
The Truth about College Admission
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. https://www.truthaboutcollegeadmission.com/
Latest episodes

Apr 16, 2024 • 41min
The Truth About College Admission and Athletics - Tony Altimore
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 pageDemographic Cliff chart - Tony AltimoreTHE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagments, podcast, and other resourcesGrown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial OfferHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Tony AltimoreProduction: Jack Purdy

Apr 2, 2024 • 38min
The Truth About the Admissions Landscape - David Hawkins
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' profileJust EquationsTHE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagementsGrown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial OfferHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: David HawkinsProduction: Jack Purdy

Mar 19, 2024 • 30min
The Truth About Family and College Admission - Dr. Lisa Damour
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 websiteLisa's early admission Instagram videoA panel on supporting youth mental health (feat. Lisa) - Harvard + Making Caring Common ProjectCGN "Teenagers Decoded" RegistrationTHE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resourcesGrown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial OfferHosts: Rick Clark, Brennan BarnardGuest: Dr. Lisa DamourProduction: Jack Purdy

Mar 5, 2024 • 34min
The Truth About The College Search - Candice Mackey
Rick and Brennan this week are joined by Candice Mackey, College Counselor atLos 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 resourcesGrown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial OfferHosts: Rick Clark, Brennan BarnardGuest: Candice MackeyProduction: Jack Purdy

Feb 20, 2024 • 32min
The Truth About Institutional Priorities - TJ Snowden
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 resourcesGrown and Flown Admission - Free Trial OfferHosts: Rick Clark, Brennan BarnardGuest: TJ SnowdenProduction: Jack Purdy

Feb 6, 2024 • 30min
The Truth About College Interviews - Gloria Crawford
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 PageChinese Students and U.S. Universities Connect Through a Third Party (2016) - New York TimesCollege Admission Wrapped 2023 - ForbesTHE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resourcesGrown and Flown Admission - Free Trial OfferHosts: Rick Clark, Brennan BarnardGuest: Gloria CrawfordProduction: Jack Purdy

Jan 23, 2024 • 33min
The Truth About Covering College Admission - Eric Hoover
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 EricThe Verification Trap - The Chronicle for Higher EducationEric Hoover on College Admissions and Standardized Testing Changes - C-SPANFollow Eric on Twitter @erichoovTHE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resourcesGrown and Flown Admission - Free Trial OfferHosts: Rick Clark, Brennan BarnardGuest: Eric HooverProduction: Jack Purdy

Jan 9, 2024 • 26min
The Truth About Admission and Parenting - Lisa Heffernan
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 NetworkThe Truth About Admission and Mattering - Jennifer WallaceStephanie Meade on Grown and FlownTHE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resourcesGrown and Flown Admission - Free Trial OfferHosts: Rick Clark, Brennan BarnardGuest: Lisa HeffernanProduction: Jack Purdy

Dec 12, 2023 • 33min
The Truth About Admission and Mattering - Jennifer Wallace
Jennifer Wallace, a journalist and author of the bestselling book on achievement pressure, discusses creating a haven at home during admissions, the toxicity of equating achievement with self-worth, and the changing landscape of parenting and college admissions.

Nov 28, 2023 • 34min
The Truth about Course Choice, Access, Math, and More - Ashley Pallie
Ashley Pallie, Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Caltech, discusses equitable admissions initiatives, the move towards test-free applications, and the importance of holistic review. The podcast also explores the collaboration with Schoolhouse.world and the need to showcase academic ability. Caltech's efforts for equitable access and the rethinking of college admissions are highlighted, as well as the importance of expressing gratitude and college choice.
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