The College Checklist Podcast

If you're taking the SAT or ACT in the spring, it might be time to start thinking about test prep! Join Julia and special guest Eric Rath, Founder of Rath Tutoring, who has over twenty years of experience in test prep and tutoring, to talk about test prep dos and don'ts. Contact RathTutoring.com at info@rathtutoring.com or 1-866-Rath-101 Find self-paced online courses at higherscorestestprep.com

With the cost of college climbing every year, Julia sat down with Peg Keough, the Director of Education at College Aid Pro to learn more about the ways students and families can make college more affordable by making informed decisions about financial aid! __________________ Create your College Aid Pro free account:  https://mycap.collegeaidpro.com/ Have questions? Email CAP at support@collegeaidpro.com You can find them as CollegeAidPro on LinkedIn and Instagram; Plus: CAP private FB group called 'Paying For College - with College Aid Pro' is a great group where we talk about everything from financial aid and scholarships to applications, essays, and college searches. Other Resources: CSS Profile Get an FSA ID Take the Cash for College course with Higher Scores Collegedata.com College Navigator  

Julia is joined by Michele Evard and Holly Ramsey, the authors of College Unmazed: Your Guide to Design & Document Your Homeschool Journey, which helps homeschool families prepare for successful college applications to their dream universities. __________________ Go to https://www.collegeunmazed.com/homeschool and use code HOMESCHOOL10 for 10% discount off everything College Unmazed Sells, as well as a Free download of the homeschool mindmap.  Sign up to work with Michele at https://www.evardconsulting.com/ or contact her directly at michele@evardconsulting.com  Explore Holly's consulting services here https://www.thoughtfulhomeschooling.com/ or email her at ThoughfulHomeschooling@gmail.com Sign up for test prep at higherscorestestprep.com/choose-a-course/ !

Is your student applying to a STEM program and you need to know what to include? It's time to get into the world of admissions for STEM majors with our resident expert Christina! ________ Get a free consultation with Christina at March Consulting! Sign up for a test prep course with Julia at Higher Scores!

Guest host Kat Clowes of March Consulting interviews military academy admissions expert Lisa Rielage from Admissions Decrypted! ______ Sign up for a free consultation with March Consulting! Check out Admissions Decrypted to work with Lisa! Explore the resources Lisa mentioned in the episode: Breaking Ice Breaking Glass by Sandra Stosz Service Academy Sorority podcast Naval Academy Minority Association Stew Smith military fitness blog ROTC scholarships   

Working on college applications and not sure which major to choose? Will your application even be impacted by which program you're applying to? In short, yes! Join us for this episode as we get into the weeds on how and why to choose a college major before submitting your applications. ___________ For help with all of your major-related questions, reach out to March Consulting for a free consultation. For last minute test prep resources, check out Higher Scores Test Prep.

If you have a junior or senior high school student and you're trying to decipher what "test optional" and "test blind" and "test required" mean, or if the school you wanted to apply to just switched back to "test required," or if you're hearing that no one needs the SAT anymore but that juuuust doesn't sound right, this is the episode for you. We're talking about Test Optional admissions policies today: What are they, why are they like this, and what do they mean for your student. _______ Be ready for all things testing with Higher Scores Test Prep Get the latest admissions advice from March Consulting experts.

Two test prep experts cover what the PSAT is, why it matters, and what you need to know about the National Merit scholarship program that could save you thousands of dollars on college! ______ Take the PSAT 2-in-1 course with Higher Scores Test Prep. Get help with scholarships with March Consulting.  

The new Digital SAT is almost completely different from previous versions of the test, so Julia and Christina walk through all the important changes to the English and Math sections, how to prepare, and how to make sure your student and their device are ready for test day. _______ Prepare for the SAT or contact Higher Scores here. Learn whether your student needs a test score and get help building a college list with March Consulting here.

Meet the new hosts of the College Checklist Podcast as we discuss all of the chaos and change in college admissions and test prep. _____ Get ready for the SAT or PSAT this fall with Julia at Higher Scores Test Prep! Contact her here. Or prepare for application season with Christina at March Consulting College Planners!

If you listened to the last episode featuring just-graduated-high-school-Adam, be prepared to teleport 3 years into the future and meet almost-graduated-college-Adam! Earn the SAT or ACT score that will secure admissions and scholarships to the college of your dreams!      

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Adam when he was a junior in high school.  Not only was he thoroughly committed to improving his ACT scores, he then leveraged those scores for some really impressive merit aid awards.  Earn the SAT or ACT score that will secure admissions and scholarships to the college of your dreams! About Lauren Gaggioli After graduating from New York University with her B.F.A. in Theater, Lauren moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. To make time for auditions during the day, she called upon her academic roots from her high school days and began tutoring the ACT and SAT. She quickly fell in love - not with the exams, but with the feeling that she was helping students put their feet on a firm path towards a big, bright future. After 7 years working as an in-home tutor with a large test prep firm and then in her own independent tutoring company, Lauren distilled her experiences into the 4 different ACT & SAT prep programs that are now available through her company, Higher Scores Test Prep. Resources Mentioned Want to improve your test scores and earn more cash for college? Each of my four online test prep courses includes my free Cash for College workshop so you can raise your score and earn thousands of dollars in free tuition too. Head to higherscorestestprep.comto learn more.  

If you're not hopeful about the future... If your next steps feel forced... If you feel your purpose lies on a different path than the one you're currently walking... ...then this episode is for you.  Earn the SAT or ACT score that will secure admissions and scholarships to the college of your dreams!   About Lauren Gaggioli After graduating from New York University with her B.F.A. in Theater, Lauren moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. To make time for auditions during the day, she called upon her academic roots from her high school days and began tutoring the ACT and SAT. She quickly fell in love - not with the exams, but with the feeling that she was helping students put their feet on a firm path towards a big, bright future. After 7 years working as an in-home tutor with a large test prep firm and then in her own independent tutoring company, Lauren distilled her experiences into the 4 different ACT & SAT prep programs that are now available through her company, Higher Scores Test Prep.    

Changing course can often be a great choice, but there are some risks that come from opting out of the first 2 years at a 4-year college. The most important thing is to have a clear understand of both the upshots and downsides of opting for a transfer track before making your decision. Earn the SAT or ACT score that will secure admissions and scholarships to the college of your dreams! About Kat Clowes Kat is the founder of March Consulting. She holds several degrees, including an MBA from Mount Saint Mary's College, a BA in Communications from Santa Clara University, and a post-graduate certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from UC Irvine. An associate member of the Independent Educational Consultant's Association (IECA) and the Higher Educational Consultant's Association (HECA), she visits college campuses throughout the United States to discover more about the great options available to a variety of different students. She brings that knowledge home with her to help students discover the schools best fit for their needs. Her favorite part of her job is watching clients discover that they have something to offer the world and find the means of communicating it. To learn more about Kat, her team, and her services, head to MyMarchConsulting.com. Resources Mentioned Put College To Work [Book] Big Why Life Workshop  

Recorded long before the pandemic hit, this episode seems rather fortuitous given the biggest challenge we're currently facing in lockdown: focus. Our dear friend and fellow bookworm Jen Hoffman joins us to share her incredible tips for cultivating the practice of focus. Earn the SAT or ACT score that will secure admissions and scholarships to the college of your dreams!   About Jennifer Hoffman Jennifer Hoffman is a Certified Personal Trainer-Restorative Exercise Specialist (CPT-RES) , a Registered Yoga Teacher (eRYT-500), and founder of HealthyMoving.com.   Jen has worked with thousands of students sharing tips to help them make lasting improvements to their health and wellness. Everything she teaches is based on one crazy truth: that you don't need to exercise to be healthy. Instead, for lasting wellness, she encourages us to weave Healthy Moving into the fabric of our day so we can feel amazing in and about our bodies. To learn more about Jen and her work, visit HealthyMoving.com. Resources Mentioned 5 Minute Stress Relief Practice Headspace App Jen's Homeschool PE Curriculum  

Living in times of great uncertainty is no easy feat. The good news is that there are skills and practices that you can cultivate that can help you not only cope but thrive. Whether it's a year when the waters are rough and choppy or a momentary bobble, the tips the Dr. Maggie Wray shares with us today will help you learn to thrive in these (and all) uncertain times. Earn the SAT or ACT score that will secure admissions and scholarships to the college of your dreams! About Dr. Maggie Wray Dr. Maggie Wray is a certified ADHD Coach & Academic Life Coach and the founder of Creating Positive Futures. She and her team help high school and college students learn how to earn better grades with less stress and empower students to develop the mindset, organization, time management, and study skills they need to achieve their goals. You can learn more about Dr. Wray and her work at CreatingPositiveFutures.com. Resources Mentioned The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal  

Networking. It's such a daunting topic for so many people, but - as hard as it is to network in person - it's made even more challenging at a distance. Earn the SAT or ACT score that will secure admissions and scholarships to the college of your dreams! ‪ About Derek Hoffman After a successful career at one of the Big 4 accounting firms, Derek has changed tacks and is now climbing the ranks at a large entertainment company. Derek is a high achiever and problem solver who has been recognized by both guests and leaders for his exemplary service in his new position. The 3 main reasons I think he receives such accolades is due to his insatiable curiosity, his creativity, and his remarkable people skills. He also makes a mean chicken alfredo. Seriously, don't miss out on the super easy recipe at the end of the episode!  Resources Mentioned A few books to add to your bookshelf... How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnagie The Greatest Salesman In The World by Og Mandino The Go Giver by Bob Berg The Platinum Rule by Tony Alessandra  

Last spring was incredibly challenging. The upheaval of our normal day-to-day lives unsurprisingly took a toll on the work we did. Thomas Frank from CollegeInfoGeek.com will be joining us to help us improve our productivity as we get the new school year underway. Earn the SAT or ACT score that will secure admissions and scholarships to the college of your dreams! About Thomas Frank Thomas Frank is an author, YouTuber, musician, and podcaster who is passionate about helping people become more capable and productive. Most of his work today is done at College Info Geek – a site he created in 2010 in order to share his experiments in becoming a more effective student. Today, College Info Geek is one of the world's largest and best-loved resources for students, and includes a blog, podcast, and a YouTube channel with over 1.7 million subscribers. Learn more about Thomas at CollegeInfoGeek.com. Resources Mentioned Gain access to Thomas's 2 courses on productivity for free at CollegeInfoGeek.com/courses. Check out Thomas's YouTube Channel.  

After the initial shock of quarantine life wore off last spring, we realized that one of the biggest ways that the Class of 2021 was going to be impacted by Coronavirus was the inability to visit college campuses. Kelly Queijo of SmartCollegeVisit.com will help us discover how to best use the myriad digital tools now available to us to forge true connection as we select our colleges from a distance. Earn the SAT or ACT score that will secure admissions and scholarships to the college of your dreams!     About Kelly Queijo A Virginia Tech alumna, Kelly Queijo, is an award-winning writer and entrepreneur and founder of Smart College Visit, Inc. Kelly is passionate about education, technology and travel, whether live or virtual.  Smart College Visit publishes current, relative, and relatable content for students, parents, and high school guidance counselors, while SCV Journey provides students an easy way to search for colleges that meet their criteria, access college profile data and create their own, personalized college list. Together these sites make a connected college planning resource for college-bound teens and their families. Learn more at SmartCollegeVisit.com and SCVJourney.com.