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 653: Are My Test Scores Good Enough To Submit to a Test-Optional Selective College
07/02/2026
YCBK 653: Are My Test Scores Good Enough To Submit to a Test-Optional Selective College
In this episode you will hear: (07:42) Mark and and Chris answer a question from Dave about whether to submit your test scores to a selective test-optional college Mark reads an article from the Chronicle of Higher Ed about the “Higher Ed Budget Crunch” (33:24) Mark and Christina discuss a question about the changes to the Parent PLUS loan 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 652: Correcting Misunderstandings about the University of Chicago
06/29/2026
YCBK 652: Correcting Misunderstandings about the University of Chicago
In this episode you will hear: Mark shares an important video he will be adding to the Your College-bound Kid YouTube channel in the next few months. Mark reads an article from the Chronicle of Higher Ed about the “Higher Ed Budget Crunch” (05:25) Mark interviews Micki Meyer, the Assistant VP for Student Affairs-3 of 3 § Micki gives us her six C framework for helping your kid to transition to college § Mark shares what helped him to transition to college and he asks Micki for her thoughts on a few other things that can help a student to transition to college § Micki talks about roommate conflicts, and she talks about when things can be worked through and when you need to reach out for help because it is irreconcilable § Micki also talks about when a student should stay at a college or whether it is time to leave the institution § Micki goes on the hotseat, and she drops some real pears for us (36:10) Lisa Rouff and Lynda Doepker do a College Spotlight on The University of Chicago-Part 2 of 2 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 651: The Importance of the First Six Weeks of the Freshman Year-2 of 3
06/25/2026
YCBK 651: The Importance of the First Six Weeks of the Freshman Year-2 of 3
In this episode you will hear: Mark gives an update on Your College-Bound Kid, YouTube Mark reads an article from the Chronicle of Higher Ed about the “Higher Ed Budget Crunch” (18:38) Carter Delloro joins Mark to answer a question from a listener about what an 8th grader can do now (39:37) Mark interviews Micki Meyer, the Assistant VP for Student Affairs-2 of 3 § Micki, gives advice her advice for a student who is not excited about going to college § Micki gives advice as to how much a parent should be involved when a student leaves for college, how much involvement is appropriate § What can a student do to know all of the supports that are available during the first six weeks § Micki talks about the changes in parents over the years § Micki talks about the role of affinity groups in transitioning to college § Micki talks about the Embark program that Rollins has on their campus § Micki talks about what a parent who has a middle school student can do to help them begin to build skills now that will aid their transition to college (01:05:27) Lisa Rouff and Lynda Doepker do a College Spotlight on The University of Chicago-Part 1 of 2 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 650: The Importance of the First Six Weeks of the Freshman Year!
06/22/2026
YCBK 650: The Importance of the First Six Weeks of the Freshman Year!
In this episode you will hear: We play several comments that listeners sent in about what is grinding their gears and Mark shares his thoughts on their messages Mark shares a major announcement about a change that is coming to Your College-Bound Kid Mark reads Part 5 of 11 articles the Chronicle for Higher Ed released o the dire financial crisis colleges face Mark interviews Micki Meyer, the Assistant VP for Student Affairs § Micki gives an overview § Micki talks about what students need to do over the summer before they arrive in college as a freshman, and she shares her 5 S’s with us § Micki tells us what a student needs to do get the most out of the summer orientation § Micki gives an overview of what a student needs to do to get the most out of the first six weeks of college § Micki gives tips for how a student can get involved in their college § Micki gives advice to the student who is really struggling in their first year and they are not happy, what advice does Micki have for them § Micki tells us the group of students who struggle the most in their first six weeks of college Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: 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 649: How To Use A Game to Help You Successfully Transition to College
06/18/2026
YCBK 649: How To Use A Game to Help You Successfully Transition to College
In this episode you will hear: We play several comments that listeners sent in (14:35) Hilary joins Mark to discuss how, being interested in a major that a college does not offer can impact your admission decision. Mark and Hilary does 3/2 programs. Mark reads Part 4 of 11 articles the Chronicle for Higher Ed released o the dire financial crisis colleges face (44:50) Lisa interviews Dr. Tricia Seifert about her board game and her video game she creted to help students to successfully transition to college-2 of 2 § Tricia continues to elaborate on the value of using Game Play to help students successfully transition to college § Tricia explains why there is both a board game and a video game to help students with their college transition § Tricia explains how the game can be played both individually in solitude and in teams, and she explains the type of student that likes the board game more and the type of student that likes the video game more students and parents with the college transition § Here is a great quote from Dr. Tricia Seifert-We can be what we can se § Tricia gives some great advice for parents and for college counselors § Tricia shares where people can the board game, the video game and additional tips to help your student transition to college Recommended Resources Colleges that allow self reporting of test scores Great source for questions about finances and college FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: 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 648: Can AO Tell if Parent’s Fingerprints are on the Student’s Activities & Essays
06/15/2026
YCBK 648: Can AO Tell if Parent’s Fingerprints are on the Student’s Activities & Essays
In this episode you will hear: Susan joins mark to answer a follow-up question about whether a student without impressive extracurricular activities that they will be bringing to their college can get in a selective college Mark reads Part 3 of 11 articles the Chronicle for Higher Ed released o the dire financial crisis colleges face Christina Lopez and Mark discuss a question from a listener from Michigan who wants to know, can an admission officer tell when a parent’s fingerprints are all over the student’s activities and their essays Lisa interviews Dr. Tricia Seifert about her board game and her video game she creted to help students to successfully transition to college-1 of 2 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 647: Dean Christina Lopez Explains A Major Change for Colleges Coming In July
06/11/2026
YCBK 647: Dean Christina Lopez Explains A Major Change for Colleges Coming In July
In this episode you will hear: Mark reads Part 2 of 11 articles the Chronicle for Higher Ed released o the dire financial crisis colleges face (10:25) Christina Lopez and Mark discuss a question from a listener about the Parent Plus loan changes Mark explains new creative and aggressive recruiting colleges are us (59:07) Mark interviews Dan Chambliss on how to get the most out of college. They also discuss why a liberal arts education delivers such value. 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 646: New Creative Recruiting Methods Admissions Officers Are Using
06/08/2026
YCBK 646: New Creative Recruiting Methods Admissions Officers Are Using
In this episode you will hear: Mark explains some major changes we will be making at Your College-Bound Kid is making. Mark reads Part 1 of 11 articles the Chronicle for Higher Ed released o the dire financial crisis colleges face Mark explains new creative and aggressive recruiting colleges are using (24:10) Mark and guest host, Chris Teare, answer a question from a student from Texas who is looking for affordable quality colleges outside of Texas that offer curricular flexibility (01:13:10) Mark interviews Dan Chambliss on how to get the most out of college. They also discuss why a liberal arts education delivers such value. § Mark and Dan have a conversation about the pros and cons of using the website ratemyprofessors.com to find great teachers § Dan tells us what liberal arts education is § Dan and Mark discuss if there are certain fields of study within the liberal arts that produce better thinkers 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 645: Is It Okay If My Student Waits to Visit Colleges After Acceptances
06/04/2026
YCBK 645: Is It Okay If My Student Waits to Visit Colleges After Acceptances
In this episode you will hear: (22:22) Kate and Mark answer a question from a listener from the Northeast who wants to know (57:58) Mark interviews Daniel Chambliss, author of the book, “How College Works” on the topic of, what is the value of a Liberal Arts education Preview-Part 1 § Dan gives his backstory § Dan tells us what college does uniquely well § I share what college did for Karis and Joy, my daughters § Dan and I talk about what is behind the war against college § Dan talks about the experience of liberal arts graduates in their 20’s vs in their 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s § Dan talks about the difference between going to college as a commuter vs having residential experience in college § Dan and I talk about how important is selectivity when choosing a college § Dan shares what a student should do to get the most out of college § Dan shares how do you find a good teacher at college (01:33:54) Mark interviews a current Wake Forest student Pryor Gilbert; they discuss what Wake Forest is really like-Part 2 of 2 Preview of Part 2 o Pryor tells us what she thinks are the top majors at Wake o I ask Pryor about six to eight common perceptions of Wake Forest that students I have worked with who have attended Wake often use to describe Wake and Pryor tells us if she agrees or disagrees with these wildly held stereotypes about Wake Forest o Pryor tells us the type of student she would recommend consider Wake Forest o Pryor also tells us about the type of student that may not be the best fit for Wake Forest o Pryor tells us what students like to do on the weekends at Wake o Pryor tells us if Wake is a hard place to be without a car o Pryor tells us what Wake’s personality is like 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: 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 644: Why It Is Hard for Admission Officers To Predict Which Students Will Come
06/01/2026
YCBK 644: Why It Is Hard for Admission Officers To Predict Which Students Will Come
In this episode you will hear: Why the University of Florida adding Early Decision is so significant Mark talks about some new and creative ways AO’s are using AI -Part 2 Mark interviews Andy Strickler about the challenges college admission leaders faced in 2026. We focus on predictive modeling in this segment o Andy and I have a very honest conversation about predictive modeling. Andy tells us what predictive modeling is, o Andy gives the most detailed description of how predictive modeling works at Connecticut College, and friends, you do not want to miss this. o Andy also tells us one major problem with predictive modeling o Andy shares some of the possible solutions some colleges are utilizing to yield more students o Andy talks about reframing how students see college o We discuss the pros and cons of requiring more writing from students when completing their applications 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 643: The Pros and Cons of Colleges With 500 or Less Students
05/28/2026
YCBK 643: The Pros and Cons of Colleges With 500 or Less Students
In this episode you will hear: (04:15) Hilary and Mark answer a question from a listener from Minneapolis who wants to know why there is so little conversation about colleges with under 500 students (25:32) Mark takes a question from a listener from Pennsylvania who has several questions about Historically Black Colleges and Universities (51:08) Mark interviews a current Wake Forest student; they discuss her experience on a competitive dance team and they also discuss what Wake Forest is really like Preview of Part 1 o Pryor gives her backstory o Pryor tells us what it was like growing up in DuBai o Pryor tells us what it is like being a student athlete at Wake and she talks about what she had to do to make the competitive dance team at Wake o Pryor shares the pros and cons of being a student athlete in a Power 4 conference o Pryor tells us what the best things about Wake Forest o Pryor tells us what she would change if she was in charge of Wake Forest o Pryor tells us the things that she didn’t know about Wake Forest until she arrived in Winston Salem 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: 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 642: Admission Officers are Using AI in New and Creative Ways
05/25/2026
YCBK 642: Admission Officers are Using AI in New and Creative Ways
In this episode you will hear: Mark talks about some new and creative ways AO’s are using AI Mark interviews Andy Strickler about the challenges college admission leaders faced in 2026. Part 2-Preview o We continue our conversation about the reasons why Connecticut College is adding Early Action o We talk about some of the creative ways colleges are trying to yield students o We talks about some creative ways colleges recruit students and we have a honest conversation about is this practice fair to both parties or does it cross the line and is it not student-centric. Some of the things I say are probably not going to land well with everyone but one thing you can always count on from me, I calls balls and strikes how I see them, and Andy is the same way, which is why I love doing these deep dives on college admissions with Andy every 3 months. 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 641: Why Some College Info Is Too Sensitive To Share with Parents
05/21/2026
YCBK 641: Why Some College Info Is Too Sensitive To Share with Parents
In this episode you will hear: (05:01) Hilary and Mark answer a question from a listener from Cincinnati who wants to know why the high school will not share the School Profile with him (24:44) Lisa interviews Suzanne Hanna and they discuss tips to help girls successfully transition to college-3 of 3 Preview of Part 3 o Suzanne and Lisa spend most of part 3 continuing their discussion about the pros and cons of sorority life o Suzanne addresses the concern that some girls have that if they don’t join a sorority they won’t have any friends o Suzanne gives her advice to all of the college coaches that are listening when it comes to working with girls o Suzanne and Lisa talk about is there a way to find out which sororities are the most aggressive (41:30) Kevin Newton shares the opportunities available for students to leave the country for a graduate degree-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: 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 640: Why Do So Many Admission Leaders Say 2026 Was Their Hardest Year Ever
05/18/2026
YCBK 640: Why Do So Many Admission Leaders Say 2026 Was Their Hardest Year Ever
In this episode you will hear: Mark shares two special events coming up no 6/1 and 10/6 for YCBK listeners and then Hilary takes a question from a listener about the activity section of the application Mark interviews Andy Strickler about the challenges college admission leaders faced in 2026. Part 1-Preview o Mark and Andy have a discussion about what made 2026 so challenging for so many colleges o Andy tells us some of the reasons why so many colleges felt blindsided by how difficult it was to attract and yield students in 2026, what made 2026 so different o Mark and Andy talk about things like: o The job market for recent grads, o Return on investment o The power of brand name o The focus on grad school o The difficulty of meeting families’ financial expectations o We talk about how some colleges have a veneer of selectivity but behind closed doors, they are very worried about feeling fully enrolled, very worried about meeting their class Andy explains why Conn College is adding Early Action when they already have Early Decision1, Early Decision2, and Regular Decision, and we talk about the challenges adding EA is going to add when they already have Early Decision 1, Early Decision 2 and Regular Decision Jed Applerouth-Trends on the ACT and SAT and answers to listener questions about the ACT/SAT - Part 3/3 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 639: Why are Colleges Sending Recruitment Mail to My College Student
05/14/2026
YCBK 639: Why are Colleges Sending Recruitment Mail to My College Student
In this episode you will hear: (03:05) Carter and Mark answer a question from a listener who wants to know why colleges are sending recruitment mail to her current college students. (26:04) Lisa interviews Suzanne Hanna and they discuss tips to help girls successfully transition to college-2 of 3 Preview of Part 2 o Suzanne talks about teenage rebellion o Suzanne talks about the kid she calls, “the butthole” o Suzanne discusses the child she refers to as “the baby” o Suzanne talks about young women and sex o Suzanne talks about how young women are scared o Suzanne talks about the struggles girls go through in sorority recruitment and dealing with sorority rejection, but she also shares the positive side of sororities (50:22) Kevin Newton shares the opportunities available for students to leave the country for a graduate degree-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: 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 638: Is Self-Prep, Group-Prep or One-On-One ACT/SAT Prep Best-Part 2
05/11/2026
YCBK 638: Is Self-Prep, Group-Prep or One-On-One ACT/SAT Prep Best-Part 2
In this episode you will hear: Jed continues with what he started in part 1 giving us a broad overview of self-prep, group prep and one on one and various hybrid models Jed discusses ways to support kids struggling with negative self-talk, and explores how tutors can assist students dealing with test anxiety Jed talks about the biggest value that the one-on-one tutor brings Jed answers the question-if a student wants to do self-prep, is this best done at the start or at the end of a student’s self-prep Jed talks about what his research shows on whether the size of the group makes a difference in score gains Jed talks about whether in person or Zoom makes a difference Jed talks about whether it makes a difference if kids are at different levels 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 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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