Your College-Bound Kid

By: Mark Stucker
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  • Summary

  • Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews Our mission is to "make college knowledge available to all." Each Thursday, the "Your College-Bound Kid" podcast will discuss a hot college topic in the news; we will answer a question or two that listeners send in, we will interview a "thought leader" in the world of college admissions, and do a "deep-dive," we call Spotlights on a College. Every Monday, we have a second episode to discuss a "hot topic" and interview a "thought leader" in the admissions or college life world. YCBK combines "in-depth knowledge" with a light, easy-to-listen conversational style. We have eight co-hosts, six college counselors, and two current admissions officers, including an Admissions Dean.
    2018
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Personal Development Personal Success
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Episodes
  • YCBK 530: Ways in Which Colleges Make Their Acceptance Rates Look Lower Than They Really Are

    YCBK 530: Ways in Which Colleges Make Their Acceptance Rates Look Lower Than They Really Are
    Apr 28 2025
    In this episode you will hear: Mark shares many ways colleges make their admit rates look lower than they are. He shows families a few ways to know if a college is doing this. . Lisa interviews Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of the Disengaged Teen Preview of Part 4 ² Rebecca gives us three different insights when it comes to how to appropriately handle technology in your teens life ² Jenny adds the importance of talking with your teen about technology ² Jenny talks about developing agency as a learner with technology ² Jenny and Rebecca share the skills students are going to need when it comes to AI and Education ² Rebecca and Jenny talk about the importance of critical thinking and they talk about technology as substitute for intimacy ² Rebecca talks about the role of agency in keeping AI in perspective Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/blog/ Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-books/ Check out the college websites Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-websites/ If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCauBgityVXVHRQUjvlIRfYrMWWdHarB9DMQGYL0472bNxrw/viewform If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa or Lynda, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at lisa@schoolmatch4u.com or Lynda at Lynda@schoolmatch4u.com. All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/
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    48 mins
  • YCBK 529: An interview with Jim Bock, Dean and VP at Swarthmore College-3 of 3

    YCBK 529: An interview with Jim Bock, Dean and VP at Swarthmore College-3 of 3
    Apr 24 2025
    In this episode you will hear: (01:55) In The News Vince Garcia and Mark Stucker discuss observations from admission decisions from this year’s class. Part 2 of 3 (18:27) Question from a listener: Mark and Hillary answer a question from a listener about how her student can demonstrate interest effectively (39:37) Interview: Mark Stucker and David Blobaum, The Co-Founder of Summit Test Prep Debate whether selective colleges should make the SAT or the ACT mandatory-Part 3 of 3 Preview of Part 3 of 3 ² I share a position that one of MIT’s competitors has that I agree with ² I share a reason why I do not believe using first year GPA is a valid way to see how well a non-test submitter is doing in college ² David pushes back a little and shares why there is some validity to looking at first year GPA ² David talks about the “big fish small pond concept” that Malcolm Gladwell uses ² I push back by talking about individual autonomy over your own life decisions ² David shares the most compelling reason why he holds his view ² David and I talk about how test scores can increase your merit scholarship ² David goes on the hotseat ² Mark adds a few comments about things he thought of after the debate was over (01:09:55) College Spotlight-Jim Bok Interview, Understanding Swarthmore College Preview of Part 3 ² I ask Jim to talk about Swarthmore’s wooded arboretum campus ² I ask Jim to share how Swarthmore and Haverford are different ² Jim shares a little about the bi-co and tri-co consortiums ² Jim explains what it means for a college to be a Liberal Arts school ² Jim explains what skillset a Swarthmore liberal arts education inculcates in its graduates ² I ask Jim about several financial challenges colleges are facing and I ask him how these financial challenges are impacting admissions ² I ask Jim if he sees selecting colleges that are not land locked trying to expand their class size as a way of bringing in more revenue. ² Jim goes on the hot seat in our lightning round Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/blog/ Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as ...
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    1 hr and 38 mins
  • YCBK 528: A Way For A Parent To Help With College That No One Is Talking About

    YCBK 528: A Way For A Parent To Help With College That No One Is Talking About
    Apr 21 2025
    Mark shares a new survey he will be doing with YCBK listeners; he shares two recommended resources for studendts Mark then shares a project a parents can do to really help their student out a lot with the college process that he isn’t hearing anyone else talking about . Lisa interviews Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of the Disengaged Teen Preview of Part 3 ² Jennifer starts by talking about what you can do if you have a student who is stuck in resister mode ² Rebecca talks about what we can do if we have a student who has mental health or learning differences that are impeding their success in school ² Our authors talk about dealing with unrealistic parent expectations ² Our authors talk about how living our your own rejection and turning it into a positive Speakpipe.com/YCBK is our method if you want to ask a question and we will be prioritizing all questions sent in via Speakpipe. Unfortunately, we will NOT answer questions on the podcast anymore that are emailed in. If you want us to answer a question on the podcast, please use speakpipe.com/YCBK. We feel hearing from our listeners in their own voices adds to the community feel of our podcast. You can also use this for many other purposes: 1) Send us constructive criticism about how we can improve our podcast 2) Share an encouraging word about something you like about an episode or the podcast in general 3) Share a topic or an article you would like us to address 4) Share a speaker you want us to interview 5) Leave positive feedback for one of our interviewees. We will send your verbal feedback directly to them and I can almost assure you, your positive feedback will make their day. To sign up to receive Your College-Bound Kid PLUS, our new monthly admissions newsletter, delivered directly to your email once a month, just go to yourcollegeboundkid.com, and you will see the sign-up popup. We will include many of the hot topics being discussed on college campuses. Check out our new blog. We write timely and insightful articles on college admissions: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/blog/ Follow Mark Stucker on Twitter to get breaking college admission news, and updates about the podcast before they go live. You can ask questions on Twitter that he will answer on the podcast. Mark will also share additional hot topics in the news and breaking news on this Twitter feed. Twitter message is also the preferred way to ask questions for our podcast: https://twitter.com/YCBKpodcast 1. To access our transcripts, click: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/category/transcripts/ 2. Find the specific episode transcripts for the one you want to search and click the link 3. Find the magnifying glass icon in blue (search feature) and click it 4. Enter whatever word you want to search. I.e. Loans 5. Every word in that episode when the words loans are used, will be highlighted in yellow with a timestamps 6. Click the word highlighted in yellow and the player will play the episode from that starting point 7. You can also download the entire podcast as a transcript We would be honored if you will pass this podcast episode on to others who you feel will benefit from the content in YCBK. Please subscribe to our podcast. It really helps us move up in Apple’s search feature so others can find our podcast. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! If you want to help more people find Your College-Bound Kid, please make sure you follow our podcast. You will also get instant notifications as soon as each episode goes live. Check out the college admissions books Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-books/ Check out the college websites Mark recommends: https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/recommended-websites/ If you want to have some input about what you like and what you recommend, we change about our podcast, please complete our Podcast survey; here is the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCauBgityVXVHRQUjvlIRfYrMWWdHarB9DMQGYL0472bNxrw/viewform If you want a college consultation with Mark or Lisa or Lynda, just text Mark at 404-664-4340 or email Lisa at lisa@schoolmatch4u.com or Lynda at Lynda@schoolmatch4u.com. All we ask is that you review their services and pricing on their website before the complimentary session; here is link to their services with transparent pricing: https://schoolmatch4u.com/services/compare-packages/
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    56 mins
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Profile Image for Anonymous User

Hands down, the best podcast on college admissions. And it’s not close.

I’ve been listening to YCBK for about two years and it is the absolute best overall podcast on college admissions. There are many other quality podcasts that focus on one part of the process or one perspective (e.g. College Essay Guy, Future U, Truth About College Admissions) but there is no better comprehensive resource for students parents and others in the space than YCBK.

Mark and his awesome team of cohosts put out 2-3 hours of quality content every week on all parts of the process, topics in the news, college spotlights. They also answer listener questions and have a TON of information on the website. And all of it is delivered with enthusiasm, curiosity and a genuine love for the families going through this process.

Bottom line, whether you are a 30 year industry vet or a parent just wading into this topic, you will get something from YCBK. An absolute treasure.

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Profile Image for Michael's Mom

most helpful podcast for families going through the admission process

I’ve been listening to this podcast for almost a year now - began when my oldest was a junior. All of the hosts are not only knowledgeable but so honest and transparent. I feel as though I have learned so much from each episode… even ones I didn’t think would be relevant or interesting to me. I look forward to each week and getting two episodes.

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Profile Image for K. Montgomery

Totally obsessed with this podcast

I honestly can’t wait for each new episode. Been listening for over two years and find this podcast the most informative for college admissions. As a parent with one in high school and one in college, I relate to and appreciate the perspectives shared. All the co-hosts are incredibly knowledgeable and down to earth. As a part-time academic counselor and CBO volunteer as well, I find this podcast keeps me up to date on current admission trends and getting to hear them straight from college-side admissions folks is incredibly valuable. Above all, I highly respect the values this podcast instills in making college information accessible and emphasizing fit over rankings for each individual student. It brings me hope in the crazy world of college admissions, and often several chuckles too. Thank you, YCBK, for all that you have done and continue to do. (Bonus note to new listeners: Go to the YCBK website and search for college spotlights and interviews. So much good stuff is here.)

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Profile Image for Joy D. Carpenter

Your College Bound Kid is my FAVORITE podcast!

I love YCBK!
I truly believe that every episode provides me with some new insight into the college admissions process. The host and cohosts are experts in their fields. The wealth of knowledge and years of experience they possess are invaluable. Layer on top of that, the guests they invite on to speak and you get a masterclass on college admissions for FREE! I feel like I’m attending a highly coveted breakout session at a professional development conference each episode! I look forward to each Monday and Thursday episode and love how the host makes the audience feel like we are a family even though most of us have not met each other.
I highly recommend this podcast for aspiring college students, their parents, and high school counselors. I especially recommend the podcast for any parent who has not had familiarity with college admissions since the 80s or 90s, so much has changed!

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Profile Image for Dianna Kennedy

An essential podcast for homeschool parents

As a homeschooling parent, I take on multiple roles .... teacher, administrator, college counselor, and more. I've listened to this podcast for a few years and have learned SO MUCH. Thank you to the team!

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