The Truth about College Admission

Berry College

Furman Pathways Program

Build The Life You Want – Brooks, Winfrey

College Matters Podcast

The Truth About Campuses - Matt Lopez Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

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

ASU London

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark

Guest: Matt Lopez

Production: Jack Purdy

The Truth About AI and Admission in 2026 - Chrissy & Justin Cerenzia Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

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

Caltech Supplemental Materials, Research Papers and Publications

How To Choose a College in the Age of AI - Forbes

Prosocial Possibilities - Christensen Institute

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

Season 5 Trailer Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

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.

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark

Production: Jack Purdy

The Truth About This Year in College Admission Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

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 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

The Truth About Summer College Visits - McKinnon, Tan, and Clark Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

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.

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Hosts: Rick Clark, Brennan Barnard

Guests: Gary Clark, Moira McKinnon, Pamela Tan

Production: Jack Purdy

The Truth About AI and Admission Review - Emily Pacheco May 19, 2026

Show notes

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:

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

The Truth About The College Finder - Dr. Steven R. Antonoff & Jay McCann May 05, 2026

Show notes

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

Truth About College Admission Podcast

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

The Truth About Choosing a College - Anna Follensbee Apr 13, 2026

Show notes

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

"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

The Truth About College Pathways - Kelley Lips Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

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