Twin XL: The Podcast

Twin XL Watches Operation Varsity Blues

In this episode, we watch the Netflix documentary Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal so you don’t have to! We’ll discuss what happened in this now-infamous case, what this documentary brings to the conversation, and most importantly, what parents can learn from this whole situation (Lesson one: NO BRIBERY!).Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal2019 College Admissions Bribery Scandal on Wikipedia Rich students get better SAT scores- here’s whyE-mail Laura and BethFollow TwinXL on FacebookFollow TwinXL on TwitterSupport TwinXL on Patreon

Decisions, Decisions

In this episode, we’re focusing on a specific group of listeners- the parents of high school seniors who are about to make a choice about where to attend college in the fall. How has the pandemic impacted their students’ college search? Is it harder to get in this year? Did a lot of members of the Class of 2024 defer their acceptance or take a gap year, and does that mean there’s less room in the Class of 2025? We are joined by Emily Roper-Doten, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Olin College of Engineering, to hear about what’s really going on in admissions this year and how parents can be supportive as their students make this big decision.Ten Ways to Help Your Teen with the College DecisionVaccine timing fortunate for admissionsE-mail Laura and BethFollow TwinXL on FacebookFollow TwinXL on TwitterSupport TwinXL on Patreon

Doing Our Best in an Absolute Hellscape

It’s been ten months since our last episode, and we are excited to bring you season 2! To kick things off, we’re looking back on what we knew about colleges and their plans in May 2020, what has happened since, and what we might expect to see in the Fall of 2021. How can parents help their students manage the ongoing stressors of the pandemic and make decisions about what to do this fall?Some colleges and universities are planning for a “more normal” fall semesterCould fall bring some return to normalcy? These colleges say yes.Colleges Requiring COVID-19 VaccineE-mail Laura and BethFollow TwinXL on FacebookFollow TwinXL on TwitterSupport TwinXL on Patreon

Will the Fall Semester Happen? What Should Parents Do? Guest Michael Horn

Parents and students want to have assurances from campuses that the fall semester will happen … either in person, online or a combination. Ultimately, families are looking for a guarantee … but, there is no guarantee right now. With all the uncertainty Laura and Beth chat with Michael Horn, who speaks and writes about the future of education and works with a portfolio of education organizations to improve the life of each and every student. He is the author of the book Choosing College, which "strips away the noise around college to help students and parents understand why they are going to school and how to make better choices, as well as aids schools in designing better experiences."More on Michael Horn: https://michaelbhorn.com/about/https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2020/04/26/for-this-years-graduates-a-year-of-purpose/#3bee87ee60bahttps://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2020/05/07/what-students-can-do-on-a-gap-year-during-the-pandemic/#26ae2b5f760bhttps://www.globalcitizenyear.org/https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/05/19/one-third-high-school-seniors-say-they-will-defer-or-cancel-ratherhttps://slate.com/technology/2020/05/online-college-fall-2020.html

How Colleges Are Handling Annual Traditions

Laura and Beth examine how colleges and universities are addressing these annual traditions – both transactional (registration, housing, etc.) and celebratory in real time. These resources are a start, but we would recommend parents and families have conversations with their student about keeping communication lines open with one another on these issues, and when communicating with campuses, remember that while people are working remote, most institutions are maintaining standard operating hours, and be respectful of those hours.https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/4/1/21197425/coronavirus-missed-graduation-milestones-studentshttps://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/13/us/Coronavirus-college-commencement-ceremonies.htmlhttps://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/02/how-the-class-of-2020-became-the-class-of-covid-19.htmlhttps://www.collegian.psu.edu/news/campus/article_130cc190-7451-11ea-88e8-aba53418dc50.html

Colleges and Coronavirus

Laura and Beth are joined by Dr. Rich DeCapua of OneClass and Dr. Pat Whitely of the University of Miami to discuss higher education’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic and offer thoughts about how parents can manage the early and unexpected return of their students.CDC Coronavirus PageInside Higher Ed Coronavirus PageCampuses Shutter for Coronavirus, Leaving Some LGBTQ Students with Nowhere to GoE-mail Laura and BethFollow TwinXL on FacebookFollow TwinXL on TwitterSupport TwinXL on Patreon

Careers After College With Carolyn Tidwell

Your student needs to make time to get to their campus career center. As our guest, Carolyn Tidwell says – Go Early, Go Often! Students seeking to find great employment, not just “a job” need to make every effort they can to make their resume and cover letter shine, and get the experience that will help them stand out from the pack!NACE: First Destination Surveyhttps://www.naceweb.org/job-market/graduate-outcomes/first-destination/class-of-2018/Study Suggests Many College Graduates as “Under Employed” https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/study-suggests-many-college-graduates-are-underemployed/4543268.htmlSoft Skillshttps://search.proquest.com/openview/aa5f345bde23cacbf99574378aeef44b/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=46775Carolyn’s Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyntidwell/Basic Black Episode: https://www.wgbh.org/program/basic-black/job-market-for-college-graduates-of-color

The Mental Health Crisis

You have likely heard the current “Mental Health Crisis” on college campuses being discussed in the news. How serious is the problem? What does it mean for you and your student? Learn how you can coach them through a challenging time and help them to use their campus resources effectively.Stressed and Depressed on Campus Part 1Stressed and Depressed on Campus Part 2Stressed and Depressed on Campus Part 3Stressed and Depressed on Campus Part 4As stigma ebbs, college students seek mental health help and campuses struggle to meet needState of Mind: Universities and colleges take innovative approaches to mental healthEpisode 3 of TwinXL: Up All Night (Sleep Management)E-mail Laura and BethFollow TwinXL on FacebookFollow TwinXL on TwitterSupport TwinXL on Patreon

The Kid is Home for Break! Don’t Panic!

It’s time for a break! In the U.S. this week, college students are on break for Thanksgiving, and in mid-to-late December the Winter Break begins. What can you expect when you welcome your student home from school? How can you and your student make the break fun and relaxing and keep the stress to a minimum? What do you do if your student comes home and says, “I don’t want to go back?”Join us for a conversation about making the most of break, WKRP, breakups, parties, and much more. Don’t miss our last episode of 2019!Three Ways to Make Your College Freshman’s Thanksgiving Break a Success: https://grownandflown.com/college-student-thanksgiving-break/ How To Better Conquer the Long Winter Break: https://grownandflown.com/better-conquer-long-winter-break/A Time of Thanksgiving: https://www.washcoll.edu/families/a-time-of-thanksgiving.php
If you’d like us to answer your college parenting question on a future episode, please contact us!
E-mail Laura and Beth at twinxlpod@gmail.comFollow TwinXL on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwinXLPod/Follow TwinXL on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwinXLPodSupport TwinXL on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TwinXLPodcast


The Juggling Act of Finding the Right Major

Your student has been on campus for a couple of months now. They’ve made friends, settled in, maybe joined a club or activity...you can relax! Until they call you and say, “I didn’t do so well on my midterms and I don’t think this major is for me.” How can you support and coach your student through changing their major? How can you help them figure out if a change is a good idea? What if they haven’t chosen a major yet? Laura and Beth chat with Lynn Zlotkowski, Director of the Wolak Learning Center at Southern New Hampshire University, about helping your student navigate their academic plans.Data Point: Beginning College Students Who Change Their Majors Within 3 Years of EnrollmentWhen Your College Student Changes Majors5 Considerations When Telling Parents About Changing Your MajorE-mail Laura and BethFollow TwinXL on FacebookFollow TwinXL on TwitterSupport TwinXL on Patreon