Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

Most of us understand at least intuitively how challenging the road to becoming a doctor is. Few realize, however, how hard just gaining admission to medical school can be. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Shirag Shemmassian to describe in detail the process of getting into medical school. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the different routes to becoming a p...

Nobody doubts the efficiency of never putting off until tomorrow what you can do today. Why, then, is executing that strategy so difficult? Amy and Mike invited academic coach Maggie Wray to explain how to help teens fight procrastination. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the difference between functional and dysfunctional procrastination? When does procrastination beco...

Every day, people watch over a billion hours of video on YouTube. Is it possible to make just a little bit of that time educational?! Amy and Mike invited educator Brooke Hanson to take us behind the scenes of test prep YouTube. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does it take to build a YouTube Channel? Why should you both listen to and speak with your audience? How do you c...

While there are over 3,000 four-year colleges and universities in the United States, most conversation about higher education focuses on 5% of them at most. No wonder these name-brand schools have become tougher than ever to get into. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Aly Beaumont to discuss preparation for highly selective college admissions.  What are five things you will learn in this...

Tests like the SAT and ACT are almost universally reviled by those who deem the tests not only worthless and self-referential but also key agents in educational inequality. But does the evidence actually support those bold claims? Amy and Mike invited author and academic Freddie deBoer to dispel five myths about standardized tests.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? Aren't admis...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Sheri Elmore is the Vice President of LEAP . Growing up in Cincinnati, graduating from Sycamore High School then Miami University, teaching high school mathematics for 12 years, and earning a master's degree in educational administration from Wright State University, all paved the wa...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Vince Kotchian , who grew up in small-town Connecticut and completed the honors program at Boston College, graduating with a B.A. in English Literature. Vince moved to San Diego in 2007 and has been working full-time as a test-prep tutor ever since. Vince has scored a perfect 170 in...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Robin Satty, Ph. D. , a graduate of Brown University with an Sc. B and Sc. M in Biology. Robin began her career in test prep in 2010 at Revolution Prep and began teaching science full time in 2011. Since then, she has taught Biology, Chemistry, and General Science at the middle schoo...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Alexis Avila , the founder of Prepped and Polished tutoring and test preparation in 1999. Headquartered in South Natick, the company helps elementary, secondary, college-level and adult students improve their grades and test scores and has served thousands of students across the glob...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Laura Link , the founder of Link Private Tutoring . Laura is passionate about meeting every student where they are so they can access opportunities that fulfill their dreams.  As a sought-after test prep expert, Laura has traveled the United States training teachers how to help stude...

Tutors may be part of the educational ecosystem of any district, state, or country, but they tend to be forgotten when celebrations roll around. Don't tutors deserve better? Amy and Mike invited educators Julia Silver and Ludo Millar to announce the inaugural World Tutors' Day. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is World Tutors' Day? Why do we need a World Tutors' Day? How w...

In an era when every other aspect of education has integrated at least some digital component, can we really expect standardized tests to stay the same as they have since the mid-20th century? Amy and Mike invited researcher Benjamin Backes to compare paper- and computer-based testing. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why are so many tests being moved to digital platforms? In w...

The SAT and ACT test a plethora of math, reading, and writing skills drawn from the full extent of a K-11 academic career. Considering the breadth of expertise required, are there certain areas students should go deep?  Amy and Mike invited educator Jennifer Winward to identify high-priority SAT and ACT topics? What are five things you will learn in this episode? What can be learned from analyzing...

When you hear "resume," you probably think (perhaps with a shudder) of applying for a job. But since a document like this serves as a succinct summary of someone's experience, educational background, and special skills, it also makes a surprising difference when applying to a school. Amy and Mike invited college counseling expert Judi Robinovitz to detail the process of crafting a college resume....

While the College Board and ACT have become synonymous with the SAT and ACT respectively, the test makers strive to contribute much more than their flagship exams to the challenges of education, equity, and college and career readiness. Amy and Mike invited journalist Jon Marcus to explore all the ways College Board and ACT are changing. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What ar...

Traditional schooling challenges even the most diligent learners, let alone those with attention deficit or hyperactivity. Luckily, there are a host of practical skills and strategies students can learn to make schooling more productive and successful. Amy and Mike invited academic coach Wendy Weinberger to explain the connections between executive function and ADHD.  What are five things you will...

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs both set the standard for academic rigor in high school. But is one of them clearly better than the other? Amy and Mike invited educators Garry and Christy Shriver to analyze the choice between AP and IB programs.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the benefits of the Advanced Placement (AB) program? What are t...

Optimal performance in sports requires careful attention to nutrition. Why should optimal performance on grueling tests be any different?  Amy and Mike invited dietitian nutritionist Hannah Byrne to recommend what to eat and not eat for test day. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What dietary considerations are important in the weeks leading up to a big test? What should test ta...

The end of college doesn't necessarily mean the end of testing, as anyone who aspires to business, law, or graduate school knows well.  Amy and Mike invited educator Vince Kotchian to speak in-depth about the GRE. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the GRE? What kinds of schools or programs use the GRE for admissions? When should students prepare for and take the GRE? How...

Too many students believe that the process of putting together highly selective college applications should be a joyless grind. Why not follow your bliss to the school of your choice? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Julie Kim to share her passion for Passion Projects. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How has the extracurricular landscape changed in admissions over t...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Shane Bybee of Bybee College Prep has spent over half his life teaching.  Along the way, he has worked with thousands of different students teaching everything from remedial 7th grade English/Language Arts to Dual Credit English IV and AP Language and Composition and even r...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Ariel Akselrad Lieberman , the founder of Your Best Prep , a tutoring company based in Westchester County, NY that helps high school students, both neurotypical and those with learning differences, master the standardized test prep process and achieve their academic go...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Christopher Sanderson is Sanderson Test Prep's Founder and President. In 2011, when starting STP, Chris established a company and elite teaching team that caters to academically competitive students who are serious about success. Chris was born in Miami, FL and attended the...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Carmen Fernández de Tarrago , the founder of SATPrep DR, based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A high school math teacher with 25+ years of experience, Carmen is a provider of test preparation tutoring and classes for the SAT/ACT and academic tutoring in math. She is devoted to...

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Scott Greenspan , the founder/president of Span Test Prep in Glenview IL, which is located in the north suburbs of Chicago.  For the last 25 years, Scott has helped over 4000 students reach their goals on the ACT and SAT. He especially enjoys working with his students...