YCBK 91: Why the Buzz About the Coalition for College?

In this episode you will hear: (06:32) In this week’s news, an article from The Chronicle of Higher Education, “Welcome to the Wild West: The Competition for College Applicants Just Intensified”, by Eric Hoover. Admissions officers and college counselors that attended the National Association for College Admission Counseling’ 75th annual conference just voted to delete 3 major portions of their ethics code: Colleges are no longer barred from offering incentives, such as special housing or better financial-aid packages, to students who apply under early decision. Colleges can now recruit students even after they submit a deposit to another institution. Colleges can solicit transfer applications from a previous applicant even if they have not inquired about transferring.   (24:39) We are in chapter 91 of 171 Answers and Mark shares what is now known as the Coalition for College application. We discuss why the Coalition emerged, which colleges’ use it and what has been the reception of the Coalition by the broader community.  The Coalition now has over 150 colleges in 34 states and DC and it has unquestionably become the number one competitor to the Common Application.   (41:37) This week’s question is from Hillary in Colorado Springs, CO. She is the mom of a charter school student who attends a school where they don’t have traditional AP and IB courses and she wants to know if, and how, admissions officers will interpret the classes as being equivalent to AP and IB. Hillary also wants to know what else her daughter can do to level the playing field so her school is respected, even if it may not be a household name.   (57:13) Mark continues his interview with Peter Van Buskirk, Founder of Best College Fit, and Former VP of Enrollment at Franklin and Marshall, in “Understanding how colleges act as businesses in ways that are not in your best interest”- Part 2. In this segment we discuss  college rankings, Spring admits and college wait lists.   (01:07:45) Mark’s recommended resource of the week is Thomas Frank’s 11 minute review of the best three task management apps. These apps can really help students to stay organized:   (01:18:16) College Spotlight for the week: The College Spotlight is Massachusetts Institute of Technology, aka MIT   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: [email protected] 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! We are excited to give our listeners a chance to play a role in shaping what topics we discuss, as well as what guests we have on our podcast. You can let your voice be heard by completing this survey. Just put the following link in your browser and give us your honest feedback. We thank you in advance. Every episode of Your College-Bound Kid will align with a chapter from the book 171 Answers to the Most-Asked College Admission Questions. To get a copy go to Amazon and click:  If you want to place a bulk order, you will save money by purchasing this book at 171answers.com. Every penny goes to The Atlanta Mission, a Christian organization that helps over 1000 homeless residents every day.  If you want to see what future episodes will discuss in the book chapter section,  just go to 171answers.com and then click the red button "See exactly what 171 Answers covers"