On To College Podcast (formerly John Baylor Prep)

Summer is the time to create student passion. Here’s how-- without spending much. The Gender Gap is Real. Here’s one reason girls outperform boys in school. The Gap Year— a great strategy for students seeking their passion before starting college.

What is the biggest concern for families and students? Debt. Don’t let it happen to you. Is College Too Expensive? Some say yes. We say, “Only for uninformed college shoppers." College should not created indebtedness— it should create financial freedom. Here’s how.

7 Ways Parents Can Get Ready for College & where to find those scholarships. 4 Ways to maximize scholarships. Don’t be confused. How to calculate that financial aid offer.

Lessons learned by this year’s seniors— don’t do this if you’re applying to colleges and on a budget. Merit aid is rare if you apply to schools on the East or West Coast. Plus, Midwest Colleges cost less. Where can you find merit-based aid (think midwest)?  And an elite engineering college for under $20k a year: The Webb Institute.

20% of U.S. States have an average ACT score below 20.0. It’s not intelligence-- it’s effort. Let’s attack student apathy. Here’s how to attack student apathy at home and in schools, & OTC’s 3 keys to getting into a selective college: have a productive passion, write about it well, have your recommendations cover it. An affordable, strong, Big Ten University: Nebraska. And how driverless cars make a two-or four-year degree more important than ever: don’t get scared, get prepared.

Becoming a two or four-year college grad with minimal debt is a choice,  Yes, it’s feasible and critical. Yes you CAN negotiate that college offer. Here’s how. The 4 keys to successful college negotiations: prepare, determine your annual budget, have leverage, respectfully negotiate a lower net cost.

Screenagers— half admit to being addicted. Parents-- we all need to put the the screens away and connect daily with our children— not just to help them attain a degree but to attain so much more. Two strategies for unfocused high school seniors: an 18-month culinary arts degree (eating isn’t going out of style), a 12 week computer coding camp (but buyer beware), ... Walk and talk— how to reinforce what matters with your children (to combat our screen culture)

Hate Mail— JB responds to a skeptical student. How does answering ACT questions help create two- and four- year college graduates with minimal debt? Graduating with minimal debt is a choice. Don’t add (more than $5k a year) to the $1.4 trillion in student loan debt. Don’t become a debt slave. Yikes! The Summer Melt— the percentage of HS seniors enrolled in college, who never show up in the fall— is up to 20%. Here are some antidotes.

This scandal illustrates why 2 and 4-year college graduation rates should be a key metric for assessing school districts. Hint: they aren't. Spring game plan for HS sophomores, juniors, and seniors: what matters and what tests to take and when. More value colleges: affordable quality— Central Michigan, SW MN State, Chadron State, Peru State, & Wayne State

Civil Unrest Imminent, so claims a U.S. Presidential Candidate. The reason: AI. Students: be prepared, not scared. Examples of how to best choose extra-curriculars: the power of music. Graduating from HS early: many do it wrong, but here’s how to do it right.

Two skills that double the likelihood of college graduation, according to a 19-year study. Curb the college dropout rate: Top ten list for Freshmen Year Success in College. Don’t become a debt slave: another value college debunks the myth that college has to be pricey and debt-filled-- Missouri State.

Another myth: certain test dates mean higher ACT or SAT scores. When it makes sense to take both the ACT & SAT. Two colleges for under $10k a year: Berea College and College of the Ozarks.

Why we can expect more from Middle School— so students can avoid the high school expectation ‘cliff' Grit, Impulse Control, & Finding Productive Passions— three goals when doing Middle School and beyond A 51% college drop out rate— specific strategies to avoid being a college casualty

Seniors- Yes, there’s still time to get to the right, affordable college next fall. Here’s how. Seniors- Here are two of so many examples of affordable four-year colleges still available to you: Dakota Wesleyan and Dakota State. Juniors- The journey begins. Here’s the simple game plan for winning the college admissions game over the next twelve months

The reason qualified applicants often don’t get into their top selective college: the essay. Here’s how to write a better one. How the online ACT differs from the paper ACT test. Rural Ohio high schools demonstrate that expecting college graduation from all students improves all academic outcomes— quickly. Check out Reaching Higher, John’s book on this very topic at OnToCollege.com.

JB met these great restaurant waiters, hard-working high school students who need to realize that they have more affordable options than community colleges. 529 College Savings Plans— the good and the bad. Get started early. Another great college saving vehicle: Roth IRAs. Use both— Roths and 529s.

Know your college’s CDR— don’t dare join the 11%! CDR: a critical measure to know before saying YES to any college. Tough love— all parents need to have the Money Talk with their teens. Here’s how. Good and bad U.S. News Study Tips and The Canadian Options— excellent colleges up north for less than $30k per year.

Timely To-Do List for High School Seniors. Take care of these tasks ASAP. The Secretary of Education wants to celebrate two-year colleges. It’s about time. Three Ohio Colleges I love: Ohio Wesleyan, Denison, and Wooster— each a New England Liberal Arts Education for just 1/2 or 2/3 the price.

Seniors— tactics now to avoid remedial classes next year. 529 College Saving Plans— why you should join the 14% of families who use them to pay for college. Robots are pushing out lower level jobs, a key reason why two- and four-year degrees with minimal debt are so critical.

How the Automation Revolution dramatically increases the relevance of school. Nathan Hunt, an automation consultant, talks with JB Automation— don’t get scared, get prepared. Automation increases the need for education. Automation is only Step 1 towards AI, which will make education even more important for our students.