Every October, approximately 3.5 million high schoolers take the PSAT/NMSQT, but a significantly smaller percentage of the population understands exactly why! Amy and Mike invited test prep professional and author Brian Stewart to explain both the PSAT and the National Merit Scholarship. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the PSAT and why should a student take it? What is the National Merit Scholarship? How does the Selection Index differ from a PSAT or SAT score? Do co...
Oct 11, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Everyone knows that school visits are an important and often enjoyable part of the college admissions process. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to make this process worthwhile. Amy and Mike invited independent educational consultant Jodi Rosenshein Atkin to share serious tips on making the most of college visits. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What makes school visits important for students in terms of both fit and admissions? What is a “Goldilocks visit” dry run? What...
Oct 08, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Despite their value, the SAT and ACT have always been the tests people love to hate. But do the test makers themselves--considering all the good works they do--deserve this same level of contempt? Amy and Mike invited Ben Sexton of Sexton Test Prep to clarify what College Board and ACT are doing right. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How do predictive validity research supports the value of the SAT in admissions decisions? Why does Khan Academy delivers such valuable free te...
Oct 04, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 31
When people think of colleges, the names that come to mind are very often those of large public universities. But how many teens can handle attending schools with populations larger than their own hometowns? You’d be surprised! Amy and Mike invited The Ohio State University Admissions Counselor Keith Lofton to expand upon the benefits of attending a large public university. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Are students typically overwhelmed by the size of a huge university? H...
Oct 01, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Testing may be an individual endeavor, but test prep is very much a team sport. People often focus on the essential roles of educators, counselors, and other external supports, but what about dear old mom and dad? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Alexis Avila to explain how parents can best support students in test prep. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are helicopter, snowplow, curling, and absentee landlord parents? How much pressure is the right amount of p...
Sep 27, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Earning straight A’s once signified levels of academic excellence and diligence unattainable by most students. Do these grades still mean as much when 40% or more of the class carries the same perfect average? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Brian Eufinger to explore the reality of grade inflation. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does it mean when more than half of students at a school have A averages? How common are C-level grades at public and private scho...
Sep 24, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 28
For admissions exams as infamous as the SAT and ACT, these classic tests seem to inspire a lot of confusion. How much about prior versions of these tests still hold true, and what commonly held beliefs were always false? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Daniel Ascher to debunk some common myths about the SAT and ACT. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Do some schools prefer one test over the other? Are certain tests or test dates easier than others? Does either test ...
Sep 20, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Few Americans know much about the Reserve Officer Training Corps program, and even fewer have insight into the ROTC scholarship. However, the evident and not-so-obvious benefits of this scholarship deserve the attention of anyone involved in the college admissions process. Amy and Mike invited consultant and author Lieutenant Colonel Robert O. Kirkland to talk all about the ROTC scholarship. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does ROTC entail? How difficult is it for a stu...
Sep 17, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 26
To many, the gifted and talented designation seems to promise a future of effortless academic success. How, then, can the adults in their lives help when these students face the inevitable educational challenges? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Shane Bybee to offer guidance on what to do when gifted and talented students struggle. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How is gifted and talented defined and identified? What is the remedy when gifted and talented student...
Sep 13, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Of all the academic choices a student entering eighth grade or high school must make, math course selection exerts the most influence on future choices. What should a student, parent, or counselor consider when weighing the options? Amy and Mike invited author and math expert Richard Corn to clarify the process of choosing high school math courses strategically. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What should drive math course selection? How do grade level, accelerated, and gift...
Sep 10, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 24
The world’s great cities offer some of the biggest, best, and broadest options in virtually any category you can think of, including colleges and universities. What differentiates the metropolitan college experience, and who most-- or least --benefits from such a dynamic, diverse environment? Amy and Mike invited NYU Director of Admissions Billy Sichel to shed light on the realities of attending college in a big city. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the advantages o...
Sep 06, 2019•29 min•Season 1Ep. 23
No feature of the ACT distinguishes that test more from its College Board rival than the Science section. How can a test feature as enduring and prominent as this one still be so poorly understood? Amy and Mike invited author and test prep guru Michael Cerro to provide some definitive answers regarding what ACT Science is all about. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What makes ACT Science different from every other test section? How much actual science does a test taker need t...
Sep 03, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 22
The public rarely receives any College Board initiative warmly, but the general response to announcement of the Environmental Context Dashboard exceeded most previous levels of cynicism, so much so that they’re already going back to the drawing board for a new plan. What makes the idea of an “adversity score” so contentious, and what does that nickname get wrong? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Travis Minor to provide much-needed context to the implications of an Environmental Contex...
Aug 30, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 21
While every teen endures some level of emotional or behavioral turmoil, some reach such a crisis point that they require immersive therapy in specialized academic or nonacademic settings. Amy and Mike invited education professional Jason Robinovitz to explain the different options for therapeutic schools and teens in crisis. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What kind of students need therapeutic schools and programs? What are the purposes and goals of these programs? What hap...
Aug 27, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 20
When is a price not a price? When the stated retail cost of a year at any college diverges dramatically from what students actually cost, you can’t effectively factor price into your initial college search. Amy and Mike invited educational expert Mark Salisbury to explain the importance of and path to college price transparency. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why isn’t a college’s “sticker price” enough to understand how much a student actually pays? Why do undergraduate fi...
Aug 23, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 19
How can we succeed in the moment when we’re so burdened by thoughts of the past and anxious over fears of the future? The practice and application of mindfulness can keep a person fully focused on the present. Amy and Mike invited author and test prep professional Logan Thompson to discuss powerful strategies for using mindfulness for test and school success. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is mindfulness? What is “the other half of test prep” and how can mindfulness he...
Aug 20, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 18
The multiple-choice grammar sections of the SAT and ACT have never been more similar. Nonetheless, important distinctions between the ACT English and SAT Writing and Language sections can influence how test takers approach the exams. Amy and Mike invited best-selling author Erica Meltzer to explore the subtle differences between the SAT and ACT grammar sections. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How similar are the SAT and ACT grammar sections? Are some grammar questions more ...
Aug 16, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Many test takers find the basic scaling of the SAT confusing, but the finer points of how this highly influential yet massively misunderstood test is graded mystifies even the professionals who deal with the SAT every day. Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Aaron Golumbfskie to definitively explain how the SAT is really scored... What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why don’t raw score-scale score conversions remain the same from test to test? Is the SAT scored on a curv...
Aug 13, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 16
About 66% of American students FAIL to earn their bachelor’s degrees in four years. Yet, those extra years of college come at a tremendous cost. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Edie Steele to explore the benefits and challenges around finishing a four-year degree on time. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why does finishing a four-year degree on time matter? What academic issues keep students from finishing college on time? What credit and career planning issues ke...
Aug 09, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Far too often, we evaluate math ability in high schoolers solely on the basis of grades and level of math learned. A more accurate assessment of a student’s potential on challenging math tasks--including those posed on tests like the SAT and ACT--should consider mathematical maturity. Amy and Mike invited author and test prep professional Dr. Steve Warner to define what this means and explain the link between mathematical maturity and test success. What are five things you will learn in this epi...
Aug 06, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Most of us involved even tangentially in college admissions understand that, while earning a college degree is expensive, the investment is well worth it on a variety of levels. But college is, by any metric, expensive! Amy and Mike invited college finance and planning expert Paul Celuch to discuss ways to recognize and deal with the rampant cost of college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Are college applicants making rational economic choices? Do colleges seem out of touch...
Jul 30, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Why is it so difficult sometimes for professionals with overlapping competencies to collaborate or communicate even when they seek the same outcomes. Amy and Mike invited Cathy Charles Szendrey, who works as both a school-based and private college counselor, to explore how school and private college counselors can work together. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why do school counselors often reject working with outside college consultants? Are there positive ways school couns...
Jul 23, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 12
While all teenagers are alike in certain ways, those at the very top and very bottom of the socioeconomic spectrum share some disconcerting similarities. How are these peer groups connected and what can be done to help them? Amy and Mike invited psychiatrist Anthony Villani to bring clarity to the topic of anxiety and socioeconomic status. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What fascinating aspects of teen life has Dr.Suniya Luthar uncovered in her research? What behaviors do t...
Jul 16, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 11
The SAT and ACT have both been around for decades, but the two tests have never been more alike or universally accepted. How is a college-bound teen to choose? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Heather Krey to help understand the relevant criteria in deciding between the SAT and ACT. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why shouldn’t students automatically default to a certain test? What math considerations influence test selection? What reading considerations influence...
Jul 09, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Comprehensive college advising sets the foundation for college success, but not all students receive this guidance in equal measure. What kind of specific support do urban, rural, and first-generation students need, and who can and should provide it?. Amy and Mike invited school counselor Dr. Chris Tudico to help understand the topic of college advising for underserved populations. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How do underserved populations differ from majority population...
Jul 02, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Many of today’s high school students somehow appear to cram 30 hours of academic, extracurricular, work, and social commitments into each of their 24-hour days. Is that frenzy of activity sustainable or even healthy? Amy and Mike invited school counselor Eric Domroes to analyze the need for bringing critical balance to high schoolers’ lives. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does balance mean for a high school student? Where does the pressure to do too much come from? Wha...
Jun 21, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Test preparation might be the least understood or explored multibillion dollar industry in the world. How has test prep--particularly in the realm of college admissions testing--changed, and how is the industry still changing? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Kevin Organisciak to explore the state of the test prep industry in 2019. What are five things you will learn in this episode? In what ways is the test prep industry growing? What forms of test prep are students currently looking...
Jun 21, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Students have never had access to more or better digital SAT and ACT prep tools than they do right now. So why aren’t everyone’s scores skyrocketing? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Tom Ehlers to explain how to make the most of online test prep. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the different forms of online prep? What are the benefits of self-paced digital prep and who best benefits from it? What features make the best self-paced digital prep tools? How c...
Jun 21, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Is any aspect of college admissions more mystifying than the determination of financial aid? The concept of “need” and how different schools consider need in both admissions and aid decisions goes deeper than most people realize. Amy and Mike invited admissions consultant Jona Jacobson to bring clarity to the topic of need blind and need aware admissions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What do the terms “need,” “need blind,” and “need aware” mean in college admissions? What...
Jun 21, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In communities across the United States, libraries deliver critical services to students and families on the road to college. Why do so few people recognize the essential role libraries can play in this process? Amy and Mike invited YA Librarian Deena Viviani to elucidate the role of libraries in testing and admissions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? In what ways do libraries support students preparing for the SAT and ACT? In what ways do libraries support students applying...
Jun 21, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 4
