College Admissions Insider, the University’s podcast that provides information for families on the admissions process, has had its first 26 episodes downloaded more than 15,000 times in its first year. 

“There are so many details to the college admissions process that it can feel a little overwhelming. But we also know that high school students and their families are incredibly busy. So we designed each episode to be less than 30 minutes long, giving listeners useful information in bite-size nuggets,” a press release by Bryan Wendell, Associate Director of Editorial Content Strategy, said.

Wendell, along with Brooke Thames, Communications Writer, co-host the biweekly podcast. It was designed to clarify any confusion surrounding a student’s college search. Wendell and Thames look to answer questions that the University’s Office of Admissions are frequently asked, while also bringing on guests to talk with.

Coinciding with the podcast, a blog was created to supplement the audio version. 

“The blog overlaps with the podcast but is another accessible channel that illustrates the ins and outs of the admissions process. The blog also allows us to take a deeper dive into topics of particular interest to high school students and their families,” Thames said.

At first, Wendell said that the hosts were both worried that the podcast would be “too in the weeds.” He said that they were quick to realize that people want to hear about the specific details for the admissions process. 

Some of their most popular episode topics include: Episode 4’s Inside the Mind of An Application Reader, Episode 1’s Choosing a College without Visiting and Episode 5’s Writing a Killer College Application Essay, among others. 

“As a podcast team — which also includes Content Strategy Assistant Kim Faulk and Digital Marketing Specialist Stevie Blyler — we want to guarantee that each episode feels up to date and current as the college admissions landscape continues to change and evolve,” Wendell said. 

Both hosts emphasized that they want to hear from listeners. They said that questions from individuals are what drive the podcast and inspire the episodes that they record. Any questions or ideas for episodes can be submitted to [email protected]. 

“One of the most rewarding parts of working on the podcast is hearing from listeners. It’s such a nice reminder that people are using what we’re sharing to enhance their college journeys,” Thames said.

Those interested can find the podcast on all major podcast platforms, as well as directly on their website.