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 -...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Early Decision decisions can bring a lot of joy, a lot of despair, or a lot of indecision. If you received a deferral, that can often mean the latter. In this episode, Michael and Sean talk about what a deferral means and some common myths. Then, we talk about the options a deferred applicant has to get into the school during Regular Decision.  See more on our website - https://admissionsuncovered.com/?p=2256&preview=true --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to...

This short episode, Sean interviews high school teachers about approaching teachers for letters of rec and the writing process.  We also dispel some of the myths associated with letters of rec, and advise how underclassmen could build relationships with these teachers leading up to the letters of recommendation. Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information - bit.ly/aupod66 Follow us on social media - Twitter - twitter.com/aupodfm Facebook -...

This episode, Sean and Michael are joined by u/Scholargrade, a prominent college admissions counselor active in the r/chanceme and r/ApplyingToCollege subreddit. In Part Two of this session, we talk about 2 more case studies, and talk about whether their college list suits them. We thoroughly review their application qualities and clarify some of the myths that the general populace has when viewing college admissions to US universities. Show Notes An Introspection worksheet to brainstorm...

This episode, Sean and Michael are joined by u/Scholargrade, a prominent college admissions counselor active in the r/chanceme and r/ApplyingToCollege subreddit.  In Part One of this session, we talk about 4 different student case studies, and talk about whether their college list suits them.  We thoroughly review their application qualities and clarify some of the myths that the general populace has when viewing college admissions to US universities. Show Notes An Introspection worksheet...

Michael interviews AdmissionsMom, queen of the Reddit r/applyingtocollege community, capping off a summer of interviews with the community. In this episode, AdmissionsMom and Michael talk about mindful college admissions and how it can help craft a reflective college application and make the process less stressful. Then, we talk about her new book about moderating the subreddit and her new app that helps students be mindful about their college tours. More AdmissionsMom here AdmissionsMom's...

This week, we discussed a bit about the early college essay writing process with Sean.  As someone going through the process, Sean talks about the struggles and methods of coming up with ideas.  Then, we talk about school-specific essays and how to approach them.  Throughout the episode, we talk about common mistakes and cliche essays that many applicants use. Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information - http://bit.ly/aupod62 Follow us on social media - Twitter -...

This week, I talk with Teland from the Major Jobs Podcast. As a fellow podcaster, we talk a little bit about how we both got started and why we do it. Then, we talk about what it's like to do podcasting as a student: Teland as a high school student and me as a college student. Finally, we discuss Teland's plans to leverage the podcast on his college admissions.  Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information - http://bit.ly/aupod61 Follow us on social media - Twitter -...

Test prep tutoring is very expensive and a lot of people don't have those resources. This week, I'm joined by Kathryn Zheng, the founder of Sparky Prep. Sparky Prep is an online peer tutoring program where high school students tutor other high school students on the SAT, ACT, APs, and other academic subjects. I talk about why Kathryn started the organization, how it works, and what she thinks about the value of standardized tests.  Check out the show notes for links to more helpful...

On Reddit, former admissions officers WilliamTheReader made some harsh accusations against his former bosses. On this episode, I talk with my friend Sean Cai about these accusations and how we as students should react. Among the topics discussed are how school treat private school applicants, low income students, and Asian American students.  Check out the full post for more context -...

College admissions is a great time to reflect on your future. That means that not everyone is suited for a traditional, 4 year education. On this episode, I'm joined by incoming Stanford freshman Ashley Chen to talk about alternatives to a traditional education from 2 year community colleges to service academies to colleges with just plain wacky admissions processes and educations (anyone up for cow manure and manual labor?).  Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information -...

Your college isn't just a school; it's also a home. On this episode, I talk to high school senior Carolyn G. on how she's learning more about the soft-side of a school: its community, culture, and friendliness. We talk about what questions to ask, who to ask, and when to ask. Then, we finish up with some final tips on how to make the most out of a college visit.  Check out the show notes for links to more helpful information - http://bit.ly/aupod57 Follow us on social media -  Twitter -...

Jeffrey Wang is the founder of the r/UTAustinAdmissions subreddit. Today, he joins the podcast to talk about UT has essentially computerized half of the admissions process. UT gives each applicant an Academic Index and a Personal Achievement Index. Jeffrey explains how UT calculates these scores and how it uses them to evaluate applications. Turn out that UT's admissions process isn't so holistic after all. Stay tuned till the end for the wackiest part - applicants are literally given a...

 America isn't the only place with great colleges. The United Kingdom has so many wells know schools like Oxford and Cambridge, but it's also a completely different country, culture, and education system. On this episode, Imperial College student Ethan Summers walks us through the UK college admissions process and how college admissions in the UK are much more focused on academics and scores. We talk about some of the key differences between the UK and US education systems.  Check out the...

I know the stress must be building right now, but know that you are not alone. On this episode, I interview Swathi, a rising high school senior. We talk about how Swathi is trying to juggle all her extracurricular activities, academic commitments, and college applications. Swathi and I give some tips about productivity and scheduling. Then, we transition to talk about the Harvard lawsuit and some of the fairly damning information that's been released about how Harvard treats Asian...