My College Story: Recent Episodes
All Saints Episcopal School
My College Story is a podcast about helping students tell their story through the college admissions process and informing parents so they can be their biggest support system.
Everyone has a story to tell! Miranda Davis and Brian Motto are College Advisors at All Saints Episcopal School whose mission is to help students write their story. Through expert interviews, student experiences, and parent perspectives, Brian and Miranda share the tools for a successful college admission process. Their goal is to help students find a school where they can be happy, where they can be healthy, and where they can grow. Join them each episode to hear how to start My College Story!
Today we visit with one of our favorite guests and College Admission representatives, Brad Durchslag from Trinity University in San Antonio. Brad shares insight and advice on how students can have a great visit with a college admission representative who is visiting their high school.
Class of 2022 alum Maddie Brazeal stops by for a quick update with stories of his college experience.
Today we talk with two of our new leaders on campus, Billy Beasley and Jay Jordan. Billy is the Dean of Students in the upper school and Jay is the Dean of Students in the middle school and the middle school football coach. I have had so much fun getting to know these men. They both quickly won the respect and admiration of our students. Enjoy listening as Billy and Jay talk about their stories.
Today we talk with an All Saints legend - Mrs. Jane Adams! After influencing countless students at All Saints through her love of art, Mrs. Adams will be retiring at the end of the school year and we are excited to have the chance to sit down with her for a few minutes to learn.
Today we talk with our favorite chemistry teacher, Mrs. Birtcher! Mrs. Birtcher is retiring at the end of the year and we wanted to spend some time with her to learn fro her experience as a teacher and as a mother of two graduates of All Saints and Texas A&M University.
Today we talk to Dr. Rachel Mason, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Assistant Chair, Chief Health Professions Advisor and the JAMP Faculty Director at the University of Texas at Tyler. In any given year, about a third to a half of our graduating class at All Saints hopes to pursue a career in medicine or a health related field. Dr. Mason has a front row seat working with undergrads at UT Tyler who are interested in pursuing a career in the health field. She is here today to share all of her expertise in getting from undergrad to the next level.
Today we talk to Sergeant Jeffrey Rackliff of the Tyler Police Department Crime Scene Investigation unit. The first episode of the crime drama CSI aired on October 6, 2000, which has created a huge interest in students who want to become CSI agents. All they know is what they see on television, which is obviously very glamorized. Sergeant Rackliff tells us what life is a CSI officer is REALLY like.
Today we talk to a Class of 2018 alum, Maddie Varga, about her college story! Hear all about her amazing semester abroad in Barcelona.
In honor of the 12 Days of Christmas, we are dedicating this episode to the 12 Myths of College Admission.
Today we talk to a Class of 2018 alum, Tai Evans! She shares her before, during, and after college story.
Today we talk to a Class of 2014 alum, Madison Goforth. G (as she is lovingly referred to) was a member of Mr. Motto's first graduating class at All Saints. She basically did it all at ASES, had a great career at TCU, and then a unique experience following graduation.
Today we talk with one of our favorite daily visitors to the College Advising Office, Coach Drew Starnes. First we will be talking to Coach Starnes about being a recruited athlete and playing sports in college. But Coach Starnes will also talk to us about his college story which includes 2 colleges and 2 different sports.
Brian and Miranda talk with our junior class about what to expect in the coming year. From testing to admissions to even getting a job.
Is your dream college overrated? - From CBS Mornings
Honest College Tour - From College Humor
Today we talk with two very important parts of the Upper School team, Allison Moore and Sarah White! These two ladies keep our division running smoothly and we want to share a little more about their college stories.
Brian and Miranda host a freshman and sophomore college advisory night with a little game of "Move If..." involving college applications.
It’s application season and seniors all over the country are applying to college. But what happens to your application once you hit submit? Where does it go in our vast virtual world and how does a student’s supplemental materials magically match with their application at the schools to which they apply? Dalton Goodier, Senior Admission Officer at Texas Christian University, is here to help us understand what happens to your application after you press submit.
Today we talk with our amazing, coffee loving assistant chaplain, Mr. Garrett Lane! He shares his college story, his interests, and what led him to a life in the Church and education.
Today we talked with two of our distinguished faculty members, Amanda and Mark Adair! They share their college story, their passions, and what led them to become a teacher.
What does Junior Year look like for students at All Saints? Juniors are beginning to ramp up for college applications and it is an integral year in that process…how does All Saints do it?
Junior Year Timeline:
November - December
Complete YouScience and Self-Reflection, Junior College Night
January - March
Student/Family Meetings, Start building your college list, Visit Colleges, Start Standardized Testing
April - June
Continue College Visits, College Fairs, Determine Testing Retakes, Begin Building Resume, Request Teacher Recs, June Work Days, Summer Opportunities
July - August
Continue Visits, Start Essays, Finalize College List, Start on Apps (College Office is open all Summer), Retake Tests if needed
The world of Standardized Testing is always a bit confusing. We break down each test and give you a simple timeline of what testing looks like for an All Saints student.
All Saints Student Testing Timeline:
FRESHMEN:
- PSAT 8/9 (October)
SOPHOMORE:
- PSAT (October)
- Practice SAT and Practice ACT (Fall)
- Practice SAT and Practice ACT (Spring)
- *Practice tests through Revolution Prep
- AP (May)
JUNIORS:
- PSAT - National Merit qualifying test (October)
- Practice SAT and Practice ACT (Fall)
- Practice SAT and Practice ACT (Spring)
- *Practice tests through Revolution Prep
- SAT (March, May, June)
- ACT (February, April, June)
- AP (May)
SENIORS:
- SAT (August, October, November, December)
- ACT (July, September, October, December)
- AP (May)
- TSI Assessment (before attending a Texas public college/university; most students will be exempt)
Today we talk to a Class of 2016 alum, Ferrell Clyde! She shares her before, during, and after college story.
Today we talk to a Class of 2015 alum, Jackson Smith! He shares his before, during, and after college story.
It's the first day of school and we want to kick off the year RIGHT! New year, new opportunities! We are sharing a preview of all the exciting things our office has planned for the year, as well as issuing a few challenges we have for our students, parents and ourselves.
Today we talk to a Class of 2017 alum, Samuel Hsieh! He shares his before, during, and after college story.
One of the daunting parts of college admissions for some students are the college interviews. We sit down with a great friend of ours, Brad Durschlag from Trinity University, to share why you shouldn’t be so intimidated by interviews and tips for preparing for the “perfect” interview.
We are excited to sit down with former parent Keira McCreery and her two All Saints alums: Sully, Class of 2018, and Brogan, Class of 2020. The boys share their college stories and Keira tells us how she supported them during their very different college application processes.
Today we talk to a Class of 2017 alum, Victoria Huggler! She shares her before, during, and after college story.
One of the most important parts of a thorough college search is visiting college campuses! We share some tips and advice on how to get the most out of a college tour.
Today we talk to a Class of 2016 alum, Allie Werner! He shares his before, during, and after college story.
As we begin a new application season, our new group of seniors have requested their letters of recommendation. But the real question is: "Why are rec letters so important?"
Today we talk to a Class of 2015 alum, Aston Francis! He shares his before, during, and after college story.
Our Class of 2021 Seniors have officially graduated and we want to pay a little tribute to them and brag on all the hard work they have put into this year. Also, Miranda was this year’s commencement speaker and shares her speech with everyone!
Brian and Mirana talk with seniors Shahan Ahmed, Sarah Huckabee, Grace Pawelkowski, and Reid Williams about their journey through applications, scholarships, choices, curveballs, and what to look forward to in the coming years.
We talk with a Class of 2021 senior, Conley Cavender, about her college story.
mdavis@all-saints.org
bmotto@all-saints.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asescollege/
What in the world does test optional mean? Great question! Miranda and Brian discuss all things standardized testing and what that looks like in this new test optional world.
mdavis@all-saints.org
bmotto@all-saints.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asescollege/
Tis the season for college decisions! Brian and Miranda talk about the different types of admission decisions, give pointers on how to handle those decisions, and what to do next.
mdavis@all-saints.org
bmotto@all-saints.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asescollege/
We talk with a Class of 2021 senior, Eyan Absar, about her college story.
mdavis@all-saints.org
bmotto@all-saints.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asescollege/
We talk with a Class of 2021 senior, Ben Kiblinger, about his college story.
Contact
mdavis@all-saints.org
bmotto@all-saints.org
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asescollege/
Miranda and Brian answer that all important question "what activities should I be doing?" and give insight on what the colleges are looking for.
Contact:
bmotto@all-saints.org
mdavis@all-saints.org
In their first episode, Brian and Miranda chat about how they came up through high school, their aspirations, and their college experiences.
Miranda gives a quick rundown of what she and Brian will be talking about for the show!