The Truth about College Admission

Johns Hopkins Press

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/

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24 episodes
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Avg 37 min
English

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S5 · E4
October 27 · 24 min
Talkin' Truth: October 2026 Check-In
Brennan and Rick check in to talk about their latest thoughts of the admissions world, some advice for families in this upcoming busy season for seniors, and shoutout schools they are impressed with lately. LINKS Truth About College Admission Newsletter Berry College Furman Pathways Program Build The Life You Want – Brooks, Winfrey College Matters Podcast
S5 · E3
October 13 · 39 min
The Truth About Campuses - Matt Lopez
Brennan and Rick are joined by Matt Lopez, the Vice President of Academic Enterprise Enrollment at Arizona State University, to talk about ASU's approach to enrollment, their various pathways to a degree both in person and virtually, and thoughts on return on investment. LINKS The Truth About College Admission Newsletter ASU London Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guest: Matt Lopez Production: Jack Purdy
S5 · E2
September 29 · 32 min
The Truth About AI and Admission in 2026 - Chrissy & Justin Cerenzia
Brennan and Rick are joined by the Cerenzia's, Chrissy (Senior Associate Director of College Counseling at The Episcopal Academy) and Justin (Buckley Executive Director of the Center for Teaching & Learning at The Episcopal Academy), to discuss what high school students can be thinking about when it comes to AI use, how it impacts the college search process, and what kinds of questions students are asking colleges during the search. LINKS Truth About College Admission Newsletter How To Choose a College in the Age of AI - Forbes Prosocial Possibilities - Christensen Institute Caltech Supplemental Materials, Research Papers and Publications Guidance for Ethical AI Use in College Applications - Edhub Two Reports Explore Gen Z, Purpose, And College Admission - Forbes Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guests: Chriss Cerenzia, Justin Cerenzia Production: Jack Purdy
S5 · E1
September 15 · 29 min
Season 5 Trailer
Brennan and Rick are back from full summers and ready to kick off Season 5 (!) of The Truth About College Admission Podcast. The pair dig into what they've been doing lately and what they're looking forward to this upcoming season, and dispel a couple admissions myths. The Truth About College Admission Newsletter Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Production: Jack Purdy
June 30 · 32 min
The Truth About This Year in College Admission
Brennan and Rick wrap up season three of The Truth About College Admission Podcast with their favorite moments from the season, what they are looking forward to this summer, what they want to see change in the next year in the college admission landscape, and their words of the year. LINKS: The Truth About College Admission Newsletter Private College 529 Plan The Truth About College Admission w/Juan Espinoza The Truth About College Admission w/Emily Pacheco Mattering - Wallace The Value of College - CGN Roundtable "Gen Z Wants To Do Good" - Harvard/Making Caring Common Arizona State London "Faster, Thinner" - The Hechinger Report Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Production: Jack Purdy
S2 · E12
June 22 · 49 min
The Truth About Summer College Visits - McKinnon, Tan, and Clark
Rick is joined by Moira McKinnon (Director of College Counseling and Postecondary Planning at Burwick Academy), Pamela Tan (Director of Admissions at Cornell University), and Gary Clark (Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management at UCLA) to talk about the unique benefits that summer college visits can provide and how as parents being in the college admissions world has affected their outlook on the process. LINKS: Truth About College Admission Newsletter Private College 529 Plan Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard Guests: Gary Clark, Moira McKinnon, Pamela Tan Production: Jack Purdy
May 19 · 38 min
The Truth About AI and Admission Review - Emily Pacheco
Brennan and Rick are joined by Emily Pacheco, a Community Organizer for Imperial College London, to talk about AI through the whole application and admission process from how students can use it, how parents should approach guiding their students through using, how admissions offices have found useful ways in the admission process, and how college level leadership has reacted to AI's adaption. LINKS: The Truth About College Admission Newsletter Private College 529 Plan Visit Brennan & Rick in Boston EdHub CalTech Ethical Use of AI Policy Georgia Tech First Year Application Review Policy The Truth About AI and Essay Reading - TACA with Juan Espinoza "Why Transparency is the White Whale of College Admissions" - Chronicle Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guest: Emily Pacheco Production: Jack Purdy
S4 · E12
May 5 · 57 min
The Truth About The College Finder - Dr. Steven R. Antonoff & Jay McCann
Rick is joined by Dr. Steven Antonoff and Jay McCann, the authors of the The College Finder, 5th Edition, to talk about the purpose of their book, how prestige impacts the college search process, recogizing what fit can mean for students, and why counselors are so valuable to the college search process. LINKS The Truth About College Admission Newsletter Private College 529 Plan College Finder The Application Trail College Admission Speaker Series - Khan Lab School Host: Rick Clark Guests: Dr. Steven R. Antonoff & Jay McCann Production: Jack Purdy
S4 · E11
April 13 · 33 min
The Truth About Choosing a College - Anna Follensbee
Brennan and Rick are joined by Anna Follenbee, the Associate Director (and soon to be Director) of College Counseling at Gilman, to talk about the current period in admissions of students choosing a college, advice for what to do now in that selection process, what parents can do to be supportive, the dynamics of the waitlist, and the importance of college responsiveness in this period. LINKS Truth About College Admission Podcast Private College 529 Plan "Choosing a College: Is It Right?" - The Application Trail "Choosing a College: Advice From Admission Experts" - The Application Trail "Ask This Before You Choose a College" - The Application Trail Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guest: Anna Follensbee Production: Jack Purdy
March 17 · 33 min
The Truth About College Pathways - Kelley Lips
Brennan and Rick are joined by Kelley Lips, Associate Vice Provost of Enrollment at Emory University, to talk about how Emory's pathways provide more opportunities for students to start and finish college compared to the normal four-year track, why colleges offer different tracks, and advice for high school juniors and seniors considering different start term options. LINKS Truth About College Admission Newsletter Emory University and Oxford College Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guest: Kelley Lips Production: Jack Purdy
S4 · E10
March 4 · 50 min
Special Edition: Rick Clark on the College Admissions Process Podcast
In a cross-post special, Rick heads to the College Admissions Process Podcast hosted by John Durante to talk about building a class, AI, how to best use the Common Application, and other tools families can use in the admissions process. LINKS CAP Episode Link Truth About College Admissions Newsletter Host: John Durante Guest: Rick Clark TACA Production: Jack Purdy
February 17 · 36 min
The Truth About Scoir - Gerry McCrory & Ashley Smith
Rick and Brennan are joined by Gerry McCrory and Ashley Smith from Scoir to talk about the platform, their recent data reports, advice for juniors beginning the admission process, and tools on Scoir that everyone from families to counselors can use. LINKS: Truth About College Admission Newsletter "Getting into college is getting easier" - The Hechinger Report Scoir Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guests: Gerry Mcrory, Ashley Smith Production: Jack Purdy
January 27 · 40 min
The Truth About Dream Schools - Jeff Selingo
Brennan and the new Vice Provost of Enrollment Management at Georgia Tech, Rick Clark, are joined by friend of the podcast Jeff Selingo to talk about his new book, Dream School. Their conversation details why Jeff was inspired to write the book, how to get a sense of the resources on campus when visiting schools, misconceptions about college value, and how life has been going through the college admissions process with his daughter. LINKS: The Truth About College Admission Newsletter "Clark Named Vice Provost of Enrollment Management" - Georgia Tech Jeff Selingo's website Buy Dream School List of Harvard 1L Institutions Future U Podcast Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guest: Jeff Selingo Production: Jack Purdy
S4 · E7
January 13 · 33 min
2026 Preview Show
Returning from their winter breaks, Brennan and Rick go through their items to watch for in 2026, books they're reading, tips for the current application cycle, their words for the year, and preview a couple guests who will be on the show this semester. LINKS: Brennan Barnard on Forbes The Application Trail 12-Hour Walk "AI is scoring college essays" – LA Times Truth About College Admission Newsletter Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Production: Jack Purdy
S4 · E6
Dec 30, 2025 · 29 min
The Truth About Success - Denise Pope
Brennan and Rick are joined by Denise Pope, Ph.D., the co-founder and Strategic Advisor at Challenge Success (and Senior Lecturer at Stanford University) to talk about her work in researching student mental health, what families may be getting wrong about what they think colleges want to see in the admissions process, and advice for students to improve well-being in high school and beyond. LINKS: Challenge Success "A 'Fit' Over Rankings: Why College Engagement Matters More Than Selectivity" - Challenge Success Time Management Worksheet - Challenge Success "Go Wilde For College Admission In The New Year" - The Application Trail The Truth About College Admission Newsletter Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guest: Denise Pope, Ph.D. Production: Jack Purdy
Dec 18, 2025 · 35 min
The Truth About Exploring Schools - Lisa Keegan
Brennan and Rick are joined by Lisa Keegan, Vice Provost for Enrollment Strategy at William & Mary, to talk about her role at William & Mary and how they approach admissions in their context, understanding the culture of a school, and what juniors can think about this upcoming spring. LINKS: Making a (College) List - The Application Trail Building a College List Part II: Outside the Echo Chamber - The Application Trail Truth About College Admission Newsletter Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guest: Lisa Keegan Production: Jack Purdy
S4 · E6
Dec 2, 2025 · 34 min
Special Edition: Brennan Barnard on Scholarship360's Office Hours
Today we highlight Brennan Barnard's visit to the Office Hours podcast where him and host Will Geiger talk about the myth of the "dream school" and how to frame the college search process before diving into the AI transformation happening in the college admissions world. LINKS: Truth About College Admissions Newsletter Office Hours Podcast Office Hours Host: Will Geiger Office Hours Guest: Brennan Barnard TACA Host: Rick Clark TACA Production: Jack Purdy
S4 · E5
Nov 13, 2025 · 49 min
Special Edition: Rick Clark on Palisades Hudson’s Something Personal Podcast
Today, we divert off the beaten path for The Truth About Admission Podcast as we highlight Rick Clark's appearance on the Something Personal podcast, where he goes into his lessons learned from multiple decades of working in college admissions, how to pay for college, and his advise on keeping perspective during the college search process. LINKS: Truth About College Admission Newsletter Something Personal Podcast Feed Something Personal host: Amy Laburda Something Personal guest: Rick Clark TACA Production: Jack Purdy
Oct 28, 2025 · 35 min
The Truth About ROI - Emily Roper Doten
Rick and Brennan are joined by Emily Roper Doten, Dean of Admissions at Brandeis University, to talk about her experiences in helping develop liberal arts programs for the current job economy and how her career leading up to Brandeis has influenced her ability to be a leader in her space. LINKS: Truth About College Admissions Newsletter "Brandeis Pours $25M Into Careers-Focused Liberal Arts" - Inside Higher Ed Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guest: Emily Roper Doten Production: Jack Purdy
S4 · E3
Oct 14, 2025 · 38 min
The Truth About Standardized Testing in 2025
Rick and Brennan are joined by Jed Applerouth, founder of Applerouth Education, to talk about the origins of Applerouth, the differences and simlarities between the SAT and ACT, how to decide when is enough test prep, why the science section is leaving the ACT, and how to best approach standardized testing. LINKS The Truth About College Admission Newsletter Jed Applerouth Bio Applerouth Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark Guest: Jed Applerouth Production: Jack Purdy

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