College Admissions Insider Interview with Tim Brunold, Dean of Admissions USC

It’s often said that getting into college is simply the luck of the draw, totally random, and unpredictable. But today’s guest firmly believes it’s anything but that. He sees it as both an art and a science, a meticulous process that demands care, thought, and effort. We’re back for a very special episode of Sh*t Your Teenagers Won’t Tell You! We’re thrilled to have an amazing admissions professional and an even more amazing friend, Tim Brunold! He is currently the Dean of Admission at USC and an enrollment specialist, here today to share his wisdom and insights into the world of college admissions from both perspectives – an admissions professional and parent of a college-ready kid. Join the conversation to hear more from Tim as he explains enrollment management and the science of it. He talks about numbers, volume, and the sense of the scale of applications, and why there’s no such thing as a universally acceptable college student! He highlights the goal of most colleges to create a well-rounded class versus well-rounded individuals, and elaborates on why families should have confidence in admissions offices. We deep dive into a discussion about character and the role it plays in the process, how they navigate the issue of character measuring, and the clues they look for. Be sure not to miss out on all this, and so much more! 

Key Points From This Episode:

• [0:00:53] An exciting introduction to our very special guest: Tim Brunold.
• [0:01:30] More about his career journey as an admissions professional.
• [0:03:15] Why we are so excited to have Tim on the show today.
• [0:05:00] How big the admissions office is at USC.
• [0:06:00] He highlights how things have changed in the admissions sphere.
• [0:07:10] Tim explains enrollment management and the science of it.
• [0:09:30] He talks about numbers, volume, and the sense of the scale of applications.
• [0:13:15] Considering sample sizes.
• [0:14:10] Why there’s no such thing as a universally acceptable student.
• [0:14:45] Getting in by merit, but what do you mean by merit?
• [0:15:55] College goals of creating well-rounded classes versus individual students.
• [0:17:00] Understanding where students are coming from; doing admissions work correctly.
• [0:19:10] He elaborates on why families should have confidence in admissions officers.
• [0:22:06] Selecting a student is both an art and a science, and to a degree, selective.
• [0:24:25] We talk about the role of character in the admissions process.
• [0:26:48] Navigating the issue of measuring student character, and the clues they look for.
• [0:29:20] A recent positive trend Tim has seen in the admissions world.
• [0:32:04] He highlights a trend that he is less excited about.
• [0:35:11] A look at the marketing college-ready students/families receive.
• [0:36:40] Colleges are both a place of higher learning and business.
• [0:37:40] Tim shares a parent takeaway and advice (wearing his parent hat!)

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Tim Brunold on LinkedIn

Tim Brunold

University of California

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