Episode 316 | Jackie Postelnick | Conscious College Planning | The EdisonOS Podcast

In this episode, Jackie Postelnick, founder of Conscious College Planning with over a decade starting in financial aid, reveals how today's broken system puts undue pressure on students to choose majors before understanding their purpose and impact they want to have on the world. Drawing from guiding over a thousand families, Jackie explains her conscious decision-making philosophy that combines college fit with student identity and affordability rather than chasing top 50 rankings.

She discusses the biggest shift she's noticed in student preparedness: pandemic-era writing skill gaps that leave students unable to express themselves authentically in essays despite getting A's in English. Jackie shares her concern about University of Illinois this year where normally admitted students were outright declined, not even waitlisted, highlighting record competition. She reveals her evolution from dismissing gut feelings about schools to embracing both research and sensation, helping students name why they feel drawn to certain colleges. Jackie explains her frustration with high school counselors being off put by independent consultants rather than partnering together, and emphasizes her fit-first philosophy choosing a decent college with 60% scholarship over a great college with student loans because affordability is part of fit.