YCBK 159: The Mess That Is Elite College Admissions

In this episode you will hear: (16:07) In this week’s news segment, an article from Vox “The Mess That is Elite College Admissions, Explained by a Former Dean” by Jason England. The former dean of an elite liberal arts university shares 8 things that he wishes people understood about his old job in admissions and its wide-ranging controversies.  These eight points are so relevant to today that Mark and Dave are breaking this up into a four-part series. They discuss the first and second point of the eight in this episode.     (55:00) We’re in chapter 159 of 171 Answers and we’re talking through the advantages and disadvantages of home equity loans, HELOCs and cash out refi’s. Mark explains what all of these are and Mark and Anika discuss the pros and cons of these, especially in comparison to a Parent PLUS loan.   (01:12:05) This week’s question asks if financial aid works the same for students who are born in India but they have done their schooling in the US as it works for other international students.   (01:24:07)Mark continues his interview with Amin Gonzalez-VP and Dean of Admission at Wesleyan University in part 2 of 2 of- Understanding Wesleyan University   (01:30:45) Recommended resource: The book, “The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges - and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates.  Daniel Golden, is the author and he is recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in journalism. The book was written in 2006 but an updated version came out in 2019. Golden’s core argument is just as relevant today; America’s elite colleges resemble an aristocracy more than a meritocracy. Golden uses hard facts to prove this case.   Don't forget to send your questions related to any and every facet of the college process to: . Music is by SENA HERO/Victor-Alan Weeks. If you enjoy our podcast, would you please do us a favor and share our podcast both verbally and on social media? We would be most grateful! To access and best utilize the transcripts of each podcast, please do the following: Go to  Click the Transcripts tab, from the top menu by the Episodes tab Click on the transcript for the specific episode you are interested in, just click on the image or by the word “Transcript” You will see a Share icon, a download option, a link to Apple podcast and you will see a magnifying glass Use the magnifying glass to search for any word. If that word was used in the episode, it will show up, highlighted in yellow. You will also see a timestamp so you can see the exact minute and second this word was spoken. If you click the word highlighted in yellow, the podcast player will start playing right at that word. You can stop it from playing by clicking the pause button.  Note: The transcription accuracy is about 90%, so you will see some spelling errors and errors in translation going from voice to print. We are excited to give our listeners a chance to play a role in shaping what topics we discuss, so please send us your ideas for college spotlights, articles for discussion and recommended resources. You can let your voice be heard by completing this survey. Just put the following link in your browser and give us your honest feedback. We thank you in advance. Every episode of Your College-Bound Kid will align with a chapter from the book 171 Answers to the Most-Asked College Admission Questions. To get a copy go to Amazon and click:   If you want to place a bulk order, you will save money by purchasing this book at 171answers.com. Every penny goes to The Atlanta Mission, a Christian organization that helps over 1000 homeless residents every day.  If you want to see what future episodes will discuss in the book chapter section,  just go to 171answers.com and then click the red button "See exactly what 171 Answers covers"