common app

Dean Lee Coffin of Dartmouth says that “any application to any college is the union of two things: data and voice.” In this encore episode of Admissions Beat, first aired in July 2020 on its predecessor podcast, The Search, Dean Coffin turns to the storytelling and narrative elements (and opportunities) of an application. Along with guest Meredith Reynolds, a former Tufts admissions officer who is the associate director of college guidance of Roxbury Latin School in Boston, Dean Coffin provides practical advice and perspective on the two main writing sections of most college applications: the personal statement, as well as the short, supplemental questions that are specific to particular colleges. They are also joined by two college applicants — Rashad Brown Mitchell and Maya Newell — who read excerpts from their college application essays, with Ms. Reynolds and Dean Coffin providing analysis in real-time. As Ms. Reynolds puts it: “Admissions officers are just humans who love a good story.”

For high school seniors, the standardized testing landscape is more of a maze than usual these days. In this episode of "Admissions Beat," host Lee Coffin of Dartmouth provides tips on navigating the complex topography of testing. He is joined by two guests: Stu Schmill, Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services at MIT, and Leigh Weisenburger, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Bates College. Together, they explain the various approaches to the ACT and SAT in the admissions offices of the nation’s more than 2,000 four-year colleges and universities, including those that are test-optional, test-blind, test-flexible, or test-required. Dean Coffin and his guests also provide advice on whether applicants should choose to take such tests when not required to do so, and, if so, how they might decide whether to submit their scores as an element of an application. The deans then take listeners into their respective offices, as they describe how they and their colleagues use SAT and ACT scores as one component among many in the broader admissions process (spoiler alert: context, including as drawn from an applicant’s background, matters).

In this week's College Charge, we dive into a cornerstone of any college application: the personal statement or college application essay. From where to start when choosing a prompt to respond to on the Common Application, brainstorming exercises for appropriate topics, suggestions for the writing process, all the way through to the editing and review process, we've got tips and tricks to help you work toward a personal statement that will make your application stand out when read by an admissions officer. Then, in the inaugural Campus Spotlight, we are joined by The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. Hear about some exciting updates with their college of nursing, study abroad programs, and more!

Priscilla Grijalva interviews Karen Lopez (Program Manager at Reach Higher).  They discuss the Common App Chatbot and a few of the great educator and student resources.

Audio Edits by Dan Reyes;

"Reaching Higher" Song Lyrics and Music by Jessica and Jackie Parry, Vocals by Emily Patterson (2015)