College Matters. Alma Matters‪.‬ Venkat Raman

Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter

Every year the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation awards a select set of High School Seniors the Coca Cola Scholarship. Chase is a 2024 Coke Scholar. 

In this Podcast, Chase talks about his initiatives on Educational Inequities Eco Brothers, Winning the Coca-Cola Scholarship, his college search process, and his advice to high schoolers. #CokeScholars

Check Out: The College Application Workbooks for Juniors and Seniors



In particular, we discuss the following with him: 


Who is Chase Hartman?
Educational Inequities
Winning the Coke Scholarship
College Process
Advice for High Schoolers

Topics discussed in this episode:


Introducing Chase Hartman, Coke Scholar []
Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights []
Who is Chase Hartman? []
High School Interests []
Eco Brothers []
Educational Inequities []
Gold Medal Congressional Award[]
Why Coke Scholarship? []
Winning the Coke Scholarship []
The Application []
Other Scholarships []
The College Process []
Choosing Univ of Florida []
Advice for High Schoolers []

Our Guest: Chase Hartman is a 2024 Coke Scholar, and a recent graduate of Sickles High School, Florida. Chase will be a Freshman at the University of Florida in Fall 2024.

Memorable Quote: “ You might think that this one school that you've wanted to go to since sixth grade is the school that you're going to end up at, and it's your dream school, so you have to go there. But in reality, there might be another school that is offering you something else that's way better, and that is going to be a way better experience for you in the end, and it's going to benefit you a lot more.” Chase Hartman.

Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.

Similar Episodes: College Experiences

Calls-to-action:


Follow us on Instagram.
To Ask the Guest a question, or to comment on this episode, email podcast@almamatters.io.
Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations: Apple Podcasts, Spotify.

Sign Up to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter

Phil started coaching kids at Colorado Academy sometime after college. He deferred his admission to Law School to do this. But Phil found himself enjoying coaching. He enjoyed working with kids.

Today, 3 decades later, Phil is the Director of College Counseling at St. Mary’s Academy.

Phil joins us on our podcast to talk about his background, St Mary’s Academy, Counseling Approach, Challenges, Success Stories, and his Advice for High School students.

Check Out: The College Application Workbooks for Juniors and Seniors

In particular, we discuss the following with him: 


Phil Gentry’s Background
Approach to College Counseling
Challenges
Advice for High Schoolers

Topics discussed in this episode:


Introducing Phil Gentry, St Mary’s Academy []
Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights []
Professional Background []
Why Counseling? []
St Mary’s Academy []
Approach to Counseling []
Starting Early vs Later []
The Challenges []
Test Optional & FAFSA Delays []
Reflecting on the 27 years []
Success Stories []
Advice for High Schoolers []
Staying Excited []

Our Guest: Phil Gentry is the Director of College Counseling at St Mary’s Academy in Colorado..

Memorable Quote: “ You know, I would say it would seem like it should be the predictability of the job, but it's the unpredictability of the job.” Phil Gentry.

Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.

Recommended Episodes: College Experiences, College Application Workbook 

Calls-to-action:


Follow us on Instagram.
To Ask the Guest a question, or to comment on this episode, email podcast@almamatters.io.
Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations:Apple Podcasts, Spotify.

Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter

In High School, Emily was a theater kid. She was into music. She was in a number of clubs ranging from National Honor Society to Science Olympiad.

Her favorite subjects were STEM courses, but she was really confused about what major to pursue in college. But Emily was clear that she wanted to do UG Research, from Day One in college!

Emily  joins our podcast to share her undergraduate college journey at the Honors College at Drexel University, Infant Heart Research, Co-Op, Choosing Biomed engineering Major, and Advice for High Schoolers.

Check Out: The College Application Workbooks for Juniors and Seniors

In particular, we discuss the following with her: 


Drexel Honors College Experience
Infant Heart Research
Biomed Engineering Major
Advice to High Schoolers

Topics discussed in this episode:


Introduction to Emily Woodland, Drexel U []
Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights []
Overall Drexel & Honors College Experience []
Why Drexel? []
High School Interests []
Transition to College []
Academics []
The Honors Program []
Infant Heart Research []
Majoring in Biomedical Engineering []
Co-Op Experience []
Advice for High Schoolers []
Memories []

Our Guests: Emily Woodland is studying Biomedical Engineering at Pennoni Honors College, Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Memorable Quote: “So I think happiness is a large part of success. Because if you're motivated, and you're excited to wake up every day and study what you're studying, you're going to do great things.” Emily Woodland.

Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.

Similar Episodes: College Experiences 

Calls-to-action:


Follow us on Instagram.
To Ask the Guest a question, or to comment on this episode, email podcast@almamatters.io.
Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations: Apple Podcasts, Spotify.

Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter

Shilpi has a varied set of interests. In High School, Shilpi pushed herself academically taking a heavy load of AP courses, did credit card research as part of AP Capstone.

She started a cricket club in her Freshman year which grew to 50 people. 

In this Podcast, Shilpi talks about her High School Journey, her interest Quilting, Choosing Math as a Major, her college search process, and her advice for high schoolers.

In particular, we discuss the following with her: 


Who is Shilpi Bardhan?
Extracurricular Interests
College Process
Advice for High Schoolers

Topics discussed in this episode:


Introducing Shilpi Bardhan, Jenks High School, OK []
Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights []
Who is Shilpi Bardhan? []
High School Academic Interests []
Extracurricular Activities []
Passion to Quilt []
Research []
Major? []
College Search Process []
Challenges & Surprises []
Applying for Scholarships []
Why Case Western? []
Ready for College? []
Advice to High Schoolers []

Our Guest: Shilpi Bardhan is a recent graduate of Jenks High School, Oklahoma. Shilpi will be a Freshman at Case Western Reserve University in Fall 2024.

Memorable Quote: “I probably applied for a total of 50, outside of college specific scholarships, including colleges probably would go up to around 60 or 70.” Shilpi Bardhan.

Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.

Similar Episodes: College Experiences

Calls-to-action:


Follow us on Instagram.
To Ask the Guest a question, or to comment on this episode, email podcast@almamatters.io.
Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations: Apple Podcasts, Spotify.

Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter

The 2023-24 College Application Season is almost in the books. It is a good time to step back and reflect for the benefit of the next set of high school seniors and parents.

And who better to help us than the College Counselors who guided the current graduating seniors through the college process. I talked to over half-dozen High School College Counselors from across the US to put together this episode.

Check Out: The College Application Workbooks for Juniors and Seniors



Topics discussed in this episode:


Introducing The Look Back Episode []
FAFSA Impact []
No of Selective Colleges is Growing []
Fashioning College Lists - Deliberately []
About Majors []
Standardized Testing []
Advice for Rising Seniors []

Our Guests:


Sean Kennedy of Ravenscroft High School
Bill Hancock of Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School
Jodi Foxx of Charlotte Christian
Sandra Foy of Seattle Prep
Colleen Koppes of Dowling Catholic High School
Tom Stepkoski of Westhill High School, and
Shveta Bagade, Private Counselor.

Memorable (& Prescient) Quote: “I think the FAFSA, the opening of the application period being delayed to December[2023] is really a kind of sleeping giant…”, Sean Kennedy of Ravenscroft School, June 2023.

Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode Transcript.

Calls-to-action:


Follow us on Instagram.
To Ask the Guest a question, or to comment on this episode, email podcast@almamatters.io.
Subscribe or Follow our podcasts wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to Receive Venkat’s Weekly Newsletter

It is not often that I get to go back and have a follow up conversation with a guest. When I last spoke with Rishika, she had just won the Coke Scholarship,  just graduated from High School and was headed to Brown University.

Rishika has just completed her sophomore year at Brown.

In this episode, Rishika shares her undergraduate experiences at Brown University, Passion for Disability & Design, Research, and Custom Design Major.

Check Out: The College Application Workbooks for Juniors and Seniors



In particular, we discuss the following with her: 


The Brown Experience
Transition to College
Custom Design Major
Advice for High Schoolers

Topics discussed in this episode:


Introducing Rishika Kartik, Brown University[]
Hi Fives - Podcast Highlights []
The Brown Experience []
Transition to Brown []
The Academics []
Peers []
Profs []
Activities & Interests []
Extracurricular Activities []
Research []
Summers []
Custom Design Major []
Picking Courses []
The Process []
Memories []

Our Guest: Rishika Kartik is a rising junior at Brown University.

Memorable Quote: “So the biggest thing I learned throughout college is that a good life consists of good days.” Rishika Kartik.

Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode’s Transcript.

Similar Episodes: College Experiences

Calls-to-action:


Follow us on Instagram.
To Ask the Guest a question, or to comment on this episode, email podcast@almamatters.io.
Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations: Apple Podcasts, Spotify.