Helping young men find voice and meaning in the college admission experience
What: 5-day college admission camp for rising juniors and seniors
When: July 8-12, 9:00am-3:00pm
Where: Sparhawk Academy, Millis, MA
Cost: $2,000
This multi-day workshop provides rising juniors and seniors the opportunity to consider why they are applying to college, discover and articulate their individual strengths and interests, receive insight and advice on searching for and applying to colleges, understand how college admission works from experienced professionals, and practice critical skills to benefit them in the admission process. Students will uncover their unique story and draft applications and essays that truly reflect their values, life experiences and goals. On Thursday night we will share a dinner and camping experience on campus. The workshop, will include in-depth work with:
- Aptitude, Interest & Career Assessment Tools
- Interview Skills
- Personal Statement & Supplemental Essay Writing
- College List Development
- College Visits
- Application Completion
- Scholarship Searches
Participants will receive a copy of “The Truth about College Admission Workbook: A Family Organizer for Your College Search.”
Faculty Bios
Michael Schell, MS became Sparhawk Academy’s second Headmaster in July 2023. Originally from a suburb of Philadelphia, he received his secondary education at The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. In 2005, he
graduated cum laude from the College of the Holy Cross, where he also earned placement on the Division 1 All-Patriot League Baseball Academic Team for his performance on the field and in the classroom. He received a master’s
degree in organization and leadership in 2013 from Columbia University’s Klingenstein Center, a premier professional learning program for independent and international school educator-leaders, and completed the University of
Southern California’s Rossier School of Education’s highly regarded Leadership in Enrollment Management Program in 2020.
Prior to Sparhawk, Michael served as Associate Superintendent of Enrollment Management and Marketing for the Archdiocese of Boston’s Catholic Schools Office. Previously, he was Director of Enrollment Management and College
Counseling at Catholic Memorial School in West Roxbury, MA. Prior to Catholic Memorial, Michael taught History courses, including Advanced Placement Government and United States History, and Theology in addition to performing
various advancement, admissions, college counseling, and varsity athletic coaching roles at St. Sebastian’s School and Groton School.
From 2010 – 2018, Michael was Executive Director of The Cannonball Foundation, a nonprofit he founded to provide leadership programs with partner independent secondary schools, colleges, and community organizations
nationwide to elevate the role of character and personal growth in the college athletic recruiting experience. In 2012, he was honored by the NCAA and Buick as a former college athlete who excelled at their sport and has made
valuable contributions to their community.
Michael has been featured by ESPN, National Public Radio, Forbes, The Enrollment Management Association, and Coaching Management magazine on topics related to college admissions, secondary school enrollment marketing, and
athletic recruiting. He is an active member of many leading college counseling and secondary school admissions and frequently presents on related topics. Michael is a proud father of a Sparhawk graduate in the Class of 2022 and
two current Minutemen.
Brennan Barnard, M.Ed is the Director of College Counseling and Outreach at Khan Lab School, CA. He is also the College Admissions Program Advisor with the Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of
Education, and Director of College Counseling for the College Guidance Network. He was the founding Director of College Counseling for USPerformance Academy, an on-line independent high school for elite athletes.
During over two decades in education Brennan has worked as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, admission officer, counselor and administrator at a number of independent high schools and colleges. He has counseled Olympians,
thespians, artists, cadets, social workers, engineers, philosophers, doctors, writers, lawyers and everything in between.
Brennan serves on the Executive Committee for the Character Collaborative, and was a member of the Advisory Board for the New Hampshire College and University Council’s New Hampshire Scholars Program. He presents regularly
on character, athletic recruiting, mindfulness, discipline and other topics in college admission. A contributing writer for Forbes.com, he has written about college admission for the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Thrive Global,
HuffPost, San Francisco Examiner, New York Times, Concord Monitor, Journal of College Admission and other publications. He has also been featured in articles in the Boston Globe and Associated Press and an occasional featured
guest on New Hampshire Public Radio. He has been interviewed about college admission by New England Cable News and ABC News. Brennan was a New England Association of College Admission Counselors Professional of the
Year for 2017 and honored with the Association for College Counselors in Independent Schools’ Excellence in Counseling Award in 2021. He is co-author of, “The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and
Staying Together” and the companion guide “The Truth about College Admission Workbook: A Family Organizer for Your College Search.”
Rick Clark, M.Ed. is the Assistant Vice Provost of Enrollment Management and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admission at Georgia Tech. In this role, he directs the Institute’s recruitment and enrollment efforts, manages the
review and selection of all undergraduate applications, and leads the admission team. Under his leadership, the Institute has dramatically increased brand awareness, improved overall academic class profile, and exceeded strategic
goals.
Rick has served on regional and national councils and boards. He is currently a member of NACAC’s Committee on Leadership in College Admission, and Past Chair of both the national Government Relations Committee and Georgia
Tech’s Staff Council. Rick travels annually to U.S. embassies through the Department of State to discuss the admission process and landscape of higher education. He is part of Leadership Georgia, an organization that seeks to
cultivate and connect leaders across the state.
Over the last six years he has written a regular blog on the college admission process, and last year began The College Admission Brief, a podcast for students considering or applying to college. Rick is frequently quoted and
referenced in national and international publications. He is co-author of, “The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together” and the companion guide “The Truth about College Admission
Workbook: A Family Organizer for Your College Search.”