Episode Details

In this episode of the Digital Learning Today Podcast, Jeff welcomes Sophie Smith and Leah Guesman from College Contact on the podcast to learn about the current state of the college admissions process. If you are a new listener to TeacherCast, we would love to hear from you.  Please visit our Contact Page and let us know how we can help you today!

In This Episode …

• What is the current state of the College Admissions Process?
• Has the process changed at all in the last 10+ years?
• What is the current process for students to apply for their colleges?
• What advice do you have for students applying for college?
• What advice do you have for teachers interested in helping prepare their students for the application process?
• How did the idea of College Contact come about?
• Initial Success?
• The use of Social Media to gain traction in the community.
• Going from a Concept to a Business?
• Going from College Student to CEO.
• Standing up as a CEO at EdTech Companies.
• Meeting and Working with School Districts
• How can a School District reach out to College Contact?
• How can a Student reach out to College Contact?
• What do you hope the future of the College Admissions process looks like?

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About our Guest:

Sophie Smith

Sophie Smith, 23, is the founder and CEO of College Contact, a startup aimed at transforming postsecondary advising. Originally from Jupiter, Florida, she graduated from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce in 2023 with degrees in Marketing and Information Technology. The idea for College Contact was sparked in her UVA dorm room during the COVID-19 pandemic, following the viral success of one of her TikTok videos. This led to hundreds of emails from high school students, prompting Sophie to create a solution for better postsecondary advising. Inviting co-founder Leah Guesman to join forces with her in 2023, Sophie & Leah won all three UVA pitch competitions and secured a $1.025M seed round after graduation. College Contact, now a TechStars portfolio company based in Austin, Texas, has grown to include over 100 college mentors and four full-time staff. Sophie's achievements include winning Student Entrepreneur of the Year by the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council and speaking at the Tom Tom Festival in 2024.

Leah Guesman

Leah Guesman, 23, is co-founder and COO of College Contact. She is originally from Los Altos, California and graduated from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce in 2023 with degrees in Marketing & Economics. She has always had a passion for equity in education. She served as a member of site council during high school to improve equity across student groups, provided virtual tutoring to English language learners during the pandemic, and joined College Contact as one of the platform’s first mentors. When Sophie invited her to come on as COO in 2023, she