September 29, 2026

Inside the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Programs with Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn

Why does the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation start working with students as early as seventh grade? What do scholarship reviewers actually look for beyond grades and test scores? And when should families really start the conversation about how they'll pay for college? Learn the answers to these questions and much more in this episode!

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About the episode

In this episode, Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn, Vice President of Scholarship Programs at the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, walks through the Foundation’s three scholarship programs, including the Cooke Young Scholars Program, the Cooke College Scholarship Program, and the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Natalie also pulls back the curtain on what the Foundation looks for in applicants, why getting in the door is only part of the experience, and how the wraparound supports behind the award are designed to move students from simply getting through college to thriving there.

Natalie then shares candid advice for students and families navigating cost and competition. She explains the Foundation’s stance on AI, which uses no artificial intelligence in its own review process and reminds applicants that tools are tools and not authors. She closes with practical guidance for parents, including running the detailed version of net price calculators in eleventh grade and advocating for more aid when a package falls short, and a reminder that the goal is not an impressive list your neighbors will admire but a pragmatic one that lets a student dream with the comfort of knowing how it gets paid for.

Mentioned in this episode

Host

Will Geiger

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut.Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.

Guest

Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn

Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn is Vice President of Scholarship Programs at the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, a national scholarship and educational services organization supporting exceptionally talented students who have financial need. Her work focuses on the Cooke Scholar and family experience, including comprehensive advising, community building, and career development, and what we can learn from these inspiring students. Natalie was the first female in her extended family to go away to college – navigating Yale on generous financial aid and scholarships. She began her career in education teaching English in rural Thailand as a Peace Corps Volunteer.