Rick Clark is Georgia Tech’s inaugural Executive Director for Strategic Student Access. In this role, he directs the Institute’s efforts to establish and advance relationships with educational leaders, schools and school systems, government agencies, and community organizations in pursuit of the Institute’s strategic vision for growing enrollment, expanding access, and ensuring affordability. Additionally, he partners with Tech’s development team to engage corporate sponsors, philanthropies, alumni, and donors to fund scholarships and advance student success initiatives.
For 15 years Rick led Tech’s undergraduate admission team serving as AVP and Executive Director. Under his leadership, the Institute dramatically increased brand awareness, improved overall academic class profile, and exceeded strategic enrollment goals.
Rick has served on regional and national councils and boards. He is currently a member NACAC’s Committee on Leadership in College Admission, and Past Chair of both the national Government Relations Committee and Georgia Tech’s Staff Council. He travels annually to U.S. embassies through the Department of State to discuss the admission process and landscape of higher education. Rick is part of Leadership Georgia, an organization that seeks to cultivate and connect leaders across the state.
Over the last eight years he has written a regular blog on the college admission process. He is the co-author of the book and workbook The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together, and co-hosts a podcast under the same name.
A native of Atlanta, he earned a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.Ed. from Georgia State University. Prior to coming to Tech, Rick served at Georgia State, The McCallie School and Wake Forest University.
