Updated on September 26th, 2021
Let’s face it. Life is busy. The days are short and having time to sit down and read all there is to know about prepping your student for college can be overwhelming and downright stressful! But what if there was a way to learn much of what you need to know about the college process while exercising, cooking dinner, commuting to work, eating your lunch or any other time you are performing daily tasks and want to make them more productive. Well, there IS a way to do exactly that!
Podcasts are a GREAT alternative to reading and not to mention easy to slip into your daily routine, all while learning a thing or two for your soon-to-be college student.
While podcasts are a great option, let’s be honest, not all are created equal. To help you narrow down the content that will help your college-bound teen succeed and pay for college, I have narrowed down my top 7 podcasts picks (in no particular order) on the topics of studying and testing advice, financial aid, college admissions, and parenting tips.
1. The College Prep Podcast
Looking for tips and tricks for topics from time management tools for your teen, study strategies, prepping for the SAT/ACT, scholarships, essay writing, or parenting advice? This is the podcast for you!
Each week, Megan Dorsey and Gretchen Wegner, share tips on how to “survive and thrive” and navigate the college maze. Tuning in will help you and your teen feel more confident and ready to tackle the college process.
2. Getting In: A College Coach Conversation
You’ll receive a variety of insanely helpful information from tackling essays, how to successfully appeal financial aid decisions, tips for selecting the right college, and determining the MOST effective savings to help fund college.
College Coach and host, Elizabeth Heaton, interviews admission and financial experts as well as top industry experts. Listeners can submit questions and tune in to hear Elizabeth’s responses.
Is your student struggling to find the right college? Here’s an article that will make the decision more manageable: Helping Your Child With Choosing the Right College
3. Parenting Today’s Teens
It’s no secret that the teen years are often filled with door-slamming, eye-rolling, and seeming insensitivity, even by kids who behaved kindly before. Here’s a great podcast offering parenting tips for some of the most pressing teenage challenges.
In addition to hosting his podcast, Mark Gregston, is an author, speaker, founder of Heartlight Ministries and leads parenting seminars across the country.
4. USACollegeChat Podcast
Do you have a student that’s in grade 10 or higher? If you answered yes, this podcast is for you! Whether you’re planning ahead or scrambling last minute this podcast will help your child make the best choice for continuing their education; it’s everything you need to know for your student’s college search and career.
5. Parenting Teens: The Biggest Job We’ll Ever Have Podcast
What’s the biggest job you’ll ever have? It’s right in the title…parenting! It’s no secret parenting is full of challenges and triumphs. Tune into this podcast with experts in the field of raising teenagers where you will discover eye-opening moments and helpful advice that can be implemented immediately. You’ll find this podcast’s material can help bring your family closer and will boost your teen’s self-confidence.
6. The College Info Geek Podcast: Study Tips & Advice for Students
Podcasts don’t have to be limited to parents, your student can benefit too! This podcast, hosted by Thomas Frank and Martin Boehme, delivers just that: tons of tips to help your teen study more effectively, be more productive, build a personal brand that will attract potential employers all while providing tips for reducing student debt, that is, if your student has any.
If you would like more guidance on money management life skills, check out this article: How to Start Managing Money with Your Teen. It will help you get started on the right track.
7. The Prepped and Polished Podcast
Is your student in need of tutoring and test prep tips? Do you find your teen is disorganized? Here’s a podcast chocked-full of learning techniques and testing advice including interviews with leaders in education sure to provide tons of helpful information for both you and your college-bound teen.
Remember…Knowledge is Power!
As parents having the knowledge and an understanding of the process of preparing your college-bound teen for their college years is half the battle. These 7 podcasts are sure to enlighten and educate as well as provide solid advice to help your family navigate the windy road to college.
In addition to learning tips from these podcasts, scholarships are a great way to reduce the stresses associated with college. Haven’t gotten started yet? If you and your student would like to learn more about how to find scholarships that can help pay for college, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! We cover how to spot the scams so you can make sure your student is applying to scholarships that are actually worth their time. Join the next free training here: www.thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar.
Do you know of or listen to other podcasts? Leave a comment below so we can add them to the list!
Your College Bound Kid is the most thorough and informative podcast I know of! Current issues in the college admission landscape, college campus resources, finances, interviews with college officials, too. It parallels the chapters in the book, 171 Answers, by Mark Stucker, but includes even more than what is in each chapter. It is co-hosted by Mark Stucker and mom, Anika, with three kids in various stages of college – pre-college, current, and post college. Great tips!
I agree. That is a great one too.
SimplyStu has a monthly podcast that guides parents and students throughout the entire freshman year. Leslie Banahan, vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) gives practical advice on getting your children started on the right path in college. Each month gives specifics on what the parent/child may experience that specific month. While you can start listening in any month, the format starts in May and ends in April.