Application to Admission

Leading by example is easy to say but harder to do. Wanting others to see, understand and embrace a vision that can help thousands or millions of young people is a Herculean undertaking. Yet, someone has to do it.

Professor Curtis Valentine is may be the millennial Benjamin E. Mays, W.E.B. DuBois or Carter G. Woodson. Big names with big shoulders, yes, but Curtis is up for the task. Consider his Morehouse and Harvard educational experiences and his unique ability to weave entrepreneurship and education into one mission and what else can we say about his dedication to upliftment? Curtis is a man of conviction, and when you hear his story and his ambitions, you’ll be inspired. Buckle up!

While we are all eager to exhale and enjoy the summer, rising seniors must manage their time carefully. Standardized testing may still need to happen, college visits can still happen, and writing essays must happen.

Enter college counseling veteran Stacy Richardson and her all-world experience with high school and college students. As the Director of College Counseling at the Potomac School in McLean, VA, Stacy knows what all juniors/almost seniors need to do this summer. This is straight knowledge being kicked to the masses. Listen, learn and SHARE with every parent and child you know before they tackle senior year.

Yes, Texas is “hot” in climate but TCU may be “hotter” in popularity. We can make the argument that ESPN is the best marketer of US colleges in the world. College Gameday and the scrolling ticker on our tv screens, introduce us to new colleges every college football and basketball season. Many of our kids want to be part of the college tailgate “ra ra” and that’s fine but what about the academics, activities and admissions requirements?

Meet Heath Einstein, the Dean of Admission at TCU (Texas Christian University). He’s a Jewish man leading the recruitment efforts of a Christian university, has a college counseling experience in NYC, loves sports and has advice for students who want to get recruited for sports in college. Heath’s commitment to his school and its mission is inspiring and right now, on the heels of their football national title game experience, it is competing with the most selective and academically superlative universities in the south. 

Heath has been a huge supporter of our book and a man on a mission to make TCU the new destination for the right (best) students in the country who want a bit of southern hospitality. Plus the campus is amazing. TCU is from Fort Worth where Tim is from and where Shereem knows TCU alums who are doing very big things. You need to listen to Heath’s seasoned admissions wisdom and get familiar with the university. Rice, Vanderbilt, UT Austin and Duke, there’s a new sheriff in town and its name is TCU. 

Many parents, regardless of color, expect that by sending their child to an elite independent school that their child is almost guaranteed to go to an elite college. Not true. Selective college admission in 2023 is complicated and confusing, and going to one kind of school does not have the same kind of “weight” as it might have 10, 20 or 30 years ago. 

Instead of sharing the case studies — catch us on tour this summer and we share them then — we asked the Executive Director of the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools (ACCIS) to join us and share her knowledge. Emmi Harward is a seasoned college admissions professional having stints in the admission offices at Emory and Vanderbilt as well as Director of College Counseling roles at Hampton Roads Academy (VA) and The Bishop’s School (CA). She’s well aware of what school counselors should be doing for students and families and how they all can work together to achieve the desired outcomes. 

Enjoy the interview!

In this ongoing debate about a parent’s role in college application assistance and the ultimate decision, we brought in someone with lived experiences and professional credentials that Black people need to support. 

Laura Harding, Esq., is President of ERASE Racism, the regional civil rights organization based on Long Island, NY that exposes and addresses the devastating impact of historical and ongoing structural racism, particularly in housing and public school education. With three degrees, she has a BA from Adelphi University, a MA from the U of Chicago and a JD from Howard University. She’s making the Founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. proud!!! 

For this conversation, she leans into her role  as parent and her decision to support her brilliant daughter’s decision to attend Harvey Mudd which is one the five Claremont Colleges in California and one of the leading institutions in the country for engineering and STEM education. 

Laura is insightful and informative. Give this episode a listen and learn. 

Want a college admissions hot topic? Let’s talk about the SAT and the ACT. The pandemic may have paused them as admissions requirements, but that was temporary, and many colleges are now evaluating whether or not to bring it back. Now you have to decide what your child should do.

Enter our superstar guest for this episode. Akil Bello is THE preeminent testing expert in the country today, bar none. He is the Senior Director of Advocacy and Advancement at FairTest, where he works to help ensure that standardized tests are fully understood and properly used. He has worked at every level of the supplemental education industry, advising universities, launching multiple companies, developing dozens of admissions and test preparation programs, training hundreds of instructors, and teaching thousands of students. He’s also the founding partner and CEO for Bell Curves, a test preparation company that focuses on helping public schools, non-profit organizations, and community-based organizations understand standardized tests and admissions and develop affordable solutions for their students.

If there was a picture for “super smart human being” in the dictionary, Akil Bello would have his picture there.  Testing is (or thought of as) big deal and Akil is here to set things straight. Learn and enjoy!!!!  

Parents of 11th Graders, quick question: where are you in the college process?

Do you have a college list?

Have you discussed college costs and financial aid with your child?

Do you know what to do and when to do it?

With so many questions understandably circling through your minds, we’ve put together a series of webinars featuring a variety of experts in the college application, testing and financial aid fields. And in preparation for the first webinar happening on Sunday, January 29th at 5:30pm EST, we’re happy to have Jennifer Jessie (aka Jenn the Tutor) on our podcast this week.

Jenn is a college consultant extraordinaire with a passion for leveling the playing field in college admissions. Her own Black Girl Magic makes her a unicorn in this space and she is committed to using her character, confidence, two VA Tech degrees and JD from UVA to being a force for good. As an informed advocate for surveying the landscape to find the best college choices, Jenn is a resource that we admire, respect and hold in the highest regard.

So buckle up, get your notepad and listen up to Jenn the Tutor!!!

Welcome to year 2 and season 3 of the Application to Admission podcast!! As a team, we’ve learned so much these past 12 months and have enjoyed sharing what we know about the college application and admissions process with you. If this is your first time listening, thank you for being here and get ready for a treat!!

The college application process is cyclical and, right now, class of 2024 parents of juniors in high school need to pay special attention to academic planning (your child’s classes), standardized testing and gearing up for college visits. This week’s podcast is from this exact same time in 2022 and it’s our pilot. So many gems in here! Please listen, learn and let’s talk about everything on your mind at @understandingthechoices

Information overload y’all!!! As we close out the calendar year, we leave you with our interview of two exceptional people in the college admissions profession. Brennan Barnard is the Director of College Counseling at Khan Lab School, CA. and the Director of College Counseling for the College Guidance Network. and his partner in writing and podcasting is Rick Clark, the Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admission at Georgia Tech. Between them, they have 50 years of college admissions experience AND they’re the authors of The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together, it’s complementing workbook and podcast all with the same name. You should definitely check out all of their content AND listen to this insightful interview.

Between all of us, there’s a century of knowledge. If you want to successfully navigate the college admissions process with your teenager, and want them to have college choices, you’re going to need to listen to this!