College Admissions with Mark and Anna Anna Ren, Mark Hofer

It’s the holiday season…and there are always vacations and breaks. What to do, what to do? One of the most common questions consultants hear from students and parents is: “What should I do during vacation… you know, to look good on college applications?”


Join Mark and Anna as they discuss how high school and college students can best utilize their breaks. While families often think they should attend a summer program or conduct research, etc, there are other options out there. Each of these experiences can be valuable—but so can painting a house, babysitting, publishing a blog, getting a j.o.b., learning an instrument, taking a bike apart, learning to sew, taking a daily walk, volunteering, speak (and think!) only in Spanish for a week, or becoming a street mime… can be just as valuable, when approached with the right mindset and two questions. Learn more in our newest episode. 

Join Mark and Anna as they speak with Mark Salisbury from TuitionFit to discuss something revolutionary - transparent college pricing. Learn about how TuitionFit helps students and their families feel empowered in college admissions and get the best value from college for free.


Mark Salisbury started his career in higher education as a soccer coach in 1995. After a decade, he transitioned to admissions and then, after earning a PhD in higher education, became a researcher, director of institutional research and assessment, writer, and a consultant for colleges that wanted to get better at using data to improve student learning.

Join Mark and Anna as they speak with Michael B. Horn, one of the authors of Choosing College, as they discuss how to put students and families in the driver's seat of their future so that they understand why they want to go to school and make better decisions around the college admissions process.


Michael Horn, the coauthor of the new book, Choosing College, is the chief strategy officer at the Entangled Group, an education venture studio, and the cofounder of the Clayton Christensen Institute, a nonprofit think tank. To learn more about Michael and check out his book, please visit https://michaelbhorn.com.


You can purchase his book, Choosing College, on Amazon. 

Join Mark and Anna as they speak with Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Rob Kirkland of ROTC Consulting as they cover the benefits of joining ROTC in college (both monetary and not), how to apply for scholarships that help you afford college, the military expectations upon graduating, how you can earn 'free ride' including room and board, and more! 

Join Mark and Anna as they talk about what new college students should actually be thinking about and preparing for that are often glossed over or just missed in the conversation. This goes for parents too. Now that you've gotten off the roller coaster cycle of Find School, Apply to School, Get Accepted to School, Select School, Finish High School, Pack Up for College, Travel to College, Unpack and Prepare for Life in College cycle, here are some things you may have missed.

Mark and Anna break down their top list of what to expect when starting college for the first time. Resources in this episode include:

Shipbike.com

Join Mark and Anna as they speak with guest, Debbie Schwartz. Debbie Schwartz is a former financial services marketing executive with expertise in personal finance. She’s also a parent, with 3 children and has had the personal experience of navigating college admission and paying for it for her own children. From her experience with her oldest child, she knew families needed better information and tools to make smarter college decisions.

To learn more about Road2College or join the Paying for College 101 Facebook group.