The EdisonOS Podcast

In this episode, Gus Elmashni, an experienced test prep coach, breaks down what families still get wrong about both the SAT and ACT, from not knowing the SAT is now digital and adaptive, to misunderstanding the test optional versus test required landscape, to assuming the SAT is still heavy on vocabulary the way it was decades ago. Drawing from his work with students in California, Gus explains wh...

In this episode, Hannah Pinter, founder of Impact Tutoring , shares how her belief in the zone of proximal development, the gap between what a student can do alone versus what they can do with the right guidance, shapes every session she runs, and why one on one tutoring creates the ideal environment for students to build not just academic skills but genuine confidence and intrinsic motivation. Dr...

In this episode, Lizz Wilson, an AP specialist in math and science, breaks down what separates students who score a five from those who just get by, pointing to early preparation starting around January, daily practice with flashcards, time management across multiple AP exams, and the habit of reviewing FRQ scoring guidelines to understand how graders think. She explains how to choose between AP C...

In this episode, Arthur Smith, founder of Arthur Smith Advising and former dean of admissions at Cornell University, and Leigh Smith, a test prep specialist with more than ten years of experience, break down two of the most misunderstood tools in a student's college prep journey, the PSAT and the AP exam. Arthur explains why AP courses signal ambition to admissions committees, why students who tak...

In this episode, Arvin Vohra, founder of Vohra Method Tutoring , shares how his core philosophy of bringing rigorous Socratic style teaching into a group class setting has guided everything he has built, and why he now believes the SAT and ACT have become, in an age of AI inflated grades, the only truly reliable measure of student ability. Drawing from years of working with students across all sco...

In this episode, John Brown, founder of PrepTopia Test Prep , shares how the ACT's acquisition by ETS and the shift away from science as part of the composite score are two of the biggest changes most families are still catching up on, and why the wave of schools reinstating testing requirements signals that the test optional era may be winding down. Drawing from his experience of personally takin...

In this episode, Amy Seeley, of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP , shares how over 30 years in test prep has shaped a goal-first philosophy where understanding what a student and family are truly trying to achieve matters just as much as the score itself. Drawing from experience working with students across all scoring levels, Amy explains how she decides between the SAT and ACT by looking at a student&#...

In this episode, Nicholas Sennott, founder of The College Lad , shares how nearly fifteen years in test prep led him to build a practice focused on helping already strong students push from good to great, specializing in moving students from the 1300 to 1400 SAT range toward 1500 and from the high twenties on the ACT toward the mid-thirties. Drawing from his experience working one on one with high...

In this episode, David Blobaum, an expert on college admissions and AP strategy, traces how the original purpose of AP exams as a way to earn college credit has quietly evolved into a tool for authenticated proficiency at a time when grade inflation has made high school GPA nearly meaningless. Drawing from data including UCLA's 60 year freshman survey and NAEP proficiency scores, David explains ho...

In this episode, Doug, an experienced AP math tutor, shares how leaving classroom teaching behind led him to a more fulfilling one on one tutoring practice where he could focus entirely on working directly with students across a wide range of math subjects. Drawing from years of private tutoring experience, Doug explains why the students who excel at AP are not just technically skilled but adaptab...

In this episode, Megan Padden, owner and founder of O.W.L. Educational Services , reveals about what the PSAT really measures and how families should use it as a readiness tool for the SAT rather than a scholarship checkpoint. Megan explains common early mistakes students make, why practice matters even when a score won't count toward admissions, and how the right age to start prep often comes dow...

In this episode, Dan, Test Prep Director at Galin Education , breaks down why the PSAT is low stakes, low risk, and often misunderstood, with most students simply not knowing what it is or what it can offer rather than misunderstanding it outright. He explains the score ranges that signal real National Merit potential, around 28 to 29 and above on the ACT or 1350 and higher on the SAT, and why pre...

In this episode, Rhea Wanchoo, co-founder of M&W Education , shares how her background in academic psychology shaped a company built at the intersection of test prep, college admissions, and student confidence. Drawing from her experience working with students through high school and into the college transition, Rhea explains why effort alone is never enough and why the biggest gap she sees is...

In this episode, Michael Scheller, an experienced test prep coach, shares his direct and no-nonsense perspective on PSAT and AP preparation, explaining why he believes prepping specifically for the PSAT is a waste of resources and why strong SAT prep naturally covers it. Drawing from tens of thousands of hours working with students across New Jersey and Connecticut, Michael breaks down how cutoff...

In this episode, CJ Palma, founder of CJ101 Tutoring , shares how his unique background in marine science, computer science, and psychology shapes his approach to teaching AP Environmental Science, and how growing up as a second generation American informs the empathy driven strategies he brings to test prep. Drawing from his own academic and entrepreneurial journey, CJ explains why building resil...

In this episode, Philip Bates, who leads college readiness at UWorld , reveals how the digital and adaptive shift in the PSAT and AP exams is reshaping test prep and what it will take for these exams to stay relevant in a test optional world. Drawing from his work with school districts nationwide, Philip explains why teaching content alone isn't enough, students also need to be taught executive fu...

In this episode, Eliza Kimball, founder of Crimson Connections LLC , shares how she launched her tutoring company during her senior year of high school in 2020 and has since built it into a full-time venture connecting Ivy League students with high schoolers. Drawing from her own experience as an overachieving student at Harvard, Eliza explains why she targets seventh and eighth graders, believing...

In this episode, Dr. Emily Levy, founder of EBL Coaching , shares how growing up around her mother's school for students with learning disabilities in Florida shaped her path from Wall Street back into special education. Drawing from her doctorate and years of hands-on experience, Emily explains how a multi-sensory approach, integrating visual, auditory, and tactile methods, can be life-changi...

In this episode, Gabe Futrell, principal of Bill Metz Elementary in Monte Vista, Colorado, shares how over 15 years in one rural school community has shaped his approach to leadership. Drawing from more than two decades in education, Gabe explains how a love for small towns and the mountains first brought him to the San Luis Valley and why the people around him have kept him there. He discusses th...

In this episode, Patty McGee, literacy consultant, educator, and author, describes herself as a "traveling teacher" who spends time in schools helping teachers and students rather than staying distant from the classroom. Drawing from her own early struggles with poor literacy instruction, Patty explains why strong literacy teaching must center student choice, student voice, and goal-centered respo...

In this episode, Don Sevcik, creator and founder of Math Celebrity with eight million users annually and zero paid marketing, reveals how watching a team in India struggle with a 300-page pension book led him to build Excel step-by-step calculators that became the blueprint for automating his math tutoring brain on a website. Drawing from 17 years building the platform, Don explains his pattern IQ...

In this episode, Hassan and Kimberly, founders of The Lauziere Education Group with backgrounds in physics, math, English, and literature, reveal how they left corporate careers to build a holistic learning ecosystem after traveling to over 50 countries and discovering education should extend beyond classroom walls. Drawing from their diverse subject expertise, they explain how all disciplines are...

In this episode, Cynthia Millhorn, founder of Tutor2Order with 20 years of experience blending journalism, performance, and creative writing, reveals how she left tutoring companies after noticing they matched tutors based on subject knowledge alone without pedagogy or ability to assess student needs. Drawing from her background in qualitative research and therapy, Cynthia explains how pandemic st...

In this episode, Jackie Postelnick, founder of Conscious College Planning with over a decade starting in financial aid, reveals how today's broken system puts undue pressure on students to choose majors before understanding their purpose and impact they want to have on the world. Drawing from guiding over a thousand families, Jackie explains her conscious decision-making philosophy that combines c...

In this episode, Emily Axelrod, an English tutor with over a decade teaching teens for standardized tests, reveals how the digital SAT has become more challenging despite shorter passages because students have less material to grasp and form answers. Drawing from her experience working with neurotypical students and those with attention deficit disorder and on the spectrum, Emily explains her rapp...