#166 Admissions Insider Q&A with John Durante: Your College Questions Answered

Flourish Coaching

Mar 18, 2025

In this episode, Lisa and Dr. John discuss:

Navigating the college admissions process thoughtfully
How colleges handle financial aid, scholarships, and what you can do to know the true college costs
Building a college list based on fit, not prestige
Crafting a strong personal story in your teen’s application through essays, interviews, and extracurriculars

Key Takeaways:

Use the Net Price Calculator on college websites to estimate tuition costs instead of relying on sticker prices or general assumptions.
Pre-med and pre-law are not official majors; students can choose any field that matches their strengths while completing required prerequisites.
Visit colleges during sessions to understand campus life, talk to current students, and attend major-specific programs.
AI can assist with brainstorming, but essays must reflect personal authenticity, as admissions officers can identify AI-written work, and some schools disqualify it.

“AI is a great tool to help you with many things, but AI does not replace the essence of who you are. The only person that can really describe you in detail is you.” – John Durante

About Dr. John Durante:

Dr. John Durante has dedicated over 30 years to education as both a teacher and administrator. Since 2010, he has served as the principal of Syosset High School, playing a key role in its recognition as one of the top high schools in the country. After helping his own daughters navigate their college journeys, he launched The College Admissions Process Podcast in 2022, which has become a valuable resource for students, parents, and college counselors.

Episode References:

Net Price Calculator Center: https://collegecost.ed.gov/net-price
College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
College List Building Tutorial: https://courses.flourishcoachingco.com/college-list-building-tutorial-2025
Common App Essay Prompts: https://www.commonapp.org/apply/essay-prompts
Wow Writing Workshop: https://wowwritingworkshop.com/
Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/

The previous episodes with Dr. John Durante: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/141 & https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/156
The College Admissions Process Podcast https://www.collegeadmissionstalk.com/
John’s episodes with Michael Usino: https://www.collegeadmissionstalk.com/temple-university-michael-usino-college-admissions-process-college-application-higher-education-admissions-criteria-college-essays-campus-visits-recommendation-letters-application-deadlines-application-tips/ & https://www.collegeadmissionstalk.com/aspiring-nursing-students-College-Admissions-Nursing-Education-School-of-nursing-Nursing-Programs-Nursing-Careers-Nursing-Tips-Medical-school-Insights-temple-university/
The previous episode with Jon Rice: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/podcast/041-nursing-program-admissions/
The previous episode with Jaime Smith: https://www.flourishcoachingco.com/podcast/140-avoiding-the-pitfalls-of-college-transfers-with-jaime-smith/

Get Lisa’s Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career…(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).

flourishcoachingco.com/video