Learning From Real Student Applications - Part 1: Stats & Personal Statement College With Mattie podcast

40:24

Have you been waitlisted? Mattie and Michelle unpack the mystery of what that means so that you can respond accordingly. Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/ Articles mentioned: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/theres-a-crazy-new-wrinkle-to-college-admissions.html https://www.forbes.com/sites/brennanbarnard/2025/05/25/college-admission-waitlist-follies/ Trump bars Harvard from enrolling international students: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2025/05/22/harvard-barred-from-enrolling-international-students-by-trump-administration-report-says/…

College With Mattie

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Having The Stats But Getting Rejected By College: What Happened? 42:30

7 weeks ago42:30

42:30

Sometimes, impressive students don’t end up with impressive admissions results. Mattie and Michelle dive into a few cases to talk about the reasons students may be unexpectedly rejected from colleges they apply to. https://archive.is/20250428185853/https://www.washingtonpost.com/advice/2025/04/28/carolyn-hax-elite-college-dreams-shame/ https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/teen-sf-entrepreneur-s-college-essay-went-viral-after-being-rejected-by-stanford-harvard-and-yale/ar- Personal statement: https://x.com/zach_yadegari/status/1906888487292559531 https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-04/rejected-by-16-colleges-hired-by-google-now-hes-suing-some-of-the-schools-for-anti-asian-discrimination https://nypost.com/2025/03/03/us-news/stanley-zhong-had-a-4-4-gpa-but-got-rejected-by-16-colleges-now-hes-suing/ Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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Passion Projects: Internet Fad Or Key To College Admissions? 42:23

8 weeks ago42:23

42:23

Passion projects keep appearing as the secret to getting accepted into college, but what does this mean? Mattie and Michelle break down what a passion project is and if it actually increases your admission chances. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhernholm/2025/03/05/4-ways-teens-can-stand-out-in-college-admissions/ https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/college-admissions-educational-consultants-command-education.html https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherrim/2025/01/14/want-to-get-into-mit-heres-what-you-should-be-doing-this-summer/ Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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My 6-Month Strategy To Applying To College 35:50

9 weeks ago35:50

35:50

College applications can be tough to manage. Mattie breaks down what you need to do and when, but most importantly, how to best structure your work to get all your applications in and work in the most efficient way. Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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Why Are Students Applying To More And More Schools? 41:09

10 weeks ago41:09

41:09

The stress of college applications is leading more students to apply to more schools. What does this mean for them? Does it really help? What does it mean for admissions teams? Mattie and Michelle unpack the trend of shotgunning. https://www.highereddive.com/news/common-app-data-shows-5-jump-in-first-year-college-applicants/737732/ https://counselors.collegeboard.org/college-application/how-many#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20magic%20number,%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9Creach%E2%80%9D%20colleges https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/south-fulton-county/exemplifies-excellence-south-fulton-student-accepted-colleges-all-50-states-155-total/BNJNUNYJZZD2RLJZJYGOFTZKRQ/ Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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Pre-Med Is Not A Major 28:20

11 weeks ago28:20

28:20

Do you want to be a doctor? Pre-med is not a major, so this is how you need to apply to college to start your journey to studying medicine. Mattie and Michelle talk about reframing your activities and focus into a major that can lead you down the right path, and why you need to do that. Mattie's blog post on the topic: https://www.collegewithmattie.com/pre-med-is-not-a-major/ Top Medical School Feeders https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-medical-school Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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Navigating the 2025 Common App Changes 40:33

12 weeks ago40:33

40:33

Mattie and Michelle discuss the latest updates to the Common App for 2025. From the expanded "Challenges and Circumstances" question to changes in word limits, they break down how this affects students and celebrate Georgetown joining the Common App (finally). Georgetown joins the Common App in 2026: https://thehoya.com/news/breaking-gu-to-join-common-app/ Announcing 25-26 Common App Essay Prompts: https://www.commonapp.org/blog/announcing-2025-2026-common-app-essay-prompts Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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Oh No! You're Well-Rounded! But You Can Still Get Into College 32:25

13 weeks ago32:25

32:25

Is being well-rounded always good? When it comes to applying to college, it’s often a weakness and not a strength-unless you use it wisely. Mattie and Michelle dive into the reasons it can hold you back and how to navigate your many talents and interests to your advantage when applying to the school you want. Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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Let’s Talk About Dream Schools In 2025 43:27

14 weeks ago43:27

43:27

Mattie and Michelle talk about dream schools, managing expectations and handling stress. They go over the Princeton Review’s Annual Hopes & Dreams Survey and compare the answers given by students and their parents. Princeton Review Infographics: https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/college-hopes-worries#Infographic Press Release with Findings: https://www.princetonreview.com/press/college-hopes-worries-press-release-2025 Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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How To Get Into Top Schools For Computer Science 33:11

15 weeks ago33:11

33:11

Do you want to study computer science in college? Mattie breaks down the best way to get into your school of choice by helping you frame your knowledge and passion so that you assemble the best application you can. What should your essay really say? Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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The Spread Of The Computer Science Major 29:35

16 weeks ago29:35

29:35

From a niche science degree to the most popular major, Mattie and Michelle tackle the evolution of Computer Science as a college major. How have students shaped their goals and how have schools responded? Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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The Meaning Of College Prestige 46:51

18 weeks ago46:51

46:51

One of the most debated and discussed topics relating to college: prestige. Mattie and Michelle unpack what college prestige really means and whether or not it’s actually important. Related Links https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities?_sort=rank&_sortDirection=asc https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/how-ivy-league-schools-tilt-your-odds-in-the-lottery-of-life-590f8ec1 https://opportunityinsights.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CollegeAdmissions_Nontech.pdf Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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AI Use In College Admissions: What Does This Mean For Applicants? 30:16

19 weeks ago30:16

30:16

Mattie and Michelle tackle AI and college admissions again, but this time they talk about how colleges use it - not students. How does this affect your college application strategy? Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

College With Mattie

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Don't Write About Sports In Your College Essay 23:55

20 weeks ago23:55

23:55

Writing about sports in your college essay seems like the obvious thing to do when you are a student athlete, but in this episode, Mattie and Michelle tackle all the reasons to avoid that, whether or not you are being recruited. Learn what to write about instead and why in this episode of College With Mattie. Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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The Ethics Of Lying On Your College Application 31:09

21 weeks ago31:09

31:09

When you tell a college what you want to major in, should you be honest? Or should you lie to give yourself a better chance of acceptance? Mattie and Michelle talk about the moral issue of lying in your college application and whether or not it actually works - as well as how to do it right! https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/magazine/academic-interests-college-application-ethics.html Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/…

College With Mattie

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Terrible Yet Common College Admissions Advice 28:38

38 weeks ago28:38

28:38

Mattie dives into the most common pieces of bad advice students receive when they begin the college admissions process. Learn how to seek out the advice that is best for you and how to recognize the so-called tips that may be holding you back.

College With Mattie

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Learning From Essays That Got Into Harvard 55:03

39 weeks ago55:03

55:03

Michelle chooses some essays used by students who got into Harvard and Mattie analyzes the elements that work and the problems they present to surface vital essay writing tips. The essays are found on The Crimson: https://www.thecrimson.com/topic/sponsored-successful-harvard-essays-2024/

College With Mattie

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Why Most College Essays Are Terrible 20:09

39 weeks ago20:09