{"podcast":{"title":"Parents: Is Your Teen College Ready?","slug":"parents-is-your-teen-college-ready-5437024","podcast_index_feed_id":5437024,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/HyXhW3hM","website_url":"https://parents-is-your-teen-college-ready.simplecast.com","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/cd94a5e4-8afc-4acb-8ee9-02061f76ae23/9aae2399-5dd3-4f6c-829e-6466b0ae9eed/3000x3000/logo-podcast.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"Shellee Howard","episode_count":153,"summary":"Your teen is in middle school or high school, and college is on the horizon! Do you know where to begin? It can be overwhelming! Which college will be a good fit? Can you afford it? What is my teen passionate about? This can be an exciting time, but a stressful one! College admission is at an all time high in both competitiveness and cost. How do you navigate this? Your host Shellee Howard with College Ready has helped countless families in the college admissions process while saving them thousands of dollars in tuition! In her podcast, she sits down with new and past clients to share their experiences with College Ready, along with financial advisors and other experts who understand the importance of financial awareness when it comes to graduating from college debt free. This year's College Ready seniors earned over 17 million dollars in scholarships and grants! The information you hear on this show is priceless, you really can’t afford to not tune in!","last_synced_at":"2026-07-16T22:19:40.945796+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/parents-is-your-teen-college-ready-5437024"},"episode":{"title":"Inside the Admissions Office: What Colleges Really Look For—and How Parents Can Help Without Hurting","slug":"inside-the-admissions-office-what-colleges-really-look-for-and-how-parents-can-help-without-hurting","published_at":"2026-02-12T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/parents-is-your-teen-college-ready-5437024/inside-the-admissions-office-what-colleges-really-look-for-and-how-parents-can-help-without-hurting","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/parents-is-your-teen-college-ready-5437024","url":"https://parents-is-your-teen-college-ready.simplecast.com/episodes/inside-the-admissions-office-what-colleges-really-look-forand-how-parents-can-help-without-hurting-Vf9VnNlP","audio_url":"https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/81be547e-cd65-4642-9b32-8c344b462e0f/episodes/dc0bd1d7-155c-49e8-adbd-4faaf5eedb78/audio/6a62dc5d-b2dd-4c36-9eec-d84cf7307f38/default_tc.mp3?aid=rss_feed&feed=HyXhW3hM","summary":"The college admissions process can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be a mystery. In this episode, Shellee Howard speaks with Karen Kristoff, Dean of Admission at Colorado College, who pulls back the curtain on how colleges review applications and make decisions. Karen explains why authenticity matters more than flawless transcripts, how essays shape the admissions narrative, and what admissions officers hope students—and parents—understand about the process. They also discuss senior-year grades, mental health topics in essays, why fit matters more than rankings, and how parents can support their teens without increasing anxiety. This conversation reassures families that college admissions is more human—and more holistic—than many believe. An essential listen for parents navigating applications with their teens.","meta_description":"The college admissions process can feel overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be a mystery. In this episode, Shellee Howard speaks with Karen Kristoff, Dean…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2499,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/parents-is-your-teen-college-ready-5437024/episodes/inside-the-admissions-office-what-colleges-really-look-for-and-how-parents-can-help-without-hurting/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/parents-is-your-teen-college-ready-5437024/inside-the-admissions-office-what-colleges-really-look-for-and-how-parents-can-help-without-hurting.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}