The Truth about College Admission

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/@JonBoeckenstedthttps://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 BurnoutMore about Angel  PérezNACACNACAC Committee on Mental Health and Equity in the Transition to Postsecondary EducationAmerican School Counselor AssociationSchoolSafety.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 PlaylistJuniors, College Admission Is A Stereogramemail 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 SearchGrade InflationSelf- Reported GradesMore on our two different perspectives on a variety of issues:Forbes 2022HuffPost 2017

Co-authors Tim Fields (Senior Associate Dean, Emory University) and Shereem 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.  Shereem 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's Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions, Whitney Soule shares insights on the intentions behind schools' carefully crafted 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 academic major plays into the review of an application,  the shaping of an incoming class, and a Kung Fu Panda spoiler. He points students to the importance of asking their questions of the schools they are considering- and encourages colleges to display more detailed and differentiated data. One of the best in the business, we hope you will enjoy this one. Inside Higher Ed article featuring Andy BorstMore on the University of Illinois here.