There are so many decisions to be made on the path to college, including deciding which college entrance exam to take. ACT has announced new options coming for the ACT® test, starting with the September 2020 national test date, designed to give students more flexibility in their college planning. What do we know about these changes so far? Amy and Mike invited ACT National Director of K-12 Lisa Wolf to share details right from the source about new options for the ACT. What are five things you wi...
Feb 14, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Every high school athlete dreams of playing for an elite college team, ideally with tuition, room, board, and all associated expenses covered. But how closely does that fantasy match reality? Amy and Mike invited coach and author Renee Lopez to offer critical insights and advice to college applicants looking for a full ride. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Does anyone get a full ride anymore? How and when should student athletes initiate contact with coaches? What are the be...
Feb 11, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 62
American colleges and universities represent many of the highest ideals of an educated, democratic society, and few institutions of higher education are as quintessentially American as our historically black colleges and universities. What makes HBCUs so special? Amy and Mike invited Howard University Associate Provost Anthony Jones to expand upon the benefits of attending an historically black college or university. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How does the history of HB...
Feb 07, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 61
When you work in the business of education, you are bound to receive an education in business law. Don’t learn your legal lessons the hard way! Amy and Mike invited attorney Matthew K. Seeley to the Tests and the Rest Winter Conference 2020 to speak about legal issues for educational enterprises. In the second part of his remarkably thorough and insightful presentation, Matthew addressed the legal issues around noncompete agreements and intellectual property. Be sure to download the attached pre...
Feb 04, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 60
When you work in the business of education, you are bound to receive an education in business law. Don’t learn your legal lessons the hard way! Amy and Mike invited attorney Matthew Seeley to the Tests and the Rest Winter Conference 2020 to speak about legal issues for educational enterprises. In the first part of his remarkably thorough and insightful presentation, Matthew addressed the legal issues around employees and independent contractors. Be sure to download the attached presentation pdf ...
Jan 31, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 59
In the course of common school day activities, students share extensive personal data, completely oblivious to the many ways this information can be--and often is--exploited. Even the important college admissions tests can present certain security hazards. Amy and Mike invited student advocate Leonie Haimson to explain both the necessity and challenges of keeping student data private. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Who seeks to collect student data and under what rationale?...
Jan 28, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Colleges and universities in the United States draw international acclaim and interest. Why, then, might American students be wise to consider schooling abroad? Amy and Mike invited international educational consultant Kevin Newton to enumerate the many unexpected benefits of attending university in Europe. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What countries should American students consider for university? How important are the SAT, ACT, and Subject Tests in admissions to Europe...
Jan 24, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Major revisions of the major standardized college entrance exams come few, far between, and with great fanfare. Don’t take this to mean, however, that the SAT and ACT don’t change all the time bit by bit. Amy and Mike invited test prep expert Evan Wessler to the Tests and the Rest Winter Conference 2020 to speak about emerging trends in SAT and ACT content. The recording of this incredibly important presentation runs much longer than our usual podcast, but anyone who prepares students for the te...
Jan 21, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 56
While qualifying for admission to a competitive college or university requires endless hours of study and commitment, applying to such a school should not. Is the application process as difficult as it used to be, and can it be further improved? Amy and Mike invited author and consultant Roger Dooley to explain the importance of reducing friction in the college admissions process. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How does the Fogg Behavior Model illuminate problems in the col...
Jan 17, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 55
While getting into college seems like a Herculean task requiring the collaboration and contributions of a team of experts, paying for college can--believe it or not--be even tougher. For example, nearly everyone takes out student loans, but how many applicants understand what they should focus on? Amy and Mike invited financial aid expert Elaine Rubin to break down the basics of what you need to know about student loans. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What kinds of loans ca...
Jan 14, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Since 2014, Gallup has investigated some of the most important outcomes of higher education through a survey of college graduates. What valuable lessons can future college students learn from the reflections of those who came before them? Amy and Mike invited research consultant John Clark to explain the significance of the Gallup Alumni Survey and the six college experiences that drive success. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does the Gallup Alumni Survey capture about...
Jan 10, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Many high school students dream about playing sports on the college level. However, entering the application and recruitment process with low grades and test scores can be a nightmare for even the most talented athletes. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Jennifer Henson to explain requirements for test scores and the NCAA Clearinghouse. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the NCAA eligibility center, and why does it matter? What is confusing about how NCAA eval...
Jan 07, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Too many students, parents, and professionals act as if high schoolers magically transform into independent, motivated, productive college students right after their graduation ceremonies, even if none of those adjectives previously applied. If only that were true! Amy and Mike invited clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Adam Zamora to offer insights into helping students prepare for the demands of college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How long is the transition from high scho...
Dec 31, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 51
The college essay provides teens their single best chance to speak from the heart and share something significant that does not come through the rest of the application. But what happens when a student can’t find anything significant to share? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Carrie Bedard to extol the virtues of utilizing a reflection journal to prepare for a college essay. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is a reflection journal and how does it differ from a...
Dec 24, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Many families embark on the college search process with a magical “dream school” in mind. But what if the dream doesn’t match the reality? Amy and Mike invited college consultant Lynn O’Shaughnessy to answer the burning question of whether where you go to school matters. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What makes a school a “dream college” to most students? What the relationship is between college selectivity and student outcomes.? What do college rankings actually measure? ...
Dec 17, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 49
We live in a society where most people hate tests with the same intensity they love sports. Would this stark dichotomy exist if the many parallels between the two challenges were more widely known? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Tony Miglio to describe how test prep and sports are similar. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why do sports analogies make so much sense when we talk about test prep? Why is motivation so important in both endeavors? What does the concep...
Dec 10, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Grade inflation often seems like a trivial offense, a somewhat victimless crime. However, evidence suggests the exact opposite, that the practice undermines students, corrodes institutions, and perpetuates privilege. Amy and Mike invited researcher and professor Seth Gershenson Ph.D to enumerate the many reasons why grade inflation is harmful. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the three different types of grade inflation and how do they manifest? How does grade inflat...
Dec 03, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 47
For many students, community college represents the path to academic and career success, while others only see a stop on a longer educational journey. County by county and state by state, these institutions truly focus on community. Amy and Mike invited Cuyahoga Community College Director Heidi Nicholas to describe the experience and advantages of attending a community college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is distinctive and great about attending community college? W...
Nov 26, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Success in tests, as in life, comes down to much more than just what you know. But where and how are students supposed to learn key skills like time management, organization, prioritization, and project management? Amy and Mike invited interdisciplinary educator Jenna Bee to explore the connections between executive functioning skills and test prep. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What key skills fall under the header of executive functioning? Where or when do we develop exe...
Nov 22, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 45
While life after high school should be one of the most important considerations for teens and the adults that support them, too many kids choose default paths because they don’t know the depth and breadth of options before them. Amy and Mike invited school counselor Andrea House to discuss the vital importance of pathway planning for high schoolers. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does pathway planning mean to a high schooler? What are career clusters, and how do they i...
Nov 19, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Attending college as a student with special needs presents a wide variety of serious logistical challenges. Even more daunting, though, may be the extra burden of paying for extra accommodations and services on top of tuition, room, and board. Amy and Mike invited Publisher and VP of Research for Savingforcollege.com Mark Kantrowitz to outline the increased college costs for special needs students. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What special needs tend to incur extra costs ...
Nov 15, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Humans may spend about a third of their lives asleep, but the average time at slumber dips dramatically during the teen years. Yet, the physical, mental, and emotional health of adolescents and young adults depends desperately on sufficient time to rest, recuperate, and dream. Amy and Mike invited program manager for Start School Later of Sleep 101 Kari Oakes to offer strategies for helping teens get the sleep they need. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How much sleep do teen...
Nov 12, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Techniques such as hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming can be used to quell anxiety, sharpen focus, and boost performance. So why do so few educators know about how these skills and interventions can improve test taking outcomes? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Bara Sapir to share some mental techniques for peak test performance. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are some mental enhancement techniques that allow us to be present in a pivotal moment? Whic...
Nov 08, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 41
NACAC’s Code of Ethics and Professional Practices (CEPP) establish guidelines for college admissions conduct that most colleges voluntarily observe. In 2019, the organization voted to remove three provisions believed to inhibit competition among colleges for students. How will this change college recruiting practices? Amy and Mike invited past president of NACAC Patrick O’Connor to explain the implications of 2020 changes in admissions rules. What are five things you will learn in this episode? ...
Nov 05, 2019•27 min•Season 1Ep. 40
While we always expect standardized test scores to reflect general academic achievement, these metrics often diverge dramatically. When students underperform on tests, they--and their parents--often conclude that they are just “bad test takers.” But is that even a thing? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional and author Moshe Ohayon to clarify what it means to be a bad test taker. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Is it possible to be a bad test taker? What are the signs ...
Nov 01, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 39
In a perfect world, every student would commit to exactly the kind of test prep program he or she needs to confidently reach or exceed SAT & ACT score goals. However, in the world we live in, most families have no idea what an ideal test prep program should even look like. Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Evan Wessler to illuminate how test prep tutoring should work. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why is test prep necessary? What are some fundamentals any tes...
Oct 29, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 38
“Grit” is definitely one of this decade’s biggest buzzwords in education. However, many people use this term without a clear sense of what grit really means or how to cultivate it. Amy and Mike invited researcher and author Laila Y. Sanguras to explain how to bring grit to the testing and admissions process. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What exactly is grit? Why are passion and perseverance essential to reaching high levels of success ? How can parents, educators, and cou...
Oct 25, 2019•25 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Most high schoolers are highly motivated to attend and maybe even graduate college. If only they’d bring the same fervor to the steps needed to get to college! Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Pranoy Mohapatra to discuss what motivates students and how to engage them. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Where does motivation start and what motivates most teens? What can be done to help drive students who lack or lose motivation? Why is motivating students to care abou...
Oct 22, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 36
While you may be able to uncover hundreds of Catholic and Christian universities in your college searches, you’ll only find a select number of Jesuit schools. These universities, however, tend to stand out from the crowd in terms of reputation, satisfaction, and overall academic excellence. Amy and Mike invited Xavier University Regional Recruitment Director Trace Althoff to extol the virtues of attending a Jesuit university. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How many Jesuit u...
Oct 18, 2019•24 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Isn’t it funny how we expect students to study and understand really complex material while using really basic study skills? Educators should prepare their students for advanced learning by understanding and sharing advanced learning techniques. Amy and Mike invited academic life coach Gretchen Wegner to share tips on how to teach students to study effectively. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does your body have to do with your ability to learn? What and why educators n...
Oct 15, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 34
