student stand out in a competitive admissions process-2 of 5 o We have a robust conversation between the difference between a resume application and a representational application o We talk about how colleges assess impact, and how it is often different from how students and even counselors envision o Carter, Susan and I share why we hate the term “passion project” (50:58)College Spotlight-Grace Robertson-Lloyd, an Associate Director of Admission at Grinnell College, and a regional admission officer stationed in Denver, helps us to understand Grinnell College Part 3 of 3 o I continue by sharing perceptions I have of Grinnell and Grace gives her amplification and clarification of my perceptions o Grace tells us whether Grinnell uses demonstrated interest in their evaluation o We close by Grace goes on the hotseat in our 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/
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YCBK 626: Important Skills Students Need to Excel Academically In College
03/30/2026
YCBK 626: Important Skills Students Need to Excel Academically In College
In this episode you will hear: Carter, Susan and Mark recorded a conversation for over 90 minutes on what standard strong students can do to excel once they get to campus Part 1 of 5 o Susan describes the dilemma students face and she gives a preview of the content we are going to cover for the next 5 weeks o Susan shares a few admissions vernacular words for us, what is a 3/3? What is “bread and butter” o Susan defines Standard Strong for us o We begin a conversation that will continue every Monday all the way through the end of April as we attempt to answer the question, what can a standard strong student do to stand out in the admission process at very selective colleges o I chime in with my initial thoughts and then Carter shares a few of his thoughts on this topic Lisa interviews Jennifer Gershberg on the topic of, “How students can excel academically once they get to college” o Lisa gives an overview of Jennifer’s background o Jennifer talks about the circuitous path she took in her career o Jennifer talks about why so many students are not prepared for college o Jennifer explains the value of writing handwritten notes and the value of reading paperback or hard copies over reading on the screen and the value of study guides o Jennifer gives some great time management tips o Jennifer discusses how students are responsible for establishing relationships with their college professors. 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: 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/
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YCBK 625: Does Taking a Gap Year Increase Your Chances of Getting in College
03/26/2026
YCBK 625: Does Taking a Gap Year Increase Your Chances of Getting in College
In this episode you will hear: (02:35) In our Question from a Listener-Carter joins me to ask a question from a college counselor from New York who wants to know if taking a gap year increases a student’s chances of college admission. (29:02) Mark interviews Barbara Kalmus about how the words we often use when describing our college list are detrimental to student mental health Part 2 of 2 o Barbara talks about how things have changed since the 1990’s o Barbara talks about institutional priorities o We close where we started, talking about how students have to protect their mental health in this college process (45:34) College Spotlight-Grace Robertson-Lloyd, an Associate Director of Admission at Grinnell College, and a regional admission officer stationed in Denver, helps us to understand Grinnell College Part 2 of 3 o Grace talks about some distinctive programs that Grinnell offers o Grace talks about the Grinnell endowment enhances the student experience o I share approximately 10 perceptions I have of Grinnell that I have formulated over the years, and Grace comments on each of my perceptions; this covers the rest of this segment and it is also forms the lion share of we cover in the final part next Thursday 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/
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YCBK 624: 15 Questions to Ask When Deciding Who To Ask for a Teacher Rec
03/23/2026
YCBK 624: 15 Questions to Ask When Deciding Who To Ask for a Teacher Rec
In this episode you will hear: Mark shares 15 questions to ask yourself when you are trying to decide who to ask for your teacher recommendation Interview-Student Athlete Advisors-Part 4 of 4 o Our 4 experts answer three questions that one listener sent in via Speakpike o We talk about NIL and college athletics o We discuss the difference between the timed sports and the observation sports o Katie lets you know how about some of the resources that Student Athlete Advisors has available and how you can partner with Student-Athlete Advisors, as a college counselor or as a student or parent 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: 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/
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YCBK 623: Do Colleges Treat an A at a Rigorous HS the Same as an A at a Typical HS
03/19/2026
YCBK 623: Do Colleges Treat an A at a Rigorous HS the Same as an A at a Typical HS
In this episode you will hear: (02:08) In Our Question from a Listener-Hilary joins me to ask a question about how colleges can use GPA to evaluate students when the high schools can vary so much in rigor, selectivity and grade inflation. (25:01) Mark interviews Barbara Kalmus about how the words we often use when describing our college list are detrimental to student mental health Part 1of 2 o Barbara Kalmus gives her backstory o Barbara talks about student mental health o Barbara talks about the impact of the language that we use when classifying colleges and how students hear something very different than what we think they hear (41:46) College Spotlight-Grace Robertson-Lloyd, an Associate Director of Admission at Grinnell College, and a regional admission officer stationed in Denver, helps us to understand Grinnell College Part 1 of 3 o Grace gives her backstory, including her time as a student at Grinnell o Grace talks about her first 10 years working for Grinnell in Iowa, DC and Grinnell, Iowa o Grace explains how the role of a Regional is similar and different to the role of a home-based admission officer who lives close to the college o Grace explains the trade-offs of not being able to do some things that home-based AO does, but how she has additional responsibilities that fill up her time o Grace tells us what her territory is o Grace talks about the pros and cons of being a regional that lives in the city she is recruiting from o How can a student know if they have a regional AO from a college living locally and how can a student best take advantag4e of a regional o 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/
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YCBK 622: Tips Athletes Need If They Want to Play Their Sport in College-Part 3
03/16/2026
YCBK 622: Tips Athletes Need If They Want to Play Their Sport in College-Part 3
In this episode you will hear: Mark shares insights from a few articles that discuss which jobs AI will displace and which ones AI will not replace. Mark shares what is going on with changes ot the University of Florida and their admission policy Interview-Student Athlete Advisors-Part 3 of 4 o Amy talks about what she wants in a coaches recommendation letter and when does she want to receive this o Joe talks about how essential it is to send customized letters to each college but how you have to be creative o Joe talks about how ID camps can be extremely useful or a total waste of time and he gives some of the best advice for a student-athlete on how to know if a camp is a waste of your time. Friends, I have asked a lot of experts this question and Joe’s answer is the best one I have ever heard o Amy talks about how important it is to start with a great targeted list o Amy talks about whether she liked it as a coach when a student asked her, where am I on your recruitment priority list? o Amy talks about how you have to translate the coach speech? o Reid talks about how parents who are overinvolved hurt their kid in recruiting o Katie shares some areas for parents to be involved 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: 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/
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YCBK 621: What Can I Learn from a College Based on How They Communicate with Me
03/12/2026
YCBK 621: What Can I Learn from a College Based on How They Communicate with Me
In this episode you will hear: (02:48) In Our Question from a Listener-Susan joins Mark to answer a question from an anonymous mom who wants to know if the way a college communicates with me is an indication of what my experience will be like when I arrive at the college (21:24) Mark interviews Stephen Burd, senior writer and researcher about his latest article that appears at newamerica.org on the topic of 41 colleges that are saddling a high percentage of low- income students with Parent PLUS loans-Part 3 of 3 Part 3 v Stephen talks about what he would change if he was in charge and Stephen clearly thought of this because he has a lot to say v Stephen talks about how the role of enrollment management has changed v Stephen talks about what the think tank, New America, that he works for, what does New America do? (39:01) College Spotlight 2-Grace Robertson-Lloyd, an Associate Director of Admission at Grinnell College, and a regional admission officer stationed in Denver, explains to us what the role of the Regional Admission officer is · Grace gives her backstory, including her time as a student at Grinnell · Grace talks about her first 10 years working for Grinnell in Iowa, DC and Grinnell, Iowa · Grace explains how the role of a Regional is similar and different to the role of a home-based admission officer who lives close to the college · Grace explains the trade-offs of not being able to do some things that home-based AO does, but how she has additional responsibilities that fill up her time · Grace tells us what her territory is · Grace talks about the pros and cons of being a regional that lives in the city she is recruiting from · How can a student know if they have a regional AO from a college living locally and how can a student best take advantag4e of a regional 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/
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YCBK 620: Tips Athletes Need If They Want to Play Their Sport in College-Part 2
03/09/2026
YCBK 620: Tips Athletes Need If They Want to Play Their Sport in College-Part 2
In this episode you will hear: Mark shares 10 Speakpike messages from listeners and he has a little commentary on each message Interview-Student Athlete Advisors-Part 2 of 4 o Amy discusses how a player can find out the level that they can play at o Joe talks about how much you can learn from studying the rosters of the students o Reid talks about the best way to reach out to colleges once you know you are interested in them o Reid talks about the importance of video and the importance of having an effective call to action in your outreach o Katie talks about using social media to reach out and she talks about how to tell if a coach is serious about you o Katie talks about the importance of follow-up o Joe talks about which coaches you should read about o Joe gives his view on athletic resumes o 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: 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/
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YCBK 619: How Can I Tell If a College Has a Commuter School Culture?
03/05/2026
YCBK 619: How Can I Tell If a College Has a Commuter School Culture?
In this episode you will hear: (03:34) In Our Question from a Listener-Hilary joins Mark to answer a question from an anonymous mom who wants to know how can I tell if a college has a commuter school culture. (24:01) Mark interviews Stephen Burd, senior writer and researcher about his latest article that appears at newamerica.org on the topic of 41 colleges that are saddling a high percentage of low- income students with Parent PLUS loans-Part 2 of 3 Part 2 v Stephen elaborates on the Parent Plus loans v Stephen discusses if non-need best aid or merit money is appropriate for schools to give out v Stephen explains how the Wall Street Journal inspired him to do more research v Stephen and I discuss how the vicious cycle and how things have changed a lot (40:57) College Spotlight-Susan Tree joins Mark Stucker to interview Kelly Walter, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions at Boston University Ø Kelly and Susan share how they met Ø Kelly shares the various roles in admissions she has had and she shares why she has done admissions for 5 decades Ø Kelly shares how Boston University’s Methodist roots and its history as a Bible institute originally impacts BU to this day Ø Kelly explains many areas where BU was the first university in the country to accomplish something Ø Kelly explains how BU is different from the other 40 universities in the country Ø Kelly tells us how a student applies to BU if they do not know what they want to major in? Ø Kelly tells us what the BU Hub is and what the BU cross-college challenge is? 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/
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YCBK 618: Tips Every Athlete Needs If They Want to Play Their Sport in College
03/02/2026
YCBK 618: Tips Every Athlete Needs If They Want to Play Their Sport in College
In this episode you will hear: Mark shares an outstanding recommended resource if you want to know how colleges shape their classes, something that selective private colleges are doing right now. Dr. Andrew Hoffman video Interview-Student Athlete Advisors-Part 1 of 4 o Katie Anderson gives us the history of the Student-Athlete Advisors and she shares her bio and she shares her soccer background o Joe Slater gives his bio, and he shares his baseball background o Amy Bryant gives her bio, and she gives her tennis and soccer background o Reid Meyer gives his background, and he shares his baseball background o Katie shares how Student-Athlete Advisors work and what they do o Reid shares some of the most recent changes that have occurred in the last five years when it comes to recruiting o Joe talks about the reallocation of scholarships that has changed recruiting o Katie talks about some of the differences between division 1, division 2, division 3 and NAIA and Joe adds some additional insights o Amy talks about the myth that division 3 is a lower level of athletics than D-1 or D-2 and she also talks about the difference between division 3 schools who give academic merit to attract students versus the ones who give no merit based and she points out the similarities between some academically elite D-1 conferences and Katie adds some more insights and she shares an outstanding recommended resource o Reid talks about how the testing requirements have changed for the eligibility center and he talks about the National Letter of Intent power is now managed by the colleges and Joe adds some additional insights o Amy and Katie talk about how having a good test score can still be helpful in the recruiting process 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: 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/
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YCBK 617: How Is Boston University Different From All The Colleges in Boston
02/26/2026
YCBK 617: How Is Boston University Different From All The Colleges in Boston
In this episode you will hear: (02:40) In Our Question from a Listener-Carter joins Mark to respond to a comment from a listener who wants our opinion on why more dads are not involved in learning more and helping their kids with college (17:56) Mark interviews Stephen Burd, senior writer and researcher about his latest article that appears at newamerica.org on the topic of 41 colleges that are saddling a high percentage of low income students with Parent PLUS loans v Stephen gives an overview of his role at New America and his detailed report about some colleges use financial aid leveraging in conjunction with Parent Plus loans to take advantage of under-resourced students v Stephen explains why a statement that EAB, a leading enrollment management company is so offensive to him v Stephen talks about the purpose of financial aid, at least historically v Stephen explains the power of US News and World Report and their rankings v Stephen explains the growth of PLUS loans v Stephen and I explain why PLUS loans are so problematic (43:06) College Spotlight-Susan Tree joins Mark Stucker to interview Kelly Walter, Associate Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions at Boston University Ø Kelly and Susan share how they met Ø Kelly shares the various roles in admissions she has had and she shares why she has done admissions for 5 decades Ø Kelly shares how Boston University’s Methodist roots and its history as a Bible institute originally impacts BU to this day Ø Kelly explains many areas where BU was the first university in the country to accomplish something Ø Kelly explains how BU is different from the other 40 universities in the country Ø Kelly tells us how a student applies to BU if they do not know what they want to major in? Ø Kelly tells us what the BU Hub is and what the BU cross-college challenge is? 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/
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YCBK 616: SMU Is It For You? An Interview with Dean of Admissions, Elena Hicks
02/23/2026
YCBK 616: SMU Is It For You? An Interview with Dean of Admissions, Elena Hicks
In this episode you will hear: Mark shares a way students can save tens of thousands of dollars off of their college bill that many people do not know about Elena Hicks, the Assistant Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions at SMU, helps us to understand Southern Methodist University (SMU) in this three-part series. Mark shares 17 impressions he has of SMU and Elena comments on whether she feels they are correct. Part 3 of 3 Preview of Part 3 ¨ Mark shares impressions 14-17 he has of SMU, and Elena comments on whether she agrees or disagrees. Elena amplifies the points with some additional commentary. ¨ Elena tells us how SMU is different from their rival school, her alma mater, a place she worked at for 11 years, TCU ¨ Elena opens up and shares two of SMU’s institutional priorities ¨ Elena shares some of the important things in the admissions rubric that SMU uses in their student evaluation when reading an admissions file ¨ Next, Elena goes on the hot seat in our lightning round • Finally, Mark closes with a big announcement about Elena that I am excited about ¨ 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: 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/
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YCBK 615: How Does a Student Let a College Know They Are Refusing Their Offer
02/19/2026
YCBK 615: How Does a Student Let a College Know They Are Refusing Their Offer
In this episode you will hear: (01:45) In Our Question from a Listener-Hilary joins Mark to answer a few questions: How does a student let a college know they will not be accepting their admission offer; who do they tell; when do they communicate this? (25:30) Mark interviews Elliot Felix, author of the book, ‘the Connected College” o Elliot tells us what “sunsetting is” and he explains why more college need to sunset more programs o Elliot talks about what a student can do if they want to break into doing design and strategic work on college campuses o Elliot shares what he hasn’t shared so far that he wants our families to know o Elliot gives a more detailed overview of the content he covers in the Connected College o Elliot is headquartered in Minneapolis, and he loves the entire state, and during the interview, he was wearing a support the Twin cities shirt for our interview, so I asked him, what is it people do not understand about Minneapolis and he gave us a straight answer (46:05) College Spotlight-Daniela Uribe and Summer Cobb Tell us What Penn is like for students. ¨ Summer and Daniela talk about imposters syndrome at Penn ¨ Summer and Daniela talk about the hot topics on campus ¨ Daniela and Summer discuss, “Penn face” ¨ Summer and Penn talk about M & T and Huntsman, two dual-degree programs that Penn is known for ¨ Summer and Daniela go on the hot seat and they drop some more pearls of wisdom for all of us 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/
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YCBK 614: How To Win Outside/External Scholarships: Do’s and Don’t’s
02/16/2026
YCBK 614: How To Win Outside/External Scholarships: Do’s and Don’t’s
In this episode you will hear: Mark does a two-part series that looks at outside of external scholarships. Mark answers the question, what are the nine reasons why so many students do not apply for external scholarships in part 1. In part 2, on Episode 614, Mark gives tips for how to win outside scholarships. Elena Hicks, the Assistant Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions at SMU, helps us to understand Southern Methodist University (SMU) in this three-part series. Mark shares 17 impressions he has of SMU and Elena comments on whether she feels they are correct. Preview of Part 2 ¨ Mark shares impressions 4-10 he has of SMU, and Elena comments on whether she agrees or disagrees. Elena amplifies the points with some additional commentary. 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: 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/
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YCBK 613: What Do Colleges Think About Students That Just Want to Play Video Games?
02/12/2026
YCBK 613: What Do Colleges Think About Students That Just Want to Play Video Games?
In this episode you will hear: (02:05) In Our Question from a Listener-Carter joins Mark to answer a question from a mom who wants her son to be authentic in his application, but he only wants to play video games, and she wonders how admission officers will perceive this (20:00) Mark interviews Elliot Felix, author of the book, ‘the Connected College” o Elliot talks about an aha moment he had when he was doing research for his book o Elliot talks about how we have to change what we are doing with emailing students o Elliot talks about how we have to reinvent how libraries function, and how we have to have, “Next Generation Libraries” o Elliot talks about what he does with the 120 colleges that have hired him o Elliot talks about who the people on his team are and what are their roles (38:38) College Spotlight-Daniela Uribe and Summer Cobb Tell us What Penn is like for students. ¨ Daniela and Summer share their experience with the other two colleges: Wharton, which is the business school and the college of nursing ¨ I share some things one of my students at Wharton who was supposed to join us and had a conflict; I share what he told me are some things he wanted to share about Wharton ¨ Summer and Daniela continue to talk about some of Penn stereotypes, and they discuss if they feel it is true ¨ Daniela talks about coffee chatting is foundational at Penn ¨ Summer and Daniela describe Penn’s personality ¨ Daniela and Summer get to be college counselors and I ask them, what does the student look like who you would recommend to Penn and what is the person that you would not recommend to Penn 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/
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YCBK 612: Should My Student Be Applying for Outside/External Scholarships
02/09/2026
YCBK 612: Should My Student Be Applying for Outside/External Scholarships
In this episode you will hear: Mark does a two-part series that looks at outside of external scholarships. Mark answers the question, what are the nine reasons why so many students do not apply for external scholarships in part 1. In part 2, on Episode 613, Mark gives tips for how to win outside scholarships. Elena Hicks, the Assistant Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions at SMU, helps us to understand Southern Methodist University (SMU) in this three-part series. Mark shares 17 impressions he has of SMU and Elena comments on whether she feels they are correct. Preview of Part 1 ¨ Elena gives her backstory of how she started at TCU as a student and leader of the tour guide program to prep school admissions and other college roles and then back to Texas at SMU ¨ Elena gives us an overview of SMU ¨ Elena answers the question, how would you explain SMU to a stranger ¨ Elena, answers the question, what would you say to a student who says, I am not southern and I am not Methodist, so why should I go to SMU ¨ Elena answers the question, what is it in the SMU mission statement that really reflects who SMU is? ¨ Friends, for the rest of the interview I use a new approach I am using to interviewing senior admissions personnel; I share 17 different impressions I have about SMU, either from my own visits and observations, or from talking to SMU Admissions officers over the years, but mostly from listening to my students who are at SMU now or have graduated from SMU over the years, so for the rest of this interview, this is what I do. I hope you like my new approach to doing these interviews, for the rest of part 1, I share the first 4 of these impressions, and I ask Elena if she disagrees or agrees, and to elaborate on my perceptions of SMU, so listen and enjoy 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: 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/
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YCBK 611: Students Speak Out About What Life Is Like at UPenn
02/05/2026
YCBK 611: Students Speak Out About What Life Is Like at UPenn
In this episode you will hear: (02:48) In the News-Hilary and Kate join Mark to discuss an article that appears in USA Today that asks the question, “Are parent Facebook groups helpful or toxic”? Rachel Hale is the author of the article, which is entitled: “College, parent Facebook groups and when helicopter parenting goes too far” Part 3 of 3 (23:50) Mark interviews Elliot Felix, author of the book, ‘the Connected College” o Elliot shares how his background has impacted the work he does today, helping colleges strategize to design campuses that produce the best learning o Elliot new book is called, “The Connected College” and he tells us “what a Connected College Is” o Elliot talks about what makes a great strategic plan and what are the flaws of so many strategic plans that are prevalent o Elliot explains how he gleaned his knowledge about what makes a Connected College (45:00) College Spotlight-Daniela Uribe and Summer Cobb Tell us What Penn is like for students. ¨ We take a look at the University of Pennsylvania by listening to one current Penn student and one recent college graduate ¨ Summer and Daniela share their background ¨ Daniela and Summer share what they feel are the best things about the University of Pennsylvania ¨ Summer and Daniela share what they would change if they could change anything about the University of Pennsylvania ¨ Daniela gives her best advice for students, and I want every parent to get their student to listen to what Daniela says ¨ Summer gives us an overview of the four different colleges 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/
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YCBK 610: Are College Parent Facebook Groups Helpful or Toxic? Part 2
02/02/2026
YCBK 610: Are College Parent Facebook Groups Helpful or Toxic? Part 2
In this episode you will hear: Jennifer Mandel, a college counselor with Mark at School Match 4U, joins Mark to discuss her thoughts on whether Parent College Facebook groups are helpful or toxic? Jen has been involved in three different groups, at three different colleges in three different states. Peter Pitts interview-Part 3 of 3 · Peter highlights overlooked benefits of small colleges. ¨ I ask Peter what a student should do if they visit a college and they link it is too small. ¨ Peter and I discuss how size can’t only be judged by the number of students ¨ Peter shares one thing he wants listeners to know that we haven’t discussed very much ¨ Peter goes on the hotseat ¨ After the interview I think of an important question, so I email Peter and he responds, the question is one I am sometimes asked by parents-What do I say to the parent who says to me, I don’t want my student to go through the rest of their lives explaining to people where they went to college because no one has heard of it-you have to hear how Peter answers this question 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: 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/
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YCBK 609: Are College Parent Facebook Groups Helpful or Toxic?
01/29/2026
YCBK 609: Are College Parent Facebook Groups Helpful or Toxic?
In this episode you will hear: (04:08) In the News-Hilary and Kate join Mark to discuss an article that appears in USA Today that asks the question, “Are parent Facebook groups helpful or toxic”? Rachel Hale is the author of the article, which is entitled: “College, parent Facebook groups and when helicopter parenting goes too far” (27:35) Mark interviews Lisa and Lynda about their new book, “The Calm College Method “Part 2 of 2 v Lynda explains who the book is good for v Lisa and I talk about the practicality of the book, and I share some of the audience that I feel will be great for the book v Lisa talks about the structure of the book, and how the book really answers the questions people have through checklists and worksheets v Lisa and Lynda talk about their chapter in the book on AI in college admissions v Lisa explains what a successful college search looks like and she shares the single thing that is the most important thing to her when working with a student v Lisa and Lynda share what they feel is the number one take away from the book and I share my number one take away from the book v Lisa talks about one thing that families can do to reduce student stress v Lisa talk about the three ways listeners can get the book (47:29) College Spotlight-Susan Brisson-Olin College of Engineering Preview of Part 3 ¨ Susan tells us how demanding Olin in terms of intensity ¨ Susan tells us the role major plays in the admission process, and she tells us some of the main majors Olin is known for ¨ Susan explains why they are so confident they will remain test-optional ¨ Susan shares how Olin looks at AP test scores in their academic evaluation ¨ Susan explains how they look at students who come in with design or engineering experience ¨ Susan discusses study abroad, research opportunities and scholarships at Olin Recommended Resource Guide to help first year students complete the Common Application- 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/
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YCBK 608: How to Avoid Getting $2000-$7000 Unexpectedly Added to Your College Bill
01/26/2026
YCBK 608: How to Avoid Getting $2000-$7000 Unexpectedly Added to Your College Bill
In this episode you will hear: Jennifer Mandel, a college counselor with Mark at School Match 4U, joins Mark to discuss how college policies differ when it comes to requiring you to sign up for their health care plan, or how to notify them that you already have health care coverage. Peter Pitts interview-Part 2 of 3 v Peter shares the number one thing he feels allow colleges to have a distinctive experience unmatched elsewhere v Peter talks about how his book, “Small College Magic” is different from some other books on colleges v Peter has a beef with something that Jeff Selingo said, so we talk about it in this segment v Peter talks about how he decided to include some colleges and omit others in his books v 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/
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