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523: Busting College Admission Myths Using Data: Standardized Tests, Rankings, and the Cost of College with Akil Bello

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SHOW NOTES

In today’s episode, Ethan is joined by Akil Bello to talk about standardized tests, rankings, and the cost of college. They dig into some common misconceptions about college including: 

  • Are most colleges returning to requiring standardized testing scores? 

  • Is it too hard to get into college? 

  • Are highly-ranked colleges better? 

  • Is it true that most colleges now cost more than $100,000 per year to attend? 

  • And more!

Akil Bello is an educator, strategist, researcher, policy consultant, and advocate for equitable access to education. For more than 30 years, he’s worked every job you can imagine related to admission testing and college access from tutor, to test prep company founder to CEO and now works as the Senior Director of Advocacy at Fair Test. When he is not moonlighting reading college applications for a public university, he serves on several advisory boards, writes articles for Forbes, and helps his wife parent their college freshman and HS junior. 

We hope you enjoy!

Play-by-Play

  •  1:56 - Akil shares a bit about his background and identities 

  •  3:57 - What is Fair Test and what does Akil do as Senior Director of Advocacy? 

  •  6:03 - Myth #1: Most colleges are returning to requiring standardized testing scores. 

  • 11:25 - Myth #2: Universities are returning to standardized tests because they help attract students of color?

  • 13:40 - Myth #3: Standardized test scores are a reliable predictor of GPA in college. 

  • 16:18 - Myth #4: It is harder than ever to get into college. 

  • 19:25 - Myth #5: The higher the ranking, the better the school.

  • 27:59 - What are some good questions that students can ask themselves when developing a college list? 

  • 29:52 - Myth #6: College is expensive. 

  • 33:59 - Myth #7: A particular essay, extracurricular, or passion project gets students into college.  

  • 37:34 - What are some good questions that students can ask themselves when considering whether or not to submit a test score?

  • 43:26 - What are some good questions that students can ask themselves if they are considering writing about race in their college essay or application?

  • 46:44 - Akil shares advice to parents and students who are navigating this process

  • 51:28 - Wrap up and closing thoughts 

Resources

 

414: A Crash Course in Paying for College & Common Affordability Myths

On today’s episode, Ethan is joined by Amanda Miller, who got her start in financial aid through Davidson College’s Advising Corps in 2014. A few thousand students, several resources, and dozens of financial aid presentations later, Amanda hasn’t lost her love of explaining the ins-and-outs of financial aid to folks who just want to figure out how to pay for college. She’s an independent financial aid specialist and college adviser who also serves as the financial aid go-to lady for the Matchlighters program and someone we consider to be a part of the extended College Essay Guy family. 

211: Financial Aid Tips for International Students (and Their Counselors)

This is the last episode in a three-part series on paying for college. My guest is Joan Liu, a college counselor who has a giant heart to go with her giant brain. In this episode she draws on her years of experience helping international students who need financial aid in order to attend college in the US.

209: Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream

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SHOW NOTES

Friends, I enjoyed doing the first series on access and equity so much that I thought, why not do another? This episode is the first of three that focuses on paying for college. My guest for this first episode is Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, Professor of Higher Education Policy & Sociology at Temple University, author of Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream. On this episode we discuss:

  • Why has paying for college become such a problem? 

  • Which students are most impacted by needs insecurity and why don’t students tell their stories of struggle?

  • How is the current financial aid system broken, and what are some solutions?

  • How can students avoid getting into debt without getting a degree?

  • Advice for students currently applying

  • A really specific way that you, dear listener, can make a difference.

Sara Goldrick-Rab is Professor of Higher Education Policy & Sociology at Temple University, and Founder of the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice in Philadelphia, as well as the Wisconsin HOPE Lab.

Dr. Goldrick-Rab’s commitment to scholar-activism is evidenced by her broad profile of research and writing dissecting the intended and unintended consequences of the college-for-all movement in the United States. In more than a dozen experimental, longitudinal, and mixed-methods studies, she has examined the efficacy and distributional implications of financial aid policies, welfare reform, transfer practices, and a range of interventions aimed at increasing college attainment among marginalized populations. Dr. Goldrick-Rab is best known for her innovative research on food and housing insecurity in higher education, having led the four largest national studies on the subject, and for her work on making public higher education free.

PLAY-BY-PLAY

[1:30] Who is Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab?
[2:30] What’s the premise of Dr. Goldrick-Rab’s book, Paying the Price: College Costs, Financial Aid, and the Betrayal of the American Dream
[4:10] Why has paying for college become such a problem?
[5:55] What is #realcollege?
[7:26] Why don’t students tell their stories of struggle? 
[8:06] How did these students’ stories lead Sara to begin her work?
[10:08] Which students are most impacted by needs insecurity?
[11:55] How is the current financial aid system broken, and what are some solutions? 
[14:58] A message to those who feel like there’s no hope...
[17:45] How do students avoid getting into debt without getting a degree?
[20:02] What’s some advice for students who are currently applying?
[22:06] Advice for counselors helping students apply
[24:20] What’s one specific, practical thing each of us can do to make a difference?

Relevant LINKS: