Application to Admission

About Application to Admission

Do you have 45 minutes for fun, intelligent dialogue about all things education and parenting? Welcome to the Application to Admission Podcast! College admission experts Timothy Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown pull from their 50 years of college admission experience and feature guests who help students and families to navigate the college admissions process. This is a must-listen-to for parents and advocates who want college admission success for their children and students!

Publisher

Understanding the Choices

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Mar 2022

Latest episode

10 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

75 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Episode 74: Back-to-School College Admissions Priorities for Students and Families

   🎙️ Back-to-School, September Style: The Application to Admission Podcast Is Back! The school year is officially underway, and so is the college admission process. In this episode of The Application to Admission Podcast, Tim Fields and Shereem Herndon-Brown, founder of Strategic Admission Advice, return without a guestb, but with plenty of timely guidance for students, families, educators, school counselors, and community organizations. They discuss six essential back-to-school priorities, including: Why application, financial aid, testing, and scholarship deadlines matter How families can build a manageable college application timeline The importance of building a relationship with your school counselor Why parents and students need to align on college preferences and finances How to avoid “portal hell” by staying organized When seniors should finalize college lists, essays, recommendations, and testing plans Why the college cost conversation must happen before admission decisions arrive How juniors and underclassmen can begin preparing early—without panic The message is simple: college admission is a team effort. Families, students, counselors, and educators all have a role to play and communication, organization, and early planning can make the process far less overwhelming. We’re back with more episodes, resources, and a newsletter coming soon. Follow The Application to Admission Podcast and share this episode with a family who needs it!

2. 

   4 Aug 2026

   Episode 73: HBCUs, PWIs, and the Real Cost of College with Dr. Erin Lynch

   What's really going on at Howard University and what does it mean for HBCUs, for PWIs, and for every family navigating this process right now? We brought in the person with the receipts. This week we sat down with Dr. Erin Lynch, an internationally recognized higher education leader with degrees from James Madison, Vanderbilt, Tennessee State, and a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and President of QEM Network, a research nonprofit that has served 893 colleges and universities since 1989. And let us tell you, Dr. Lynch does not come to play. She broke down, in plain numbers, exactly why Howard couldn't extend a line of credit to unpaid students before they even stepped on campus Howard spends $1.245 billion a year, brings in about $1.12 billion, and tuition is only 20% of that revenue. Do that math on 500+ students with unpaid balances and you'll understand the pressure colleges are under nationwide. She got real about the myths people carry into HBCU vs. PWI conversations, why underfunding (not effort or talent) is the actual gap, and what she calls the framework every family needs before building a college list: cost, location, major, career in that order. Her closing word to parents? Your job doesn't stop once the acceptance letter comes. If you were on your kid about homework in third grade, you'd better be on them about their housing deposit at eighteen. Her voice is direct, sharp, and exactly what this moment calls for. You will want to hear this one.

3. 

   30 Jun 2026

   Epispde 72 - From Florida to Davidson: Mercedes Patrick on Dreaming Big and Choosing Right

   What does it actually feel like to go through the college admissions process, choose your school, and thrive once you get there? We brought in someone who lived it — and she is absolutely brilliant. This week, we sat down with Mercedes Patrick, a first-year student at Davidson College — yes, that Davidson, where Steph Curry put it on the map. 🏀 And let us tell you Mercedes is the real deal. Coming from a low-income background in Florida, she approached the college search with wisdom well beyond her years: prioritizing affordability, academic rigor, and community. She applied to Spelman, Howard, Tufts, Swarthmore, Furman, and Davidson — and ultimately chose Davidson after visiting campus and receiving a handwritten note from her admissions officer telling her exactly why she belonged there. That's the kind of student Mercedes is: the kind people go out of their way for. She shares what it's like to be pushed and developed at a small, connected liberal arts school. She gets candid about being a student of color navigating PWIs vs. HBCUs. And her closing advice for rising seniors? A genuine mic drop moment about embracing your uniqueness because no one else is you. Her voice is warm, thoughtful, and grounded. You will want your student to hear this episode. 📢 Rising Seniors — this is your reminder: The summer will fly by. Now is the time to be working on your essays. Your story is distinctive, authentic, and powerful — but it takes time and preparation to tell it well. That means your personal statement, your supplementals, and knowing what makes you you on the page. The resource you need right now: 📖 Powerful College Admission Essays: A Guide to Telling Your Story — pick up your copy and get to work. The students who start now are the ones who stand out later. 🎓 Davidson — small campus, hands-on faculty, no loan-based financial aid, and students like Mercedes. That's the story. Subscribe, share, and help us get this to every family navigating the process. 70+ episodes of great (not just good) information — and this one is one of our best. 🔗 Follow us: @ApplicationtoAdmissionPodcast on Instagram🌐 understandthechoices.org #CollegeAdmissions #ApplicationToAdmission #DavidsonCollege #LiberalArtsCollege #CollegeEssays #RisingSeniors #FirstGeneration #BlackFamilies #CollegePlanning #PodcastAlert #PowerfulCollegeAdmissionEssays

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

35

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

77

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