The Things I Wish I'd Known...

About this episode

High school seniors and parents discuss lessons learned during the college admissions process at Dartmouth's open house.

A live audience of high school seniors and parents at Dartmouth's accepted student open house ponder the lessons of the search they are about to complete. "What are the things you wish you'd known a year ago?" AB host Lee Coffin and former New York Times reporter Jacques Steinberg ask them. In response, they offer tips for a meaningful campus visit; they celebrate the importance of vibe over spreadsheets of data; and they advise rising seniors to filter an admissions-clogged newsfeed with care. The audience of admissions veterans reminds the next crop of applicants to sustain a sense of authenticity and self-advocacy as the admissions cycle plays out. "Are these my people?" was the key assessment of one senior's discovery period; "I was the guide on the side," a mother shares. And Dartmouth's Dean Coffin reminds future applicants, “ 'Feel' is the unsung hero of your college search.”

People in this episode

Host: Lee Coffin

Guest: Jacques Steinberg

Topics covered

• college admissions
• campus visits
• high school seniors
• parent advice
• authenticity in applications

Keywords

• college search
• admissions tips
• campus vibe
• self-advocacy
• high school advice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Dartmouth College

Places: New York

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