Episode 67 - Pain Points, Belonging, and the Hidden Curriculum of College Success with Dr. Veronica Carey

What if the most significant threats to college success aren’t academic at all, but emotional, cultural, and psychological?In this timely and deeply insightful episode of Application to Admission, we are joined by Dr. Veronica Carey, Assistant Dean for Culture, Climate, and Belonging at Drexel University, scholar, international lecturer, and author of FrameYour Degree: How to Avoid Pain while Seeking a College Degree. Drawing on more than two decades of work in higher education and student development, Dr. Carey offers a rare, research-driven look at the unseen challenges that shape students’ college trajectories long before grades,majors, or career outcomes are decided.At the center of the conversation is Dr. Carey’s 10 Universal Academic Pain Points framework, a powerful lens for understanding why capable students oftenstruggle academically, emotionally, or socially, even at institutions that appear supportive on the surface. These pain points, which include imposter syndrome, mental health strain, boundary-setting, and self-advocacy, emerge notas personal failures, but as predictable moments where institutions, families, and students often lack shared language or preparation.This episode invites parents, counselors, and educators to think differently about college readiness. Rather than asking only whether a student can get into college, Dr. Carey challenges us to ask whether students are prepared to remain well, to belong, and to navigate the hidden curriculum of higher education once they arrive.With insights shaped by global teaching experiences, institutional leadership, and her widely viewed TEDx talk, “Pain, Pain Go Away!”, Dr. Carey reframes student struggle as data, not deficiency, and offers a more humane, strategic vision of what it means to support students before and during college.🎧 This episode is essential listening for anyone invested in student success, mental health, and the long-term impact of higher education on young people and their families.