Your College Bound Kid | Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews

In this episode you will hear: (04:44) Mark interviews Mitch Gordon and Jennifer Ziegenfus-Verto Education Part 5 of 5-Preview v Mitch talks about how safe the sites that the students are at are v Jen talks about how a visit she took from Boulder to the London site, and it was transformational for her understanding of the magic of Verto v Mitch talks about whether a student or parent can visit an overseas site before they commit v Mitch tells us more about how Parents Days work v Jen talks about where someone who is interested in Verto should go next to learn even more about Verto v Mitch talks about his vision about he envisions Verto will look like in 2032 when Verto is 15 years old v We close with Jen and Mitch going on the hot seat in our lightning round (34:55) Mark and Christina interview Adam Miller, The VP of Enrollment at Whiman College, Part 3 of 3 Understanding Whitman · Adam discusses how practically does being "need-aware" look like at Whitman · Adam discusses what Whitman needs to work on to be an even better college · Adam talks about what Walla Walla is like as a town · Adam talks about the weather in Walla Walla, Washington · Adam talks about the wine culture in Walla Walla · Adam talks about how Whitman celebrates the Liberal Arts Recommended Resources JG Talks: Helping prospective and current college students achieve success Colleges that allow self-reporting of test scores Colleges that Allow Self-Reporting of SAT and ACT Scores Great source for questions about finances and college Edvisors: Financial Aid, Student Loans, Scholarships and Money Management FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends Complete FAFSA 2026‑2027 Walkthrough | From Start to Submit CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs CSS Profile Walkthrough MEFA Institute: A Deep Dive into the CSS Profile 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/blog/ 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-books/ Check out the college websites Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-websites/ 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: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCauBgityVXVHRQUjvlIRfYrMWWdHarB9DMQGYL0472bNxrw/viewform If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at [email protected]. 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/

In this episode you will hear: Mark interviews Mitch Gordon and Jennifer Ziegenfus-Verto Education Part 4 of 5-Preview v Mitch talks about how hard covid was extremely hard on Verto and he talks about what was it that allowed Verto to survive and then thrive through Verto v Mitch talks about what residential environment is like for students v Mitch talks about the course offerings are that are available at each location v Mitch talks about how they added several stem heavy partners and how they wanted certain courses to be provided so they added these courses v Mitch talks about how they find faculty for Verto v Mitch talks about the average class size and he talks about what his very ambitious goal is when it comes to the quality of the teaching faculty v Mitch talks about some of the experiential learning that occurs as part of the Verto experience v Jen talks about the extracurricular opportunities that are available v Mitch talks about the importance of community and connection at Verto v I ask Mitch and Jen what Verto needs to do better and they share specific things that they want to improve Mark and Christina interview Adam Miller, The VP of Enrollment at Whiman College, Part 2 of 3 Understanding Whitman · Adam discusses what the admissions office looks for when they are deciding who to admit, and he singles out some very specific personal qualities that Whitman values · Adam paints a clear picture of the type of performance from a grades and rigor standpoint that is competitive in the Whitman admission process · Adam discusses Whitman's perspective on standardized testing · Whitman discusses the role that interviews play in the Whitman admission process · Whitman talks about how extracurricular activities impact how an admissions file is read · Adam shares the role that writing plays in the evaluation process Recommended Resources JG Talks: Helping prospective and current college students achieve success Colleges that allow self-reporting of test scores Colleges that Allow Self-Reporting of SAT and ACT Scores Great source for questions about finances and college Edvisors: Financial Aid, Student Loans, Scholarships and Money Management FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends Complete FAFSA 2026‑2027 Walkthrough | From Start to Submit CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs CSS Profile Walkthrough MEFA Institute: A Deep Dive into the CSS Profile 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/blog/ 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-books/ Check out the college websites Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-websites/ 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: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCauBgityVXVHRQUjvlIRfYrMWWdHarB9DMQGYL0472bNxrw/viewform If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at [email protected]. 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/

In this episode you will hear: (08:53) Mark interviews Mitch Gordon and Jennifer Ziegenfus-Verto Education Part 3 of 5-Preview  Jen and Mitch talk about the growth of students who are now choosing Verto as their first choice and how, increasingly, students are starting with Verto as their first-choice option  Mitch explains the college counseling that Verto provides for students who want to start with Verto, and how they have their own version of the Common App  Jen talks about how incredibly important it is for Verto to have an academic team and an academic advisory board so Verto can have the right classes for students  Jen talks about how the Verto model is set up for students to graduate in four years  Mitch talks about the cost of attending a Verto program and Verto's commitment to access.  Mitch talks about the Global Citizenship scholarship, and some of the other scholarships that Verto offers  Mitch talks about what is covered and not covered in the Verto fees  Jen talks about how excursions are built into the Verto experience  Mitch talks about what qualifications are required for a student to transfer back, and we talk about how Verto can avoid sending a student to a college who has the correct GPA but the kid is a knucklehead  Mitch and Jen discuss what percentage of Verto students who start with the invite end up at a Verto partner school after their Verto experience  Mitch and Jen talk about how some colleges even send their students care packages, and some colleges even visit students at their overseas location (32:26)Mark and Christina interview Adam Miller, The VP of Enrollment at Whiman College, Part 1 of 3 Understanding Whitman · Adam gives his backstory · Adam explains, "Why Whitman" · Adam discusses, the "Semester in the West" · Adam explains the outstanding outdoor program at Whitman · Adam discusses the Senior Thesis and the strength in stem · Adam explains the very unique one on one career counseling program at Whitman Recommended Resources JG Talks: Helping prospective and current college students achieve success Colleges that allow self-reporting of test scores Colleges that Allow Self-Reporting of SAT and ACT Scores Great source for questions about finances and college Edvisors: Financial Aid, Student Loans, Scholarships and Money Management FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends Complete FAFSA 2026‑2027 Walkthrough | From Start to Submit CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs CSS Profile Walkthrough MEFA Institute: A Deep Dive into the CSS Profile 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/blog/ 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-books/ Check out the college websites Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-websites/ 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: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCauBgityVXVHRQUjvlIRfYrMWWdHarB9DMQGYL0472bNxrw/viewform If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at [email protected]. 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/

In this episode you will hear: Mark interviews Mitch Gordon and Jennifer Ziegenfus-Verto Education Part 2 of 5-Preview v Jennifer goes in some depth explaining when and how a university recommends the Verto option for students v Mitch explains what he means by the "glass half full" approach to when a student gets a Verto offer v Mitch talks about more selective colleges have partnered with Verto in recent years v Mitch talks about the experiential learning that happens at Verto v Mitch explains how he had his epiphany of how college can be a great benefit to the colleges v Jen was the Vice Chancellor at CU Boulder and she explains what the "value add' is to the colleges and she explains two distinct pathways that students come to their college from Verto; she describes the Direct Transfer Pathway to Verto and the traditional path where the college recommends Verto v Mitch talks about how Verto is creating the largest Transfer Network in the world and how it is an international network and how it is growing fast v Mitch talks about the year Verto started and what the early years were like; he also talks about what Verto looks for when they a select a college partner v Mitch talks about his vision for the future of Verto v Jen talks about what factor goes into whether a student gets assigned to Verto for one semester or for one year v Mitch talks about the five international locations that Verto has and he talks about what factors determine which location to the student ends up at Recommended Resources JG Talks: Helping prospective and current college students achieve success Colleges that allow self-reporting of test scores Colleges that Allow Self-Reporting of SAT and ACT Scores Great source for questions about finances and college Edvisors: Financial Aid, Student Loans, Scholarships and Money Management FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends Complete FAFSA 2026‑2027 Walkthrough | From Start to Submit CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs CSS Profile Walkthrough MEFA Institute: A Deep Dive into the CSS Profile 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/blog/ 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-books/ Check out the college websites Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-websites/ 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: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCauBgityVXVHRQUjvlIRfYrMWWdHarB9DMQGYL0472bNxrw/viewform If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at [email protected]. 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/

In this episode you will hear: (22:15) Mark interviews Mitch Gordon and Jennifer Ziegenfus-Verto Education Part 1 of 5-Preview v Mitch Gordon shares his backstory v Mitch is a serial entrepreneur with all of his ventures being related to students having overseas experiences; he shares a few of his other educational ventures v Jennifer Ziegenfus give her fascinating backstory, and friends, you should have your student listen to Jennifer's background because it is textbook case for why I don't think students need to have it all figured out at 18, in terms of what they want to do with their lives v Mitch shares why he hired Jen, and what she does for Verto that is living out the values of Verto v Mitch shares what the mission of Verto Education is v Mitch shares how Verto challenges students v Mitch shares the nuts and bolts of how Verto works v Jennifer explains how her role is to be the liaison to support their partner colleges v Jennifer explains in depth how Verto does orientation, how Verto helps prepare students and their families for their transition to their overseas site where they will be living in the fall v Mitch talks about the two primary ways in which students find Verto Recommended Resources JG Talks: Helping prospective and current college students achieve success Colleges that allow self-reporting of test scores Colleges that Allow Self-Reporting of SAT and ACT Scores Great source for questions about finances and college Edvisors: Financial Aid, Student Loans, Scholarships and Money Management FAFSA Walkthroughs Mark recommends Complete FAFSA 2026‑2027 Walkthrough | From Start to Submit CSS PROFILE Walkthroughs CSS Profile Walkthrough MEFA Institute: A Deep Dive into the CSS Profile 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/blog/ 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: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-books/ Check out the college websites Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-websites/ 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: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCauBgityVXVHRQUjvlIRfYrMWWdHarB9DMQGYL0472bNxrw/viewform If you want a college consultation with Mark just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email at [email protected]. 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/