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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rick and Brennan are joined by Ken Anselment, Vice President for Enrollment Management at RHB, to talk about his journey in higher ed, learnings at RHB, how schools approach early decision, and how high schoolers now can approach the pace they attack the admissions process.

LINKS

Truth About College Admission Newsletter

Ken Anselment Bio

The Admissions Leadership Podcast

Rick Clark on The Admissions Leadership Podcast

Climbing The Admissions Leadership Peak - Anselment

"Why Did I Say "Yes" to Speak Here?" - Gladwell

"Early Decision Applicants: The College Admission VIPs" - The Application Trail

Hosts: Brennan Barnard, Rick Clark

Guest: Ken Anselment

Production: Jack Purdy