Explore every episode of the podcast College With Mattie

In the Season 1 finale of College With Mattie, Mattie and Michelle rank their Top 50 schools based on prestige, perception, student reactions, and parent bragging rights.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Letters of Recommendation will be needed in your college applications. Who should you ask? How important are they? What should go in them? Mattie and Michelle discuss this part of the college application and give you pointers on what to look for and what to avoid in your LORs.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Articles and websites mentioned:

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2025/07/09/college-counselors-write-shorter-letters-students-color

https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2018/10/22/do-recommendation-letters-insert-bias-college-admissions-decisions

https://www.nacacnet.org/factors-in-the-admission-decision/

When you begin the college application process, you are likely tempted to begin with the personal statement, the hardest and most important thing. But is that the right course of action? Mattie and Michelle break down everything you have to do to get into to college and the right order to make the most of your time.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

The best way to show a school that you belong there is to back up your major in your essay. Mattie breaks down why this works, how to pull it off, and how to stick the landing.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Time to dive into the core concept behind all the advice Mattie gives his students - to F*cking Love Learning. Colleges are looking for students and nothing makes a better student than a thirst for knowledge. Here's how to apply it in your application.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Have you been waitlisted? Mattie and Michelle unpack the mystery of what that means so that you can respond accordingly.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Articles mentioned:
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/theres-a-crazy-new-wrinkle-to-college-admissions.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brennanbarnard/2025/05/25/college-admission-waitlist-follies/

Trump bars Harvard from enrolling international students: https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2025/05/22/harvard-barred-from-enrolling-international-students-by-trump-administration-report-says/

Sometimes, impressive students don't end up with impressive admissions results. Mattie and Michelle dive into a few cases to talk about the reasons students may be unexpectedly rejected from colleges they apply to.

https://archive.is/20250428185853/https://www.washingtonpost.com/advice/2025/04/28/carolyn-hax-elite-college-dreams-shame/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/teen-sf-entrepreneur-s-college-essay-went-viral-after-being-rejected-by-stanford-harvard-and-yale/ar-

Personal statement: https://x.com/zach_yadegari/status/1906888487292559531

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-04/rejected-by-16-colleges-hired-by-google-now-hes-suing-some-of-the-schools-for-anti-asian-discrimination

https://nypost.com/2025/03/03/us-news/stanley-zhong-had-a-4-4-gpa-but-got-rejected-by-16-colleges-now-hes-suing/

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Passion projects keep appearing as the secret to getting accepted into college, but what does this mean? Mattie and Michelle break down what a passion project is and if it actually increases your admission chances.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhernholm/2025/03/05/4-ways-teens-can-stand-out-in-college-admissions/

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/college-admissions-educational-consultants-command-education.html

https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherrim/2025/01/14/want-to-get-into-mit-heres-what-you-should-be-doing-this-summer/

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

College applications can be tough to manage. Mattie breaks down what you need to do and when, but most importantly, how to best structure your work to get all your applications in and work in the most efficient way.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

The stress of college applications is leading more students to apply to more schools. What does this mean for them? Does it really help? What does it mean for admissions teams? Mattie and Michelle unpack the trend of shotgunning.

https://www.highereddive.com/news/common-app-data-shows-5-jump-in-first-year-college-applicants/737732/

https://counselors.collegeboard.org/college-application/how-many#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20magic%20number,%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9Creach%E2%80%9D%20colleges

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/south-fulton-county/exemplifies-excellence-south-fulton-student-accepted-colleges-all-50-states-155-total/BNJNUNYJZZD2RLJZJYGOFTZKRQ/

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Do you want to be a doctor? Pre-med is not a major, so this is how you need to apply to college to start your journey to studying medicine. Mattie and Michelle talk about reframing your activities and focus into a major that can lead you down the right path, and why you need to do that.

Mattie's blog post on the topic:
https://www.collegewithmattie.com/pre-med-is-not-a-major/

Top Medical School Feeders
https://www.collegetransitions.com/dataverse/top-feeders-medical-school

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at
https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Mattie and Michelle discuss the latest updates to the Common App for 2025. From the expanded "Challenges and Circumstances" question to changes in word limits, they break down how this affects students and celebrate Georgetown joining the Common App (finally).

Georgetown joins the Common App in 2026: https://thehoya.com/news/breaking-gu-to-join-common-app/

Announcing 25-26 Common App Essay Prompts: https://www.commonapp.org/blog/announcing-2025-2026-common-app-essay-prompts

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Is being well-rounded always good? When it comes to applying to college, it's often a weakness and not a strength-unless you use it wisely. Mattie and Michelle dive into the reasons it can hold you back and how to navigate your many talents and interests to your advantage when applying to the school you want.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Mattie and Michelle talk about dream schools, managing expectations and handling stress. They go over the Princeton Review's Annual Hopes & Dreams Survey and compare the answers given by students and their parents.

Princeton Review Infographics: https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/college-hopes-worries#Infographic

Press Release with Findings: https://www.princetonreview.com/press/college-hopes-worries-press-release-2025

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Do you want to study computer science in college? Mattie breaks down the best way to get into your school of choice by helping you frame your knowledge and passion so that you assemble the best application you can. What should your essay really say?

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

From a niche science degree to the most popular major, Mattie and Michelle tackle the evolution of Computer Science as a college major. How have students shaped their goals and how have schools responded?

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

One of the most debated and discussed topics relating to college: prestige. Mattie and Michelle unpack what college prestige really means and whether or not it's actually important.

Related Links

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities?_sort=rank&_sortDirection=asc

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/how-ivy-league-schools-tilt-your-odds-in-the-lottery-of-life-590f8ec1

https://opportunityinsights.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CollegeAdmissions_Nontech.pdf

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Mattie and Michelle tackle AI and college admissions again, but this time they talk about how colleges use it - not students. How does this affect your college application strategy?

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Writing about sports in your college essay seems like the obvious thing to do when you are a student athlete, but in this episode, Mattie and Michelle tackle all the reasons to avoid that, whether or not you are being recruited. Learn what to write about instead and why in this episode of College With Mattie.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

When you tell a college what you want to major in, should you be honest? Or should you lie to give yourself a better chance of acceptance? Mattie and Michelle talk about the moral issue of lying in your college application and whether or not it actually works - as well as how to do it right!

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/magazine/academic-interests-college-application-ethics.html

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Every year college admissions change, but what really drives these changes? Mattie and Michelle talk about the Ivy League admissions trends for 2025 and break down what they mean for new applicants, if they are real shifts or just hypes, and how college-bound students need to respond.

Articles discussed: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherrim/2025/01/01/top-5-ivy-league-college-admissions-trends-to-watch-in-2025/

https://www.applerouth.com/blog/the-demographic-cliff-what-it-means-for-college-admissions-and-higher-education

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Results season is coming up! Mattie and Michelle talk about when you hear back from different schools and what your acceptance status at certain schools means as you wait for other results.

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Mattie breaks down the concept of institutional priorities and the part they play in college admissions. 

Applying to college soon? You can get help from Mattie and Michelle at https://www.collegewithmattie.com/services/

Mattie and Michelle examine a real student application. In this second part, Mattie breaks down and critiques Sarah's personal statement and Yale supplements. Learn what works, what doesn't and why!

Mattie and Michelle examine a real student application, including the personal statement and supplements, and then share the results. In this first part, learn about the student's background, stats, and personal statement. Tune in for the next episode, where Mattie breaks down the personal statement sentence by sentence and comments on the same student's Yale supplements.

My Central Jersey released an article titled "5 red flags for college admissions officers". This week Mattie and Michelle are reviewing those red flags and providing solutions for students who see them in their applications.

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/education/college/2024/12/08/5-red-flags-for-college-admissions-officers/76798269007/

Applying to college is a lengthy and complicated process. Knowing what to do and when is confusing and overwhelming, so in this episode Mattie and Michelle break down the timeline students need to follow.

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/complex-applications-create-barriers-to-college-some-are-trying-to-change-that/

Aside from your education, your high school influences the college you'll go to in other ways. In this week's episode, Mattie introduces Michelle to Polaris List, talks about feeder schools, why they seem to matter, and who your competition really is.

Rick Singer is out of prison and it's time to revisit the Varsity Blues scandal and how the world of college consulting responded. Mattie and Michelle discuss what Rick Singer is doing now and what you need to look for in a college consultant.

Read more about Mattie's thoughts at the time: https://www.collegewithmattie.com/my-take-on-operation-varsity-blues-the-college-admissions-scandal-as-a-fellow-college-admissions-consultant/

In this week's episode, Mattie breaks down college essay writing and the main elements a successful essay incorporates. These tips can teach you how to craft a compelling essay that resonates with the reader and improve your overall writing.

The Supreme Court banned college admissions based on race and ended affirmative action programs in higher education. Mattie and Michelle discuss how this has changed the landscape of admitted students and how universities are responding to the situation. When is race still relevant? When and how should you bring it up in your application?

One of the basic principles of Mattie's FLL strategy is to back up your major. This helps potential colleges get a clear idea of the place you'd have at their campus. In this episode, Mattie breaks down how this works and how you can use your goals to earn a spot at the college of your choice.

As California bans legacy admissions, Mattie and Michelle discuss what this means for legacy students and non, as well as how they predict this unfolding. Tune in to see how this affects you and how to adapt your strategy for getting into college.

Mattie breaks down his method: F*cking Love Learning. FLL forsters intellectual vitality and academic enthusiasm to make your essay stand out and get you into college. How do you apply it? Why does it work?

Michelle and Mattie delve into the impact of AI tools like ChatGPT on college admissions and essay writing. Is it cheating? Is it a tool? Does it do a good job? As students turn to AI tools more and more, the question of how appropriate that is rises.

Mattie dives into the most common pieces of bad advice students receive when they begin the college admissions process. Learn how to seek out the advice that is best for you and how to recognize the so-called tips that may be holding you back.

Michelle chooses some essays used by students who got into Harvard and Mattie analyzes the elements that work and the problems they present to surface vital essay writing tips. The essays are found on The Crimson: https://www.thecrimson.com/topic/sponsored-successful-harvard-essays-2024/

Mattie breaks down college essays and the most common reason most of them fail: omniscient narration. Learn to recognize the ways fiction writing can surface in your college essay, why it damages your authenticity, and how to fix it.