The College Question Most Families Forget to Ask With Shellee Howard
About this episode
Valerie Alston discusses the college admissions process with Shelly Howard, emphasizing the importance of understanding student priorities before selecting schools.
Stop Asking “Where Do You Wanna Go?” | Starting the College Conversation the Right Way (with Shelly Howard) Host Valerie Alston welcomes college funding and admissions consultant Shelly Howard, founder of College Ready, to discuss why families should not start the college process by picking a school. Howard explains her approach begins with helping students gain clarity about who they are, what excites them, and their priorities - academic, social, athletic, and financial - before building a balanced list of reach, target, and safe schools and setting realistic expectations about rejection. She emphasizes starting early, normalizing “fail forward,” and using community service and campus visits to help students test interests and build motivation. The episode offers practical family conversation prompts, including asking what excites the student about their future, whether they see themselves going to college, and listening beyond job labels to the deeper goals behind them. 00:00 Start With Who You Are 00:53 Meet College Consultant Shelly 01:28 Her Origin Story 02:45 Clarity Before College Lists 04:15 Athletes Priorities And Fit 06:17 Undecided And Fear Of Failure 06:52 Serve To…
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