25 August 2026
286: ENCORE: Getting into College with Rick Clark
Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens
About
The college admissions process doesn't have to consume your family. If it already feels that way, this episode is exactly what you need.
Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan revisit their conversation with Rick Clark, higher education leader, co-author of “The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together,” and a career insider in college admissions at Georgia Tech. Rick has spent years helping families cut through the noise, anxiety, and mythology of the admissions process, and his perspective is grounding and genuinely reassuring.
💡 YOU'LL LEARN:
- Why there is no magic formula for college admissions, and why that's actually good news for your teen
- What a strong college essay actually looks like — and the one mistake that sinks more applications than any other
- How to structure college conversations so they don't bleed into every carpool and dinner, protecting your relationship and your sanity through the process
- Why "test optional" means something different at every school, and how to use net price calculators to get a realistic picture of what college will actually cost
- Why you should be talking to parents of current college students, not parents of other applicants — and what a difference that shift makes
The college admissions process can be stressful, but it doesn't have to take all of the joy out of family life.
________________
GET DR. DAMOUR'S FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Guidance, strategies, and tips delivered straight to your inbox → https://drlisadamour.com/sign-up-for-my-newsletter/
DR. DAMOUR'S BESTSELLING BOOKS
- Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood – https://bit.ly/UntangledBook
- Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls – https://bit.ly/UnderPressuretheBook
- The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents – https://a.co/d/cbOmTKp
UNTANGLING 10TO20 MEMBERSHIP
Premium courses & resources for teens and the adults who care for them → https://lnkd.in/gr52MB-F
VISIT DR. LISA'S WEBSITE → https://drlisadamour.com/
________________
Today's sponsors:
Cash App: For a limited time, new Cash App customers can earn $10 if they use code: FAMILY10.
Momentous: Get up to 35% off your first order with promo code ASKLISA at https://www.livemomentous.com
Unwaffle: Use the promo code ASK LISA to get 15% off your first order at https://www.eatunwaffle.com.
Warby Parker: Buy one prescription pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional prescription pairs at https://www.WarbyParker.com/ASKLISA
________________
Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens is the essential podcast for parents seeking expert guidance, tested strategies, and psychological insights on raising kids, especially tweens and teens. Join renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and former journalist and mom of two Reena Ninan as they explore real-life parenting challenges. Looking to learn more about how to boost kids’ resilience, build their confidence, or support their emotional well-being? Dr. Lisa and Reena have got you covered! Together they address listener questions about stress, anxiety, social media concerns, school pressures, and challenges in peer relationships. Each episode provides practical advice and science-backed solutions to help parents raise resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy kids. Tune in every week for the latest topics in parenting, child psychology, and family wellness. Get answers to your most pressing parenting questions. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
________________
Episode keywords: college admissions process parents, when to start college planning kids, college application stress parents, how to help teen with college applications, what colleges look for admissions, college essay tips high school, test optional colleges explained, should my teen take SAT or ACT, how to stand out college application, college admissions myths parents, how competitive is college admission today, paying for college financial aid tips, FAFSA explained parents, athletic scholarships reality high school, college admissions anxiety teens parents
Podcast keywords: ask lisa podcast, dr lisa damour, reena ninan, psychology, parenting, podcast, teens, tweens, parenting teens, parenting tweens, teen parenting, tween parenting, parenting tips, parenting advice, positive parenting, parenting podcast, teen behavior, tween challenges, raising tweens, raising teens, parenting hacks, parenting help, family dynamics, kids podcast, mental health, teen mental health, attachment styles, emotional intelligence
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dr. Lisa Damour and Reena Ninan revisit their conversation with Rick Clark, higher education leader, co-author of “The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together,” and a career insider in college admissions at Georgia Tech. Rick has spent years helping families cut through the noise, anxiety, and mythology of the admissions process, and his perspective is grounding and genuinely reassuring.
💡 YOU'LL LEARN:
- Why there is no magic formula for college admissions, and why that's actually good news for your teen
- What a strong college essay actually looks like — and the one mistake that sinks more applications than any other
- How to structure college conversations so they don't bleed into every carpool and dinner, protecting your relationship and your sanity through the process
- Why "test optional" means something different at every school, and how to use net price calculators to get a realistic picture of what college will actually cost
- Why you should be talking to parents of current college students, not parents of other applicants — and what a difference that shift makes
The college admissions process can be stressful, but it doesn't have to take all of the joy out of family life.
________________
GET DR. DAMOUR'S FREE WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Guidance, strategies, and tips delivered straight to your inbox → https://drlisadamour.com/sign-up-for-my-newsletter/
DR. DAMOUR'S BESTSELLING BOOKS
- Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood – https://bit.ly/UntangledBook
- Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls – https://bit.ly/UnderPressuretheBook
- The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents – https://a.co/d/cbOmTKp
UNTANGLING 10TO20 MEMBERSHIP
Premium courses & resources for teens and the adults who care for them → https://lnkd.in/gr52MB-F
VISIT DR. LISA'S WEBSITE → https://drlisadamour.com/
________________
Today's sponsors:
Cash App: For a limited time, new Cash App customers can earn $10 if they use code: FAMILY10.
Momentous: Get up to 35% off your first order with promo code ASKLISA at https://www.livemomentous.com
Unwaffle: Use the promo code ASK LISA to get 15% off your first order at https://www.eatunwaffle.com.
Warby Parker: Buy one prescription pair of glasses and get 20% off any additional prescription pairs at https://www.WarbyParker.com/ASKLISA
________________
Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Raising Tweens & Teens is the essential podcast for parents seeking expert guidance, tested strategies, and psychological insights on raising kids, especially tweens and teens. Join renowned clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour and former journalist and mom of two Reena Ninan as they explore real-life parenting challenges. Looking to learn more about how to boost kids’ resilience, build their confidence, or support their emotional well-being? Dr. Lisa and Reena have got you covered! Together they address listener questions about stress, anxiety, social media concerns, school pressures, and challenges in peer relationships. Each episode provides practical advice and science-backed solutions to help parents raise resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy kids. Tune in every week for the latest topics in parenting, child psychology, and family wellness. Get answers to your most pressing parenting questions. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
________________
Episode keywords: college admissions process parents, when to start college planning kids, college application stress parents, how to help teen with college applications, what colleges look for admissions, college essay tips high school, test optional colleges explained, should my teen take SAT or ACT, how to stand out college application, college admissions myths parents, how competitive is college admission today, paying for college financial aid tips, FAFSA explained parents, athletic scholarships reality high school, college admissions anxiety teens parents
Podcast keywords: ask lisa podcast, dr lisa damour, reena ninan, psychology, parenting, podcast, teens, tweens, parenting teens, parenting tweens, teen parenting, tween parenting, parenting tips, parenting advice, positive parenting, parenting podcast, teen behavior, tween challenges, raising tweens, raising teens, parenting hacks, parenting help, family dynamics, kids podcast, mental health, teen mental health, attachment styles, emotional intelligence
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices