Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's a YCBK?

Nobody knows.

I heard that in Nate Bargatze's voice.

Anonymous wrote:most of those college admissions podcasts, with few exception (Lee Coffin, Yale, CEG), are pretty useless. our HS does this case studies night for the junior class (students and parents) in small groups, with an AO leading each group, which is a helpful event because it is so well run, and the people involved are knowledgable - plus they know our HS well and give tailored advice - but even at those the parents can be pretty annoying lol. it's REALLY useful for the kids, IMO, because for most it is the first time they interact with the Common App in a meaningful way and start to think about the elements of their applications as a narrative.

agreed!

The discussion about the conference was most helpful.

most of those college admissions podcasts, with few exception (Lee Coffin, Yale, CEG), are pretty useless. our HS does this case studies night for the junior class (students and parents) in small groups, with an AO leading each group, which is a helpful event because it is so well run, and the people involved are knowledgable - plus they know our HS well and give tailored advice - but even at those the parents can be pretty annoying lol. it's REALLY useful for the kids, IMO, because for most it is the first time they interact with the Common App in a meaningful way and start to think about the elements of their applications as a narrative.

Anonymous wrote:Just remember, YCBK is a college counseling service, it has a very powerful incentive to dismiss the idea that a kid can apply to college without using a counselor. YCBK is all about selling their college counseling service and naturally promotes the idea that you are doomed unless you hire a college counselor.

I actually disagree. And their counseling services suck from what I hear through the grapevine.
What they do is explain the process imo. If you've listened at all. I think the podcast is much better than any "counseling service" for democratizing access to counseling roundtables etc. Crowdsourcing what others are seeing across the nation.

If you are new, they share how the AO committee works. Kind of like Admissions Beat (Dartmouth) but more basic for less elite schools. They profile schools that many of you here should apply to - targets not reaches.

Anonymous wrote:Just remember, YCBK is a college counseling service, it has a very powerful incentive to dismiss the idea that a kid can apply to college without using a counselor. YCBK is all about selling their college counseling service and naturally promotes the idea that you are doomed unless you hire a college counselor.

Oh, I also think private counselors are pretty useless. You high school counselor and naviance (or similar) are your two best friends

Anonymous wrote:Just remember, YCBK is a college counseling service, it has a very powerful incentive to dismiss the idea that a kid can apply to college without using a counselor. YCBK is all about selling their college counseling service and naturally promotes the idea that you are doomed unless you hire a college counselor.

100% this. I think the podcast is long-winded, self-important and tries to drive a climate of fear. The tips are basic at best. I wish i hadn't wasted so many hours listening. In contrast, I have attended an actual case-studies college fair last year in-person and found it more helpful and insightful than this one on the YCBK podcast.

What I've realized is that it is only helpful to listen to AOs review fictitious case files and comment IF they are the actual AOs from schools your student is interested in applying to. So if Colorado College is high on your kid's list, listen to YCBK, but for schools like UPenn or WashU it's not that helpful.

The case studies college fair I attended in person last year (not virtual or on a pod) had the AO of UChicago and AO, AO of U Michigan and AO of Amherst and that was more helpful.

The YCBK is an overhyped podcast stoking too much fear that college admissions is some kind of expertise that requires to listen to their long-winded multi-hour podcasts or hire very average college counselors like the host Mark.

Just remember, YCBK is a college counseling service, it has a very powerful incentive to dismiss the idea that a kid can apply to college without using a counselor. YCBK is all about selling their college counseling service and naturally promotes the idea that you are doomed unless you hire a college counselor.

Anonymous wrote:The weekly ad

An ad wouldn't talk about how uninformative it was.

The weekly ad

Your College Bound Kid podcast

Anonymous wrote:What's a YCBK?

Nobody knows.

What's a YCBK?

The feeder HS element:

“She said something like, sometimes when I know that 12 files are coming in from a particular high school, I'll hang on to them. I'm like, wow, I love that she has that depth of relationship and the volume capability to do that. But I'm like, we read by territory, of course, but we need to read as they come in.

We have pretty different processes. I have so much respect for the liberal arts perspective, but I hope to bring a different angle to us.”

From Your College Bound Kid | Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews: Hot Topics Admissions Officers and Counselors Discussed at NACAC, Oct 13, 2025

anyone listening to this series of on fictional applicants and listening to parents and college counselors review them.

this hasn't been very informative - which is too bad. there are some of these online that are great.

what is has shown is that parents are the WORST. these parents are like, "light on science, why didn't they take the AP here or there, their extracurriculars are thin, I dont think this student can be successful so far from home". at least the college counselors are a voice of reason about - possible scheduling conflicts with APs, family obligations, or letters of recommendations.

just remember, parents have no idea what they're talking about