By Tanni Haas, Ph.D.

There are few moments more exhilarating — and stressful — in the life of a family than getting kids ready for college. One way to reduce some of that stress while also enhancing family bonding is to go through the college prep process together. 

Here’s a list of some of the best college prep podcasts that you can listen to with your college-bound kids. These podcasts cover the entire process, from writing the application to finding the money to pay for tuition and all the other expenses. Sit back and listen up: they’re full of great advice.

College Parent Central (Available at: Apple, iHeart, Spotify) If you’re looking for a one-stop college prep resource, College Parent Central is the right podcast for you. It’s created and hosted by Lynn Abrahams and Vicki Nelson, two seasoned college professionals with a combined 70-plus years of experience in higher-education advisement, teaching, and research. This podcast covers everything from identifying the colleges that are the best fit for your kids, applying for admission, finding the money to pay for college, to gathering the resources that’ll help your kids enjoy the experience and succeed.

College Prep Genius (Available at: Apple, Podbean, Spotify) While some colleges have eliminated testing requirements, many colleges continue to expect applicants to submit either their ACT or SAT scores as part of the application package. A strong ACT or SAT score can also lead to scholarships that may pay for partial or full college expenses. The founder of College Prep Genius, Jean Burke, is an experienced ACT and SAT instructor whose own two kids received full scholarships due to their excellent test scores. 

The College Essay Guy (Available at: Apple, Libsyn, Spotify) Another important part of the college application package, which is a standard requirement at virtually all colleges, is the admissions essay. This is where applicants introduce themselves and their interests and try to convince admissions officials that they’re motivated and capable of doing well if admitted. Ethan Sawyer (aka The College Essay Guy) is the author of the best-selling College Essay Essentials and has more than two decades of experience counseling applicants on how to make their case in writing. His podcast is full of great writing tips.

The College Admissions Process (Available at: Apple, PlayerFM, Spotify) The College Admissions Process is a great companion podcast to College Prep Genius and The College Essay Guy. Founded by John Durante, an experienced admissions counselor, this podcast features in-depth conversations with a variety of admission officials. You’ll hear from individuals from colleges that are large and small, very competitive and less competitive, urban and rural, and secular and religious. Simply put, this podcast provides a great sense of what different colleges are looking for, which will help your kids craft a compelling application.

The College Investor (Available at: Apple, Podbay, Spotify) For most parents, the biggest concern isn’t how to get their kids into college — it’s how to pay for it — as college seems to get increasingly expensive. The College Investor, the brainchild of Robert Farrington, an experienced college finance expert, is a great resource for both parents and kids. On this podcast, you’ll find lots of advice on how to best save and pay for college, as well as suggestions for how the kids can help defray the costs while working in college. It even has tips for recent college graduates on how to invest for the future. ϖ

Tanni Haas, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Communication Arts, Sciences, at the City University of New York — Brooklyn College.