
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

Jun 11, 2024 • 37min
The Truth About College Admissions - Season 2 Finale
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 resourcesGrown and Flown Admission -- free trial offerHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark, Jack PurdyProduction: Jack Purdy

May 29, 2024 • 32min
The Truth About the College Transition - Harlan Cohen
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 websiteThe Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College - CohenTHE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resourcesGrown and Flown Admission -- free trial offerHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Harlan CohenProduction: Jack Purdy

6 snips
May 14, 2024 • 33min
The Truth About the College Admission Landscape - Michael Horn
Michael Horn, author and education expert, discusses dual enrollment choices, evaluating campus intellectual safety, and tips for evaluating colleges. Topics include aligning education with personal goals, fostering dialogue on campuses, and shifting attitudes towards traditional colleges.

Apr 30, 2024 • 36min
The Truth About College Admission and Wellness - Dr. Beth Cabrera
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 MasonBeth Cabrera's websiteBeth's Twitter PageWhere You'll Go Is Not Who You'll Be - Frank BruniDavid and Goliath - Malcolm Gladwell THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLEGE ADMISSION HOMEPAGE -- to learn more about our books, speaking engagements, podcast, and other resourcesGrown and Flown Admission -- Free Trial OfferHosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick ClarkGuest: Dr. Beth CabreraProduction: Jack Purdy

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