The Truth about College Admission: Recent Episodes
Johns Hopkins Press
The college admission experience can be overwhelming and complicated. This podcast helps students and the adults who support them cut through the noise around searching for, applying to, and deciding on a college. In each episode, you can expect guests who are national experts working in the field of college admission and enrollment who will give you honest takes, helpful perspective, and in many cases some much needed levity and solace.
Brennan and Rick wrap up season three of The Truth About College Admission Podcast with their favorite moments from the season, what they are looking forward to this summer, what they want to see change in the next year in the college admission landscape, and their words of the year.
LINKS:
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Private College 529 Plan
The Truth About College Admission w/Juan Espinoza
The Truth About College Admission w/Emily Pacheco
Mattering - Wallace
The Value of College - CGN Roundtable
"Gen Z Wants To Do Good" - Harvard/Making Caring Common
Arizona State London
"Faster, Thinner" - The Hechinger Report
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick is joined by Moira McKinnon (Director of College Counseling and Postecondary Planning at Burwick Academy), Pamela Tan (Director of Admissions at Cornell University), and Gary Clark (Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management at UCLA) to talk about the unique benefits that summer college visits can provide and how as parents being in the college admissions world has affected their outlook on the process.
LINKS:
Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Private College 529 Plan
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guests: Gary Clark, Moira McKinnon, Pamela Tan
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Emily Pacheco, a Community Organizer for Imperial College London, to talk about AI through the whole application and admission process from how students can use it, how parents should approach guiding their students through using, how admissions offices have found useful ways in the admission process, and how college level leadership has reacted to AI's adaption.
LINKS:
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Private College 529 Plan
Visit Brennan & Rick in Boston
EdHub
CalTech Ethical Use of AI Policy
Georgia Tech First Year Application Review Policy
The Truth About AI and Essay Reading - TACA with Juan Espinoza
"Why Transparency is the White Whale of College Admissions" - Chronicle
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Emily Pacheco
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick is joined by Dr. Steven Antonoff and Jay McCann, the authors of the The College Finder, 5th Edition, to talk about the purpose of their book, how prestige impacts the college search process, recogizing what fit can mean for students, and why counselors are so valuable to the college search process.
LINKS
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Private College 529 Plan
College Finder
The Application Trail
College Admission Speaker Series - Khan Lab School
Host: Rick Clark
Guests: Dr. Steven R. Antonoff & Jay McCann
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Anna Follenbee, the Associate Director (and soon to be Director) of College Counseling at Gilman, to talk about the current period in admissions of students choosing a college, advice for what to do now in that selection process, what parents can do to be supportive, the dynamics of the waitlist, and the importance of college responsiveness in this period.
LINKS
Truth About College Admission Podcast
Private College 529 Plan
"Choosing a College: Is It Right?" - The Application Trail
"Choosing a College: Advice From Admission Experts" - The Application Trail
"Ask This Before You Choose a College" - The Application Trail
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Anna Follensbee
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Kelley Lips, Associate Vice Provost of Enrollment at Emory University, to talk about how Emory's pathways provide more opportunities for students to start and finish college compared to the normal four-year track, why colleges offer different tracks, and advice for high school juniors and seniors considering different start term options.
LINKS
Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Emory University and Oxford College
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Kelley Lips
Production: Jack Purdy
In a cross-post special, Rick heads to the College Admissions Process Podcast hosted by John Durante to talk about building a class, AI, how to best use the Common Application, and other tools families can use in the admissions process.
LINKS
CAP Episode Link
Truth About College Admissions Newsletter
Host: John Durante
Guest: Rick Clark
TACA Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Gerry McCrory and Ashley Smith from Scoir to talk about the platform, their recent data reports, advice for juniors beginning the admission process, and tools on Scoir that everyone from families to counselors can use.
LINKS:
Truth About College Admission Newsletter
"Getting into college is getting easier" - The Hechinger Report
Scoir
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guests: Gerry Mcrory, Ashley Smith
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and the new Vice Provost of Enrollment Management at Georgia Tech, Rick Clark, are joined by friend of the podcast Jeff Selingo to talk about his new book, Dream School. Their conversation details why Jeff was inspired to write the book, how to get a sense of the resources on campus when visiting schools, misconceptions about college value, and how life has been going through the college admissions process with his daughter.
LINKS:
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
"Clark Named Vice Provost of Enrollment Management" - Georgia Tech
Jeff Selingo's website
Buy Dream School
List of Harvard 1L Institutions
Future U Podcast
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Jeff Selingo
Production: Jack Purdy
Returning from their winter breaks, Brennan and Rick go through their items to watch for in 2026, books they're reading, tips for the current application cycle, their words for the year, and preview a couple guests who will be on the show this semester.
LINKS:
Brennan Barnard on Forbes
The Application Trail
12-Hour Walk
"AI is scoring college essays" – LA Times
Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Denise Pope, Ph.D., the co-founder and Strategic Advisor at Challenge Success (and Senior Lecturer at Stanford University) to talk about her work in researching student mental health, what families may be getting wrong about what they think colleges want to see in the admissions process, and advice for students to improve well-being in high school and beyond.
LINKS:
Challenge Success
"A 'Fit' Over Rankings: Why College Engagement Matters More Than Selectivity" - Challenge Success
Time Management Worksheet - Challenge Success
"Go Wilde For College Admission In The New Year" - The Application Trail
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Denise Pope, Ph.D.
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Lisa Keegan, Vice Provost for Enrollment Strategy at William & Mary, to talk about her role at William & Mary and how they approach admissions in their context, understanding the culture of a school, and what juniors can think about this upcoming spring.
LINKS:
Making a (College) List - The Application Trail
Building a College List Part II: Outside the Echo Chamber - The Application Trail
Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Lisa Keegan
Production: Jack Purdy
Today we highlight Brennan Barnard's visit to the Office Hours podcast where him and host Will Geiger talk about the myth of the "dream school" and how to frame the college search process before diving into the AI transformation happening in the college admissions world.
LINKS:
Truth About College Admissions Newsletter
Office Hours Podcast
Office Hours Host: Will Geiger
Office Hours Guest: Brennan Barnard
TACA Host: Rick Clark
TACA Production: Jack Purdy
Today, we divert off the beaten path for The Truth About Admission Podcast as we highlight Rick Clark's appearance on the Something Personal podcast, where he goes into his lessons learned from multiple decades of working in college admissions, how to pay for college, and his advise on keeping perspective during the college search process.
LINKS:
Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Something Personal Podcast Feed
Something Personal host: Amy Laburda
Something Personal guest: Rick Clark
TACA Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Emily Roper Doten, Dean of Admissions at Brandeis University, to talk about her experiences in helping develop liberal arts programs for the current job economy and how her career leading up to Brandeis has influenced her ability to be a leader in her space.
LINKS:
Truth About College Admissions Newsletter
"Brandeis Pours $25M Into Careers-Focused Liberal Arts" - Inside Higher Ed
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Emily Roper Doten
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Jed Applerouth, founder of Applerouth Education, to talk about the origins of Applerouth, the differences and simlarities between the SAT and ACT, how to decide when is enough test prep, why the science section is leaving the ACT, and how to best approach standardized testing.
LINKS
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Jed Applerouth Bio
Applerouth
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Jed Applerouth
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Ken Anselment, Vice President for Enrollment Management at RHB, to talk about his journey in higher ed, learnings at RHB, how schools approach early decision, and how high schoolers now can approach the pace they attack the admissions process.
LINKS
Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Ken Anselment Bio
The Admissions Leadership Podcast
Rick Clark on The Admissions Leadership Podcast
Climbing The Admissions Leadership Peak - Anselment
"Why Did I Say "Yes" to Speak Here?" - Gladwell
"Early Decision Applicants: The College Admission VIPs" - The Application Trail
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Ken Anselment
Production: Jack Purdy
To kick off the season, Brennan and Rick are joined by returning champion, Juan Espinoza (Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at Virginia Tech), to dive into how Virginia Tech has adopted artificial intelligence to help with the essay reading process, how that has affected their timeline, and his advice to students approaching the essay writing process this fall.
LINKS
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Juan Espinoza
Humans And AI Collaborate To Review College Admission Essays - Forbes
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Juan Espinoza
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are back from summer vacation and ready for the FOURTH(!) season of The Truth About College Admission Podcast. Today, the pair recap their summers, preview a format update to the episodes this season, and reflect on a word they're thinking about for the upcoming admissions cycle.
LINKS
Brennan's Substack: The Application Trail
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production: Jack Purdy
In our Season 3 bonus episode, Rick and Brennan visit the College Parent Central podcast with Elizabeth Hamblet and Vicki Nelson to talk about communication during the college search, realistic expectations, how schools evaluate prospective students, how college is an opportunity, and focusing on long term relationships with family.
See the video version here
Hosts: Elizabeth Hamblet, Vicki Nelson
Guests: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production (TACA cut): Jack Purdy
In the Season 3 finale of The Truth About College Admission, Rick and Brennan go over their favorite episodes from the season, what news items in higher education have caught their eyes lately, and what this summer they will be keeping tabs on as we head into the 2025-2026 college admission cycle.
Links:
Loper
Scoir
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
June Essay webinar with Shereem Herndon-Brown and Allison Slater Tate
The Truth About Navigating the Admission Process - Dr. Ramon Blakley
The Truth About Value - Dan Porterfield
The Truth About International Admission - Sara Riggs and Karen Bartlett
"International Students By The Numbers" - Inside Higher Ed
"A Call for College Application Innovation" - Inside Higher Ed
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by returning guests Diane Campbell and Allison Slater Tate to run through their impressions of the last academic year and what the summer should look like for rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
LINKS
The Truth About Artificial Intelligence and Applying to College
Diane Campbell Bio
The Truth About Admission at the Holidays
Allison Slater Tate
The Truth About Mindful Communication Between Families and Their Students
Georgia Tech Admission Blog on summer
Loper App
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guests: Diane Campbell, Allison Slater Tate
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by a fantastic duo, Karen Bartlett (Associate Director of International Admissions at Middlebury College) and Sara Riggs (Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Georgia Tech) to highlight what international students bring to American college campuses, what the enrollment trends have shown in the last decade, and how international students can find community at American colleges.
LINKS:
Loper
Open Doors Report
Common Data Set
"The Two Most Important Letters in College Admission" - Clark
The Truth About Institutional Priorities - TJ Snowden
Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guests: Karen Bartlett, Sara Riggs
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Eva Blanco Masias, the VP for Enrollment Management at Santa Clara University, for a deep dive into why schools use waitlists and their purpose on the admissions front, how schools pick from a waitlist, and what to do as a student currently on a waitlist.
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Eva Blanco Maisas
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Sam Bernstein and Eric Menna, the cofounders of Loper, to talk through how their college admission journeys influenced the creation of Loper, how the app provides assistance during the college search process, and what data from users has shown in giving a more complete picture of needs and wants for students figuring out their next steps in higher education.
LINKS:
Loper
The College Admission Blind Taste Test - Forbes
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guests: Sam Bernstein, Eric Menna
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Angel Perez, the CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), to talk about the current landscape in Washington, D.C. amidst uncertainty with the Department of Education, who NACAC is working with to improve college admissions, what could be innovated in the future in the profession, and the overflowing hope found on college campuses in improving student lives.
LINKS
Angel Perez Bio
NACAC Action Alerts
"NACAC begins search for director of Center for Innovation in College Admission"
Loper
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
The Truth About College Admission Resources
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Angel Perez
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Mark Salisbury, founder and CEO of TuitionFit, to detail for families why college sticker prices are so high, what to look for in a financial aid award, what kinds of financial aid tools are out there, and what they mean in simple terms.
LINKS
Newsletter: https://www.truthaboutcollegeadmission.com/contact
Tuitionfit.org
goppi.org
Prior episodes on financial aid and paying for college:
Ron Lieber: Podcast | The Truth About College Admission
John Leach (Emory): Podcast | The Truth About College Admission
Jackie Copeland (UNC): Podcast | The Truth About College Admission
College Admission Grown & Flown Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Mark Salisbury
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick have an epic pod this week joined by Melodie Baker (Founder & Executive Director of ImpactSTATS Inc.) and Akil Bello (Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest) for a massive deep dive into Melodie's research into what the current role of calculus in college admissions is, how it's used as a date point at selective colleges, and then talk on College Board's role in pre-calculus.
Links:
Impact Stats
Akil Bello's website
Merit: Myths and Money - Bello
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
College Admissions Grown and Flown Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guests: Melodie Baker, Akil Bello
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Heath Einstein, the Vice Provost of Enrollment Management at Texas Christian University, to go over what a deferral means in the admissions process, what students should do in response to the decision and while they wait for the next decision to come, and the mentality to take on when your top school sends a deferral decision.
Links:
Deferred Admission - Georgia Tech
Heath Einstein Named Vice Provost for Enrollment Management - TCU
Truth About College Admissions Newsletter Signup
Grown and Flown Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Heath Einstein
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Sacha Thieme, Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director of Admissions at Indiana University, to talk about best practices for visiting colleges, the preparation that is useful before going for a campus visit, and what college visits can do as for high schoolers evolving their thinking in the college search process.
Links:
Ask The Same Questions, again and again… - Clark
Throw a Dart, Drop a Pin - Truth About College Admissions Workbook
Don’t Waste Your College Visit: Ask The Right Questions - Forbes
Grown & Flown Free Trial Offer
Truth About College Admissions Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Sacha Thieme
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick is joined by the interim Director of Admissions at UT Austin, Dr. Ramon Blakley, to talk about UT Austin's Percentage Plan and how that impacts how they recruit + admit applicants. Then, a conversation about how juniors can best navigate the various schools that have a range of test optional to test mandatory policies, plus advice for parents of seniors who are receiving application decisions this month.
Links:
Hues of Leadership Podcast - Blakley
The College Admissions Process Podcast - Blakley
Grown and Flown Free Trial Offer
Host: Rick Clark
Guest: Dr. Ramon Blakley
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are back from holidays and are here with their hopes for 2025 in college admissions, what they're looking out for in the industry, and their timely tips for the January portion of the admissions calendar.
Links:
Admission Leaders Share Resolutions For College Applicants - Forbes
Immunity to Change - Kegan and Lahey
College Uncovered - NPR
"Ask The Same Questions" - Clark
Truth About College Admissions Newsletter
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan close out the 2024 calendar year to discuss their favorite guests and what they drew from those conversations. Then, a review of the big issues in college admission that stuck out to them in 2024 with a look ahead to what they're hopeful to see in 2025. Hopefully no more holiday deadlines for applications!
Links:
Fewer race-based scholarships and a new culture of fear follow the end of affirmative action - The Hechinger Report
Ask Lisa Podcast: Getting into College with Rick Clark - Damour
The Truth About Family and College Admission - The Truth About College Admission w/Lisa Damour
The Truth About Admission and Parenting - The Truth About College Admission w/Lisa Heffernan
Scoir Halftime Report
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production: Jack Purdy
In one of our favorite episodes yet, Dan Lugo, current President of Queens University of Charlotte and future President at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, joins Brennan and Rick to talk about his unique admissions journey, how a college president can impact a campus positively, and how parents can best approach helping their child seek the transformative experience college can provide.
Links:
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Postelection Uncertainty Looms Large For Presidents - Inside Higher Ed
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Dan Lugo
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Dianne Campbell, the Director of College Counseling at Liberty Common High School, where they talk about how to manage the conversations that are bound to come up for kids going through the college admissions process over the next month, how to frame the conversation in a healthy way for kids, and if necessary, ways to deflect the conversation to draw out stories from the adults in the room about their experiences.
Links:
The Truth about College Admission Newsletter
A College Admission Holiday: The Friends And Family Guide - Forbes College Admission Indigestion: An Applicant's Guide to Nausea Free Holidays - Huff Post5 Parent Tips For When College Admission Decisions Land - ForbesParenting The Disappointed College Applicant - ForbesDealing With College Admission Disappointment - ForbesHandling College Admission Decisions: A Sidecar Parent’s Guide - ForbesHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Dianne Campbell
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick is joined by Adam Miller from the beautiful Whitman College to give a rundown of the kinds of responses students may get for their early action/decision applications and what do to in each situation, whether it be admitted, deferred, or denied, or even alternative scenarios that may arise.
Links:
The Truth about College Admission Newsletter
Host: Rick Clark
Guest: Adam Miller
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by Liz Chreron, CEO of the Coalition for College Access and proud Boston College graduate, to go over what application review looks like, why it's done the way it's done, how it's done, and how to best approach this time of the admissions cycle for parents and students.
Links:
Coalition for College website
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: Liz Cheron
Production: Jack Purdy
Dan Porterfield, author and President + CEO of the Aspen Institute, joins Rick and Brennan to dive into the value of college from different perspectives (family, individual, societal, financial), some stories from Dan's time as a college president, and advice as to how to approach being at college and how to support people currently in college.
Links:
Mindset Matters - Dan Porterfield
The Parents Aren't Alright - The DailyOn Edge: Understanding and Preventing Young Adults’ Mental Health Challenges - Making Caring Common ProjectMission Matters - Rick Clark"Georgia Tech and AMSC Collaboration to Boost STEM Pipeline"The Truth About College Admission Newsletter sign up
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Dan Porterfield
Production: Jack Purdy
Brennan and Rick are joined by the Associate Provost and Director of the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid at UNC, Jackie Copeland, to talk through a primer of the FAFSA (both what it is and why to fill it out), the cost of college (and why it is so high), and the crucial roles that parents can fill for their kids navigating college for the first time.
LINKS:
How it feels to be a college student whose parents can’t let go - Slate
Education Department Delays FAFSA Launch for Most Students - Inside Higher Ed
U.S DoE Net Price Calculator
myintuition.org College Cost Calculator
The Cliff, the Pandemic and the Hurricane - Inside Higher Ed
The Truth About College Admission Newsletter signup
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Jackie Copeland
Production: Jack Purdy
For the first interview of season 3, Rick and Brennan are joined by Juan Espinoza, the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at Virginia Tech to discuss his admission journey from applying to schools to becoming Vice Provost, how the mission of Virginia Tech drives his work, and what he is excited about how AI can positively influence the admissions process.
Links referenced in the episode:
CGN’s AVA: Bringing 24/7 "Enhanced Expert AI" Guidance to College and Career Planning and Success - Yahoo Finance
College Admission: An AI Revolution - Forbes
Colleges are using AI in admissions. How can they do it right? - WBUR
Morehouse College’s TJ Snowden on Institutional Priorities - The Truth about College Admission
Truth About College Admissions Newsletter signup
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Juan Espinoza
Production: Jack Purdy
We're back! Season three of The Truth about College Admission is here as we recap our summers and look ahead to what this season of the podcast will bring us.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
Books and essays mentioned in this episode:
Brave New Words: How Ai Will Revolutionize Education (And Why That's A Good Thing) - Salman KhanMindset Matters: The Power Of College To Activate Lifelong Growth - Dan PorterfieldI’m a College President and I Hope My Campus Is Even More Political This Year - New York TimesThird Place University - Chris BurkeSmile Because It Happened - Dr. Beth CabreraHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production: Jack Purdy
To close season 2, we have a role reversal with producer Jack Purdy interviewing Rick and Brennan to talk about learnings from this season's guests, their work outside the podcast, some thoughts on AI afterApple's big WWDC announcements, and what to expect for season 3.
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission -- free trial offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark, Jack Purdy
Production: Jack Purdy
For our final guest of season 2, Rick and Brennan are joined by Harlan Cohen, author of multiple books including WIN or LEARN: The Naked Truth About Turning Every Rejection Into Your Ultimate Success. The trio goes over lots of Harlan's story of going to and transferring colleges, how to build resilience during these transformative years, and the main takeaways from WIN or LEARN.
Links:
Harlan's website
The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College - Cohen
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission -- free trial offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Harlan Cohen
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Michael Horn (author of multiple books, Forbes contributor, host of multiple podcasts, and writer of the Substack newsletter The Future of Education) to discuss making dual enrollment class choices, evaluating intellecutal safety on campuses, and how he likes to approach evaluating a college when deciding where to go.
Links:
Michael Horn's website
Future U Podcast
From Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)Creating School for Every Child - Horn
Michael's Twitter account
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission -- free trial offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Michael Horn
Production: Jack Purdy
With finals season approaching at colleges across the country, Rick and Brennan are joined by Dr. Beth Cabrera, an organizational psychologist and author specializing in positive psychology and well-being, to go through her admission journey, her advice on how to maintain healthy relationships during the college application process, and practical ways to make that process smoother for kids and families.
Links:
Beth's TEDx Talk at George Mason
Beth Cabrera's website
Beth's Twitter Page
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Dr. Beth Cabrera
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by experienced strategy consultant and master of college sports data graphics on Twitter, Tony Altimore, to discuss the landscape of college athletics in relation to admission, how the transfer portal can help or hurt students in their academic journey, and what the oncoming demographic cliff can mean for schools that rely on athletics.
Links:
Tony Altimore's Twitter page
Demographic Cliff chart - Tony Altimore
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagments, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Tony Altimore
Production: Jack Purdy
With Brennan on vacation, Rick gets his first one on one interview of season 2, talking with David Hawkins from NACAC about his admission experience, the lastest effects from the FAFSA delay, and how to frame to the general public why college is an important piece to a functioning community.
Links:
David Hawkins' profile
Just Equations
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements
Grown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: David Hawkins
Production: Jack Purdy
With Rick out chauferring a youth soccer team, Brennan gets a one on one with Dr. Lisa Damour, clinical psychologist, 3x New York Times best seller, host of the Ask Lisa podcast to talk about the added stress the college search process brings, how to deal with that stress, and where families can potentially be freed up to be more happy during and after the process.
Links:
Lisa Damour's website
Lisa's early admission Instagram video
A panel on supporting youth mental health (feat. Lisa) - Harvard + Making Caring Common Project
CGN "Teenagers Decoded" Registration
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: Dr. Lisa Damour
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan this week are joined by Candice Mackey, College Counselor at
Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies and Co-Chair of the National Association for College Admission Counseling’s Public School Counselor Group. They talk about her experience going through college, what keeping an open mind in the search process can do for a student, and going through important conversations with your family unit early to ensure everyone is on the same page during the entire college search process.
Links:
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: Candice Mackey
Production: Jack Purdy
TJ Snowden, the Chief of Staff for the President of Morehouse College in Atlanta, joins Rick and Brennan to go through his admissions experience when he was choosing a college, explaining what institutional prorities are and how to find them, along with advice for juniors and parents of juniors heading into their college application cycle.
Links:
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission - Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: TJ Snowden
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by one of Intialview's co-founders, Gloria Crawford, to discuss how the platform has been instrumental in the admissions space, how to approach their interviews, what to focus on, and advice for parents navigating the admissions space.
Links:
Initialview Home Page
Chinese Students and U.S. Universities Connect Through a Third Party (2016) - New York Times
College Admission Wrapped 2023 - Forbes
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission - Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: Gloria Crawford
Production: Jack Purdy
Eric Hoover, senior writer for the Chronicle of Higher Education, joins Brennan and Rick to talk about his first impressions of college counseling during his high school days, stories of how he's seen counseling impact people at the ground level, the varying levels of transparency in college aid, and some big admissions items to lookout for in 2024.
Links:
Articles by Eric
The Verification Trap - The Chronicle for Higher Education
Eric Hoover on College Admissions and Standardized Testing Changes - C-SPAN
Follow Eric on Twitter @erichoov
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission - Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: Eric Hoover
Production: Jack Purdy
To open the spring 2024 episode slate, we welcome Lisa Heffernan, New York Times best selling author of Grown and Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults, as well as the co-founder of Grown and Flown. Rick, Brennan, and Lisa cover how teenagers can navigate potentially toxic questions about their college future, what Grown & Flown can provide in terms of expert opinions about the college search, along with some current trends happening in the admissions space.
Links:
College Guidance Network
The Truth About Admission and Mattering - Jennifer Wallace
Stephanie Meade on Grown and Flown
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission - Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: Lisa Heffernan
Production: Jack Purdy
To wrap up the 2023 slate, Jennifer Wallace, award-winning journalist and author of the New York Times bestselling book Never Enough: When Achievement Pressure Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It, joins Rick and Brennan to talk about achievement pressure, creating a haven within the home during important times in a child's life, and why mattering matters.
Links:
Jennifer Wallace's Website
The Mattering Movement
VIA Character Strength Survey
Brennan's Admission Guides
A Relative's Guide to Holiday Admission - Forbes
A College Admission Holiday: The Friends And Family Guide - Forbes
College Admission Indigestion: An Applicant's Guide to Nausea Free Holidays - HuffPost
THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission - Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: Jennifer Wallace
Production: Jack Purdy
Ashley Pallie, Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Chief Admissions Officer at Caltech, joins Rick and Brennan this week to talk about her introduction to higher ed admissions, what she's done to help bring equitable admissions intiatives to the forefront, why they do holistic review at Caltech, and the early returns on doing test-free application reviews.
Links:
Why Calculus Remains a Math Flash Point - EducationWeekNo calculus? No problem at Caltech - Inside Higher EdTHE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission - Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Ashley Pallie
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Elizabeth Hamblet learning disabilities Consultant and author of “Seven Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities.” The trio discuss her college journey, what they would prioritize and seek out during a college search, and their recommendations for engaging with disabilities services at your campus.
Links:
Elizabeth's Website (Consulting, Books, etc.)
Seven Steps to College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities ebook
TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Elizabeth Hamblet
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Jeff Neill, Director of College Counseling at Graded, the American School of São Paolo, to discuss how he has begun to interweave AI into his work life, what it's meant for how he manages his time, and how others can approach AI as a thought partner.
Links:
Tech-Neill-ogy Newsletter
How to use an AI chatbot to help you get into college - Khan Academy
How to use an AI chatbot to help you draft a college admissions essay - Khan Academy
TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission - Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Jeff Neill
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan this week welcome Ron Lieber, the bestselling author of “The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Roadmap for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make,” and New York Times “Your Money” columnist. The trio discuss how Ron got into the world of college financial aid, the secret of merit aid, and how he would approach defining success parameters for those making a college selection.
Links:
Ron Lieber's Website"How Do I Pay for College?" - NYTMerit Aid Course Website
TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission - Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Ron Lieber
Production: Jack Purdy
Rick and Brennan are joined by Eric Maguire, the Vice President for Enrollment at Wake Forest University to discuss the initiatives Eric has undertaken to expand early decision options for first generation students, how he approaches college rankings, and gives his advice about diving into the college selection process.
Links:
Wake Forest's new First Gen Early Action Option
GT Blog on Admission DEADlines
I'm First- resources for First Gen students.
TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources
Grown and Flown Admission - Free Trial Offer
Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Eric Maguire
Production: Jack Purdy
This week, President and CEO of the Common Application, Jenny Rickard, joins Rick and Brennan to talk about how her career path lead her into admissions, what the Common Application is doing to identify trends in their data sets, expanding direct admissions standards to more colleges, and how they plan to address AI.
Links:
https://www.diverseeducation.com/reports-data/article/15543809/new-study-explores-the-25-of-students-who-start-but-never-finish-the-common-app
Common App BlogCommon App Research Papers and Insights
TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE-- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resources.
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: Jenny Rickard
Production: Jack Purdy
Grown and Flown Admission- Free Trial Offer
To open season 2 of The Truth about College Admission, Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark are joined by Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, to discuss the current state of how AI is impacting the college admissions process, how currently it is being implemented in admissions reading rooms, how it can be effectively used to improve essays, and what the future might hold with better trained AI.
Links:
https://www.khanacademy.org/khan-labs
https://www.truthaboutcollegeadmission.com/
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/aug/27/chatgpt-ai-disadvantaged-college-applicants-affirmative-action
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/01/business/college-admissions-essay-ai-chatbots.html
Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard
Guest: Sal Khan
Production: Jack Purdy
Season 2 of The Truth about College Admission podcast is here! This season, our hosts Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark bring on another great roster of guests to discuss many of the current topics dominating the college admissions space, from AI to testing to the recent Supreme Court case. Along with those topics, this season will once again bring insight from working face to face with high school students and counselors, advice on how to understand what colleges are thinking and doing when they recruit prospective students, and guidance on how to have healthy conversations for families going through the admissions process.
On September 5, 2023, the second edition of the Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark's book, The Truth about College Admissions, is available to purchase at Johns Hopkins University Press or wherever you buy your books.
The Truth about College Admissions is exclusively sponsored by Johns Hopkins University Press
Join hosts Rick and Brennan in an engaging episode of "The Truth About College Admission" as they're joined by David Joyner to delve into the fascinating and ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) and its use in academics and college admission.
David Joyner is Executive Director of Online Education & OMSCS in Georgia Tech's College of Computing. | https://www.davidjoyner.net/
Read David's recent tweet thread about the language he's adopting in his course syllabi regarding AI assistants | https://twitter.com/DrDavidJoyner/status/1657569489330876417
This week, Jeff Selingo joins Brennan and Rick to discuss return on investment and value across types of colleges, degrees, and skill-building opportunities in college.
See more from Jeff here
John Leach, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and University Financial Aid at Emory University, joins Rick today to break down college financial aid. He discusses financial aid terminology and the basic calculations that go into determining a package, as well as how and when students and families can discuss and anticipate cost of attendance. Additionally, John shares what students can anticipate when appealing financial aid or receiving a package after admission from a waitlist.
This week, Rick and Brennan are joined by Jon Boeckenstedt, Vice Provost for Enrollment Management at Oregon State University. Jon shares thoughts and data on test optional policies as well as behind the scenes insights on admission decision making, that put into perspective why it's so important to focus on the things you can control in your college application and decision.
https://jonboeckenstedt.net/2022/12/13/why-you-were-denied/
@JonBoeckenstedt
https://www.highereddatastories.com/
Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz
This week Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), joins Rick and Brennan for a conversation about his personal journey of experiencing burnout and a discussion of his article where he shared how he found personal and professional joy again. Angel shares insights for college applicants, parents, and professionals who may also be experiencing burnout, and important reminders and resources (see below) for those learning to put themselves first again as they find their way out of the "fog".
Resources:
Angel Pérez's Article: One CEO's Story of Executive Burnout
More about Angel Pérez
NACAC
NACAC Committee on Mental Health and Equity in the Transition to Postsecondary Education
American School Counselor Association
SchoolSafety.gov
This week, Allison Slater Tate joins Rick and Brennan to gives tips on supportive messaging and expectation setting between families and their students, as well as reminders about reprioritizing student contentment in college selection.
Allison Slater Tate is a college counselor and a freelance writer and editor in Florida specializing in parenting and college admissions. Check out these pieces on Grown & Flown and MSNBC for more from Allison.
In this episode, Rick and Brennan are joined by Angela Duckworth, co-founder, chief scientist, and a board member of Character Lab and Rosa Lee and Egbert Chang Professor at University of Pennsylvania. Angela shares insights on character development for high school students and finding inner confidence in times of self-doubt, as well as important reassurances for students in the midst of receiving college admission decisions.
Learn more about Angela's work
This week, Rick and Brennan discuss their goals and priorities for the year, as well recent pieces on priorities juniors might have as they prepare for their admission experience ahead.
College Admission Year In Preview: A Playlist
Juniors, College Admission Is A Stereogram
email your questions: holisticadmission@gmail.com
Happy Festivus 2022!
In our final episode of 2022, we walk through a few of the issue as we see them in college admission, including:
- College Search
- Grade Inflation
- Self- Reported Grades
More on our two different perspectives on a variety of issues:
Forbes 2022
HuffPost 2017
Co-authors Tim Fields (Senior Associate Dean, Emory University) and Shareem Herndon-Brown (CEO and Founder, Strategic Admissions Advice)
join the podcast to discuss their new book: The Black Family's Guide to College Admission: A Conversation about Education, Parenting, and Race.
Shareem and Tim have extensive experience working with families on the high school side, and making admission decisions in colleges and universities. In this conversation, they do a phenomenal job laying out good questions for families to ask, practical insight about the admission process, as well as tips for students and parents on essays, making the college choice, and much more.
This week, University of Pennsylvania'sVice Provost and Dean of Admissions, Whitney Soule shares insights on the intentions behind schools' carefully craft essay prompts, and how students can approach those essays as a way to introduce their character.
She discusses Penn's new short answer prompt that invites students to express gratitude to someone that they haven't thanked, an exercise intended to provide Penn a glimpse of how the student relates to others, and to provide students a feel-good reflection on the impact of others in their lives.
The Daily Pennsylvanian article featuring Whitney Soul.
More on the University of Pennsylvania here.
This week, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Director of Admissions, Andy Borst shares insights on how major plays into the review of an application, and the shaping of an incoming class.
Inside Higher Ed article featuring Andy Borst
More on the University of Illinois here.
This week, Agnes Scott College's Director of Admissions, Miya Walker shares insights on how students can think about not only where they will succeed, but more importantly where they will thrive.
She helps students and families focus on getting a sense of belonging by pausing to ask what is most important to them-- and looking for a true community, i.e. a place where they will find clubs, organizations, faculty, and other support.
And some truly phenomenal advice for parents and supporting adults on how to support and advocate for their students without driving the process.
Inside Higher Ed article featuring Miya Walker.
More on Agnes Scott College here.
Rachelle Hernandez, vice provost for student affairs at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, joins the podcast to discuss helping students think about colleges where they will be "excited to go."
In addition to her work in higher education over the last 25 years, Rachelle's own son is currently a senior in high school, so this conversation, and the terms often used in college admission, are personal.
Rachelle discusses the concept belonging, and focuses on the importance of choices and options for students in their search. Additionally, she talks about the term "safety" schools and why that label is not accurate, or helpful. She suggests great questions for students and families to ask as they look for good matches in their college search and selection experience.
Rachelle's professional accomplishments are too extensive to capture here, but suffice it to say she brings a wealth of experience, including prior roles at University of Minnesota and University of Texas.
She is committed to and focused on student success and access as well as "fostering and supporting an engaged student educational experience and cultivating student connection and belonging in co-curricular and academic spaces."
It's always a pleasure to spend time with the inimitable Rachelle Hernandez, so we hope you'll enjoy this one.
In our kickoff episode, Brennan and Rick discuss the annual college rankings. What factors go into creating them? What do they and do they not indicate about the quality of a college? To what extent should students and families consider rankings in their admission experience?
They also provide a few resources for further consideration:
Listen: Revisionist History, "Lord of the Rankings" Malcolm Gladwell
College Guidance Network, Best Rankings Webinar EVER!
Read: Top Three Reasons NOT to Trust Rankings, 5 Best Tips For Responsibly Using College Rankings
Try This: Create Your Own Rankings System
More about your co-hosts:
Brennan Barnard, Director of College Counseling, Khan Lab School
Rick Clark, AVP and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admission- Georgia Tech
We are excited to launch our new podcast, which will air every other week.
In each episode, along with national experts in the field of college admission and enrollment, we'll bring you insight from working directly with high school students, an understanding of what is happening in colleges around the country as they recruit students, make admission decisions, and build their new class, as well as timely advice for your family so you can have healthy conversations about searching for, applying to, and ultimately making a college choice.
The Truth about College Admission is exclusively sponsored by Johns Hopkins Press.