The College Prep Podcast

The College Prep Podcast is built on two practitioners comparing notes. Megan Dorsey works with students on SAT and ACT preparation from Sugar Land, Texas, and she also has college applications with rising seniors on her calendar. Erin owns Seattle Success Coaching, whose coaches help students get organized and keep their grades in shape. The openings tend to note where the academic year stands for their students: March SAT dates, the April ACT, AP exams, spring fever. That grounding matters. The advice that follows draws on real families the hosts have met and real students they have watched through the process. Admissions results get honest treatment. In a conversation about surprising rejections, the pair describe families who treated a school as a sure thing because they remembered it from their own college days. They also describe what that does to a teen who then blames themself. Their remedy is unglamorous: do the research and keep up with how competitive a school has become. Choosing among acceptances gets the same candor. They suggest digging for a comparable program that another school may not advertise well. They also admit that sometimes a student simply wants one place, and they say a non-negotiable should be named as one. Then comes the question of whether the money works. Scholarships draw some of the most specific guidance. Check each award on its own website, because terms and eligibility change from year to year. Watch for scams. Set a goal for how many applications to send, since a student controls the count but not the dollars. The hosts also push back on assumptions they hear from parents, arguing that a major or a prestigious diploma matters less than what a graduate does with it. For parents who wonder whether a teen is doing enough, the hosts steer away from hour targets. Their comparison is someone who spends three hours at the gym and works out for less than twenty minutes, and they offer a better test: could ten or fifteen minutes a day move a grade? A guest conversation widens the lens. Darren Sacks, a professional double bassist who guides students through music college and conservatory applications, explains how applicants lose ground by pouring everything into the flashy solo. Auditions also ask for a few demanding measures from well-known symphonies. Sign-offs regularly invite emailed questions and topic ideas. A good place to start is '621: How to Compare College Offers & Make Your Final Decision', which shows the show's mix of checklists and reassurance.