The Truth about College Admission

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 EdHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Emily Roper DotenProduction: 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.LINKSThe Truth About College Admission NewsletterJed Applerouth BioApplerouthHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Jed ApplerouthProduction: 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.LINKSTruth About College Admission NewsletterKen Anselment BioThe Admissions Leadership PodcastRick Clark on The Admissions Leadership PodcastClimbing The Admissions Leadership Peak - Anselment"Why Did I Say "Yes" to Speak Here?" - Gladwell"Early Decision Applicants: The College Admission VIPs" - The Application TrailHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Ken AnselmentProduction: 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.LINKSThe Truth About College Admission Newsletter Juan EspinozaHumans And AI Collaborate To Review College Admission Essays - ForbesHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Juan EspinozaProduction: 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.LINKSBrennan's Substack: The Application TrailThe Truth About College Admission NewsletterHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkProduction: 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 hereHosts: Elizabeth Hamblet, Vicki NelsonGuests: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkProduction (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:LoperScoirThe Truth About College Admission NewsletterJune Essay webinar with Shereem Herndon-Brown and Allison Slater TateThe Truth About Navigating the Admission Process - Dr. Ramon BlakleyThe Truth About Value - Dan PorterfieldThe 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 EdHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkProduction: 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.LINKSThe Truth About Artificial Intelligence and Applying to CollegeDiane Campbell BioThe Truth About Admission at the HolidaysAllison Slater TateThe Truth About Mindful Communication Between Families and Their StudentsGeorgia Tech Admission Blog on summerLoper AppThe Truth About College Admission NewsletterHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuests: Diane Campbell, Allison Slater TateProduction: 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:LoperOpen Doors ReportCommon Data Set"The Two Most Important Letters in College Admission" - ClarkThe Truth About Institutional Priorities - TJ SnowdenTruth About College Admission NewsletterHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuests: Karen Bartlett, Sara RiggsProduction: 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 NewsletterHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Eva Blanco MaisasProduction: Jack Purdy