More Than A Transcript: College Admissions Insights and Strategies

Whitney Bruce & Katelyn Klapper
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  • PARENTING

We are Whitney Bruce and Katelyn Klapper, two Independent Educational Consultants (IECs) with more than 50 years of admissions and college advising experience. We will discuss everything from the beginning of high school to college graduation. Join us as your guides to a transformative college experience, because college is more than a transcript.   A periodic podcast with new episodes the first and third Wednesday of each month.

Episodes

  1. 1D AGO

    Episode 11: Paying For College Series, Part 1: Understanding the Cost of College

    Welcome to our 3-part series on paying for college. In this episode we are talking about the cost of college. In future segments we will review the financial aid (need-based) process and then we will look at what affordability planning means and how to find scholarships and merit aid as you build your college list.  Do you know what college costs include and what the industry-wide assumptions are around how families approach paying for college?   We start with some goal setting scenarios. Are you considering not just your saving plan, but what you will pull from your budget in the college years as well as the possibility of borrowing? These are the three legs of the college funding model that colleges and government resources look at.  We talk about the disconnect that comes between what a parent wants to pay and their ability to pay. Where does your child’s obligation come in as you consider your own family financing strategy?  College is expensive!  Consumer expectations among other factors have contributed to the rising costs of college, especially at the high end. We go behind the headlines of escalating college price tags and look at the realities of both public and private college options. We look at tuition, fees, room, and board, and how varied these elements can be at the variety of institutions across the U.S.  In our tips segment we offer suggestions for researching college costs, beginning with the public institutions in your own state and your options for in-state tuition and fees. Then, look at private college options as well and use each school’s Net Price Calculator to estimate your own possible price tag. Did you know that college merit aid, or academic recruitment grants, actually represent approximately 80% of all scholarship money (over athletics and other talent-based awards?).  On the other end of the spectrum however, we want you to be aware of the number of highly selective schools (70+) that do not provide merit awards or scholarships that are not based on need. Time Stamps: 0:38 What Are We Learning This Week? Whitney talks about her recent “goal-cation” and  the benefits of goal setting when you are planning for college and trying  to stick to your college saving plans. 4:47 Big Picture: We encourage you to rip off the bandaid and face the realities of college costs and understand the assumptions around a family’s role in paying for college in the U.S. 22:38  “Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)”: Katelyn is keeping score (and she’s behind after our first ten episodes!). Can Whitney name the only college in the nation that provides a half-tuition scholarship to all students who enroll? 26:39  Tips and Strategies for learning about the range of college price tags and how to use Net Price Calculators to begin understanding your family’s eligibility for either need-based or merit-based awards. More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    35 min

  2. AUG 20

    Episode 10: College Applications Big 5 Series:Part 5, The Essay

    The college essay! The last in our series on the “big five” elements in college applications is a discussion of how to approach what is often the most stressful piece of college applications. This series of five episodes is focused on the primary elements of a college application and geared towards students who are applying to college in the fall. While not every college will use all five elements, it’s important to understand how to make the most of this opportunity to share who you are and what is important to you as part of your overall college application story.  How do students feel about the fact that there are really no absolutes when thinking about the right way to approach writing the college essay? Maybe pretty anxious, because “no rules” might make some students feel less certain about this important  piece of writing, especially when they feel they are being judged.   We talk about balancing being vulnerable and authentic while still selling yourself to the colleges you are applying to. In our tips segment we offer suggestions regardless of your approach. Does your essay sound like you? Proofread carefully and ask someone else to review for copy edits as well, but be cautious of too much help or too many reviewers. Yes, too many cooks DO spoil the essay soup!  Time Stamps: 0:41 What Are We Learning This Week? Katelyn and Whitney discuss the emerging use of AI in college admissions offices for the review of application essays.  4:21 Big Picture: Learn about the objectives of the primary essay in your application and what to consider when approaching the most creative and reflective piece of a college application. 17:23  “Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)” Mascot madness: can you name the college, founded by Quakers, with a poet for a team  mascot? 19:45  Tips and Strategies to help you tackle the college essay while maintaining your voice and message. More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    34 min

  3. AUG 6

    Episode 9: College Applications Big 5 Series: Part 4, Your Extracurricular Activities

    Episode Summary What do your activities say about your interests, priorities and contributions to your community? Number four in our series on the “big five” elements in college applications is a discussion of high school activities.  This series of five episodes is focused on the primary elements of a college application and geared towards students who are applying to college in the fall. While not every college will use all five elements, it’s important to understand how to make the most of describing your extracurricular experiences if you are asked to include them in your applications.  Colleges use activities to help them shape a class. We talk about depth of commitment, leadership roles, your responsibilities, and what counts as an extracurricular activity. Don’t forget to include activities like self-paced learning, hobbies and summer programs!   Big hot-button activity issue? How much volunteering and community service is enough? In our tips segment we offer suggestions around how to maximize your activities descriptions, including using powerful results-oriented words. Remember, results can include not just those that impact others but also results that impact you!  Time Stamps: 0:38 What Are We Learning This Week? Inspired by her students, Whitney tells us about her 340-day streak using Duolingo to learn Spanish. This kind of self-instruction is a great addition to your activities listing. 6:00 Big Picture: Learn about the role of activities in your application and how to frame them within the context of a holistic admissions review. 15:31  “Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)” Mascot madness: can you name the university whose sport teams share the name of this popular admissions application activity? 16:53 Tips and Strategies to help you make the most of the limited space in your activities descriptions on your college applications.  More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    31 min

  4. JUL 16

    Episode 8: College Applications Big 5 Series: Part 3, Letters of Recommendation

    Next up in our series on the “big five” elements in college applications is a discussion of recommendations. This series of five episodes is focused on the primary elements of a college application and geared towards students who are applying to college in the fall. While not every college will use all five elements, it’s important to understand your options for recommendations if you are asked to include them in your applications. We begin with an overview of discussions in college admissions around how recommendations can contribute to a student’s application, the issues related to accessing recommendations in some high schools, and the evolution in the ways recommendations are generated for colleges.   We ask students to consider how recommendations can help them to develop a 360-degree view of who they are in their applications. Learn about the goals of these letters and how those goals shift subtly depending on whether it is a counselor, teacher, or “other” recommender who is writing your letter.  In our tips segment, we offer suggestions around how to choose the best recommenders for you - those voices that will help to share your story. We have our own preferences too for the best way to approach a recommender with your request, and how to follow up with information that can help your recommender write more nuanced letters. Finally, it’s always important to thank your recommenders, in the moment, but also after you have received your admissions answers and picked your final destination. Your teachers, counselors, and other supporters are all routing for you and appreciate hearing your good news! Time Stamps: 0:37 What Are We Learning This Week? Direct Admit admission programs: what they are, where to find them, and why or why not they may be a good option for you. 5:14 Big Picture: The role of recommendations in your application and the different goals for the insights from a teacher, counselor or outside recommender. 22:22 “Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)” Mascot madness: universities with tree-associated mascots. 25:00 Tips and Strategies to help you make the best choices for recommendations and how to follow up and confirm. More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    36 min

  5. JUL 2

    Episode 7: College Applications Big 5 Series: Part 2, Standardized Tests

    Standardized testing is the second stop on our college application safari. This series of five episodes is focused on the primary elements of a college application and geared towards students who are applying to college in the fall. These “Big 5” application components are what colleges use to assess a student's application as they make admissions decisions. Not every college will use all 5 elements, and in an age of testing ambiguities it’s important to understand your options for standardized testing and for sharing your scores with colleges.  We begin with a look at the history of college admission testing, and the hows and whys of their use in the application review process. College testing options are more flexible than they have ever been and there is a lot you should think about in terms of choosing, preparing for, and using testing in your own admissions process. Our perspectives here are not as test-prep experts, but are based firmly in the application advising that we do with our students. How to pick the best test, considerations for timing and test-preparation, and how to determine whether you will use test scores, or not, in your application.  This week's tips focus on helping you to better understand the alphabet soup of standardized tests. We orient you to the test requirement language used by colleges and we discuss the slowly growing number of schools that are moving from the test-optional days of COVID, back to requiring test scores of all applicants. Finally, we dip into how to determine if you should share your scores and what your options are for reporting your test scores. Time Stamps: 0:37 What Are We Learning This Week?  A brief discussion of highly-specialized undergraduate degree programs and movements by some universities to re-organize these offerings back under larger degree categories. 6:59 Big Picture: Standardized tests! What role do they play in the admissions process and how has testing evolved over the last decade, in particular. 17:25 “Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)” Can Katelyn name the 5 most popular Advanced Placement (AP) exams? It’s a surprising list for one important reason. 21:04 Tips and Strategies to help you better understand your testing options, how to pick a test, considerations for test prep and timing, and finally how to determine whether or not to submit your test scores with your application - it’s not always the same strategy choice for all of the colleges on your list. More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    36 min

  6. JUN 18

    Episode 6: College Applications Big 5 Series, Part 1 Your Transcript

    Join us for the first in our series on the “big five” elements in college applications - a college application safari of sorts. These are the application components that colleges use to assess a student's application as they make admissions decisions. Not every college will use all 5 elements, and, ironically, while we firmly believe that every student is more than a transcript, the transcript remains the most important component of a student's college application at all colleges. Holistic review of applications refers not only to all elements of your application, but to the multiple factors inherent in interpreting a transcript! We begin with a look at the variation of high school transcripts across the US, which generally look different than your report cards.  We touch briefly on weighted and unweighted GPAs, the rigor of your academic courses, grade trends, and the tools, like a high school profile, that admissions readers use to build context for the courses and grades that are on YOUR transcript.  Our episode tips focus on helping you to better understand your transcript and how your high school describes the curriculum that has been available to you. We want you to learn more about your high school’s GPA scale, rank in class policies, and to think about course planning over four years, but most importantly in junior and senior year. We also touch on classes, perhaps from a summer program or an online program, that may or may not be official pieces of your high school transcript.  Lastly, we address the growing trend of self-reported transcripts in the admissions process and what to expect if a college you apply to asks for your academic history in this way. Application Safari Stop 1: The Transcript! Time Stamps: 0:37 What Are We Learning This Week?  Katelyn discusses the admissions review practice known as committee-based evaluation, which helps to build a preview of what happens in the application review process. 6:06  Big Picture: transcript variations and building context for your courses and grades. 18:10 “Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)” - Colleges with narrative evaluations rather than letter grades! 22:52 Tips and Strategies: learn how to better understand your transcript and GPA, plan your 4-year curriculum and prepare for self-reported transcripts on some of your applications. More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    35 min

  7. JUN 4

    Episode 5: Making the Most of College Visits

    June marks the beginning of summer vacation, which is often the only time during the year that students and families can visit college campuses. Generally, colleges begin their summer tour schedules early in the month, so it's a good time to talk about making the most of college visits. It may be important to planning your schedule to note that most colleges do not offer Saturday tours in the summer, but will pick those up again during the academic year. In this episode, for both parents and students, we talk about the differences between initial criteria-building visits (perhaps those done earlier in high school) and those visits that you may do in the summer or fall of senior year as you make your final list decisions. We discuss the importance of being exposed to a number of different voices through not only tours, but information sessions, visits to the dining hall or academic departments, and casual conversations with students on campus. Learn about some of our favorite pro tips to take a better measure of the campus environment and make the most of your time on campus and in the surrounding area. We’ll share some of our favorite questions for students to help you understand the academic rigor and experience, as well as our thoughts on campus dining, residential life and off-campus living. Lastly, we encourage families to build in some fun and suggest ways to reflect on your visits. Spend some time with us before you head out on your next college tour! Time Stamps: 01:02 What Are We Learning This Week? Whitney talks about architecture degree programs. 02:08 Big Picture: Why are campus visits so important?  07:00 “Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)” Campuses with unique architecture. 10:26 Tips & Strategies: our pro tips for touring colleges, including great questions to ask and important observations to make on campus, as well as in the surrounding areas.  More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    26 min

  8. MAY 27

    Episode 4: Summer Dreaming: Planning A Productive High School Summer

    In our episode on Summer Dreaming we share thoughts and tips on how high school students can get the most out of summer. In this student-focused episode we discuss options for summer jobs, volunteering and academic focus. Most importantly, we want students listening to think about making these choices for their life, versus making choices for a college application. Exploring genuine interests is always a better route than trying to determine what any particular college “wants”. The strongest college applications come from students who are able to reflect on what they've done and why they've chosen to do it, and why it's meaningful to them.  More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    24 min

  9. MAY 20

    Episode 3: Our Crystal Ball: Shifts In Higher Education

    In this episode we are looking at the latest trends in higher education and the evolution of what going to college in the U.S. means to families. We discuss a range of topics including  shifts in learning environments, the costs of college and what parents and students expect in terms of college outcomes.  In the second half of our episode we discuss the impacts of federal funding cuts and the downsizing of the Department of Education. What are the questions to ask when you visit campuses and how will this shifting landscape possibly impact your college choices and experience. Time Stamps: 0:37 What Are We Learning This Week? A brief discussion of 3-2 engineering programs. 4:46  Big Picture: Trends in higher education, from shifts in ROI expectations to online learning. 15:17  "Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)" - For some levity, we learn about circus performance clubs at colleges around the country! 20:36 Tips and Strategies: Considerations for cuts in research funding, evaluating faculty morale, and the integrity of national college data moving into the future. More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    32 min

  10. MAY 20

    Episode 2: Parenting and Your College-Bound Teenager

    We are talking to parents in this episode about your interactions with your teenager around the sometimes exciting, sometimes treacherous topic of applying to college.  We start out with a discussion about where kids and parents are, metaphorically, during these pre-college years. What's going on in your heads? What are some of the issues and challenges for both teenagers and their parents? In the second part of the episode, we offer concrete tips for parents as they help guide the logistics, reflection, and emotion of this process with the teenagers in their lives. More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    38 min

  11. MAY 20

    Episode 1: How to Begin Your College Search

    We begin this podcast journey telling you a bit about ourselves and the  experiences we have had as college admissions advisors, coming from both the college side and our work with families. In the first half of each episode we will provide an overview of a topic related to high school, the college search, admissions or higher education. As lifelong learners, we'll also start each episode off with a brief segment on topics we are exploring and learning about. We will have some fun with a trivia quiz for each other each episode, and then finish with tips and strategies to apply to your own college search. How and where to begin a college search? It’s one of the most common questions that we get as college advisors; so let’s dig in!  More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    24 min

  12. TRAILER

    Trailer

    Join us for college admissions and higher education insights as well as tips and strategies for your college search and application process. With episodes published twice a month, we will explore everything between the beginning of high school through college graduation on the road to a transformative college experience! More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow. Visit our website at www.morethanatranscript.com for resources or to ask questions. Thanks for listening!

    1 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

We are Whitney Bruce and Katelyn Klapper, two Independent Educational Consultants (IECs) with more than 50 years of admissions and college advising experience. We will discuss everything from the beginning of high school to college graduation. Join us as your guides to a transformative college experience, because college is more than a transcript.   A periodic podcast with new episodes the first and third Wednesday of each month.

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