Scholarships360’s Office Hours podcast explores the trends shaping higher education while breaking down what they mean for students and families today. Host Will Geiger sits down with leaders across the field, including VPs of Enrollment, EdTech founders, and Directors of College Counseling, to unpack the ideas, challenges, and innovations driving the future of higher ed and turn them into actionable advice for students and parents navigating the process of admissions and financial aid.
Inside the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Programs with Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn
In this episode, Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn, Vice President of Scholarship Programs at the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, walks through the Foundation's three scholarship programs, including the Cooke Young Scholars Program, the Cooke College Scholarship Program, and the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Natalie also pulls back the curtain on what the Foundation looks for in applicants, why getting in the door is only part of the experience, and how the wraparound supports behind the award are designed to move students from simply getting through college to thriving there.
Natalie then shares candid advice for students and families navigating cost and competition. She explains the Foundation's stance on AI, which uses no artificial intelligence in its own review process and reminds applicants that tools are tools and not authors. She closes with practical guidance for parents, including running the detailed version of net price calculators in eleventh grade and advocating for more aid when a package falls short, and a reminder that the goal is not an impressive list your neighbors will admire but a pragmatic one that lets a student dream with the comfort of knowing how it gets paid for.
15 Sept 2026
Beyond the US: Global Scholarships and Second Chances with Joan Liu
In this episode, Joan Liu, founder of Second Chance, shares the origin story behind her nonprofit, which began as a crisis response when 60 Nepali students had their full-ride scholarships revoked after April 1st and has since grown into a program that helps high-achieving, low-income international students find full scholarship seats around the world after the US admissions cycle closes. Joan pulls back the curtain on a side of college admissions most students never see, including the reality that the effective admit rate for an international student who needs a full ride at a US institution is often less than one percent, and explains how Second Chance selects its cohort, what geo-swerving means, and why expanding the college search beyond the US is not a consolation prize but a genuine opportunity.
Joan then shares frank advice for high-achieving international students beginning their senior year search. She walks through how to build a diversified college list across different funding buckets, why applying only to need-blind or only to merit schools is a costly mistake, and why students need to secure three things to make college happen: a seat, a scholarship, and a visa. She closes with a broader message about seeking honest feedback and knowing your blind spots, reminding students that the process is not just about optimizing an application but about becoming the kind of person any campus would be lucky to have.
8 Sept 2026
Tell Your Story: Inside Admissions at Vanderbilt with Mike Drish
In this episode, Mike Drish, Executive Director of Admissions at Vanderbilt University, draws on a career spanning public universities, private institutions, and everything in between to break down what holistic admissions really means in practice. Mike explains how context shapes every admissions decision, including how Vanderbilt's participation in the Common App Student Context Pilot helped the team better understand the full picture of who applicants are, from family responsibilities and part-time work to translating documents and caring for siblings. He also addresses Vanderbilt's decision to reinstate standardized testing requirements for fall 2029 applicants, sharing what the test optional era taught the team and why the change is being announced early so students and families have time to prepare.
Mike then tackles some of the most anxiety-inducing parts of the process head on. He explains why a perfect GPA and test scores are not enough at a highly selective school, how to write a "why us" essay that actually reflects a specific institution's values rather than recycled answers, and what the team is really looking for in a personal essay: not polished prose, but genuine insight and personal storytelling that no AI or outside editor can easily replicate. He closes with a message that applies to every student approaching senior year: stop trying to fit a mold, be true to who you are, and remember that a denial from one school is rarely a judgment of your potential. The right fit is out there, and the process works best when students let themselves show up as individuals.
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