Admissions Beat

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On the Admissions Beat, veteran dean of admissions Lee Coffin from Dartmouth College and a range of guests provide high school students and parents, as well as their counselors and other mentors, with "news you can use" at each step on the pathway to college. With a welcoming, reassuring perspective and an approach intended to build confidence in prospective applicants, Dean Coffin offers credible information, insights, and guidance—from the earliest days of the college search, to applications, decision-making, and arrival on campus. He does so by drawing on nearly 30 years of experience as an admissions leader at some of the nation's most prestigious institutions.

Recent Episodes
  • Lessons from the Stage
    Apr 15, 2025 – 00:52:11
  • How Not to Get into the College of Your Choice
    Apr 8, 2025 – 00:41:39
  • Children Will Listen
    Apr 1, 2025 – 00:41:40
  • Good News/Bad News
    Mar 25, 2025 – 00:49:37
  • Inside the Admissions Committee: The "Gatekeepers" in Action
    Mar 18, 2025 – 00:44:31
  • Reading an Application: The Work of the Work
    Mar 11, 2025 – 00:39:15
  • What Counts?
    Mar 4, 2025 – 00:44:00
  • Junior Kickoff: It's Time to Discover!
    Feb 25, 2025 – 00:48:26
  • Getting Started: Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan
    Feb 18, 2025 – 00:44:01
  • Admissions Dean as Admissions Dad
    Dec 10, 2024 – 00:33:05
  • Life in a Suburban Town
    Dec 3, 2024 – 00:50:59
  • “Please Pass the Potatoes…” and Other Thanksgiving Advice
    Nov 26, 2024 – 00:39:11
  • The Language of Financial Aid
    Nov 19, 2024 – 00:56:54
  • History Lesson
    Nov 12, 2024 – 00:45:20
  • “I’ve Never Heard of It…”
    Nov 5, 2024 – 00:54:47
  • Globe Trotting: College Options Outside Your Country
    Oct 29, 2024 – 00:45:49
  • Frosh Perspectives
    Oct 22, 2024 – 01:08:16
  • “What’s Your Deal?”
    Oct 15, 2024 – 00:32:03
  • All-Star College Advising Team, Part I
    Oct 8, 2024 – 00:39:37
  • The Essay: The Fine Art of Telling Your Story
    Oct 1, 2024 – 00:56:54
  • Start Your Engines: Accelerating from Discovery to Application
    Sep 24, 2024 – 00:52:34
  • Keep Calm and Carry On: A Prologue to the New Admissions Season
    Sep 17, 2024 – 00:40:22
  • Finishing Strong: Year-End Thoughts and Summer Homework for Rising (and Graduating) Seniors
    May 21, 2024 – 00:39:18
  • “I’m good at math…”
    May 7, 2024 – 00:47:28
  • Admissions Beat Live: Parents and Seniors Take the Mic
    Apr 30, 2024 – 00:56:16
  • Dialogue
    Apr 23, 2024 – 00:07:40
  • Choosing Your Senior Year Courses and Why That Matters
    Apr 16, 2024 – 00:50:59
  • A Degree In Thinking
    Apr 9, 2024 – 00:45:07
  • Navigating April: Thoughts for Seniors and Juniors
    Apr 2, 2024 – 00:46:32
  • Interpreting Testing: Your Scores May Be Stronger Than You Think
    Mar 26, 2024 – 00:43:30
  • Learning to Read
    Mar 19, 2024 – 00:45:19
  • Inside the Admissions Selection Committee
    Mar 12, 2024 – 00:48:14
  • Is College Worth It?
    Mar 5, 2024 – 00:52:57
  • Admissions Moms Who Know Too Much?
    Feb 27, 2024 – 00:49:16
  • Keep Calm and Carry On: Navigating the FAFSA Rollout
    Feb 20, 2024 – 00:48:49
  • Take an 'Existential Selfie'
    Feb 13, 2024 – 00:53:30
  • Searching
    Feb 6, 2024 – 00:56:08
  • High School Juniors: Your College Search Begins
    Jan 30, 2024 – 01:01:06
  • Season 4 Finale: ‘Twas Two Weeks Til the Deadline
    Dec 19, 2023 – 00:51:29
  • Take an ‘Existential Selfie,’ Through a Rural Lens
    Dec 12, 2023 – 00:50:32
  • Interview Tips: Let Your Life Speak
    Dec 5, 2023 – 00:50:17
  • One-on-One with the Nation’s ‘Chief Admissions Counselor’
    Nov 28, 2023 – 00:56:06
  • Navigating Thanksgiving Queries from Curious Relatives
    Nov 21, 2023 – 00:38:29
  • Fifty Podversations! An Admissions Beat Anniversary Highlight Reel
    Nov 14, 2023 – 00:58:09
  • College Affordability? Ignore the Sticker Price!
    Nov 7, 2023 – 00:55:47
  • Data Dive, Part 2: Standardized Testing
    Oct 31, 2023 – 00:28:02
  • Data Dive, Part 1: The High School Transcript
    Oct 24, 2023 – 00:44:09
  • Acceptance: A Conversation with Author Emi Nietfeld
    Oct 17, 2023 – 00:50:33
  • Let Your Life Speak Through Your College Essay
    Oct 10, 2023 – 00:52:05
  • Inside the Admissions Process: A Senior Speaks
    Oct 3, 2023 – 00:32:12
Recent Reviews
  • pantheist
    Good general college advice. Doesn’t reflect Dartmouth admissions.
    I listened for a season and found the discussions pleasant and reassuring. The host and guests focus on discussing students who are well rounded and empathetic. They make the valid point that there are many great colleges and universities available. However, what I saw in my area is that students admitted to Dartmouth were very “pointy” and really focused on one activity, sport, or skill. Perhaps this podcast is what the Dean wishes he was doing.
  • PD12234
    Everything that is wrong in admissions
    Lee Coffin epitomizes every single thing that is wrong in higher education. He lives in his ivory tower talking about “fit“, “mission” and “purpose,” but he and his ilk are the quintessential gatekeepers drumming up ways to deny students who actually do the work. This podcast is the way he feels better about himself because he surrounds himself with the yes men/ women who parrot his views. The worst are those episodes where he waxes poetic about “how he actually signs his name on every admission letter.” Automation exists for a reason - get with the times man and get real about the behind the scenes quotas you have at your school
  • Onebigadventure
    “Admissions Beat” dials down the heat
    “Admissions Beat” is one of the few podcasts that actively dials down the heat on the otherwise highly combustible admissions process. Without hyperbole, this podcast completely changed my daughter’s view of admissions and allowed her to tap into her own value in the process. Before “Admissions Beat,” the admissions process was feeling like a gross listing of performative accomplishments to be judged and criticized by faceless administrators for personal gain. She now views the process as a way for her to get to know and share her true self and be fine with a school deciding she is or is not the right fit for them (and vice versa). Instead of seeing essays as papers to be harshly graded and mocked by aloof readers in ivory towers, she now views them as ways to tap into who she is now, who she wants to be, and what impact she wants to make. It has become a summer of introspection, exploration, and ownership, instead of stress and an untethered lack of agency. I cannot recommend this podcast enough.
  • Rising Senior
    Finding Balance in Chaos
    If you're a parent of a high schooler, this Admissions Beat is an absolute must-listen. It can save countless therapy hours and alleviate stress, but it also guides you towards finding a balance as you navigate the unpredictable waters of the college admissions process. Click through the episodes and you will find insightful insight on the entire college journey. From demystifying the application process to offering practical advice, also, keeps us as parents in check to support our children effectively.But what truly resonates with me is its reminder of what truly matters: raising kind, good-hearted individuals in a world. This podcast is a vacation from the chaos and lets you hit pause, breathe, and celebrate their journey. And take a moment to acknowledge the milestones and successes, no matter how small they may seem. Oh and you are not alone in this.
  • jker987
    Great informational pod for High Schoolers
    I found this pod after I scheduled a campus visit to Dartmouth for my daughter (class of 26) this summer 2024. So glad I did too because I have found out so much info to incorporate into our college decisions over the next 2 years. Thank you!!!
  • tmanhornfan
    Helpful and easy listen
    2 episodes in and I found this helpful, parenting a high school junior through this process. Appreciate the content and the patience and the insight and the expertise.
  • jlopezsingh
    Insightful content
    I found the topics discussed to be helpful through the college admission process. Great conversation piece to have amongst our family. Looking forward to the coming episodes.
  • D&D70
    Incredible Valuable Insight
    As a father of a high school senior, I only wish I found this podcast sooner. What great advice, presented in an approachable manner. Thank you to the team making it and their guests.
  • any name whatsoever
    Best Admissions Podcast
    Is it weird to say that I wake up on Tuesday mornings excited for a new podcast? I’ll own it.
  • Fasting MD
    Love this podcast!
    Such helpful advice and really appreciate Lee Coffin’s calming approach to the admissions process.
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