College App 101
Hosted by Dr. Riley, the College App 101 podcast provides expert guidance on college applications and academics for college bound high school students and their parents. Dr. Riley has more than a decade of experience in higher education (Xavier University, University of Oregon, and The University of Texas at San Antonio) and secondary education (as Director of College & Career at a large San Antonio private high school).
Episodes
59 episodes
When to Prepare for Highly Selective Admissions
Recently, Julie Ray published an article for Gallup: "Gen Z, Parents Lack Knowledge of Post-High School Options: Less awareness contributes to students feeling unprepared." The article possesses important reminders for parents of college bound ...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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12:30
The Role of Parents in College Admissions
College admissions offices are preparing to receive applications from members of the class of 2026 in a few weeks. Writing essays, completing applications, and submitting them are daunting tasks for a college bound high school senior. What is t...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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11:28
Hats Off to Class of 2025
What should a college bound senior in high school be thinking about at this time of the year? High school graduation and beginning college are on the near horizon. Should a senior stop applying for scholarships now that senior year is winding d...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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16:04
Interview with a Business Owner
It takes a lot more than cash on hand to own and run a business. Grit, determination, people skills, endurance, an aptitude for multitasking, and other attributes are required to launch and maintain a business through the daily grind, customer ...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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29:20
Admissions Essay Ideas and a Dear Aunt
In addition to an applicant's academic profile, college admissions recruiters are eager to know an applicant's character and personal attributes. The admissions essay is a place for an applicant to address these characteristics in a creative wa...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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10:58
Interview with UT-Austin Alumni: Business, Medicine
Personal stories of professionals in various career fields are powerful. Parents and college bound high school students do well to listen to them, in order to learn from the experiences of others. In today's episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp1...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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22:59
Finding Your Voice in Admissions Essays Part 2
College bound seniors often find the admissions essay writing process to be difficult, frustrating, and far from satisfying. Yet the admissions essay is one of the most important features of a college application. The present episode is a conti...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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19:23
Finding Your Voice in Admissions Essays Part 1
The college admissions essay is an extremely important component of an application. The essay is the applicant's opportunity to showcase who he or she is in a creative and more extensive way. Because writing the essay is so difficult for many s...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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10:28
Interview with an AP Scholar with Distinction
An academically elite curriculum, College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) Program has dozens of college level courses that come with the opportunity for college bound students to earn college credit in high school. In the present episode, Dr. R...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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12:49
Money, Saving, Generosity, and this Year’s FAFSA
Each year, money problems haunt countless college students. Financial awareness regarding personal savings, generosity, and college financial aid help keep them on track. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) offers tips for perso...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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12:14
Interview with a Class of 2024 Graduate
College App 101 helps college bound students achieve academic success in high school and produce compelling, competitive college applications as a senior. To inspire students, Dr. Riley regularly hosts current and former students from his caree...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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17:15
Understanding Your Gifts and Talents
When a college bound high school student knows her gifts and talents, she chooses a college major and career path on the basis of her gifts. Doing so leads to a more satisfying, fulfilling, and fun experience in college and career. In this epis...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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11:23
Staying Strong Mentally Part 2
To achieve academic success and submit excellent college apps, every college bound student should cultivate mental strength. It enables a student to write well, deal with demanding teachers, sit through boring tests, and more. Unfortunately, ma...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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11:37
Hats Off to Class of 2024
College admissions offices do all they can to ensure their freshman classes transition seamlessly from high school senior year to college freshman year. Yet, each spring, college bound high school seniors and their families drop a ball or two. ...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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14:38
Staying Strong Mentally Part 1
Mental strength is an attribute that every college bound student should cultivate. It enables a student to avoid distractions, focus on school work, sit through multi-hour tests, and more. Unfortunately, many habits, common to high school stude...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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11:19
The Importance of Commitment in College Admissions
The admissions essay is an opportunity for a college bound high school student to explain a personal virtue or attribute: generosity, grit, affability, work ethic. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) uses his characteristic anec...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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10:30
Tips on Selecting a College Major
Many college applications require applicants to select an intended college major like Engineering, Business, or Biology. Ideally, applicants have discussed potential majors with others well before applying to college during senior year fall sem...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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18:00
Preparing for Junior Year Spring Semester
Every high school semester is important. Spring semester junior year has special importance for creating a college list and looking ahead to applying to college later in the year. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) uses his typ...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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9:35
The Benefits of Getting Rich
There is appeal to choosing a college major that will lead to a lucrative career. Indeed, life is expensive. This holiday episode of College App 101 takes up this and related topics. With his typical anecdotes and illustrations, Dr. Riley (from...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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12:05
Interview with a College Admissions Counselor
When students apply to college, they need to impress the admissions committee at their prospective college. Admissions counselors constitute this committee. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) interviews a college admissions cou...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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15:50
Developing a Love for Learning Revisited
Colleges want to admit intellectually curious students, who love to learn. This attribute is inborn in some students. It needs to be developed in others. In today’s podcast, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) discusses how to develop a love for...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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14:19
How Much Money Should You Borrow for a College Education?
A recent article, by Francie Diep and Brian O'Leary, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, has the title "How Much Money Should You Borrow for a College Education?" With his typical illustrations and anecdotes, Dr. Riley (from collegea...
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9:36
Tips for Success on Tests
Test taking characterizes the college bound student's high school experience. Tests come in a variety of formats: written, take-home, open note, oral, closed note, standardized, and so forth. In this episode, Dr. Riley (from collegeapp101.com) ...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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8:41
Interview with an AP Scholar
An academically elite program, College Board's Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum has dozens of college level courses that come with the opportunity for college bound high school students to earn college credit in high school. In the present ep...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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10:14
Inspiration for the PSAT
In a few days, the calendar will turn from September to October. October is PSAT month, when many schools offer the Preliminary SAT (or PSAT) to their students. The PSAT is a great way for college bound high school students to prepare for the S...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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21:59