Envelope by iStock. Photo illustration by Holly Allen.

This is the first entry in our new Media Monday series, in which contributor Shelley Sperry briefly reviews noteworthy media coverage of education issues and other resources of interest to our readers. Shelley is a writer, editor, and researcher based in Alexandria, Virginia, who was recently spotted in Yellowstone National Park working on assignment for National Geographic.

Because it’s that time of year, when many high school students are thinking about college, I want to alert you to a new podcast designed to help students and their parents navigate common questions.

Getting In is a podcast from Slate magazine that follows a diverse group of high schoolers through the process of applying to colleges. The host, Julie Lythcott-Haims, is a former Stanford University dean, and she brings in terrific, plain-talking experts to answer listener questions. The episodes are short (around 15 minutes), but packed with real-life drama, the voices of students themselves, and practical advice on topics ranging from the value of extracurricular activities to “easy As vs. hard Bs” and writing the dreaded college essay.

Check it out via your favorite podcast app or on the home page here.