Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

We all spend the majority of our youth chasing acceptable grades or coping with the ramifications of unacceptable ones. Isn't it odd that we invest so much objective importance into such subjective measures? Amy and Mike invited professor and author Laura Link to clarify the problem with grades. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. How have grading philosophies and practices evolved in the 21st century? 2. Why has teacher autonomy remained such a central aspect of grading? 3. Does including both academic and behavioral factors in grading help or hurt? 4. What problems are caused by inconsistent grading standards? 5. How can academic grading be improved? MEET OUR GUEST Laura J. Link, Ed.D., is an Assistant Professor of Teaching & Leadership and Director of the Master of Science in Teaching & Leadership program at the University of North Dakota. She holds a doctorate in Leadership & Policy Studies from the University of Memphis, and her research focuses on developing and supporting highly effective leaders and organizational cultures that prioritize effective grading practices, collaboration, and meaningful assessment. She is the co-author of Cornerstones of Strong Schools: Practices for Purposeful Leadership (with J. Zoul, 2007), and author of Leadership in Grading Reform in What We Know About Grading (Guskey, T. R., & Brookhart, S. M., Eds., 2019) as well as multiple book chapters and articles such as Is Standards-Based Grading Effective? (2022), Are Your Grading Policies Legally Sound? (2021), How Traditional Grading Contributes to Student Inequalities and How to Fix It (2019), and Teachers' Perceptions of Grading Practices: How Pre-service Training Makes a Difference (2018). Dr. Link also leads K-12 assessment and grading academies and has led an array of other professional development efforts, classes, and initiatives over her career. Since 2002, Dr. Link has presented locally and nationally on the topics of high-impact leadership, K-12 grading, mastery learning, research-practice partnerships, teacher support, and more. Before joining UND, Dr. Link served as Associate Dean of the College of Public Service at the University of Houston-Downtown in Texas. At UHD, she created the university's first-ever Educational Leadership graduate programs, including a Foundations of Educational Leadership Certificate that is the only one of its kind in the state of Texas, and she facilitated an array of K-12 district partnerships. She also created the UHD's first Urban Education Advisory Board, which involves superintendents and executive leaders from across the greater Houston region. Additionally, Dr. Link was an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership at Purdue University Fort Wayne in Indiana. At PFW, she was an active member of the CAEP Assessment Steering Committee, led various local K-12 assessment and grading academies, co-facilitated PFW's University Leadership Academy, and directed the Professors in Partnership K-16 collaborative. Prior to her higher education experience, Dr. Link served as Chief Academic Officer at Jackson-Madison County Schools in Jackson, TN, and was Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning as well as Chief of Talent Management in Shelby County Schools in Memphis, TN. She was 1 of 7 Transition Steering Committee members charged with leading the largest school district merger in United States' history. Additionally, Dr. Link has served in an array of central office and school-based administrative roles (in both urban and suburban settings) and has taught elementary, middle, high school and college students over her 32 years in public and private education. Dr. Link also served as a long-standing state Board Member of Learning Forward Tennessee and President of Learning Forward Indiana, a professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in K-16 professional development. Find Laura at und.edu. LINKS GradingRx Every teacher grades differently, which isn't fair RELATED EPISODES THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION WHY GRADE INFLATION IS HARMFUL COVID LEARNING LOSS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The SAT has been through so many changes over nearly a century of assessment, but the current transition to a digital adaptive platform represents an ambitious departure from what test takers are used to. How did the first official international administration of the new test go, and what should students, educators, and administrators know for the future? Amy and Mike invited high schooler Fatema Taskin to share a student perspective on the new digital SAT experience. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What can students expect from the SAT testing environment? What is the role of the proctor for the digital SAT? Does everyone begin and end sections at the same time? What should students taking the digital SAT know in advance? What should educators administering the digital SAT know in advance? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Fatema Taskin and Kyle Terracciano, the founders of the Facebook group Digital SAT Prep, one of the fastest-growing SAT study groups on Facebook. Fatema and Kyle are on a mission to democratize test prep by providing free study materials, group classes, and important updates to thousands of students and educators around the world. Fatema, a recent high school graduate, is currently applying to colleges so she can pursue an undergraduate degree. She is passionate about physics, drawing, and problem-solving. She also runs a studygram where she shares studying motivation and guidance with anyone that wishes to study abroad. Kyle is a seasoned mathematics educator dedicated to reaching students from all walks of life. In addition to tutoring students through his company, Kyle teaches math test prep to anyone who is ready to learn via his YouTube channel. He previously appeared on the podcast in episode 470 to discuss Getting Ready For The AP Statistics Exam. Find Fatema at instagram.com/lifeof_tas_. Find Kyle at tutorllini.com. LINKS Digital SAT / Digital PSAT Preparation Group - Int'l Students Welcome :) | Facebook Digital SAT Suite of Assessments Always Know More Than The Proctor RELATED EPISODES NEW SAT TEST SPECIFICATIONS FIRST THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEW DIGITAL SAT TESTING GAMEPLAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2025 ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Every meaningful challenge can be prepared and practiced for, which tends to mean that challengers vie for the best outcomes. Whether you're competing against yourself or others, you have to put in the effort. Amy and Mike invited educator Steven Menking to explore the importance of a competitive mindset in testing. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why is mindset such a significant factor in test prep success? What is a competitive mindset, and how does it work? Who exactly are typical test takers competing with? Does this approach benefit students beyond just test prep? What are the biggest obstacles to having a proper mindset? MEET OUR GUEST Steven Menking is the Founder and CEO of Menking Tutoring. After graduating from Williams College in 2010 with degrees in Economics and Mathematics, Steven worked on Wall Street for several years before going into business for himself as a private tutor in NYC. Over the past decade Steven has worked with hundreds of students from around the world on standardized tests and academic subjects. He founded Menking Tutoring in 2020 to provide premium SAT and ACT courses in an online, on-demand format to students around the world. Find Steven at https://menkingtutoring.com or [email protected]. LINKS Grateful for an Opportunity to Compete About That Perfect SAT Score You Expect… RELATED EPISODES MENTAL TECHNIQUES FOR PEAK TEST PERFORMANCE THE INNER GAME OF TESTING WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A BAD TEST TAKER? ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Traditionally, the words "academics" and "intelligence" have always evoked a positive, mutually supportive relationship. Then AI improved! Amy and Mike invited writer Derek Newton to explain the escalating arms race between artificial intelligence and academic integrity. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How have advances in artificial intelligence changed how students work? How does AI threaten the integrity of assigned homework and papers? What other factors contribute to academic dishonesty? What have teachers and institutions done so far to combat this threat? What else can and should academia do to safeguard academic integrity? MEET OUR GUEST Derek Newton is a recognized expert in message development, media and public relations with more than 20 years experience selling people, ideas, and organizations worldwide. He is an education writer in New York City. He's a contributing writer at Forbes and has published education bylines in outlets such as The Atlantic, the Washington Post and USA Today. For the past several years, Derek's coverage focus has been on academic integrity – cheating. In addition to his regular education writing on higher education and education technology, he also writes a regular newsletter on academic misconduct called, "The Cheat Sheet." Derek can be reached at [email protected]. LINKS The Cheat Sheet RELATED EPISODES THE ACADEMIC INTEGRITY ARMS RACE CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM SOFTWARE THE GROWING IMPACT OF CHEATING DURING COVID ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

You would presume that the reputation of an institution of higher education would be based on factors like academic rigor and postgraduate success, but that would be naive. Amy and Mike invited educator Christopher Sanderson to explain the meaning of the Flutie effect in admissions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the Flutie Effect? What sporting events are most likely to trigger the Flutie Effect? How intensely does the Flutie Effect impact admissions chances? Can non-sporting events exert a Flutie Effect? What should applicants and counselors look for to manage a potential Flutie Effect? 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 cater to academically competitive students who are serious about success. Chris was born in Miami, FL and attended the University of Notre Dame. Prior to founding Sanderson Test Prep, Chris taught for Kaplan where he was responsible for hiring and training new teachers and was twice named Teacher of the Year. He now lives in San Antonio with his wife and their 3 dogs. Chris specializes in a wide variety of academic subject areas and standardized tests. Chris first appeared on the podcast in episode 161 for Making Online Tutoring Matter More and in episode 193 for a test prep profile. Find Christopher at https://sandersontestprep.com or 305-878-TEST. LINKS The Flutie Effect: How Athletic Success Boosts College Applications Who is Doug Flutie? RELATED EPISODES OVERLOOKED ASPECTS OF CAMPUS LIFE MATCHING TYPES OF STUDENTS TO TYPES OF SCHOOLS USING THE COMMON DATA SET ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Christy Shriver to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Language and Composition exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Language and Composition exam? How do students score points on the AP Language exam? What are the different approaches required by each essay? How should students prepare for the AP Language exam? What are the best prep materials for AP Language? MEET OUR GUEST Christy Shriver is an educator from Memphis, TN. Currently, she produces the How to Love Lit Podcast, a tool to support IB and AP students in preparation for their exams. She has been teaching both AP and IB in public and private schools in the Memphis area for the last 20 years. Christy graduated from the Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte as an IB student and has lived much of her life internationally, primarily in the country of Brazil. Although she is a strong advocate of the IB program, she is currently an AP Language teacher and AP reader. Christy first appeared on this podcast in episode 199 to discuss Choosing Between AP and IB Programs. Find Christy at [email protected]. LINKS AP English Language and Composition – AP Students AP English Language and Composition Classroom Resources One-Pagers Scoring Rubrics for AP Lang Essays 6 points Advanced Placement English Language and Composition RELATED EPISODES COURSE SELECTION FOR HIGHLY SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS THE FUTURE OF AP EXAMS CHOOSING BETWEEN AP AND IB PROGRAMS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Greg Hudson to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP US History exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP US History exam? How do students score points on the AP US History exam? What are the highest priority topics on the test? How should students prepare for the AP US History exam? What are the best prep materials for AP US History? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Greg Hudson, an AP United States History teacher at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. He earned his Masters in Social Studies Education from Truman State University and has been teaching this AP History for 17 years. He also teaches as an adjunct instructor at Des Moines Area Community College. He works with over 150 students everyday as a teacher, and since most of his students are AP History students, he is certainly familiar with test prep. In addition, Greg has helped students prepare for the ACT since 2009. Today, he teaches ACT and PSAT classes a couple of times a year. He also teaches AP History workshops. Greg has created both AP History and curriculum and test-prep materials over the years, working with big names in the realms of both AP History and ACT/SAT Prep. Finally, with regards to the AP program, Greg has participated on the scoring end of DBQs, LEQs, and short answer questions for seven years. He has also served as a scoring leader as well, helping craft the standards by which these student writings are scored. He currently lives in West Des Moines, Iowa, the best city in America. Greg first appeared on this podcast in episode 439 for a test prep profile. Find Greg at [email protected]. LINKS AP United States History Classroom Resources AP United States History – AP Students AP United States History Course Edison Prep - AP History Bootcamps Heimler's History RELATED EPISODES COURSE SELECTION FOR HIGHLY SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS THE FUTURE OF AP EXAMS CHOOSING BETWEEN AP AND IB PROGRAMS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Kyle Terracciano to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Statistics exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Statistics exam? How important is a calculator on the AP Statistics exam? What are the highest priority topics for this exam? What are the best prep materials for AP Statistics? How should students prepare for the AP Statistics exam? MEET OUR GUEST Kyle Terracciano is the founder of the company Tutorllini, the math test prep YouTube channel Tutorllini Test Prep, and the Facebook group Digital SAT Prep. Since 2019, he has been on a mission to empower students to dominate their college admissions tests and bring much-needed clarity to the confusing world of academic math. Kyle's journey as an educator began in his college years while working as a competitive swimming coach, sparking his passion for mentoring others. After graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut in 2018, he couldn't resist the call of teaching. Kyle went on to earn a Master's Degree in Mathematics Education from Rutgers University in 2020, and then through Tutorllini, dedicated himself fully to his goal of empowering students everywhere with not just a deeper understanding of math, but more confidence as well. But Kyle doesn't stop there. Determined to make a global impact, Kyle runs one of the fastest growing YouTube channels and Facebook groups focused on the Digital SAT, all completely free to anyone who is ready to learn. By using the most modern tech and impactful visuals with a dose of humor and his trademark relatable personality, Kyle helps students unlock their full potential. Find Kyle at tutorllini.com. LINKS TI-84 Plus CE Color Graphing Calculator The Practice of Statistics 6th Edition Updated AP Statistics Handwritten Chapter Notes Goldie's Math Emporium Full Curriculum for AP Stats Stats Medic Review Course Khan Academy AP Statistics Skew the Script AP Statistics Free-Response Questions The Super Six AP Statistics YouTube channel RELATED EPISODES CHOOSING HIGH SCHOOL MATH COURSES STRATEGICALLY COURSE SELECTION FOR HIGHLY SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS THE FUTURE OF AP EXAMS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Garry Shriver to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Psychology exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Psychology exam? How is the AP Psychology test scored, and what is a good score? What are the highest priority topics for this exam? How should students prepare for the AP Psychology exam? What are the best prep materials for AP Psychology? MEET OUR GUEST Garry Shriver is an educator from Memphis, TN. Currently,he produces the How to Love Lit Podcast, a tool to support IB and AP students in preparation for their exams. He has been teaching both AP and IB in public and private schools in the Memphis area for the last 20 years. Garry is a consultant for the College Board in AP psychology, serving as a question writer and member of the rubric team. Garry is a strong advocate of the AP program. Garry first appeared on this podcast in episode 199 to discuss Choosing Between AP and IB Programs. Find Garry at [email protected]. LINKS AP Psychology Course – AP Central | College Board AP Psychology Classroom Resources AP Psychology Premium, 2022-2023: Comprehensive Review with 6 Practice Tests + an Online Timed Test Option RELATED EPISODES COURSE SELECTION FOR HIGHLY SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS THE FUTURE OF AP EXAMS PSYCHOGRAPHICS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Tim Murphy to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Chemistry exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Chemistry exam? How is the AP Chemistry test scored, and what is a good score? What are the highest priority topics for this exam? How should students prepare for the AP Chemistry exam? What are the best prep materials for AP Chemistry? MEET OUR GUEST Tim Murphy is the owner of Capital Test Prep in Morristown, NJ, offering in-person and virtual individual and small group tutoring. Tim attended Holy Cross for undergrad where he majored in chemistry and economics. He went on to Penn State for grad school to pursue a PhD in chemistry, but enjoyed teaching more than research so he switched over to the college of education to get his masters in curriculum and instruction. He has been doing test prep and teaching high school chemistry since 2009. After years of working for others, he hung his own shingle in 2015. He covers those tests with the capital letters, mainly SAT and ACT, and offers support for high school math and chemistry. Find Tim at capitaltestprep.com. LINKS AP Chemistry - College Board AP Chem Solutions 5 Steps to a 5: AP Chemistry 2023 Princeton Review AP Chemistry Premium Prep, 2023: 7 Practice Tests + Complete Content Review + Strategies & Techniques RELATED EPISODES COURSE SELECTION FOR HIGHLY SELECTIVE ADMISSIONS THE FUTURE OF AP EXAMS CHOOSING BETWEEN AP AND IB PROGRAMS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

A powerful digital classroom designed specifically for remote, in-person, or blended learning with ed tech developer Ayush Agarwal What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the story behind Pencil Spaces? How does Pencil Spaces work? Who currently uses Pencil Spaces? What kinds of outcomes do users experience? What should someone curious about Pencil Spaces know about it? ABOUT PENCIL SPACES Pencil Spaces is designed by education experts from Stanford and a team of world-class engineers from Google and Microsoft, so you can trust that it is a high-quality platform that is both reliable and effective. With Pencil Spaces, you can deliver engaging and interactive test preparation sessions that will help your students stay motivated and focused. The platform's Active Presence Design highlights real-time hand gestures, cursor movement, and whiteboard activity, which can enhance engagement and help your students stay engaged and involved in the learning process. Pencil Spaces offers a wide range of tools and features to support your teaching practices, including HD video calls, an integrated whiteboard, a question library, and an AI assistant that can help you grade assignments and manage student data. One of the most unique features of Pencil Spaces is its ability to bring any application into the classroom environment with the click of a button. This means that you can seamlessly integrate other test preparation tools and resources into your Pencil Spaces classroom, making it a one-stop-shop for all of your teaching needs. This can save you valuable time and make your test preparation sessions more efficient and effective. With Pencil Spaces, you can also take advantage of advanced analytics that provide insights into attendance, student attention, and more. This can help you identify areas where your students may need additional support or where your teaching practices could be improved. Additionally, Pencil Spaces offers unlimited saved work, auto-transcription, and recording features that make it easy to review past conversations and identify moments of brilliance. Large centers like C2 Education and test prep companies in 200 countries are moving to Pencil Spaces. With its user-friendly interface, advanced features, and support for a wide range of tools and workflows, Pencil Spaces is a must-have tool for any test preparation company looking to enhance their teaching practices and reach students in new and innovative ways. Whether you are working with individual students or large groups, Pencil Spaces has something to offer everyone, and we are confident that you will see a significant improvement in your students' test scores and overall academic performance. So why wait? Try Pencil Spaces today and see the results for yourself! To learn more, please visit pencilspaces.com or contact Ayush at [email protected]. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Shannon Bergeron, the Founder of Core College Consulting, based in Austin, Texas. Shannon is a highly experienced and compassionate counselor, skilled in helping students understand their own strengths and goals in order to develop a balanced and realistic college list. Her whole child college counseling™ approach focuses on synthesizing a holistic view of the self for the college application journey, helping students and families reduce stress throughout the process while also helping them come to terms with personal identity and various educational needs, making her highly in demand. Shannon earned a BBA in marketing from the University of North Texas and an MEd in counselor education from the University of Maine. She is a member of NACAC, TACAC, IECA, and AICEP. Shannon began her career as a school counselor in 2003 and started her IEC business part time in 2016. She transitioned to full time IEC in 2019 and has since doubled her business and added a full time consultant. She is also a Certified Educational Planner. Most recently, she was the Lead Counselor at the Liberal Arts & Science Academy High School in Austin, Texas. In that role, Shannon worked with district officials to change policies to protect privacy issues related to gender. She led a Bootcamp for New Counselors for more than 30 new counselors and leader of the Summer Melt program. Additionally, she was a finalist for the Austin ISD "Counselor of the Year." As a volunteer with the Matchlighters Scholarship program, Shannon provides college counseling for high-achieving, low-income students. She also volunteers with Ally Parents, serving as a friendly and empathetic resource for transgender/nonbinary youth (and parents). Shannon loves to travel and hike with her husband. In her spare time, she trains for and runs marathons. Find Shannon at www.corecollegeconsulting.com or [email protected].. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Chris Bell, a professional with a long history of helping students. Chris knows the college and university landscape and has a Masters of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education where he was trained as a counselor. He served in college and university settings for more than 25 years and has had positions at the University of Colorado, Colorado College, Regis University, Colorado State University, and North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. His varied career includes high school and college teaching, college advising and counseling, software and courseware development, student activities, academic technology, and student support. As an IEC, Chris has embraced professional development and service. He has earned the Certified Education Professional certificate from AICEP and currently serves on AICEP's Commission on Credentialing. He is a professional member of IECA and HECA, an IEC member of NACAC and RMACAC, and earned the distinction of Certified College Advisor through NCAG. He co-hosts a monthly roundtable of IECA Professional Members drawing 100+ participants per month, and has served on the faculty of the IECA Summer Training Institute for the past two summers. He has also presented sessions at the HECA national conference and is the former President of the College Consultants of Colorado professional group. Chris lives in Boulder, Colorado with his wife, mother-in-law, one or both of his grown or near-grown kids when they are in town, and a Bernese Mountain Dog named Yodel. Find Chris at bellcollegeconsulting.com. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Admissions Untangled owner Gerene Keesler utilizes three decades of experience in the university profession including work in Admissions, Residential Life, and Career Services. Gerene recently obtained her certificate in College Counseling from UC San Diego (March, 2021) and holds a Masters Degree in Counseling. As a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, Gerene thoroughly researches and vets colleges, and regularly devotes time to visiting campuses to ensure she always has the most up-to-date information. She'll ask the critical questions that are often overlooked by parents and students such as the school's graduation rates, the average incoming GPA of other students, and the employment rate for graduates. Admissions Untangled provides services in college coaching and searching, scholarship, and essay editing. mock interviewing, and admissions planning. We help you build a college list focused on your talents, goals, values and your interests. We are fully virtual and available on your timeline. Find Gerene at [email protected]. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Mike Hammer, a college admissions counselor with over 30 years experience in higher ed. Mike landed at Cornell University following stints in retail, non-profit, and IT consulting. Mike spent six years in Arts & Sciences where he was responsible for the undergrad admissions system, learning all the ins and outs of the admissions process and participating as an admissions reader. Moving to Engineering, he became involved in college- and university-level admissions policy while continuing to read applications "because it was so interesting." Mike was heavily involved in campus organizations, including chairing one campus advisory group and acting as a longtime advisor/mentor for the McNair Scholars. Since leaving Cornell, he has worked with over 250 US and international students both privately and with consulting companies. His view is that every hard-working student deserves the best advice and education they can get, finding it really does take a village to guide students to greatness. Mike now specializes in STEM students, seeing that STEM students might need to think about their path through high school and their undergrad college years differently than liberal arts students. Find Mike on LinkedIn or at [email protected]. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Jessica Chermak is an Independent College Counselor with over a decade of experience in academia and helping students navigate the college admissions process. She also spent four years conducting research at the University of Colorado Boulder's Institute of Behavioral Science, and the prior two years working as an Operations Research Analyst for the US Army at the TRADOC Analysis Center, in White Sands Missile Range, NM. Jessica graduated from Chapman University with a BA in Psychology. At Chapman, she was a research assistant in the cognitive science laboratory, studying hemisphere differences for processing emotional language. She was also a founding member of the Honors Organizational Board of Students, and an active member in Mortarboard Honor Society and Hillel. Upon graduation, Jessica was awarded the SMART Scholarship (Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation) to attend the University of Denver for an MA in Forensic Psychology. She is a Certified Educational Planner (CEP), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA). Jessica is also a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the Rocky Mountain Association for College Admission Counseling (RMACAC), and serves on the board of the College Consultants of Colorado (CCC). ​In addition to being an independent college counselor, Jessica also serves as a College & Career Counselor for Living Wisdom High School (based in Palo Alto, CA). Find Jessica at [email protected]. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Students tend to see exams as a means to evaluate learning, but expert educators recognize assessments as instrumental elements of the teaching process. Amy and Mike invited researcher Ayanna Thomas to explain how tests aid memory. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How can completing practice tests be a strategy for learning? What does "testing to criterion" entail? How does stress impair memory? How does taking regular practice tests aid students with their stress, especially for high-stakes tests? What factors should learners keep in mind when creating study schedules? MEET OUR GUEST Ayanna Thomas, Ph.D is a scientist, author, and cognitive researcher. She received her B.A. in African American studies and Psychology from Wesleyan University and went on to earn her PhD in Psychology from the University of Washington. Her research centers on the intersection of memory and aging, particularly as those fields relate to brain and cognitive science. Ayanna serves as Professor of Psychology and Dean of Research for Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. Ayanna also serves as the editor-in-chief of the journal Memory & Cognition. Find Ayanna at [email protected]. LINKS Retrieval practice protects memory against acute stress The science of studying: How students can put their brains to best use Exercise in Repeatedly Recalling a Thing RELATED EPISODES FEEDBACK-DRIVEN METACOGNITION MAKING LEARNING SCIENCE WORK FOR YOU WHY PRACTICE TESTS MATTER SO MUCH USING SPACED REPETITION FOR STUDY SUCCESS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

So much of the college admissions conversation seems to assume perfect grades and test scores along with ultra-selective ambitions. What about the other 99% of the applicant pool? Amy and Mike invited college advisors Katie Garrett and Melanie Talesnick to discuss college advising for B students. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does it mean to be a regular kid in college admissions? Why are college rankings not the final word in academic fit? How do you create a college list that includes realistic choices while being open-minded to alternatives? How can students advantage themselves in admissions? Why does the term "dream killer" have no place in discussions of college fit? MEET OUR GUESTS For over twenty years, Katie Garrett has shared her passion for academics and education with students and their families. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with degrees in both Cognitive Studies and Psychology and has completed her graduate certificate in Independent Educational Consulting through The University of California-Irvine. Katie has been awarded the designation of Certified Educational Planner by the American Institute of Certified Educational Planners, demonstrating the highest level of professional standards through extensive knowledge, expertise, and experience in the field of educational planning. She is a Professional Member of Independent Educational Consultant Association and serves as Chair of the Charlotte Regional Chapter. In addition, Katie has completed coursework in executive functioning through Harvard's Graduate School of Education and is a Certified Parent Coach through the International Coaching Federation. Katie has personally visited hundreds of college and boarding school campuses and meets with admissions personnel on a regular basis to ensure that she stays abreast of the ever-changing landscape of education and admissions. Melanie Talesnick has spent her professional career in a variety of settings. After graduating from the University of Delaware with a double major in Marketing and Management, she worked for the National Basketball Association (NBA). Despite the perks of travel and working with professional athletes, she felt unfulfilled, except when working with grassroots organizations to develop recreational programs for kids. This experience led Melanie to pursue a career in teaching and athletic coaching. She ultimately earned her Master's degree in Student Personnel Services from Montclair State University and a Certificate in College Counseling with Distinction from UCLA. As a high school counselor for over 10 years, Melanie was always drawn to the college process. At the same time, utilizing her entrepreneurial nature, she founded Admit U Consulting to focus solely on working with students and families outside of the high school setting. She quickly emerged as a leader in the counseling office and ended her career at Morristown High School as the College Counselor. In 2015, she left public education to manage Admit U full-time. Melanie is a Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), a member of the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), and sits on the National Advisory Board for a private liberal arts university. Melanie is also a Certified Educational Planner (CEP), a distinction held by only a handful of consultants in the state of New Jersey. Melanie's enthusiasm and passion for all things college is contagious! For more information, contact Katie at [email protected] or Melanie at [email protected]. LINKS IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S THEM RELATED EPISODES WHAT DOES UNHOOKED MEAN IN ADMISSIONS? AVOIDING THE PAGEANT APPROACH TO COLLEGE ADMISSIONS WHAT IS A GOOD COLLEGE? ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Everything you need to teach your class in one place with ed tech developer Cameron Stoker What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the story behind Speechcloud? How does Speechcloud work? Who currently uses Speechcloud? What kinds of outcomes do users experience? What should someone curious about Speechcloud know about it? ABOUT SPEECHCLOUD Speechcloud is a classroom management software that helps professors create the best in-person learning experience for students, while providing the benefits of online learning. The platform captures and archives the class with our patented lecture capture technology, while providing the professor tools to engage students and make the classroom accessible. All the professor needs to do is show up, click a button, and teach. It's that easy. So if you're tired of using multiple tools to teach your class and you want to give your students every chance to succeed, Speechcloud is the perfect solution. Try it for free! To learn more about Speechcloud, please contact Cameron at [email protected] or visit speechcloud.com. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The educational system in the United States bears a stark similarity to our political and economic structures, marked by both astonishing successes and painful failures. Amy and Mike invited professor Ashley Berner to examine pluralistic models and explore assumptions about public education. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the current framework for public education in America? How does US public education compare to models in other democracies? Can education be morally neutral? What is the case for educational pluralism vs uniformity? How can educational consistency be tracked in a pluralistic system? MEET OUR GUEST Ashley Berner is the Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and Associate Professor of Education. She served previously as the Deputy Director of the CUNY Institute for Education Policy and as an administrator at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, University of Virginia. Palgrave MacMillan released Pluralism and American Public Education: No One Way to School (2017), and Harvard Education Press will publish her next book, Exposure v Indoctrination: Pluralism and American Democracy, in early 2024. Dr. Berner has published articles, book chapters, and op-eds on citizenship formation, academic outcomes, pluralism, and the political theories of education in different national contexts. She led the design of the Institute's School Culture 360™ and ELA and Social Studies Knowledge Maps™. Her teaching experience took place in a Jewish pre-school, an Episcopal secondary school, and an open university in Louisiana; she currently advises doctoral students at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Berner represents the Institute's work across the country and consults regularly with international, federal, and state-level agencies, non-governmental organizations, and school systems. She held a five-year fellowship at the Center for the Study of Law; Religion at Emory University School of Law and currently serves as an advisor to the Educating for American Democracy project, the Johns Hopkins Undergraduate Debate Program, and CivXNow!'s Research and Best Practices Affinity Group. Dr. Berner holds degrees from Davidson College (Honors A.B.) and from Oxford University (M.Litt. and D.Phil. in Modern History). Find Ashley at [email protected] and @BernerEd. LINKS Will ESAs change America's definition of "public education? What if we Replaced Public School Districts with Less Rigid Systems What American schools can learn from other countries about civic disagreement. Education for the Common Good No One Way to School: Educational Pluralism and Why it Matters (TEDxWilmington) RELATED EPISODES LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD WHERE MODERN EDUCATION FAILS WHY GIFTED PROGRAMS ARE UNDER ATTACK ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Teens–like people at every other stage of human development–need to feel confidence, satisfaction, and respect for themselves. Alas, that isn't always easy. Amy and Mike invited life coach Nellie Harden to share insights into cultivating teen self-esteem. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the biggest needs teens have today? What kinds of self esteems are there? What makes cultivating self esteem so important? Do boys and girls cultivate self-esteem differently? What is the best way to build self-esteem? MEET OUR GUEST Nellie Harden is a Family Life & Leadership Coach who focuses on helping parents and their teen daughters go from HOPING they are doing all the "right things," feeling lost and just surviving teen life to KNOWING they are doing the right things for their unique child and getting her set on a solid path to establishing her personal authority, owning her responsibilities and living in her joy so that she has a firm foundation to build the rest of her life on where she trusts herself, stays aligned in her values, and trades chasing worth for standing in her confidence every day in order to face anything and become the leader of her own life. Nellie is a wife and mom to four teen daughters, author, speaker, podcaster, retired homeschooling parent, and adventure chaser. She has a degree in biology and psychology, years of personal and leadership training, and a diverse behavior background from humpback whales in the South Pacific to teens and parents in homes across the world. She believes in a life of intention, making dreams and goals realities and knows that the best way to change the world is through one living room at a time. Find Nellie at https://www.nellieharden.com. LINKS How Can I Improve My Self-Esteem? (for Teens) Daughter Decoder Parenting Workshop RELATED EPISODES BUILDING HAPPIER TEENS HELPING TEENS FIND THEIR VALUES AND PURPOSE BRINGING CRITICAL BALANCE TO HIGH SCHOOLERS' LIVES ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

When students have choices on how to access instructional material, they often engage and learn at a higher level. Anyone who runs closed captions or subtitles no matter what they're watching knows exactly why! Amy and Mike invited educator Ginger Dewey to explain the uses and advancements in text-to-speech learning tools. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. What is text-to-speech technology? 2. What makes seeing and hearing text at the same time so powerful? 3. How can students use this technology for their own use? 4. What is a page mask, and why is it beneficial? 5. How can teachers use this technology to improve education? MEET OUR GUEST Ginger Dewey taught for 38 years in K12 and higher ed, with most of her experience in higher ed. When she retired from higher ed, she started working for ReadSpeaker, doing what she loves - faculty training. She is married and has two adult children. Her daughter is a Civil Engineer, and her son is a Sergeant in the Marine Corps. She loves reading, crafting, and trying to keep up with her retired husband (which is quite a chore!) Find Ginger at [email protected]. LINKS Text-to-Speech Basics: What Is TTS and Who Uses It? Web Accessibility Regulations Are Poised to Be a Focal Point in Spring 2023 What you need to know about Text to Speech for Education Universal Design for Learning: A Comprehensive Introduction - ReadSpeaker RELATED EPISODES TECHNOLOGY AS AN ENABLER IN EDUCATION HOW TO BE AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATOR WHAT EDUCATORS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT GETTING TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Success in getting into a school does not guarantee success in staying there, and persistence should be an active concern for students, parents, and institutions alike. Amy and Mike invited college consultant Beth Howland to explore what to do when a student struggles in college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. How can you tell when a student who struggles at college needs help? 2. What can be done when a student struggles academically? 3. What can be done when a student struggles socially? 4. What can be done when a student struggles emotionally? 5. How can you assess in advance if a student might not be ready for college? MEET OUR GUEST Prior to founding College Navigators LLC, Beth A. Howland spent 25 years advising and mentoring undergraduate students at several institutions. Most recently, Beth worked for 14 years at Cornell University in both direct service and leadership roles in student development within the College of Engineering, the Hotel School, and the Office of Undergraduate Biology. Beth graduated with honors from Ithaca College and is a two-time NCAA National Champion, Academic All-American, and Hall of Fame inductee in women's soccer. After earning her undergraduate degree in psychology, she worked for five years as a Family Caseworker for Family and Children's Service in Ithaca. She then completed an advanced degree in health and human performance with a concentration in sports psychology. Over the course of her career, Beth served as a pre-major mentor, major advisor, and faculty advisor at both Duke University and Cornell University; and as a Crisis Manager and Residential House Fellow at Cornell University. She provided advising and support for thousands of students, including those who identify as BIPOC, first-generation, pre-health, under-prepared, and high-achieving, as well as Division I student-athletes and students who were managing a variety of challenges or disruptions throughout their college experience. During her career Beth founded and directed comprehensive academic advising, career development, and community engagement programs for Division-I student-athletes at Cornell University, Tulane University and Duke University. Beth transitioned out of athletics in 2005. Prior to returning to Cornell Beth worked as the inaugural Assistant Director of Student Development for the Robertson Scholars Program, a multi-campus, cohort-based, collaborative leadership development program with Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill. Throughout her career in higher ed, Beth prioritized advocating for university policies, procedures, and opportunities to be more inclusive, equitable, transparent, and visible. During the pandemic Beth confirmed that she is most energized by coaching individual students as they discover themselves, negotiate life's ups and downs, and prepare for their careers. Beth's passion for working intensively one-on-one with students and extensive understanding of and ability to assist students navigate the complexities of institutions within higher ed, led her to start College Navigators LLC and invest full-time in college student success coaching…decision to degree. Find Beth at [email protected]. LINKS Transition to College: Here's What Students Have to Say About It When Your College Student is Struggling or in Trouble College/Off to College Archives CollegiateParent Preparing for College Emotionally, Not Just Academically RELATED EPISODES THE UNWRITTEN RULES OF COLLEGE SUCCESS HELPING STUDENTS PREPARE FOR THE DEMANDS OF COLLEGE WHY COLLEGE READINESS MATTERS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

While only one of the two exams includes a dedicated science section, both the SAT and ACT find ways to challenge science literacy. Amy and Mike invited educator Elizabeth Breau to share insights into reading science passages on the SAT and ACT. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Do students need to be science experts to do well on science passages on the SAT and ACT? What kinds of science topics are usually included in SAT & ACT passages? How can test takers make sense of test science passages? How important is graphical literacy on the tests? What should students read in advance to be more comfortable with science passages? MEET OUR GUEST Elizabeth Breau, Ph.D., double-majored in history and English as an undergraduate at Rutgers University before completing her graduate work at Vanderbilt University. She has taught grades 7-12 as well as numerous college classes and has been in business as a private tutor since 2011. She was a co-recipient of the 2008 College Board Bob Costas Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Writing for her role in a student publication. She has published scholarly articles, book reviews, including many about history books, and lifestyle articles, one of which appears in Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul. History According to SAT is her first book. Find Elizabeth at https://www.historyaccordingtosat.com or [email protected]. LINKS Graphs on SAT and ACT Reading What is a Reading Passage? RELATED EPISODES WHAT IS ACT SCIENCE ALL ABOUT? DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SAT AND ACT READING TOP LESSONS FOR ACT SCIENCE ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Jeanne Lucas was a remarkable educator and even better friend who impacted more lives than she knew. In recognition of Jeanne and her boundless love of language and literacy, the National Test Prep Association is offering a scholarship in her honor. Amy and Mike invited friends to share reminiscences and details about the Jeanne Lucas Memorial Scholarship. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the Jeanne Lucas Memorial Scholarship? Who was Jeanne Lucas? What is the prompt for the Jeanne Lucas Memorial Scholarship? Who can and should apply for this scholarship? How much is the award and how many will be awarded? MEET OUR GUEST The National Test Prep Association is proud to commemorate the life and legacy of Jeanne Lucas, a founding member who lost her battle with cancer on February 8th, 2022. Jeanne (Supa J, Word Nerd, Tough Lil' B, and every other goofy name she ever gave herself) was a gifted educator and mentor, known for her passion for literature and the English language. After teaching at Holy Name High School and the Sandusky Public School System, Jeanne became a highly sought-after tutor and mentor for students preparing for advanced prep school and college entrance examinations. She was hard-working, staunchly reliable, loved her job, and logged thousands of miles driving to the remotest locations all over Greater Cleveland to tutor. Jeanne joined the Test Prep Tribe Facebook group when COVID hit, and it became her second family. She enthusiastically made many new friends, created deep connections with individuals, and became a signature member in the group, declaring "Power of the Tribe!" when working with others. She was everyone's cheerleader, and the Tribe rallied behind her in her battle with cancer. Jeanne was the first member of the National Test Prep Association, and it became her second family. Jeanne is deeply missed by her family, friends, and countless students whose lives she touched through her teachings and mentorship. The National Test Prep Association has established the Jeanne Lucas Memorial Scholarship in memory of Jeanne's commitment to education and her love of literature and the English language. This scholarship will provide financial assistance to students pursuing higher education. Many thanks to David Blobaum, Becky Cimini, Pranoy Mohapatra, Paul Pscolka, and Kenny Tan for sharing their memories of Jeanne. To find out more or apply for the scholarship, please visit the Jeanne Lucas Memorial Scholarship page. LINKS Jeanne Lucas Memorial Scholarship Donate to the Jeanne Lucas Memorial Scholarship TEST PREP PROFILE: Jeanne Lucas RELATED EPISODES HOW TO WIN LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS COMMON MISTAKES IN SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS FOUR SCHOLARSHIP MYTHS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

A Great Business Education Accessible For All with higher ed administrator Ian Mortimer The awesome sponsor we want to spotlight today is Golisano Institute. Let's meet our special guest Ian Mortimer. We're thrilled to be speaking with you, Ian. Welcome! What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the story behind The Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship? How does Golisano Institute work? Who are Golisano Institute's ideal students? What kinds of outcomes will Golisano Institute students and graduates experience? What should someone curious about Golisano Institute know about it? ABOUT GOLISANO INSTITUTE The Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship is predicated on the belief that everyone can successfully participate in the job market and economy if given a chance. Through its 24-month, accelerated, curriculum, students can gain the knowledge and networks that make them immediately relevant and valued by employers. Embedded in the curriculum are courses on entrepreneurship, project management, computer coding, personal finance, and some of the other more common courses in areas such as finance, marketing, and accounting. However, the key curricular distinctiveness is highlighted by its integration with employers. An employer network of more than 50 organizations work in tandem with students and serve as mentors, recruiters, and inspirers. The Institute is deeply committed to providing opportunity for all students, regardless of their means and resources. Via the generosity of Tom Golisano, businessman and philanthropist, students pay a low tuition of $8,900 per year (which includes all books, feels and technology) and financial assistance is available for those that require support. If one can imagine an educational environment that is truly community-based, has faculty and staff that are great mentors as well as teachers, and is tightly connected to economic opportunities via a great business community, you will see the Institute in action at 150 Sawgrass Drive in Rochester, New York. The schedule is fixed so students can plan their lives and should accommodate students with various competing priorities. There is not another educational opportunity in the United States that provides as much business education and mentorship for the price as the Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship. Whether you are a graduating high school senior seeking a next step that allows you to pursue your dream of starting your own business, or an adult that wants to reestablish themselves in the job market, the Institute is eager to help all that are motivated and qualified. For more information, please contact Maren Welch at [email protected] or visit https://golisanoinstitute.org. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

That major aspects of K-12 and higher education along with society at large are undergoing meaningful transformation much faster than usual cannot be argued. How, then, can we swim with the tide rather than be pulled under? Amy and Mike invited college consultant Cyndy McDonald to expand upon the upsides of rapid changes in education. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. What aspects of education are changing rapidly? 2. What are the downsides of such a dynamic and volatile environment? 3. What are the upsides of rapid change for students? 4. What are the upsides of rapid change for counselors and educators? 5. What advice do you have for handling rapid change? MEET OUR GUEST Cyndy McDonald is a recognized leader in both college counseling and business. She has over thirty years of experience as a college advisor. She has trained many advisors when they were starting college consulting firms. Currently, Cyndy teaches in the UCLA online college counseling certificate program. Cyndy is also the founder of Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), a professional membership organization for independent educational consultants. She currently serves as director of HECA's Professional Development Institute (PDI). She serves as an active member of several professional organizations: NCAG, AICEP, NACAC, IECA, WACAC, and HECA. Find Cyndy at [email protected]. LINKS What AVID Is / College & Career Readiness RELATED EPISODES THE ULTIMATE COLLEGE STRESS TEST YIN AND YANG IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS WOULD ELIMINATING TESTS MAKE EDUCATION MORE EQUITABLE ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Considering all the steps in the intricate dance of selecting, applying, and paying for college, it's no surprise that applicants tend to get some of them wrong. Amy and Mike invited college counselor Shellee Howard to highlight common mistakes in college selection. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. How soon should the selection process start? 2. Who should take ownership of the process? 3. How important is pursuing volunteering and leadership opportunities? 4. Should students take the SAT or ACT if they plan to only apply to test-optional schools? 5. Should everyone complete the FAFSA? MEET OUR GUEST Shellee Howard is the CEO of College Ready and a Certified Education Consultant. For the last 15 years, she has helped families send their students to their best-fit college, debt free. In the last 2.5 years, her students earned over $20 million in scholarships and her mission is to help 1 million more families do the same. Find Shellee at http://www.collegereadyplan.com. LINKS Insider Strategies & Secrets to Help Your Student Get Into College without Losing Your Mind or Your Money! RELATED EPISODES HELPING TEENS FIND THEIR VALUES AND PURPOSE FINDING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF IN THE PATH TO COLLEGE RED FLAGS IN COLLEGE SELECTION ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Better SAT and ACT Tests, Smarter Analytics with educators Sonya Muthalia and Neill Seltzer What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the story behind ScoreSmart? How does ScoreSmart work? Who is the ideal user for ScoreSmart? How will ScoreSmart benefit both students and tutors? What should someone curious about ScoreSmart know about it? ABOUT SCORESMART ScoreSmart is the brainchild of Sonya Muthalia and Neill Seltzer. The testing engines were a logical extension of the ScoreSmart test scoring app, which allows students to use their phones as an electronic bubble sheet while taking released SATs or ACTs. By leveraging students' phones, ScoreSmart is able to capture time per question, even on a pencil and paper test, which offers opportunities for performance analysis that were never been possible before the app came out. The two newest releases from the ScoreSmart team are their digital SAT and ACT test engines. The ACT engines provide students who will be taking the real ACT online with a perfectly authentic practice environment and full-length practice tests. The SAT engine is section-level adaptive and mimics the content, test format, and testing environment of the upcoming new digital SAT. Both engines provide students with ScoreSmart's patented cutting edge performance analytics, including scores, par-time analysis, speed vs accuracy analysis, and student prep priorities. The ScoreSmart app is available to all students who will be taking the current pencil and paper SAT or ACT. The scoring engines are available online to all students and tutors; tutoring companies in need of additional practice tests for their students who are preparing for the online tests can also utilize ScoreSmart as a white-label plug-in. To learn more about ScoreSmart, please visit https://score-smart.com. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Politicians rarely weigh in on what students are taught in school and usually act from a non-academic agenda when they do. The announcements of new AP African American Studies and Precalculus courses have attracted far more negative attention than honors classes typically do. Why? Amy and Mike invited educator John Moscatiello to unpack the controversies around new Advanced Placement programs. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. Why is the College Board introducing AP African American Studies and Precalculus courses? 2. Why hasn't this announcement gone smoothly? 3. What is the controversy around the AP African American Studies course? 4. What is the controversy around the AP Precalculus course? 5. What should we expect for these courses in the near future? MEET OUR GUEST John Moscatiello has been a leader in the education space for the past two decades. His career began at the Princeton Review, where he taught the SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests, AP Exams, ISEE, SSAT, SHSAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT Verbal, and TOEFL. At the Princeton Review, John went on to train hundreds of teachers, write content for 13 test preparation books, and work as a college admissions consultant. In his capacity as the National Director of Tutoring from 2007 and 2009, John managed thousands of teachers and tutors, supporting them with online professional development and the creation of an online community. From 2015 to 2016, John starred in more than 200 educational videos for the Princeton Review's SAT, ACT, and GRE self-paced courses. John's academic career began as a Spanish major at New York University, where he realized the value of the AP Program by using credits to graduate a full year early. He then pursued graduate degrees in history from Fordham University and the University of Notre Dame, where he won awards for his undergraduate teaching. He was a Fulbright scholar to Spain in 2012 and worked at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) in Madrid. John's academic research has been published in both English and Spanish. He currently teaches part-time at a private high school in Princeton, New Jersey. John has supported thousands of students by building and implementing programs for underserved communities through the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, TEAK Fellowship, NYC Service, Corporate and Social Responsibility at Proskauer Rose LLP, and the Aga Khan Development Network. John's tutoring and NGO work has taken him to more than 10 states and 25 countries around the world, especially in Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and East Africa. In 2018, John founded Marco Learning in order to address the lack of high-quality AP resources and to better support AP teachers and their students. John previously appeared on this podcast in episode 241 to discuss The Future Of AP Exams. Find John at https://marcolearning.com. LINKS Advanced Placement Program Florida Officials Had Repeated Contact With College Board Over African American Studies RELATED EPISODES CHOOSING BETWEEN AP AND IB PROGRAMS HIGH SCHOOL COURSE SELECTION AND ACADEMIC RIGOR CHOOSING HIGH SCHOOL MATH COURSES STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

With all the focus on selectivity and compatibility–not to mention the delicate dance between potentially interested prospective partners, college admissions sounds a whole lot like dating. Amy and Mike invited tech entrepreneur Dave Hurwitt to share strategies for selecting your forever school. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What factors should you consider when selecting a college? What does fit really mean, and how do you know when you've found it? What role does new matching technology play in selecting a college today? How does your choice differ before and after acceptance? What should you do once you have a choice to make about where to accept? MEET OUR GUEST Dave Hurwitt is an innovator. Over the course of his career, he's led the development and launch of new products and services – from toothpicks to wind turbines – that have generated well over $1 billion in sales. If you have a large, front loading washing machine in your house, that was Dave and his team at Whirlpool. They re-envisioned the traditional, small European washer for the US market and took front loaders from 1% of the market to over 50% today, saving billions of dollars in electricity and water consumption in the process. Dave has lived and worked around the world, and is now based in Burlington, Vermont with his wife and two Golden Retrievers. Their 3 "kids" have now graduated from college, but it was his experience with them on their college journeys that started his innovator's brain cranking on what became Troove. Having worked in admissions through grad school, he was amazed by how little technology and the internet had impacted the college search and admissions process. And even more, he was dismayed to discover how often students were transferring or dropping out altogether. In early 2020, this led directly to his founding Troove, a 2-sided, AI powered platform to help students discover their passions, people, and place based on the real experiences of recent alumni and current higher education students. Find Dave at https://www.troove.me or [email protected]. LINKS The Future Is Now: David Hurwitt Of TROOVE On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene RELATED EPISODES FINDING YOUR COLLEGE FIT OVERLOOKED ASPECTS OF CAMPUS LIFE RED FLAGS IN COLLEGE SELECTION ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

A modular, professional SAT & ACT curriculum that makes you a better teacher with educator Kailey Ossanna What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the story behind the TestBright Curriculum System? How does the TestBright Curriculum System work? Who currently uses the TestBright Curriculum System? What kinds of outcomes do both students and teachers experience? What should someone curious about TestBright know about it? ABOUT THE TESTBRIGHT CURRICULUM SYSTEM The TestBright SAT & ACT Curriculum System is built on the same leading-edge pedagogical framework that powers Chariot Learning's nationally acclaimed courses and tutoring programs and is revised every year–which many of the biggest retail prep companies don't do–to reflect the realities of this year's SAT & ACT. The architect and lead trainer of the TestBright SAT & ACT curriculum system is Mike Bergin, one of the most nationally recognized and respected experts in this field. Before founding Chariot Learning in 2009, he spent nearly a decade creating all of Huntington Learning Center's exam prep curriculum, operations manuals, and teacher training. Very few people in test prep have as rich a background in curriculum development, and nobody combines that experience with Mike's prominence and leadership in our industry. TestBright's proven, research-supported SAT & ACT curriculum system has everything you need to either initiate or enhance your test prep programs. To learn more, please visit https://gettestbright.com/curriculum. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Why do so many students who thrive in high school suddenly stumble once they attain the halls of higher education? Alas, the welcome packet rarely mentions that what gets you there might not be what keeps you there! Amy and Mike invited educator and author Jay Phelan to elucidate the unwritten rules of college success. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why does success in college often not follow a clear and linear path? Why is a certain amount of uncertainty or freedom at the outset beneficial? In what ways does the higher ed experience differ from that of high school? What specific factors should students focus on for success? How exactly can college success be defined? MEET OUR GUEST Jay Phelan has been on the faculty of the UCLA Life Sciences Core Program since 1997, specializing in evolutionary biology, human behavior, and genetics. He received a Ph.D. in Biology from Harvard, and master's and bachelor's degrees from Yale and UCLA. He is the author of the textbook What Is Life? A Guide to Biology with Physiology (Macmillan; now in its 5th edition), and co-author of the international bestseller Mean Genes: From Sex To Money To Food: Taming Our Primal Instincts and The Secret Syllabus: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of College Success (Skills for Scholars) (Princeton University Press). He has written dozens of technical publications both in biology and science education. He has appeared on ABC's Nightline, CNN, the BBC, and National Public Radio. His work has also been featured in USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, a TEDx talk, and Elle magazine. He is the recipient of more than a dozen teaching awards, including UCLA's Distinguished Teaching Award. Find Jay at [email protected]. LINKS The Secret Syllabus The Secret Syllabus: A Guide to the Unwritten Rules of College Success (Skills for Scholars) RELATED EPISODES COLLEGE DECLASSIFIED: WHAT HIGH SCHOOLERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE NEXT LEVEL GALLUP ALUMNI SURVEY AND THE SIX COLLEGE EXPERIENCES THAT DRIVE SUCCESS HOW TO BECOME A RIDICULOUSLY EFFECTIVE STUDENT ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Parents, educators, and bloviators of every stripe have been given platforms to express their opinions on testing, admissions, and standards, but how often do we hear from those whose futures are directly impacted by this ongoing debate? Amy and Mike invited students from Eufaula HS and educator Olivia Jones to share student perspectives on why tests matter. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What do some school-based test prep programs look like? How do prep classes differ from other academic classes? What opportunities do high test scores create in 2023? How else does test prep help, apart from the opportunities unlocked by higher scores? What else should people know about testing and prep? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Olivia Jones, a native of Huntsville, AL who has lived in Eufaula, AL for the last ten years. She graduated from the University of Alabama in 2011 with a degree in Secondary English Education. After teaching at Eufaula High School for five years, Olivia decided to further her education and, in 2019, graduated from Faulkner Law School. While awaiting her results from the Alabama State Bar Exam, Oliva was drawn back to teaching at Eufaula High School where the skills she learned applying for law school found a new application: test prep. She currently teaches ACT prep full-time at Eufaula High School and tutors other students privately through her company, Impact Tutoring Services. Olivia appeared in episode 323 as the subject of a TEST PREP PROFILE. Find Olivia at [email protected]. LINKS Tests As Equalizers And Predictors Of Success What Does an SAT Score Mean in a Test-Optional World? RELATED EPISODES INCORPORATING TEST PREP INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM WHY THE SAT AND ACT ARE AWESOME TEST SCORES: TO SUBMIT OR NOT ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

A relationship-rich school in the heart of the Finger Lakes with admissions counselor Melanie Sage What are five things you will learn in this episode? Where are Hobart and William Smith Colleges located and what are its demographics? What types of students feel most at home at HWS? What are the strengths of Hobart and William Smith Colleges? Why does HWS have such an exceptional student retention rate? What is something most people don't know about Hobart and William Smith Colleges? ABOUT HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in beautiful Geneva, NY, prepare students to lead lives of consequence: By helping them connect their talents and interests to meaningful, high-impact pursuits. By spurring cultural exploration and global citizenship. By offering opportunities to amplify knowledge through hands-on experience. By nurturing discovery and unlocking potential. By modeling values and points of view that equip them to author the world as it could be. Originally founded as two separate colleges – Hobart College in 1822 and William Smith College in 1908 – Hobart and William Smith Colleges today enjoy a rich and unique history that spans 200 years on Seneca Lake. To learn more about Hobart and William Smith Colleges, please visit hws.edu/admissions. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Josh D'Alemberte, a creative and energetic educator who pushes his clients to, "Do your maximum!" He knew that he wanted to teach since his high school years. After teaching and coaching for 25 years in public and private schools, he left the traditional classroom to form WhoTutors.com. He believes in making learning fun by infusing the growth-mindset, dry wit, and an encouraging tone into his lessons. Josh has spent over a decade developing Test Hacks for the SSAT, ISEE, and HSPT, which are private school admissions tests. These Hacks are active strategies to attack each section of these private school tests. The Hacks combine mnemonics, acronyms, and some colorful characters to help young test takers score higher. A South Florida native, Josh values diversity and has put up his entire test prep class on the WhoTutors.com website for free in the hopes it will be utilized by families seeking to take advantage of scholarship funds at life-changing institutions around the nation. Josh is a member of the IECA and NTPA. He has a master's degree in Education and often visits local schools and also consults with families about which K-12 would be the best fit for their children in the Miami area. Find Josh at whotutors.com or 786-309-3966. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Dr. Kelly Finn, who has a BS in Business and K-12 teaching license, a MS in math, and a Doctor of Learning and Teaching from the University of Iowa. She has helped students prepare for college for 15 years. Kelly and her team have helped students enroll in top colleges, with many on full scholarships. Kelly is a first generation college student and enjoys helping kids achieve at high levels on tests. She began coaching the LSAT, GRE, and GMAT tests while working as a college math professor. Kelly left college teaching to pursue a personal passion for coaching middle and high school kids to achieve high scores on tests. In addition to coaching the ACT and the SAT, Kelly and her team tutor AP classes and provide enrichment sessions for gifted students. The FinnPREP office is located 30 minutes from ACT's national office in Iowa City, Iowa. FinnPREP is the Iowa expert on ACT high scores. Kelly's ACT score system has helped multiple students to score a 35 on the ACT. Kelly is a test hack and a personal coach which helps students build confidence and decrease test anxiety. Find Kelly at [email protected]. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Samiya Cogmon, who founded Horizon Star Tutoring Co in 2019 with a mission to bring the joys of academic achievement to others… the confidence that you take into adulthood. The vision was born long before the company was. Samiya tutored students throughout high school because school was something she always took pride in. But it wasn't until years later that everything fell into place. After graduating as Valedictorian of her high school and getting the honor of Summa Cum Laude in college, Samiya wanted to continue to shift education for others. Horizon Star Tutoring is the result. Now Horizon Star Tutoring accommodates students virtually as well. Making it possible for them to impact thousands of students across the nation, while still working in their home city, Las Vegas. Whether in-person or online, Samiya takes pride in getting exceptional results for students and parents. Find Samiya at https://www.horizonstartutoring.com. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Greg Hudson, an AP United States History teacher at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. He earned his Masters in Social Studies Education from Truman State University and has been teaching this AP History for 17 years. He also teaches as an adjunct instructor at Des Moines Area Community College. He works with over 150 students every day as a teacher, and since most of his students are AP History students, he is certainly familiar with test prep. In addition, Greg has helped students prepare for the ACT since 2009. Today, he teaches ACT and PSAT classes a couple of times a year. He also teaches AP History workshops. Greg has created both AP History and curriculum and test-prep materials over the years, working with big names in the realms of both AP History and ACT/SAT Prep. Finally, with regard to the AP program, Greg has participated on the scoring end of DBQs, LEQs, and short answer questions for seven years. He has also served as a scoring leader as well, helping craft the standards by which these student writings are scored. He currently lives in West Des Moines, Iowa, the best city in America. Find Greg at [email protected]. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Stacey Howe-Lott, a 25-year teacher who now focuses exclusively on SAT and ACT test prep. She's been called the Dumbledore of SAT prep in the book The Perfect Score Project for creating customized score reports that can pinpoint students' weaknesses and help them achieve their goals. She currently works with students in the US and all over the world. She focuses on helping kids use what they already know to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Find Stacey at https://www.stellarscores.com. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Education is serious business but that doesn't mean that it can't be fun! Amy and Mike invited educator Julie Post to share the latest tips and tools for game-based learning. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is game-based learning? What makes game-based learning effective? What are some examples of effective game-based learning? How can educators implement game-based principles into instruction? What are the limits of game-based learning? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Julie Post, the owner and primary instructor at Brain-Grow Education. As an undergrad, she attended Columbia University and designed the first Education major there, graduating summa cum laude. She then moved on to Harvard University where she earned her Ed.M in Education. Julie has been teaching full-time for 18 years. She is a firm believer in hard work, implementing effective strategies, and designing a curriculum that is engaging and rewarding. Julie appeared in episode 325 as the subject of a Test Prep Profile. Find Julie at [email protected]. LINKS Educational Games for Students Gamification Definition & Meaning Mathchops The Super Mario Effect - Tricking Your Brain into Learning More | Mark Rober | TEDxPenn Beginner's Mindset for Advanced Results RELATED EPISODES HOW DO I MOTIVATE MY STUDENT? FEEDBACK-DRIVEN METACOGNITION WINNING THE GAME OF SCHOOL ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The foundations of higher education are shifting, often subtly but sometimes with seismic force. Case in point, a confluence of economic, societal, and demographic trends will almost assuredly lead to school closures. The big questions are "Which ones and when?" Amy and Mike invited educational analyst Gary Stocker to understand the complexities of assessing college financial viability. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does financial viability mean in the context of colleges? Are all schools equally viable? What is at risk when attending a school with viability concerns? What factors reveal a school's financial viability? Are many schools likely to close or combine in the next year? MEET OUR GUEST Gary Stocker has substantial business experience in health care and higher education with skills in sales and marketing, management, consulting, operations, and technology. From a small, central Illinois town, Stocker's high school niche was in speech contests and serving as a student manager and athletic trainer for the football team. As a first-generation college student, he majored in medical technology at Eastern Illinois University. Stocker earned his tuition as a 3-year student manager of the university's football team. Since 2004, Stocker's most notable success has been the creation of a university/corporate academic partnership model for a large Midwestern healthcare system. The dozen-plus programs he has developed have provided degree opportunities for hundreds who might otherwise not have had the opportunity. His business unit was nationally recognized as a leader in developing innovative academic partnership models that serve all employees in an organization. His 2010 doctoral dissertation addressed the technological acceptance of electronic medical records by nurses. His colleagues have recognized him as a skilled teacher, facilitator, and motivator during the hundreds of management and leadership classes he has taught. His work as a program director and full-time faculty at Lindenwood University included the development and implementation of a wide variety of data and analytical tools for course scheduling and course demand forecasting. He was also recognized for his skills in using educational technology to enhance the quality and efficiency of learning for his students. As the Chief-of-Staff to a small college president in Missouri, his first few months on the job introduced him to the fragile nature of college finances. Efforts to find potential merger partners led Stocker to ultimately develop an app that lets users compare the financial health and viability of colleges in the United States Stocker uses his experience in developing new business models for higher education that allow for greater efficiency and long-term growth. Stocker says: "In the 21st century, geography is not a limiting factor to business growth in higher education. Colleges and universities should focus on technology infrastructure to leverage available technologies to create new and stronger business opportunities. His College Viability App provides consumers and higher education leaders with a resource to compare the financial health of American private colleges. Stocker has stayed active as a basketball referee, baseball umpire, and pickleball pro. Find Gary at [email protected]. LINKS College Viability College Viability YouTube channel This Week in College Viability Podcasts The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System RELATED EPISODES THE ULTIMATE COLLEGE STRESS TEST RED FLAGS IN COLLEGE SELECTION INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS IN HIGHER EDUCATION ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Conventional wisdom holds that if you don't use it, you lose it, whatever "it" happens to be. But why do we forget information we've learned and how can we better retain it? Amy and Mike invited educational entrepreneur Tyler York to explain how to use spaced repetition for study success. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is spaced repetition? How does spaced repetition compare to traditional study methods? How does reviewing information you've already learned save time? What are the best use cases for spaced repetition, and what is it not good for? What are the best ways to implement spaced repetition? MEET OUR GUEST Tyler York is an entrepreneur and marketing professional with a proven track record as a problem solver and organizational leader. In his over 12 years of experience in startups, mobile gaming, and education, Tyler has brought dozens of products and services to market that generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Tyler is inspired by connecting customers with products that they love and that help them reach their goals. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Achievable, a test prep company focused on opportunity-gating exams such as the GRE, FINRA exams, ACT, AMC, and USMLE. Find Tyler at [email protected]. LINKS Study Right with Spaced Repetition AnkiWeb RELATED EPISODES HOW TO IMPROVE FUTURE MEMORY MAKING LEARNING SCIENCE WORK FOR YOU FAST AND SLOW LEARNERS ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Aspiring college students tend to commit abundant time and resources to learning all about specific schools and programs, yet remain oblivious to their own motivations and needs. Amy and Mike invited author Tracy Badua to comment on finding your authentic self in the path to college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why is the concept of authenticity so central to discussions about life after high school? In what ways does a high-pressure academic environment impact a high schooler? What makes being rejected by a dream school so difficult for teens? What lessons can you share for students who feel that they "owe" their parents success? What advice should every teen take to heart about high school, college, and life? MEET OUR GUEST Tracy Badua is a Filipino American author of books about young people with sunny hearts in a sometimes stormy world. According to her grandmother, Tracy inherited this love of the written word from her great-grandfather, a school teacher in the Philippines. To Tracy, this means writing is in her blood, and she continues this family tradition by telling stories with her own spin in an accessible, heartfelt way. Tracy's newest book is This is Not A Personal Statement?, released Jan 2023. By day, she is an attorney who works in national housing policy and programs, and by night, she squeezes in writing, family time, and bites of her secret stash of candy. School and work brought her from California to Washington, DC, and back, and she now lives in San Diego, California, with her family. Tracy served as an Article Editor for the California Real Property Journal, was a Round 8 mentor for Author Mentor Match and 2021 Pitch Wars mentor, and is actively involved in the Filipino American lawyer community. She was awarded the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators first Out from the Margins Award and a Conference Choice Award at the 2017 San Diego State University Writers' Conference. She is represented by Natalie Lakosil of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency. Find Tracy at https://tracybadua.com. LINKS This Is Not A Personal Statement RELATED EPISODES COLLEGE ADMISSIONS INSANITY WHAT DOES UNHOOKED MEAN IN ADMISSIONS? ADMISSIONS INSIGHTS FOR HIGHLY SELECTIVE UNIVERSITIES ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The college search should ideally reflect a student's distinct preferences for learning and living environments, which can be particularly important for teens on the autism spectrum. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Eric Endlich to detail college admissions considerations for autistic students. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What specific aspects of autism might impact a traditional college experience? What accommodations might autistic students expect in college? Why are campus visits so important for autistic students? Are certain colleges better for students on the autism spectrum? What should autistic students work on in advance to facilitate a successful college transition? MEET OUR GUEST Eric Endlich, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and founder of Top College Consultants®, specializes in college admission for students on the autism spectrum. Dr. Endlich is on the Learning Differences/Neurodiversity and Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Committees of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and received a "Making a Difference" award from IECA for his list of autism-friendly colleges and other contributions to the field. Dr. Endlich writes and presents on college admissions frequently, and has been interviewed by various media including Forbes, Money magazine, College Confidential and U.S. News & World Report. Find Eric at [email protected]. LINKS College Autism Network College programs for autism, ADHD, dyslexia, LD, ASD, neurodiversity, disabilities College Readiness and Transition for Students on the Autism Spectrum Autism and the Transition to College What Questions Should I Ask the Student Disabilities Office? Should You Disclose a Disability When Applying to College? RELATED EPISODES COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FOR TWICE-EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS MAKING THE MOST OF COLLEGE SUPPORT SYSTEMS TRANSITIONING YOUR IEP OR 504 PLAN TO COLLEGE ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Major transitions often result in major confusion for the unprepared. If you are–or support–a teen in the high school graduating class of 2025, the time to consider taking or skipping the new digital SAT is now! Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Eufinger to strategize a testing game plan for the class of 2025. What are five things you will learn in this episode? When will the digital PSAT and SAT be available in the United States? Should students worry about being among the first wave of digital test takers? How should high schoolers plan for the digital SAT? Will the ACT be changing at the same as the SAT? How can students try out the new digital SAT? MEET OUR GUEST Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU's Emergency Support Team. Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep's free parent meetings. Brian serves on the Board of Directors of the National Test Prep Association. He is an active member of Washington University's Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program. Brian was our guest to discuss THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION (#28), SELF-PREP FOR THE SAT & ACT (#131), and SHOULD I TAKE THE ACT WRITING TEST? (#271). He also facilitated our 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW (#100). Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com. LINKS When To Take The SAT or ACT A New Digital SAT Is Coming! Bluebook | College Board RELATED EPISODES NEW SAT TEST SPECIFICATIONS FIRST THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEW DIGITAL SAT SUCCESS IN COMPUTER-BASED TESTING ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The only facts most college applicants know about scholarships for certain is that free money is awesome; everything else is subject to review. Amy and Mike invited scholarship expert Jocelyn Paonita Pearson to clarify four scholarship myths that keep students from winning awards. What are five things you will learn in this episode? When is the best time to apply for scholarships? Do you need to be very special to earn a scholarship? What are the best scholarships when people think about awards? What are time savings opportunities to find scholarships? Where should a student who wants to earn scholarships start? MEET OUR GUEST Jocelyn Pearson founded The Scholarship System to share her own experience of graduating from college with ZERO student loans. When college looked unaffordable for Jocelyn, she sprang into action and secured over $126,000 in college scholarships, even receiving an overage check for expenses. It wasn't an easy process, however. It took her years to figure out exactly what to do to be selected for scholarships. Now she helps families learn how they can do the same by teaching them her 6-step System. Families have secured over $10.5 million in scholarships and growing! Jocelyn is from Charleston, South Carolina and has a beautiful little family with her husband, Donny, and daughter, Amelia. Find Jocelyn at https://thescholarshipsystem.com/. LINKS 6 Steps to Quickly Secure Scholarships for College RELATED EPISODES HOW TO WIN LOCAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS COMMON MISTAKES IN SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS WHAT IS SCHOLARSHIP DISPLACEMENT? ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

We've long accepted that students tend to learn best through specific instructional channels based on their personal preferences. But do they really? Amy and Mike invited data scientist Stanislaw Pstrokonski to review the evidence on learning styles. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does personalization mean in the context of teaching and learning? What are the generally accepted learning styles? Does evidence support the validity of learning styles? What methods of personalizing instruction actually facilitate learning? Are learning styles effective during self-directed study? MEET OUR GUEST Stanislaw "Staś" Pstrokonski is a data scientist in the education technology industry. He currently works for Busuu, where his role is to use machine learning to increase the speed and effectiveness at which users learn a foreign language. A former teacher and private tutor, Staś is also the host of Education Bookcast, a podcast which he has been running for over 5 years, in which he summarizes, reviews, critiques, and contextualizes books and articles relating to education. He is also the co-host of The Pedagogue Cast. Staś first appeared on our podcast in episode 252 to discuss Are IQ Tests Valid?. Find Staś at Education Bookcast. LINKS Learning Styles The Pedagogue-cast: What kind of differences should I pay most attention to when personalizing instruction? RELATED EPISODES MAKING LEARNING SCIENCE WORK FOR YOU FEEDBACK-DRIVEN METACOGNITION HOW TO BE AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATOR ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Maria and Tom Geffers of Career and College Counselors. With over 30 years in the education field involving levels from secondary to university in both the public and private school systems, Maria created various educational programs in regular and gifted education. Maria has presented at state, national and international education conferences. Maria has hands-on experience creating educational curricula that meet the academic needs of gifted and regular education students and AP students. Her work includes college planning, scholarship searching, career planning, administering personality inventories, learning style inventories, expression inventories, interest inventories, coordinating job shadow experiences, college entrance applications, test preparation, and resume writing. Tom, a Certified College Funding Specialist, has over 30 year's experience in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is a graduate of the City University of New York in Business Administration. He was a Commercial and Personal Lines Producer for Declaration Brokerage where he was Regional Vice-President. As a past member of the Million Dollar Round Table, Tom has extensive experience in Life & Health Insurance. As a licensed member of College Planning Relief, Tom has access to the expertise and the many years of college financial planning. Member of PA Association of College Admissions Counselor, Member of the Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce, Lehigh Valley Business Group, and Member of the Association for Certified College Funding Specialist. Together, Tom and Maria have recently published a best-seller, A Degree of Success: The Right Career, the Right College, and the Financial Aid to Make it All Possible. Their podcast, "College and Financial Aid and Career Navigator" has interviewed college, career, and college aid experts to keep parents informed. Find Maria at [email protected]. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Wendie Lubic, a professional who brings a wealth of experience to her educational consulting. She is a Certified Educational Planner (CEP) and a professional member of IECA, NACAC and PCACAC and has taken classes in Independent Educational Consulting at UC Irvine. Wendie has worked with parents and students since 1996, as a certified Parent Educator at the Parent Encouragement Program, and as a Professor of Graphic Design at American University. Wendie became interested in educational consulting as she assisted her own children chart their courses into the world of college and beyond. Wendie is available as a parenting coach, and educational consultant through PEP. As a former journalist and editor, she has extensive experience editing college admissions essays, and her years in graphic design and as a professor, help her evaluate art portfolios as part of the application process. Wendie's emphasis is on reducing the stress and anxiety that has become a part of the college application process. She believes that the student should be in charge of the application process, and consultants and parents can play an important role by supporting the student's efforts, and broadening their horizons. Find Wendie at [email protected]. ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.