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… - ClarkThrow a Dart, Drop a Pin - Truth About College Admissions WorkbookDon’t Waste Your College Visit: Ask The Right Questions - ForbesGrown & Flown Free Trial OfferTruth About College Admissions NewsletterHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Sacha ThiemeProduction: 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 - BlakleyThe College Admissions Process Podcast - BlakleyGrown and Flown Free Trial OfferHost: Rick ClarkGuest: Dr. Ramon BlakleyProduction: 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 - ForbesImmunity to Change - Kegan and LaheyCollege Uncovered - NPR"Ask The Same Questions" - ClarkTruth About College Admissions NewsletterHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkProduction: 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 ReportAsk Lisa Podcast: Getting into College with Rick Clark - DamourThe Truth About Family and College Admission - The Truth About College Admission w/Lisa DamourThe Truth About Admission and Parenting - The Truth About College Admission w/Lisa HeffernanScoir Halftime ReportHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkProduction: 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 NewsletterPostelection Uncertainty Looms Large For Presidents - Inside Higher EdHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Dan LugoProduction: 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 NewsletterA 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 ClarkGuest: Dianne CampbellProduction: 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 NewsletterHost: Rick ClarkGuest: Adam MillerProduction: 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 websiteThe Truth About College Admission NewsletterHosts: Rick Clark, Brennan BarnardGuest: Liz CheronProduction: 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 upHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Dan PorterfieldProduction: 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 - SlateEducation Department Delays FAFSA Launch for Most Students - Inside Higher EdU.S DoE Net Price Calculatormyintuition.org College Cost CalculatorThe Cliff, the Pandemic and the Hurricane - Inside Higher EdThe Truth About College Admission Newsletter signupHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Jackie CopelandProduction: Jack Purdy