Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

NACAC's Code of Ethics and Professional Practices (CEPP) establish guidelines for college admissions conduct that most colleges voluntarily observe. In 2019, the organization voted to remove three provisions believed to inhibit competition among colleges for students. How will this change college recruiting practices? Amy and Mike invited past president of NACAC Patrick O'Connor to explain the imp...

While we always expect standardized test scores to reflect general academic achievement, these metrics often diverge dramatically. When students underperform on tests, they--and their parents--often conclude that they are just "bad test takers." But is that even a thing? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional and author Moshe Ohayon to clarify what it means to be a bad test taker.  What are f...

In a perfect world, every student would commit to exactly the kind of test prep program he or she needs to confidently reach or exceed SAT & ACT score goals. However, in the world we live in, most families have no idea what an ideal test prep program should even look like. Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Evan Wessler to illuminate how test prep tutoring should work.  What are five thin...

"Grit" is definitely one of this decade's biggest buzzwords in education. However, many people use this term without a clear sense of what grit really means or how to cultivate it. Amy and Mike invited researcher and author Laila Y. Sanguras to explain how to bring grit to the testing and admissions process.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? What exactly is grit? Why are passio...

Most high schoolers are highly motivated to attend and maybe even graduate college. If only they'd bring the same fervor to the steps needed to get to college! Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Pranoy Mohapatra to discuss what motivates students and how to engage them.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? Where does motivation start and what motivates most teens? What ca...

While you may be able to uncover hundreds of Catholic and Christian universities in your college searches, you'll only find a select number of Jesuit schools. These universities, however, tend to stand out from the crowd in terms of reputation, satisfaction, and overall academic excellence. Amy and Mike invited Xavier University Regional Recruitment Director Trace Althoff to extol the virtues of a...

Isn't it funny how we expect students to study and understand really complex material while using really basic study skills? Educators should prepare their students for advanced learning by understanding and sharing advanced learning techniques. Amy and Mike invited academic life coach Gretchen Wegner to share tips on how to teach students to study effectively. What are five things you will learn...

Every October, approximately 3.5 million high schoolers take the PSAT/NMSQT, but a significantly smaller percentage of the population understands exactly why! Amy and Mike invited test prep professional and author Brian Stewart to explain both the PSAT and the National Merit Scholarship.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the PSAT and why should a student take it? What i...

Everyone knows that school visits are an important and often enjoyable part of the college admissions process. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to make this process worthwhile. Amy and Mike invited independent educational consultant Jodi Rosenshein Atkin to share serious tips on making the most of college visits.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? What makes school visits i...

Despite their value, the SAT and ACT have always been the tests people love to hate. But do the test makers themselves--considering all the good works they do--deserve this same level of contempt? Amy and Mike invited Ben Sexton of Sexton Test Prep to clarify what College Board and ACT are doing right.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? How do predictive validity research suppor...

When people think of colleges, the names that come to mind are very often those of large public universities. But how many teens can handle attending schools with populations larger than their own hometowns? You'd be surprised! Amy and Mike invited The Ohio State University Admissions Counselor Keith Lofton to expand upon the benefits of attending a large public university.  What are five things y...

Testing may be an individual endeavor, but test prep is very much a team sport. People often focus on the essential roles of educators, counselors, and other external supports, but what about dear old mom and dad? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Alexis Avila to explain how parents can best support students in test prep.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are hel...

Earning straight A's once signified levels of academic excellence and diligence unattainable by most students. Do these grades still mean as much when 40% or more of the class carries the same perfect average? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Brian Eufinger to explore the reality of grade inflation.   What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does it mean when more than...

For admissions exams as infamous as the SAT and ACT, these classic tests seem to inspire a lot of confusion. How much about prior versions of these tests still hold true, and what commonly held beliefs were always false? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Daniel Ascher to debunk some common myths about the SAT and ACT.   What are five things you will learn in this episode? Do some schools...

Few Americans know much about the Reserve Officer Training Corps program, and even fewer have insight into the ROTC scholarship. However, the evident and not-so-obvious benefits of this scholarship deserve the attention of anyone involved in the college admissions process.   Amy and Mike invited consultant and author Lieutenant Colonel Robert O. Kirkland to talk all about the ROTC scholarship.   W...

To many, the gifted and talented designation seems to promise a future of effortless academic success. How, then, can the adults in their lives help when these students face the inevitable educational challenges? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Shane Bybee to offer guidance on what to do when gifted and talented students struggle.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? H...

Of all the academic choices a student entering eighth grade or high school must make, math course selection exerts the most influence on future choices. What should a student, parent, or counselor consider when weighing the options? Amy and Mike invited author and math expert Richard Corn to clarify the process of choosing high school math courses strategically.  What are five things you will lear...

The world's great cities offer some of the biggest, best, and broadest options in virtually any category you can think of, including colleges and universities. What differentiates the metropolitan college experience, and who most-- or least --benefits from such a dynamic, diverse environment? Amy and Mike invited NYU Director of Admissions Billy Sichel to shed light on the realities of attending c...

No feature of the ACT distinguishes that test more from its College Board rival than the Science section. How can a test feature as enduring and prominent as this one still be so poorly understood? Amy and Mike invited author and test prep guru Michael Cerro to provide some definitive answers regarding what ACT Science is all about.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? What makes...

The public rarely receives any College Board initiative warmly, but the general response to announcement of the Environmental Context Dashboard exceeded most previous levels of cynicism, so much so that they're already going back to the drawing board for a new plan. What makes the idea of an "adversity score" so contentious, and what does that nickname get wrong?  Amy and Mike invited test prep pr...

While every teen endures some level of emotional or behavioral turmoil, some reach such a crisis point that they require immersive therapy in specialized academic or nonacademic settings. Amy and Mike invited education professional Jason Robinovitz to explain the different options for therapeutic schools and teens in crisis.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? What kind of studen...

When is a price not a price? When the stated retail cost of a year at any college diverges dramatically from what students actually cost, you can't effectively factor price into your initial college search. Amy and Mike invited educational expert Mark Salisbury to explain the importance of and path to college price transparency.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why isn't a col...

How can we succeed in the moment when we're so burdened by thoughts of the past and anxious over fears of the future? The practice and application of mindfulness can keep a person fully focused on the present. Amy and Mike invited author and test prep professional Logan Thompson to discuss powerful strategies for using mindfulness for test and school success.  What are five things you will learn i...

The multiple-choice grammar sections of the SAT and ACT have never been more similar. Nonetheless, important distinctions between the ACT English and SAT Writing and Language sections can influence how test takers approach the exams. Amy and Mike invited best-selling author Erica Meltzer to explore the subtle differences between the SAT and ACT grammar sections.  What are five things you will lear...

Many test takers find the basic scaling of the SAT confusing, but the finer points of how this highly influential yet massively misunderstood test is graded mystifies even the professionals who deal with the SAT every day. Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Aaron Golumbfskie to definitively explain how the SAT is really scored...  What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why d...