College Uncovered

Nov 02 2024 28 ep. 19 mins 54

College Uncovered Podcast artwork

In a world focused on getting in, do you know what you’re getting into? College Uncovered, from GBH News in collaboration with The Hechinger Report, pulls back the ivy on American higher education, exposing the problems, pitfalls and risks — and helping you navigate them. If you wonder how college really works, subscribe now. Because it’s a real education.

College Uncovered is made possible by Lumina Foundation.

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S3 Ep 7 Abortion on the ballot … and in the mail

Nov 02 2024 30 mins

Greater Boston – a region famous for its sheer number of colleges – is also home to an underground network that helps women receive abortion pills. Every week, a group including many Boston-area college and medical students meets to put together abortion pill care packages to send to women who need them. While the founders call them “pill packing parties” the work is not wi

S3 Ep 6 - The Politics of the College Presidency

Oct 17 2024 26 mins

College presidents serve for less than six years on average. For women and people of color, that tenure is even shorter – a full year shorter. So what’s going on? College presidents are under fire for what they say about issues like systemic racism, abortion access and war in the Middle East, as well as what they do — or don't do — about campus protests. So why would anyone

S3 Ep 5 - DEI Backlash

Oct 10 2024 34 mins

Colleges that embraced diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) in the wake of the 2020 murder of George Floyd by police are now fearing litigation and quietly eliminating their DEI programs. North Carolina is one of the latest to do so. At least 20 states have Republican proposals aimed at limiting DEI programs at public universities. State schools in Wisconsin and Alabam

S3 Ep 4 - The Rural Higher Education Blues

Oct 03 2024 23 mins

Delta State University in rural Mississippi eliminated it’s highly regarded music department. It’ also cut English, math, chemistry, and about a third of the courses that it used to teach. And Delta State’s far from alone. Arkansas State, the University of North Carolina – Greensboro, Youngstown State in Ohio, West Virginia University have all made significant course cutba

S3 Ep 3 - The Borrowers' Lament

Sep 26 2024 20 mins

More than 40 million Americans have student loan debt, but should the government forgive all or part of it? It’s a debate that’s a source of extreme political division. Opponents call it a transfer of wealth from the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder to the top and people with college degrees; supporters say forgiveness gives some breathing room to graduates who are being crus

S3 Ep 2 - The Politics of Protest

Sep 19 2024 28 mins

Following intense, sometimes violent protests on college campuses last spring, colleges are taking new steps to encourage more civil dialogue and debate among students who disagree. Some schools are offering new guidance and coursework around how students should speak to one another in an effort to bridge deep differences. At the same time, colleges are tightening restrictions on c

S3 Ep 1 - Un-Welcome to College

Sep 12 2024 19 mins

Divisive protests, police crackdowns, and a chilling backlash against free speech are among the reasons that a growing number of students say they don’t feel welcome on some college campuses. Conflicts over abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and DEI, as well as what can and can’t be taught in classrooms are stirring up campus life against the backdrop of a contentious presidential electi

S3 Election Year Edition: The Politics of College

Aug 29 2024 4 mins

College Uncovered Season 3 is coming! First episode drops on Thursday, September 12th. In our first two seasons, GBH and The Hechinger Report explored the business of college admissions and paying for your education. Now we’re back with a special election year season, helping you navigate the politics of American colleges and universities. College Uncovered is hosted by Kirk

[Bonus]: Dear College - Jenessa Otabor

Jun 20 2024 14 mins

College application essays demonstrate literacy and creativity of high school students striving for higher education. As the producers of the "Dear College" podcast have found, what this rising generation says about themselves says a lot about all of us. In this bonus episode of "College Uncovered," Jenessa Otabor shares how a recent educational opportunity turned from stressful to

[Bonus]: Dear College - Tayana Antoine

Jun 20 2024 10 mins

The essay is a vital piece in the college application puzzle; portraying the strengths and challenges of aspiring high school students. In this bonus episode of "College Uncovered," Tayana Antoine describes for the producers of the "Dear College" podcast, the similarities between a teen mom and an older sister. How her dual role as caretaker for her siblings and maturing adult some