Podcast

Getting In: Helping First Generation Low-Income Students Get Into College

Education

There’s no shortage of college admissions advice. Almost none of it was built for first-generation, low-income students.

Most of it assumes you have a parent who’s been through it, a counselor with time for you, and money for test prep and private coaching. If that’s not your reality, the rules can feel unwritten, and the advice can feel like it’s meant for someone else.

On Getting In, Minds Matter CEO Erika Halstead sits down with college admissions leaders, the people who actually decide who gets in, and asks the questions students like ours need answered. What matters right now? What’s changed since affirmative action ended? What should you focus on, and what can you stop worrying about?

Each episode explains how the system really works in plain language, with clear takeaways you can use. It’s for students, and for the mentors, families, and educators who support them.

Getting in isn’t the whole story, but it’s where it starts.

Episodes
1
Typical length
20 min
On air since
2026
Latest episode
2 weeks ago

Episodes

1 episode, newest first

  1. Ep. 1: Pomona College with Jonathan Williams

    Season 1, Episode 1

    Show notes

    Pomona College gets close to 13,000 applications for 415 spots. So what makes someone stand out?

    Minds Matter CEO Erika Halstead sits down with Jonathan Williams, Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Pomona College.

    In this episode:

    • What admissions officers look for, and why being authentic matters more than looking impressive
    • A simple habit that makes for a stronger application: keeping a journal starting sophomore year
    • The parts of admissions you can control, and the school priorities you can’t
    • What the end of affirmative action means for students of color, and how to write about your experiences
    • How financial aid works at Pomona: full demonstrated need met with grants and scholarships, no loans
    • Why 29% of Pomona’s newest class is first-generation

    If you’re a first-generation or low-income student, or you support one, this conversation explains how admissions really works.

    Getting In is a podcast from Minds Matter, a national nonprofit that helps high-achieving students from low-income families get to and through college.

    Learn more and get involved: http://mindsmatter.org/

    Follow us on LinkedIn or Instagram

    New episodes are coming. Subscribe so you don’t miss one.

    20 min

Education lists

More Education shows picked out from the charts

All Education lists

More in Education

Placed highest on Apple Podcasts' Education chart right now

All Education podcasts