The road to college ideally ends when a student arrives at a school that aligns perfectly with both fit and ambition. So why do so many parents take the wheel? Amy and Mike invited educational planner Kristina L. Dooley to explore the role of parents in the college process. What are five things you will learn in this episode? In what ways can parents support their child's exploration of possible careers/majors? How can parents provide feedback on potential college options without making the list...
Mar 30, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 183
Keeping track of the newest social media platforms can be exhausting for many adults. Taking the time to figure out where teens focus their attention, though, offers a rare opportunity to deliver education they’ll actually engage with. Amy and Mike invited educators Jackie Pollina and Josh Kariyev to open a window into the surprising world of test prep TikTok. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is TikTok? What makes TikTok an interesting platform to share educational conte...
Mar 26, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 182
Every relationship depends on clear communication for success, including and especially those involving educators, students, and, when relevant, parents. Amy and Mike invited educational coach Michael Gibben to explore the concept of clarity in educational relationships. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does clarity mean in terms of educational relationships? Why is clarity so essential to successful outcomes? How can educators cultivate that essential clarity regarding ...
Mar 22, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 181
The global pandemic made standardized testing impractical for much of 2020. Before we get used to life without high-stakes exams--as lovely as that might sound--let’s consider what we lose when we abandon objective academic assessments. Amy and Mike invited author and researcher Mike Petrilli to explicate the heightened need for testing in 2021. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What makes testing controversial? Why is 2021 different from other years? What is the value of stan...
Mar 19, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 180
Civilization has never before known the wealth of inexpensive and accessible educational resources that we find on the modern web. However, finding a great site is only the first step in learning from it. Amy and Mike invited programmer Don Sevcik to clarify both using and creating educational websites. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are some of the best educational websites for teens and what traits do they share? How can students make the most of educational websites...
Mar 16, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 179
Why is it that so many of us know so much about APs but so little about IB? Amy and Mike invited college coach Kim Raybuck to explain not just what International Baccalaureate programs are, but where they fit in the continuum of academic rigor. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program and diploma? What are the advantages of participating in IB? How does IB compare to AP, AICE, and dual enrollment? Can college credit be awarded for...
Mar 12, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 178
The rhythms and rituals of college athletic recruiting have traditionally mirrored the predictability of sports seasons themselves. Then came COVID. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Chad Dorman to describe the most prevalent athletic recruiting trends in 2021. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Has recruiting for some sports been impacted more than others? What is the right timeline for high schoolers seeking to be recruited? How can students build attention and expo...
Mar 09, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 177
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Silvia Eufinger , co-founder of Edison Prep, based in Atlanta, GA. Silvia graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2007. While an undergrad, she enjoyed serving with Uncle Joe's (a peer counseling group), the Each One Teach One tutoring program, and AXE, a chemistry pre-professional organization. Silvia completed her doctorate at Emory University in 2013. She is an acti...
Mar 05, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 176
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Jeanne Lucas . After over two decades of experience in education, Jeanne is no stranger to standardized testing. During her 17 years as a high school English teacher, Jeanne taught in several settings, including a suburban, Catholic high school; an urban, private, alternative high school; and a diverse, inner-city public high school. From 2016 to 2020, she taught GED classes for se...
Mar 04, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 175
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Jason Robinovitz , the Chief Operating Officer of all Score At The Top Learning Centers . Jason oversees each Center’s day-to-day operations, ensuring the delivery of top-quality educational support and guidance services to client families. As team leader for a staff of more than 100 educators, Jason is in charge of strategic decision-making, including best practice policies, custo...
Mar 03, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 174
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet David Lynch , the founder of StudyLark Test Prep. He has been working with students worldwide since 1999 on the LSAT, SAT, ACT, GMAT, and GRE tests, and he’s taught Chemistry and English as a Second Language. David is the author of the StudyLark Guide to SAT Writing and Language as well as several other books on the LSAT and other standardized tests. He works with test preparation ...
Mar 02, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 173
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Mary Thomas , founder of Test Prep Simplified, who has implemented her 24 years of experience in education to create simple, proven, and unique ACT and SAT Prep programs. Mary has helped thousands of students from hundreds of schools via classroom, tutoring, test prep, consulting, and curriculum development experiences. Mary ranked 4th in her high school graduating class and gradua...
Mar 01, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 172
The last year represented one of the most transformational periods in the history of education. Wondering what wonders the next year holds? Amy and Mike invited research consultant John Clark to separate fads from sustainable changes in educational technology in 2021. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does technology really mean in education? What does the near future hold for college campuses? How can richer virtual communities drive better education? What breakthroughs ...
Feb 26, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 171
A student who is engaged is a student ready to learn. A student who is not engaged… not so much. Amy and Mike invited educator Julia Silver to explain the 4 P’s of student engagement. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why is engagement so essential to learning? How can teachers inject positive energy into instruction? In what ways does personalization lead to engagement and efficacy? What are the roles of pitch and pace in instruction? Why do we want students to feel like part...
Feb 23, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 170
If sheer volume and vehemence of accusations of racism were sufficient evidence, the case against standardized tests would be closed. But what if testing tilts in a different direction entirely? Amy and Mike invited educator Ted Dorsey to explain how the SAT and ACT are classist rather than racist. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Who says the SAT and ACT are racist? What traits of the tests are traditionally called racist and why? What aspects of socioeconomic class play int...
Feb 19, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 169
In the old days, when high school and college students struggled with classes, we focused on academic tutoring. Why did it take so long to realize how essential motivation and productivity skills are to school success? Amy and Mike invited educational coach Jothsna Kethar to highlight the importance of executive function in teens. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the eleven executive functioning skills? What executive functioning skills are needed for success in scho...
Feb 16, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 168
Nobody would argue that all students with special needs don’t deserve to be supported and provided the resources they need to thrive. Why, then, do students with special talents--particularly for academics--sometimes lack access to the same consideration? Amy and Mike invited educator and author Tai Abrams to discuss the necessity of gifted and talented programs. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the benefits of gifted and talented programs for the long-term success o...
Feb 12, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 167
Colleges and universities struggled with challenges to profitability and program diversity before COVID-19 arrived, and the global pandemic certainly didn’t help matters! Amy and Mike invited higher education expert Daan Braveman to lay out the solutions inherent in innovative partnerships in higher education. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why should colleges be looking for creative ways to work with other organizations? Why should institutions of higher education be obses...
Feb 09, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 166
While the math sections of the SAT and ACT both challenge conceptual understanding and problem-solving across a broad range of similar topics, a closer look shows differing priorities between the two tests. Amy and Mike invited educator Mike McGibbon to explore the obvious and subtle differences between the SAT and ACT math sections. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the differences between SAT and ACT math content and format? Which test offers greater rewards for str...
Feb 05, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 165
Very few people truly love academic standardized testing, but animosity over assessments seems to increase in intensity every year. But are the exams themselves the problem or what their scores reveal? Amy and Mike invited education writer Natalie Wexler to explain why we should listen to what testing tells us. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Do college admissions tests merely reflect cultural or racial bias? Do wealthier families have an unfair advantage because they can af...
Feb 02, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 164
Almost every conversation about college admissions and choice eventually turns to major. Should teenagers even be expected to know what they want to study for the next four to six years? Amy and Mike invited admissions expert V. Peter Pitts to consider if and when college majors matter. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Should students know what they want to major in when applying to schools? In which cases do majors not matter? Are there examples of majors that are essential ...
Jan 29, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 163
Course selection heavily influences both a student’s high school experience and college prospects, yet definitive answers on how to make these choices are often lacking. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Phil Black to analyze high school course selection and academic rigor. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What factors are important when thinking about class selection? Where does “class selection” rank in importance for college admissions? How do students (and their...
Jan 26, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 162
When the global pandemic hit, many families were reluctant to abandon face-to-face tutoring for remote platforms. Are their good reasons to be equally hesitant to completely return to old models of instruction? Amy and Mike invited educator Christopher Sanderson to review key strategies to make online tutoring matter more. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why is creating engagement the first step to effective online learning? What do parents want to hear when their teens are ...
Jan 22, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 161
Pre-COVID, visiting a college campus was an important way to both learn about a school and signal interest. Today and likely going forward, more and more families will conduct that due diligence online, but they have to do it right. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Jodi Rosenshein Atkin to highlight ways to demonstrate interest during virtual college tours. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why is demonstrated interest so important in terms of admissions? What are t...
Jan 19, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 160
While standardized tests assess only part of a full high school math curriculum, assessing priorities has historically been difficult. Fortunately, ACT has quantified and clarified many elements of its flagship exam. Amy and Mike invited educator Adam Snoza to explain what can be learned from ACT Math Reporting Categories. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the main ACT Math Reporting Categories? How have the math reporting categories evolved over the last five years? ...
Jan 15, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 159
The premise of holistic admissions suggests that admissions officers consider the whole applicant. But how can intangibles like character or compassion be judged alongside empirical data like grades or test scores? Amy and Mike invited Glenn Manning and Brennan E. Barnard to describe how this challenge is being addressed by the Making Caring Common Project. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the Making Caring Common Project and how did it get its start? What do admissio...
Jan 12, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 158
According to former Secretary of Education Rod Paige, “There is no more powerful advocate than a parent armed with information and options.” But does that still apply to parents of teens? Amy and Mike invited parent coach and podcaster Punam Saxena to explain the importance of advocacy for parents of high schoolers. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why should high school parents become and stay involved? With whom should high school parents establish lines of communication? W...
Jan 08, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 157
While a college admissions process depends on a myriad of large and small moving parts, the great challenge in applying to schools lies not in the number of criteria but in accurately guessing which ones matter most. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Steven Mercer to analyze issues in transparency in college admissions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why does transparency in admissions matter? What are the differences between holistic, index, and open admissions? ...
Jan 05, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 156
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Rob Pollak , an expert SAT and ACT tutor with a passion for helping high school students and their families navigate the standardized testing process. In 2012, Rob founded Pollak Tutors, a private tutoring company that helps students in NJ, NY, and CT prepare for and achieve their goals on college entrance exams. Rob is a graduate of Hamilton College, Fordham University School of L...
Jan 01, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 155
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Kenny Tan , who has been working in test prep since 2010. Kenny founded Kenny Tan Test Prep to empower students with the grit, resilience, and curiosity necessary for a successful academic and professional career. He specializes in the SHSAT, ISEE, SSAT, SAT, and ACT. Kenny, the son of Chinese immigrants, graduated from Stuyvesant High School in New York City and received his B.A. ...
Dec 31, 2020•16 min•Season 1Ep. 154
