The Counselor's Podcast

The Hidden Cost of College

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:49:00 -0400

Jennifer Abel, author of Collegiate Admissions Guidebook takes an in-depth look at "The Hidden Cost of College." This information will help your seniors and their families prepare a comprehensive and realistic budget for their freshman year and beyond.

Avoiding the Senior Year Frenzy: Helping Juniors to Prepare Early

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 07:01:17 -0400

In "Avoiding the Senior Year Frenzy: Helping Juniors to Prepare Early", Eva Marie Garza explains how she works with a diverse group of juniors as she prepares them for their senior year.

Improving Student Success

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 08:01:00 -0500

Tammi Mackeben, 2007 recipient of the American School Counselor Association's School Counselor of the Year Award and school counselor at Ernesto Serna PK-8 School in El Paso, Texas, shares her thoughts on how to improve student success through the development of a comprehensive school counseling program.

Advising the Student Athlete in College Admissions

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:01:00 -0500

In our latest episode of The Counselor’s Podcast, Nancy Icenhower, Director of Guidance Services for West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional Schools, shares her experiences in advising the student athlete.

Choosing a Rural College

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:17:13 -0500

In "Choosing a Rural College," Terry Cowdrey from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York describes the many advantages to attending college in a small town or rural area.

Choosing a Small College

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 08:01:00 -0500

In "Choosing a Small College," J. Carey Thompson from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky describes some of the benefits of attending a small college.

The Personal Essay: Making the Connection

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 17:55:02 -0400

In "The Personal Essay: Making the Connection", Jonathan Katzenbach from the University of Pennsylvania explains how the personal essay should represent the applicant's voice.

How Colleges Read Applications

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:00:00 -0400

In "How Colleges Read Applications," Shawn Abbott, Director of Admission at Stanford University, describes the different components of a successful college application.

Planning for College Admission

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 08:00:00 -0400

In "Planning for College Admission," Yasmin Rivera-McGinnis from Wellesley College describes the different steps of the application process in a Spanish-language presentation.

How to Spend Your Summer Vacation

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:01:00 -0400

In “How to Spend Your Summer Vacation,” Joe Sheppard from Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts describes ways in which students can create a meaningful summer experience and how their choices may or may not impact their college applications.

The 3 R's of the Gap Year: Rewards, Risk, and Reflection

Mon, 14 May 2007 08:00:00 -0400

For many reasons, some students choose to take a gap year after high school and delay the start of their college education. Phil Trout, Director of College Counseling at Mounds Park Academy in Minnesota, describes some of the many options available to students who are interested in exploring a gap year.

El comienzo del proceso de universidad

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:00:00 -0400

En esta presentación Español, Goria Zelaya, una consejera de colegio para Escuela Buckley y la Academia Acelerado de View Park Preparatory en California, ofrece su consejo a los estudiantes que van a comenzar la búsqueda de universidad.

(Beginning the College Process: In this Spanish-language presentation, Gloria Zelaya, counselor at both The Buckley School and View Park Preparatory Accelerated Charter High School in California, offers her advice to students who are beginning the college search process.)

The Myth of the One and Only College

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 08:00:00 -0400

Having guided thousands of students through the college admission process, Tom Rajala, Associate Provost for Enrollment at University of the Pacific in Stockton, California offers his advice for searching for a campus that best fits your needs.

Making the Most of College Visits

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 08:00:00 -0500

Drawing upon years of experience in counseling and working with the Fiske Guide to Colleges, Bruce Hammond from Sandia Preparatory School in Albuquerque offers great advice for helping students get the most value out of their college campus visits.

Counselor Recommendations: Gathering the Information You Need

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 08:00:00 -0500

Writing powerful letters of recommendation for students is an important task for school counselors. In this presentation, Marcia Hunt of Pine Crest School in Florida describes some of the ways she gathers information about students in order to write the best possible letters of recommendation.

Great Counseling Begins with Listening

Tue, 16 Jan 2007 08:00:00 -0500

Too frequently, students and parents begin and end the college search process with the few schools they have heard of, whether or not those schools are the best fit for the student. In this presentation, Will Dix of the University of Chicago Laboratory High School shares his experiences in guiding students toward schools that match their interests, using careful questioning and listening techniques to draw students out.

Managing the December Madness

Wed, 06 Dec 2006 08:00:00 -0500

When college admission decisions begin to arrive in the midst of holiday planning and exam season, the tone of a school can change dramatically. In this presentation, Jonathan Reider of San Francisco University High School describes the December Madness and some of the ways he helps his students survive it.

Managing Student and Parent Expectations

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:01:00 -0500

Managing student and parent expectations throughout the college process can be challenging. Seniors may need some guidelines to keep a healthy perspective on the application process, and Juniors need their counselors to introduce them to new colleges and help them build a well-balanced list of colleges to consider. In this presentation, Cathy Curtis from Shanghai American School in China describes some of the ways her school guides students in all of these areas.

Special Edition: Straight Talk on SAT Optional

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:01:00 -0500

In a world where many students believe their future hinges on one standardized test score, why might a college de-emphasize those scores in the admissions process? What does “SAT optional” mean, and is it good or bad for students and colleges? In this special feature presentation, Monica Inzer, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Hamilton College in New York answers these questions and more.

Interviews: Do They Matter?

Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:01:00 -0400

As students search for every possible advantage in the college admission process, they often wonder if interviews will strengthen their applications. In this presentation, Matt DeGreeff of Middlesex School in Massachusetts shares his interview tips for students and his realistic assessment of what matters to colleges and what doesn't.

Teachers: How to Avoid Being Wrecked by Recommendations

Mon, 25 Sep 2006 08:00:00 -0400

Advising teachers on ways they can make their letters of recommendation for students as effective as possible is an important task for the counselor of college-bound students. In this presentation, Linda Connelly of New Trier High School in Illinois shares her tips for guiding teachers through the recommendation process.

Helping Students Write Effective College Essays

Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:01:00 -0400

The college essay can be a source of tremendous anxiety for students, and counselors are frequently called upon to offer advice on writing the most effective essay possible. In this presentation, Ralph Figueroa of Albuquerque Academy in New Mexico offers his tips for guiding students through this important part of the college application process.