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“From my research . . .  there is no doubt that college education works economically” -Dr. Daniel Schwarz, Professor of English Literature at Cornell Dr. Daniel Schwarz is a Frederic J. Whiton Professor of English Literature and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow at Cornell University.  Along with authoring more than 15 books covering a wide array of topics, he has written extensively on education for news sources such as the Huffington Post. Recently Dr. Schwarz published his book How to Succeed in College and Beyond: The Art of Learning, which is a great read for demystifying the steps that it takes to prepare for and thrive in college. “The bottom line to this is that you can go to an Ivy more cheaply, often, than to any other school.” Links for Listening Along with the player at the bottom, you can also find this podcast on most podcast hosting services like Google Play, Overcast, iTunes (search Small Town Top College). In This Episode We Cover: Motivations for writing How to Succeed in College and Beyond: The Art of Learning Why a college education (and specifically a top-college education) is still worth it economically The good news about the college process Why the low acceptance rates aren’t as scary as they seem The importance of having a highly developed skill when applying to college How the Ivy League can often be cheaper than most other schools Need blind admissions Importance of early decision Keeping close track of your time The 3 R’s, and how they will help you succeed Resolve Resilience Resourcefulness Carefully choosing your social circles in high school and college Today’s stress on community service amongst colleges Finding the right referees for college and high school recommendations Meeting your professors Finding a mentor Interacting with incredibly successful and influential people at top-colleges (like Hans Bethe and Elie Wiesel) Professor Schwarz with his friend, Elie Wiesel. Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and author of the best-selling book Night, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. The Ivies don’t have a monopoly on top-ranked education The significance of reading both books and the news What you learn when spending a term abroad How to Succeed in College and Beyond is an insightful, inspired guide to the undergraduate experience that helps students balance the joy of learning with the necessity of career preparation. Links What to Do with a BA in English Twenty Suggestions for Incoming College Freshmen More Huffington Post Articles by Prof. Schwarz 529 Plan Princeton No-Loan Policy Cook Foundation National Foundation for the Humanities Cornell Study Abroad Programs MIT Study Abroad Programs Pat’s Article on Travel Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania by Frank Bruni Tuition Rising by Ronald Ehrenberg Contacting Professor Schwarz Email: drs6@cornell.edu Twitter: @danRSchwarz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SchwarzEndtimes https://www.facebook.com/SucceedinCollegeandBeyond/ Thank You For Listening Thank you so much for listening to the Small Town Top College Podcast. Please share any feedback below in the comment section. We would love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons to the side. Also, please leave an honest review for The STTC Podcast on iTunes. Ratings are extremely appreciated and help us out a ton! Each rating matters for the ranking of the show, and I would love to make this show a hit. I promise to read every single one. Finally, don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter if you’d like to stay up to date with the STTC blog. I send out emails when new posts or podcasts hit the blog, plus you receive a free copy of my 50 page ebook: College Acceptance Essentials. Thank you again to Dr. Schwarz for coming on the show! Go Big Red!

I’ll call this episode an inbetweenisode (thanks @tferriss) because it’s super short and in between two episodes with wonderful guests. I wrote this essay back in October, but I feel it’s especially pertinent now as graduates are beginning to migrate to their first year in college. If you’re a recent high school graduate, you’re probably looking forward to college, but also feeling pangs of sadness when thinking about leaving home for the first time. I wrote this essay because I think it’s important to frame the years ahead as a time in which you can make some of the best memories of your life, rather than a time to dwell on the nostalgic feelings and good times of high school. Even if college is difficult at first (it was for me :), you will find your stride and make some amazing memories. I hope you enjoy the episode! Links for Listening Along with the player at the bottom, you can also find this podcast on most podcast hosting services like Google Play, Overcast, iTunes (search Small Town Top College). Thank You  for Listening! Thank you so much for listening to the Small Town Top College Podcast. If you have any feedback, please share it below or message me directly at pat@smalltowntopcollege.com. If you loved the podcast, please consider sharing us on social media using the buttons to the left. Also, please leave an honest review for The STTC Podcast on iTunes. Ratings are extremely appreciated and help us out a ton! Each rating matters for the ranking of the show, and I would love to make this show a hit. I promise to read every single one. Finally, don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter down below to receive a free copy of my 50 page ebook, College Acceptance Essentials.

Yale with Questbridge – Yesenia Chavez For today’s episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with Yesenia Chavez of Johnstown, Colorado. Yesenia, a first-generation student from a low-income family, absolutely crushed it in high school, graduating first in her class in 2016 while participating (and often leading) a myriad of extra curricular activities and clubs.  In the college search, her success continued as she was accepted to multiple prestigious schools and winning the Gates Millennium Scholarship. Next year she will begin pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. In this episode we cover: The benefits of having someone else to going through the top college process with you. Using the flexibility of small town high schools to start your own club. Being dedicated to the clubs to which you belong. The benefits of utilizing Questbridge. Turning down a full scholarship (Boettcher Scholarship) to a local school to pursue a top ranked education at Yale. Essay writing tips. (for more, check out my guest post from Ami Boghani) Staying organized during the college process. Dealing with an unsupportive teacher. Getting your college visits paid for via fly-in programs. How to get the most out of your college visits. Contacting Yesenia If you’d like to ask Yesenia questions about her story or anything we discussed on the podcast, you can find her on Twitter @yeseniachav12 Links for Listening Along with the player at the bottom, you can also find this podcast on most podcast hosting services like Google Play, Overcast, iTunes (search Small Town Top College). FBLA State Leadership Conference Thank You  for Listening! Thank you so much for listening to the Small Town Top College Podcast. If you have any feedback, please share it below or message me directly at pat@smalltowntopcollege.com. If you loved the podcast, please consider sharing us on social media using the buttons to the left. I want everyone in Yesenia’s situation to be inspired by her story. Also, please leave an honest review for The STTC Podcast on iTunes. Ratings are extremely appreciated and help us out a ton! Each rating matters for the ranking of the show, and I would love to make this show a hit. I promise to read every single one. Finally, don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter down below to receive a free copy of my 50 page ebook, College Acceptance Essentials. Huge thank you to Yesenia for coming on the show. Good luck next year in New Haven! Go Bulldogs!

The Parent Perspective with Rebecca Romanowski (Part 2) “They don’t really want to have their whole campus to come from big cities” This is part two of my interview with Johnstown, Colorado’s Rebecca Romanowski whose son, Michael was recently accepted to Cornell. If you haven’t listened to it yet, I would definitely go check out part one of this interview as we jump in in the middle. This half of the interview focuses more on confidence when going into the college process, understanding financial aid process, and why going to a top ranked university is absolutely worth it. There’s a ton of great info in this short podcast. Enjoy! In this episode we cover: The two traps that small town superstars can fall into during the college application process. Making your grades irrelevant (I wrote a whole chapter on this in my free ebook). Understanding the level of competition for top college acceptance How a small town background can make you more attractive to the admissions office Understanding the percentages and dealing with a rejection letter Cornell University Using every possible tip/book/action to help your chances Getting to meet people from all over the world (travel experience without leaving campus) College Finances, need blind acceptance, FAFSA, CSS, IDOC How some students receive free Ivy -League educations How Cornell became cheaper than Colorado State Why a top college is absolutely worth it. Other Things We Mentioned Give Gear Get Gear Program Vex Robotics Competitions Johnstown Cinnamon Rolls College Admission: From Application to Acceptance by Robin Mamlet FAFSA CSS IDOC Links for Listening Along with the player at the bottom, you can also find this podcast on most podcast hosting services like Google Play, Overcast, iTunes (search Small Town Top College). To get in touch with Rebecca Just comment below or send me an email and I will connect you. Thank You  for Listening! Thank you so much for listening to the Small Town Top College Podcast. Please share any feedback below in the comment section. Rebecca and I would love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing the blog with others by using the social media buttons to the side. Finally, don’t forget to sign up for email updates to receive a free copy of my 50 page ebook: College Acceptance Essentials. Thank you again to Rebecca for coming on the show, and a huge congratulations to Michael Romanowski and his team for running a successful campaign. Go Big Red!

The Parent Perspective with Rebecca Romanowski (Part 1) “By having fun in high school, he became a more interesting person. He wasn’t the cookie cutter student, he was Michael.” This two-part interview changes it up a bit, because instead of hearing from a recent college graduate, we learn from Rebecca Romanowski, whose son, Michael, was just admitted to Cornell. When describing their hometown of Jonestown, CO, Rebecca noted that “We’re mainly known for our truck stop which has the best cinnamon rolls in the world.” Rebecca’s story contains a massive amount of great advice for parents and students alike, as she acted as the campaign manager for Michael as he applied to more than 10 universities. If you haven’t been through this process yet, it get’s close to being a full time job. In this episode we cover: How to college network as parent on an airplane. Working with hometown teachers and counselors during the application process. How Michael started and grew a charity. How Michael set himself apart by pursuing the things he truly cared about: his charity, rock climbing, and robotics STEM program high schools Traveling road shows for top colleges Developing a blanket layer of great backup schools, similar to this article I wrote recently. Why having a great time in high school can be the best advice Why campus visits are important. Does this school “feel right?” How to visit many top colleges in one trip How applying to 12 schools can become a full time job Application fees Writing a LOT of essays and how to keep them interesting. (for more check out this article) The master schedule (desk calendar like Rebecca’s) Being a cheerleader and secretary for your student Other Things We Mentioned Give Gear Get Gear Program Vex Robotics Competitions Johnstown Cinnamon Rolls College Admission: From Application to Acceptance by Robin Mamlet FAFSA CSS IDOC To get in touch with Rebecca Just comment below or send me an email and I will connect you. Links for Listening Along with the player at the bottom, you can also find this podcast on most podcast hosting services like Google Play, Overcast, iTunes (search Small Town Top College). Thank You  for Listening! Thank you so much for listening to the Small Town Top College Podcast. Please share any feedback below in the comment section. We would love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons to the side. Also, please leave an honest review for The STTC Podcast on iTunes. Ratings are extremely appreciated and help us out a ton! Each rating matters for the ranking of the show, and I would love to make this show a hit. I promise to read every single one. Finally, don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter if you’d like to stay up to date with the STTC blog. I send out emails when new posts or podcasts hit the blog, plus you receive a free copy of my 50 page ebook: College Acceptance Essentials. Thank you again to Rebecca for coming on the show, and a huge congratulations to Michael Romanowski and his team for running a successful campaign. Go Big Red! Remember to check out the second half of this interview here.

West Texas to Harvard – Larissa Baker “Harvard is incredibly generous with their financial aid. . .It was going to cost just as much for me to go to Texas A&M.” Commencement 2015 in Harvard Yard For episode number five of the STTC podcast, I had the opportunity to chat with Larissa Baker. Larissa graduating from high school in Albany, Texas (pop. ~2,000) after which she attended Harvard University. She graduated in 2015 with a degree in Earth and Planetary Science with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. Currently Larissa is gearing up for medical school. We had a great conversation and I can’t wait to share it with you. A group of Larissa’s best friends after a Harvard win in The Game (against Yale) In this episode we cover: How the movie Chasing Liberty was part of the spark that pushed her toward applying to Harvard. Her experience with the Harvard interview. Deviating from the plan to stay within her home state. The feeling of not knowing what she was doing during the application process. Being well rounded and how that helped her get in. Finding out she was accepted via phone call. Being the first girl from her town who graduated from an Ivy League University. Financial Aid at Harvard. Hint: They can help out a lot! The differences between Boston and West Texas Forming relationships with highly accomplished faculty. Dealing with loneliness and the big city Gaining confidence as a woman with high career goals. Main Street in Albany, Texas A morning walk to class in Cambridge, Mass Links we mentioned during the interview: Ted Talks Short, moving speeches from some incredible individuals. I highly recommend. C. S. Lewis-writer of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe G. K. Chesterton-author Paul Farmer–A big name in global health who was one of Larissa’s professors. Author of Infections and Inequalities Earth’s Deep History: How It Was Discovered and Why It Matters Check out this book if you might be interested in Earth and Planetary Sciences At home on her horse. Contacting Larissa Larissa has been kind enough to share her Twitter handle if you’d like to get in touch with her. She can be found @larissa_kb Links Along with the player at the bottom, you can also find this podcast on most podcast hosting services like Google Play, Overcast, iTunes (search Small Town Top College). Thank You for Listening! Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the STTC Podcast. Please share any feedback below in the comment section. I’m always looking for ways to make the show and the site better. Also, please leave an honest review for The STTC Podcast on iTunes. Ratings are extremely appreciated and help us out a ton! Each rating matters for the ranking of the show, and I would love to make this show a hit. I promise to read every single one. Finally, like I mentioned on the podcast, I’ve just released my new ebook College Acceptance Essentials. In it, I talk about 10 actions I took in high school to give myself a better chance of being accepted. To get your free copy, just put in your email address on one of the banners. Special thanks to Larissa for joining me this time. Had a blast doing this interview! Good luck out there!

Studying How Science is Done with Cornell’s Rebecca Harrison Today on the show I interview another incredibly intelligent and interesting person, Rebecca Harrison. An identical triplet who moved between small towns in New York and Pennsylvania, Rebecca knew from early on that she wanted to pursue a career in science at a top academic university. She succeeded when she was accepted at Cornell, an Ivy League University in Ithaca, New York. Originally planning to go to veterinarian school and study biological engineering, Rebecca found that she wanted to focus more the how science is actually conducted and communicated. Rebecca completed her undergraduate studies in 2014 and remained at Cornell to work on a post-graduate degree. On Cornell’s Campus Rebecca was thinking about Cornell from an early age. Rebecca has a great story and some excellent insights on a wide number of topics, including the benefits of growing up in a small town: “I got a tremendous amount of experience that I don’t think I would have had if I had not grown up in upstate New York.” Use the widget at the bottom of the post to play the podcast in your browser. In this episode we cover: Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and the diversity of majors and opportunities. How desired major can change during the college experience. Rebecca’s interest in the day to day questions scientists have to navigate in order to complete their work  How growing up in small towns gave Rebecca a leg up in the application process. MIT Online Courseware and how to utilize every possible option when preparing to apply to a top college. The importance of college visits. Overcoming a difficult academic transition. Her experience studying at Carnegie Mellon prior to heading to Cornell. Her family’s experience financing three triplets all going to college at once. How to make yourself stick out of the application pool. Her time working at the White House. The Importance of mentors and getting to know your professors. She also spent time on the Cornell Equestrian Team One thing I forgot I forgot to ask Rebecca for the best way to ask her questions. I followed up after and she said to tweet her @_beccaharrison Rebecca with fellow Cornell alum, Bill Nye Hanging out on the White House Lawn Thank You  for Listening! Thank you so much for listening to the Small Town Top College Podcast. Please share any feedback below in the comment section. Rebecca and I would love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons to the side.  One last huge thank you Rebecca for taking the time to do this interview!!! Links Along with the player below, you can also find this podcast on most podcast hosting services like Google Play, Overcast, iTunes (search Small Town Top College).

MIT Nuclear Engineer from Upstate New York Cameron French (Part 2) On this episode of The STTC Podcast, I complete my interview with MIT engineer, Cameron French. Cam recounts more of his time at MIT, and offers a ton of great advice to those involved in the college process. We cover everything from financing a top college education to Greek life at MIT. Cam Graduates from MIT, 2014 You can listen to the episode via the widget at the bottom of the post. In This Episode We Cover: Confidence during the application process. Creating a robust college strategy. The awful waiting game after turning in your application. The meaning behind MIT admissions timing. Cameron’s acceptance letter story. As promised, here’s the video. #snuggies Taking classes at MIT during the summer before his Freshman year. Adapting to difficult academics. Financing a top college education. Cool projects he worked on. The incredible people you meet at a top college. Clubs, groups, and Greek life at MIT. What an MIT diploma means to someone from a tiny town. Dealing with difficult situations. Developing self-awareness. Taking advantage of the internet. Cameron at Ring Premier. MIT students get their “Brass Rat” (ring) when they are sophomores. Cameron is a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity Cam spent the summer after high school graduation on MIT’s campus for Interphase, a program aimed at helping students prepare for the rigorous academics at MIT. Thanks for Listening! Thank you so much for listening! I hope you enjoyed the show. Cameron is a great guy, and I’m so glad he shared his story with you. If you have any feedback (what worked, what didn’t, what you’d like more of, etc.). Please leave a comment below. Also, please leave an honest review for the STTC Podcast on iTunes. It really helps out with the rankings of the show, and I read them all so that I can constantly improve. If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with me you can either email me at pat@smalltowntopcollege.com or tweet me @pedayton If you’d like to give Cameron a shout, you can find him on Facebook at facebook.com/camtfrench One last huge thank you to Cameron French for taking the time to come on the show! See you in the next episode! Links Along with the player below, you can also find this podcast on most podcast hosting services like Google Play, Overcast, iTunes (search Small Town Top College).

MIT Nuclear Engineer from Upstate New York Cameron French (Part 1) On this episode of the STTC podcast I interview a good friend, Cameron French. I met Cameron at MIT where we were both involved in the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program. Cameron is from Sharon Springs, New York a “village” of about 600 people. I can’t wait to share his story from such a small town to studying Nuclear Engineering at MIT. Cameron French at MIT Graduation 2014 You can play the episode in your browser via the widget at the bottom of the post. Sharon Springs, NY In This Episode We Cover: How Cameron came to the decision to apply for MIT. How to overcome a lack of science and technology opportunities at your high school. How his parents helped him immensely throughout the college application and decision process, even though they did not attend college themselves. Why the internet is awesome for researching colleges. How starting to think about the college process early (13 years old!) can be incredibly beneficial. Why making your grades irrelevant is the best strategy. How he and his family went about college visits. The importance of staying organized as you apply to and decide on multiple colleges by using a spreadsheet and/or folder. Why Cameron decided to pursue Nuclear Engineering. His love of Rubik’s Cubes and playing guitar.  Incredible guitar solo video (seriously, you should watch it) The importance of meeting current students at your intended colleges. How writing essays in an honest and personal manner can make you stick out from the crowd. A nice view 20 miles outside of Sharon Springs. Cam and his dad after MIT graduation 2014 Cameron teaching a leadership lab for the Gordon Engineering Leadership Program. Cameron Shredding (click here for a video, it’s pretty intense) Thanks for Listening! Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to Cameron and me chat. I hope that you were able to get a lot out of it. I’d love to get some feedback from you (what worked, what didn’t, what you’d like more of, etc.). Please leave a comment below. Also, please leave an honest review for the STTC Podcast on iTunes. It really helps out with the rankings of the show, and I read them all so that I can constantly improve. If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with me you can either email me at pat@smalltowntopcollege.com or tweet me @pedayton If you’d like to give Cameron a shout, you can find him on facebook at facebook.com/camtfrench Finally, a big thank you to Cameron for joining me on the show. See you in Part 2! Links Along with the player below, you can also find this podcast on most podcast hosting services like Google Play, Overcast, iTunes (search Small Town Top College).