Podcast
Office Hours
Hosted by Scholarships360 · EN
Scholarships360’s Office Hours podcast explores the trends shaping higher education while breaking down what they mean for students and families today. Host Will Geiger sits down with leaders across the field, including VPs of Enrollment, EdTech founders, and Directors of College Counseling, to unpack the ideas, challenges, and innovations driving the future of higher ed and turn them into actionable advice for students and parents navigating the process of admissions and financial aid.
23episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Rethinking the College Admissions Journey with Dr. Jay Jacobs
Apr 700:38:54Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Vice President of Enrollment Management at the University of Vermont Dr. Jay Jacobs breaks down some of the misconceptions students have about the University of Vermont, and what makes this school a great place for both in-state and out-of-state students. He specifically highlights their financial aid options, retention rates, and exciting programs the university offers.Dr. Jacobs also dives further into the admissions process at UVM at a holistic level, and explains the sorts of topics and qualities that UVM students exhibit. He wraps up the episode by reminding students that the admissions process is only the start of their higher education journey.
Transcribe →How Aquinas College Is Rethinking the College Experience with Brian Matzke
Mar 3100:45:06Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Brian Matzke, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Aquinas College reaffirms the purpose of admissions counselors; to help students find the best possible fit for college. He encourages students to visit schools and pursue classes and topics that interest them.Brian also dives deeper into the culture of Aquinas college, the four pillars of the Catholic Dominican tradition, and how modalities like their block schedules for first year students help facilitate a smooth transition into college life.
Transcribe →A New Model for American Universities with Ben Crocker
Mar 2400:44:29Tap to summarizeIn this episode, University Dean and Director of Admissions at the University of Austin Ben Crocker dives into the formation and ethos of the University of Austin, and what makes this institution different from traditional higher education models. He starts by talking about the university's mission, which is to re-center teaching in the American education system and fix the broken financial model of universities by not charging tuition.Ben continues by diving into the radically simple admissions process at UATX, which only takes into account standardized test scores. He explains that this allows for a simpler process that cuts out the lack of transparency or "black box" of college admissions.
Transcribe →Finding the Right College for You with Andrew Linnehan
Mar 1700:50:51Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Office Hours, Andrew Linnehan, Former Senior Associate Director of Admission & Former Director of Communication and Audience Engagement at Northwestern University, stresses the importance of students choosing a college that is right for them. He goes into detail about the factors students should consider when choosing a college, along with strategies that allow students to dive deeper and look beyond data points and statistics listed on a college brochure or website. In an age where college admissions is crowded with noise and chaos from outside perspectives, especially with social media, Andrew recommends that students start thinking about what kinds of communities would be a good fit for them and look into colleges during their junior year of high school. This allows students to come into their senior year with more confidence and clarity.
Transcribe →The True Cost and Value of College with Shawana Singletary
Mar 1000:41:10Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Chief Enrollment Officer at Adelphi University, Shawana Singletary, shares some great advice for high school students and families about actions they can take before senior year to start preparing for applying to colleges. She also breaks down the misconception that students coming into college should have their whole career figured out. Instead she encourages students to come in with an open mind so they can fully explore their interests and lean into their strengths, and remember that college is an investment in their future. Shawana also recommends that students and families not be discouraged from applying to schools solely because of sticker prices. She gives some examples of different merit scholarships offered at Adelphi, and also reinforces the importance of filling out the FAFSA. Between scholarships and need-based aid, many students don’t actually pay the sticker price for college.
Transcribe →College Admissions in a Time of Change with Dr. Angel Pérez
Mar 300:26:12Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Dr. Angel Pérez, CEO of NACAC, gives his perspective on the shifting trends in higher education following the pandemic, including how the current political landscape is affecting both cost and admissions. One of these trends is Direct Admissions, which is a new admissions process many schools are adopting that can be advantageous to students and families.Dr. Pérez also touches on the affordability of college and how many students end up not paying the full sticker price for tuition. He wraps this episode up with some tips for students on how to navigate the admissions process in the age of AI and the importance of authenticity in applications.
Transcribe →Evaluating College Value with Justin Draeger
Feb 2400:38:00Tap to summarizeAbout this episodeIn this week's episode, Justin Draeger, the Senior Vice President for Affordability at Strada Education Foundation and a longtime former leader in the financial aid community, breaks down some myths surrounding net price and the price students pay. He also describes how student loans can be a useful tool as long as students and families apply guardrails. He says that loans are not a problem themselves, but unmanageable debt is, especially when students don’t complete their program or borrow too much relative to what they can expect to earn with their degree. He recommends using outcomes data such as completion and repayment statistics, to evaluate schools, while remembering those numbers reflect institutional performance, not a student’s worth.Justin emphasizes looking for “financial fit” by comparing offers side by side, and checking whether grants and scholarships are predictable and renewable year to year. He also explains how to approach financial aid appeals: be clear on whether your request is need-based or merit-based, bring new, specific information to the table, and ask questions early to cut through the complexities of the system.Mentioned in this episodeStrada Educational Foundation - Justin's organization, focused on helping clear the path between education and workCollege Scorecard - Federal data set to help evaluate schools by Justin's suggested metrics
Transcribe →Getting the Most out of Community College with Dr. Aarti Dhupelia
Feb 1700:35:44Tap to summarizeAbout this episodeIn this episode, Dr. Aarti Dhupelia explains that community college is an affordable, local, and career-aligned path that can deliver some of the highest return-on-investment outcomes in higher education. She makes the case that community college should be seen as a bold first choice for many students. They stay closely connected to local employers, offer flexible schedules for working learners, and provide multiple “on-ramps” to success, such as transferring to a four-year university, entering the workforce after an associate degree, or combining work and school along the way.She also shares what she sees in the community college students she works with: resilience, maturity, and a strong work ethic shaped by balancing jobs, family responsibilities, and classes at the same time. She explains why all these traits make them desirable candidates for the workforce.She also outlines the biggest barriers community college students face, including basic needs insecurity, navigating complex college systems, and not always getting a fair shot from universities or employers. To help students thrive, she encourages them to seek help early and often. She also stresses the importance of building relationships with advisors, and pursuing work-based learning like internships and apprenticeships. She ends by emphasizing that students don’t have to do it alone, and every credit earned is momentum toward a brighter future.Mentioned in this episodeOne Million Degrees - Aarti's organization. One Million Degrees accelerates community college students’ progress on career pathways to economic mobility.City Colleges of Chicago - Chicago's public community college system, and One Million Degrees' biggest partner.
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Unpacking College Loans and ROI with Matt Carpenter
Feb 1000:36:38Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Matt Carpenter, the cofounder of College Aid Pro, guides students through the process of appealing financial aid offers, advises parents who feel they have fallen behind in the admissions process, and describes the transparency issue in college pricing today. He goes into detail about the many advantages of college, both personal and professional, and describes the effects of the federal student loan caps that passed in 2025.He also theorizes on the reasons behind rising college costs and gives a great rule of thumb for deciding how much debt your family should be comfortable taking out. He stresses that major, not just college choice, should affect a student's tolerance for loans. The episode closes with some reasons why college continues to be an important investment in today's world.Mentioned in this episodeCollege Aid ProWhat is the Student Aid Index?Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
Transcribe →Bridging Campus to Career with Dana Stephenson
Feb 300:45:32Tap to summarizeAbout the episodeIn this episode, Dana Stephenson, the co-founder and CEO of Riipen, offers a comprehensive framework for how education can shift to set students up for stronger careers. He makes the case that the classroom and on-the-job learning should be united, not separated, and offers several ways to implement this. He describes how part-time or remote work can be incorporated into a student's schedule, and offers a 'scaffolding' model to help scale students up from short-term, low-stakes work projects to longer-term, high-stakes initiatives.Dana makes the case for a tighter feedback loop between educators and employers. He argues that employers should be letting educators know what prepares students for the workforce, and what doesn't. He also goes into some of the character-building benefits of working a job that students stand to benefit from.Finally, Dana advises students to pick a major that genuinely motivates them and to prioritize programs with experiential learning. He closes with some thoughts on how AI will change the way startups do business.Mentioned in the episodeRiipen - Dana's company. A project-based learning platform for educators, learners, and employers.Council of Independent Colleges - A partner of Riipen.U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) initiative - A project-based learning initiative from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that also partners with Riipen.
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