Brennan and Rick have an epic pod this week joined by Melodie Baker (Founder & Executive Director of ImpactSTATS Inc.) and Akil Bello (Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest) for a massive deep dive into Melodie's research into what the current role of calculus in college admissions is, how it's used as a date point at selective colleges, and then talk on College Board's role in pre-calculus.

Links:

Impact Stats

Akil Bello's website

Merit: Myths and Money - Bello

The Truth About College Admission Newsletter

College Admissions Grown and Flown Free Trial Offer

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark

Guests: Melodie Baker, Akil Bello

Production: Jack Purdy

Rick and Brennan are joined by Heath Einstein, the Vice Provost of Enrollment Management at Texas Christian University, to go over what a deferral means in the admissions process, what students should do in response to the decision and while they wait for the next decision to come, and the mentality to take on when your top school sends a deferral decision.

Links:

Deferred Admission - Georgia Tech

Heath Einstein Named Vice Provost for Enrollment Management - TCU

Truth About College Admissions Newsletter Signup

Grown and Flown Free Trial Offer

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark

Guest: Heath Einstein

Production: Jack Purdy

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… - Clark

Throw a Dart, Drop a Pin - Truth About College Admissions Workbook

Don’t Waste Your College Visit: Ask The Right Questions - Forbes

Grown & Flown Free Trial Offer

Truth About College Admissions Newsletter

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark

Guest: Sacha Thieme

Production: 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 - Blakley
The College Admissions Process Podcast - Blakley

Grown and Flown Free Trial Offer

Host: Rick Clark
Guest: Dr. Ramon Blakley
Production: 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 - Forbes
Immunity to Change - Kegan and Lahey
College Uncovered - NPR
"Ask The Same Questions" - Clark
Truth About College Admissions Newsletter

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production: 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 Report
Ask Lisa Podcast: Getting into College with Rick Clark - Damour
The Truth About Family and College Admission - The Truth About College Admission w/Lisa Damour
The Truth About Admission and Parenting - The Truth About College Admission w/Lisa Heffernan
Scoir Halftime Report

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Production: 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 Newsletter
Postelection Uncertainty Looms Large For Presidents - Inside Higher Ed

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Dan Lugo
Production: 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 Newsletter
A College Admission Holiday: The Friends And Family Guide - Forbes
College Admission Indigestion: An Applicant's Guide to Nausea Free Holidays - Huff Post
5 Parent Tips For When College Admission Decisions Land - Forbes
Parenting The Disappointed College Applicant - Forbes
Dealing With College Admission Disappointment - Forbes
Handling College Admission Decisions: A Sidecar Parent’s Guide - Forbes

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark
Guest: Dianne Campbell
Production: Jack Purdy