Podcast Relaunch: Why College Admissions Sucks and How to Fix It

Instead of our usually scheduled episode, I'm playing a special episode from our spin-off podcast, Behind the Application. It follows ten high school seniors through their admissions processes, so we can hear straight from the people actually applying what the process is like. Check it out here (https://anchor.fm/behindtheapp). Sign up for our college admissions boot camp (championshipadmissions.com)  Get Personal Test Prep and Admissions Counseling from Host Michael Gao - (bit.ly/calendargao)

The first step in the college admissions process is picking which colleges to apply to! In this episode, we talk about what a good, diversified list looks like. We define key terms: safety schools, target schools, and reach schools. We discuss how many schools to apply to and how to know if a school is right fit for you. There is a lot to think about. Do you want to go to a faith-based school? Do you want to go to a big school or a small school? There are so many factors to consider. Check out the show notes (admissionsuncovered.com) for helpful links to college search tools and other resources. Sign up for our college admissions boot camp (championshipadmissions.com) Support us on Patreon Get Personal Test Prep and Admissions Counseling from Host Michael Gao Join the discussion on Reddit and read about what Michael considers the top 3 mistakes people make when constructing a list (https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/hkc4rj/summer_soft_deadline_college_list/) --- Follow us on social media - Twitter - @aupodfm Facebook - @admissions.uncovered Instagram - @admissions.uncovered Subscribe to the podcast - iTunes/Apple devices - bit.ly/aupodapple Android devices - bit.ly/aupoddroid

Gonzalez has a busy day job as an administrator and Michael never has to apply to college again. Why are they still so interested in the process? So much so that they do this podcast and are holding a college application boot camp. In this episode, Michael and Gonzalez the important stories in their lives that keep them so invested in the admissions process. For Gonzalez, his story begins with his own admissions process, where lack of information about financial aid kept him from going to Harvard University. For Michael, college admissions is an important time to break out of a cycle of "gold star chasing" he sees in so many of his classmates at Columbia. Get Angela Duckworth's book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance, it has a great discussion of how colleges look at high school extracurriculars Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information. Support us on Patreon Get Personal Test Prep and Admissions Counseling from Host Michael Gao --- Follow us on social media - Twitter - @aupodfm Facebook - @admissions.uncovered Instagram - @admissions.uncovered Subscribe to the podcast - iTunes/Apple devices - bit.ly/aupodapple Android devices - bit.ly/aupoddroid

This is a little different than our usual episodes. Today, I want to share three clips that really helped me think about what happened to George Floyd and what we should do now. The first clip is from Roxie Washington, the mother of George Floyd's child (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzd-TpZCCP4). Hearing the anger and the sadness in her voice... it's hard not to feel it as well. The second clip is from Trevor Noah, who gave a really clear analysis of what happened to George Floyd and the protests that followed. He has a very compelling response to people who divert the conversation to "looting" and I think his entire monologue is worth a listen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4amCfVbA_c). Finally, I was really affected by a clip from Baratunde Thurston - a Black comedian and writer - who had some great advice for what we, especially we non-Black folks, can do (https://megaphone.link/VMP3333920477).   Donate here: Memorial fund - https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd Local bail funds - http://bit.ly/localbailfunds Great article for more of what you can do - https://www.thecut.com/article/george-floyd-protests-how-to-help-where-to-donate.html Remember, if you donate, email or DM us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with your receipt. We will match the amount you give and you'll get a free hour of admissions counseling or test prep with Michael. 

A Columbia University undergrad and his old teacher talk about college admissions: how students can craft the best college application, how teachers and administrators can help them, and how colleges can improve the system. Check out our website Support us on Patreon Get Personal Test Prep and Admissions Counseling from Host Michael Gao --- Follow us on social media - Twitter - @aupodfm Facebook - @admissions.uncovered Instagram - @admissions.uncovered Subscribe to the podcast - iTunes/Apple devices - bit.ly/aupodapple Android devices - bit.ly/aupoddroid

Michael and Gonzalez talk about the pros and cons of gap years. Michael thinks it's always been an underrated option, but because of coronavirus, more and more people are thinking about taking one! We talk about what someone might learn on a gap year, why someone might take it, and how the calculus could be different if you come from a low income background. Get Angela Duckworth's book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance, it has a great discussion of how colleges look at high school extracurriculars Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information. Support us on Patreon Get Personal Test Prep and Admissions Counseling from Host Michael Gao --- Follow us on social media - Twitter - @aupodfm Facebook - @admissions.uncovered Instagram - @admissions.uncovered Subscribe to the podcast - iTunes/Apple devices - bit.ly/aupodapple Android devices - bit.ly/aupoddroid

Today's episode is a special Q and A with students from the Law Magnet - Michael's old high school and where Gonzalez works as an administrator. We take questions from the high school seniors ranging from extracurriculars, to coronavirus, to essays, to how to pay for college. Tune in for some great questions that if you're a high school student, you probably are thinking about as well! Get Angela Duckworth's book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance, it has a great discussion of how colleges look at high school extracurriculars Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information. Support us on Patreon Get Personal Test Prep and Admissions Counseling from Host Michael Gao --- Follow us on social media - Twitter - @aupodfm Facebook - @admissions.uncovered Instagram - @admissions.uncovered Subscribe to the podcast - iTunes/Apple devices - bit.ly/aupodapple Android devices - bit.ly/aupoddroid

Coronavirus is here and I'm sure everything is crazy. School is virtual, all your extracurriculars are cancelled, and you're stuck at home all the time! That being said, college admissions doesn't stop, so today Sean and I talk about how coronavirus affects your applications. In particular, we focus on how you can continue your extracurricular activities or start new ones. Get Angela Duckworth's book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance, it has a great discussion of how colleges look at high school extracurriculars Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information. Support us on Patreon Get Personal Test Prep and Admissions Counseling from Host Michael Gao --- Follow us on social media - Twitter - twitter.com/aupodfm Facebook - facebook.com/admissions.uncovered Instagram - instagram.com/admissions.uncovered Subscribe to the podcast - iTunes/Apple devices - bit.ly/aupodapple Android devices - bit.ly/aupoddroid

Extracurricular activities are essential to any compelling college application. In this episode, we talk about 3 different types of students: students who don't have any extracurriculars, students who have too many extracurriculars, and students that got into college on the strengths of their extracurriculars. Then, we talk a little about how schools, administrators, and teachers can do a better job of counseling students. Get Angela Duckworth's book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perserverance Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information.  Support us on Patreon Get Personal Test Prep and Admissions Counseling from Host Michael Gao --- Follow us on social media - Twitter - twitter.com/aupodfm Facebook - facebook.com/admissions.uncovered Instagram - instagram.com/admissions.uncovered Subscribe to the podcast - iTunes/Apple devices - bit.ly/aupodapple Android devices - bit.ly/aupoddroid

We are re-launching the podcast with a new co-host: Don Gonzalez. You've heard from Gonzalez on a previous episode on teacher recommendation letters previous episode. Now, he'll be bringing his perspective as a veteran teacher and administrator to the podcast. This way, we hope to talk about the college application process with a broader perspective. In the episode, we talk about what we hope to talk about in future episodes: how the college admissions process is unfair, how public high schools often fail students, and how to fix it. Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information -  https://admissionsuncovered.com/2961 --- Follow us on social media - Twitter - twitter.com/aupodfm Facebook - facebook.com/admissions.uncovered Instagram - instagram.com/admissions.uncovered Subscribe to the podcast - iTunes/Apple devices - bit.ly/aupodapple Android devices - bit.ly/aupoddroid