Simply Smarter

On today’s episode, Caleb and Jill discuss how schools are reopening this year due to COVID-19 and what that looks like. They will also cover the many changes the Class of 2021 has to endure and the next steps moving forward. Added National ACT Dates Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you understand the ACT changes, please subscribe to Simply Smarter Podcast on your favorite platform a...

Welcome back to the Simply Smarter Podcast! On today’s episode, Caleb and I will talk about the past several months and how the novel coronavirus has affected students, parents, and life in general.  Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you understand the ACT changes, please subscribe to Simply Smarter Podcast on your favorite platform and leave us a review. Your feedback helps us reach...

On today's Simply Smarter podcast, Caleb and Jill talk about the Law School Admission Test, or what most people refer to as the LSAT. They break down what the test consists of, how the test is scored, upcoming test dates, and how best to prepare for the test. LSAT Course Prep LSAT Tutors: Ashley Brennan Audrey Hazzard Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you understand the ACT chang...

On today’s podcast, Caleb and I are going to step away from the ACT and talk about another standardized test, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). We’ll discuss what the test covers, who needs to take it, how it’s scored, and how best to prepare for the test.  GRE Test Prep Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you understand the ACT changes, please subscribe to Simply Smarter Podcast o...

Caleb and Jill discuss what exactly an academic mentor is, how it will affect your student, and what to expect from both the mentor and the mentee (the student). We unpack what sets students up for success within the program, time management, organizational skills, and how to build a student's confidence level.  Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you understand the ACT changes, pl...

On today's episode, Caleb and Jill will discuss what every parent and student need to know when it comes to state/district wide ACT testing. The state of Kansas will have Juniors take the test online and we walk through what that looks like, the pros and cons, and how students can achieve their best score. We also cheer on our Kansas City Chiefs as the 2020 Superbowl Champions! #RedKingdom #C...

On today’s episode, Caleb and I are discussing three different changes that have been made to the ACT and how that will affect students. And, since we are Kansas City local, we give a little love to our Kansas City Chiefs in preparation for the Superbowl LIV!  Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you understand the ACT changes, please subscribe to Simply Smarter Podcast on your favorite...

On today's episode, Caleb and Jill sit down to discuss five smart strategies Caleb and our tutors use throughout different sections of the ACT.  They also talk about the delayed ACT scores for the September 14th test, pumpkin spice lattes, throw in a few Napoleon Dynamite quotes and Jill even squeezes a sixth strategy out of Caleb for the win!  FREE Practice Tests ACT Standard Courses ACT Adv...

On today's episode, we have a super special guest, one of our online students, Scout Webb. Jill babysat Scout while she was in college in Oklahoma and now Scout needs a little extra help studying for the September 14th ACT. We are going to get Scout's point of view about her experience with online tutoring as well as what her goals are for the test. Plus, Jill shares a couple of adventur...

On this episode, Caleb and Jill talk about The College Board's "Adversity Score" and how changes have already been made to the tool that reduced a student's background to a single number. They break down what's included in the new "Landscape" tool and how it's different than the original "Adversity Score", how this effects students and parents, and...

On the show today we have a very special guest. One of our Master-Level Tutors, Gina Claypool is with us! Gina has been a tutor with us for over 5 years and has seen quite a few changes within standardized testing. We’re going to have a chat with her and hear her true feelings about the ACT.  Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you understand the ACT changes, please subscribe to Simply...

Today we have a special guest joining us. Our very own expert College Counselor and Standard Level Tutor, Ilana Garon . Ilana’s going to share what it takes to make a great college essay, give us some tips for preparing college lists, and how she can help with the overall college admissions process. Plus, she's going to share a couple examples of good essays as well as bad essays. You don&apo...

The episode today applies mainly to parents of 8th, 9th, and 10th graders. This is one question we get from them all the time! When should we start studying for the SAT/ACT? Today, we’re going to breakdown when students should start preparing for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, start putting together a high school resume, and when they should start building college lists!  Subscribe & Review: If this epis...

On today’s episode Caleb and I are discussing whether it’s smarter to focus on a part time job or attain academic scholarships for college. We’re going to break down what it takes to make the most money with the least amount of work.  Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you understand the ACT changes, please subscribe to Simply Smarter Podcast on your favorite platform and leave us a re...

Welcome back to Season Two of the Simply Smarter Podcast! We are excited to be back to inform students and parents about all things ACT related. On today’s episode Caleb and Jill are going to debunk several common myths associated with the ACT/SAT. They may even through in a few extra myths and see if they are true or false.  It’s going to be fun!  Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped yo...

On this week's episode, we are chatting with Liz Ferrigno, a parent of one of our students who just recently took the April 13th ACT. Her daughter, Danielle, is a Junior at Blue Valley West and is thinking about attending college at either University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kansas State University, or Washburn University. We breakdown Danielle's ACT scores and discuss how our Standard Cours...

Success looks different for everyone. For some students, success may be getting accepted into their dream college, for others it may equate to a significant scholarship, and for others it may be increasing their ACT score 3 points. Everybody has a different measure of success.  On today’s episode we’re talking about what success looks like for three of our students and how they chose to reach thei...

Setting realistic expectations when it comes to the ACT is important. Why? Just like any other scenario in life, such as a big test, a speech, a business meeting, or an interview, you have to prepare.  Being prepared gives you confidence and confidence allows you to do your best given the situation.  On today’s episode we discuss how you can properly manage expectations when it comes to the ACT. S...

The ACT is very different from all other tests in high school. Students tend to feel overwhelmed with the way test makers phrase the questions and run out of time in different sections. On today's episode we discuss in detail every section of the ACT, what it covers, what students tend to struggle with in specific sections, different tips for each portion of the test and then we compare the A...

Every high school student's Junior year is hectic and their schedules are full! In today's episode, Caleb and Jill breakdown how to choose the correct ACT test date. It may sound simple, but there are a number of pieces to identify before choosing a test date that works for students and their schedules. They discuss academic load, sports, extracurricular activities, and of course college...

On this week's episode of Simply Smarter we talk about what a "good" ACT score really means, how each student should have different ACT goals, and how to establish a baseline ACT score. We also break down the admittance rate for several colleges as well as discuss how your ACT score impacts different scholarships levels. As as added bonus, our listeners get to hear Caleb's sout...

Today on the Simply Smarter Podcast Caleb and Jill are discussing the Varsity Blues College Admission Scandal, who was involved, the colleges that were a part of the scandal, as well as students' lives that are affected by this. We also touch on how parent's within our community are feeling anxiety surrounding test prep and what they can do about it. We discuss how our currently enrolled...