My guest today is Dr. Pamela Ellis. She conducts research into the areas of high school of college transition, parent engagement, African-American males in education, and college completion.

As part of that, she’s visited more than four hundred colleges and universities internationally to understand their cultures and their academic and social opportunities available to students. That’s allowed her to help hundreds of young people successfully navigate the college-admissions process, as well as advise universities and school districts as well.

And she’s also the author of the book, What to Know Before They Go: College Edition.

In the podcast, we talked about:

The college admissions scandal involving Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. (1:30)
Should kids pay for their own college tuition? (3:20)
Who should think about taking a gap year? (7:25)
Dr. Ellis’ top tips for getting ready for college (11:50)

That last one includes ideas like:

Develop independence and self-awareness and self-advocacy

Start in middle school