Every day, people watch over a billion hours of video on YouTube. Is it possible to make just a little bit of that time educational?! Amy and Mike invited educator Brooke Hanson to take us behind the scenes of test prep YouTube. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does it take to build a YouTube Channel? Why should you both listen to and speak with your audience? How do you crack the YouTube algorithm and get subscribers? In what ways is the format of YouTube at odds with t...
Jun 22, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 213
While there are over 3,000 four-year colleges and universities in the United States, most conversation about higher education focuses on 5% of them at most. No wonder these name-brand schools have become tougher than ever to get into. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Aly Beaumont to discuss preparation for highly selective college admissions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What happened to the Class of 2025 and what do we anticipate for the Class of 2026? Did sub...
Jun 18, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 212
Tests like the SAT and ACT are almost universally reviled by those who deem the tests not only worthless and self-referential but also key agents in educational inequality. But does the evidence actually support those bold claims? Amy and Mike invited author and academic Freddie deBoer to dispel five myths about standardized tests. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Aren’t admissions exams just wealth tests? Can superior test scores be bought? Do SAT and ACT scores really predi...
Jun 15, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 211
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Sheri Elmore is the Vice President of LEAP . Growing up in Cincinnati, graduating from Sycamore High School then Miami University, teaching high school mathematics for 12 years, and earning a master’s degree in educational administration from Wright State University, all paved the way for Sheri to be an integral leader at LEAP. Sheri started with LEAP as a tutor in the early years ...
Jun 11, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 210
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Vince Kotchian , who grew up in small-town Connecticut and completed the honors program at Boston College, graduating with a B.A. in English Literature. Vince moved to San Diego in 2007 and has been working full-time as a test-prep tutor ever since. Vince has scored a perfect 170 in verbal (twice) and a 167 in quant on the GRE. He is the founder of both Vince Kotchian Test Prep and...
Jun 10, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 209
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Robin Satty, Ph.D. , a graduate of Brown University with an Sc.B and Sc.M in Biology. Robin began her career in test prep in 2010 at Revolution Prep and began teaching science full time in 2011. Since then, she has taught Biology, Chemistry, and General Science at the middle school and high school levels, while tutoring for the SAT and ACT in the evenings. Since earning an Ed.D in ...
Jun 09, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 208
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Alexis Avila , the founder of Prepped and Polished tutoring and test preparation in 1999. Headquartered in South Natick, the company helps elementary, secondary, college-level and adult students improve their grades and test scores and has served thousands of students across the globe. Through his 20+ years in business, Avila has been an innovator within the tutoring industry, crea...
Jun 08, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 207
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Laura Link , the founder of Link Private Tutoring . Laura is passionate about meeting every student where they are so they can access opportunities that fulfill their dreams. As a sought-after test prep expert, Laura has traveled the United States training teachers how to help students raise their ACT and SAT scores. Now, she is both a full-time ACT Prep teacher in a Louisiana publ...
Jun 07, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 206
Tutors may be part of the educational ecosystem of any district, state, or country, but they tend to be forgotten when celebrations roll around. Don’t tutors deserve better? Amy and Mike invited educators Julia Silver and Ludo Millar to announce the inaugural World Tutors' Day. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is World Tutors' Day? Why do we need a World Tutors' Day? How will World Tutors' Day provide a mechanism to express gratitude to tutors? What is the Love Tutoring ...
Jun 04, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 205
In an era when every other aspect of education has integrated at least some digital component, can we really expect standardized tests to stay the same as they have since the mid-20th century? Amy and Mike invited researcher Benjamin Backes to compare paper- and computer-based testing. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why are so many tests being moved to digital platforms? In what meaningful ways are traditional paper- and computer-based tests different? Do students score equ...
Jun 01, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 204
The SAT and ACT test a plethora of math, reading, and writing skills drawn from the full extent of a K-11 academic career. Considering the breadth of expertise required, are there certain areas students should go deep? Amy and Mike invited educator Jennifer Winward to identify high-priority SAT and ACT topics? What are five things you will learn in this episode? What can be learned from analyzing official released SAT and ACT exams? What are the most important grammar and writing rules to learn ...
May 28, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 203
When you hear “resume,” you probably think (perhaps with a shudder) of applying for a job. But since a document like this serves as a succinct summary of someone’s experience, educational background, and special skills, it also makes a surprising difference when applying to a school. Amy and Mike invited college counseling expert Judi Robinovitz to detail the process of crafting a college resume. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How important is it for a high school student t...
May 25, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 202
While the College Board and ACT have become synonymous with the SAT and ACT respectively, the test makers strive to contribute much more than their flagship exams to the challenges of education, equity, and college and career readiness. Amy and Mike invited journalist Jon Marcus to explore all the ways College Board and ACT are changing. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are some little-known but substantial aspects of the test makers’ business models? What are the Colleg...
May 21, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 201
Traditional schooling challenges even the most diligent learners, let alone those with attention deficit or hyperactivity. Luckily, there are a host of practical skills and strategies students can learn to make schooling more productive and successful. Amy and Mike invited academic coach Wendy Weinberger to explain the connections between executive function and ADHD. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What makes executive function skills so essential for teens and young adults?...
May 18, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 200
Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs both set the standard for academic rigor in high school. But is one of them clearly better than the other? Amy and Mike invited educators Garry and Christy Shriver to analyze the choice between AP and IB programs. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the benefits of the Advanced Placement (AB) program? What are the benefits of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program? In what ways are the AP and IB programs ...
May 14, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 199
Optimal performance in sports requires careful attention to nutrition. Why should optimal performance on grueling tests be any different? Amy and Mike invited dietitian nutritionist Hannah Byrne to recommend what to eat and not eat for test day. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What dietary considerations are important in the weeks leading up to a big test? What should test takers eat on the morning of a big test? How can diet and nutrition help test takers to excel? What sna...
May 11, 2021•24 min•Season 1Ep. 198
The end of college doesn’t necessarily mean the end of testing, as anyone who aspires to business, law, or graduate school knows well. Amy and Mike invited educator Vince Kotchian to speak in-depth about the GRE. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the GRE? What kinds of schools or programs use the GRE for admissions? When should students prepare for and take the GRE? How does the GRE resemble and differ from the SAT or ACT? What should test takers know about the compute...
May 07, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 197
Too many students believe that the process of putting together highly selective college applications should be a joyless grind. Why not follow your bliss to the school of your choice? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Julie Kim to share her passion for Passion Projects. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How has the extracurricular landscape changed in admissions over the last decade? Why don't traditional methods ensure that students get accepted into colleges? How c...
May 04, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 196
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Shane Bybee of Bybee College Prep has spent over half his life teaching. Along the way, he has worked with thousands of different students teaching everything from remedial 7th grade English/Language Arts to Dual Credit English IV and AP Language and Composition and even remedial Algebra I. Every year, no matter the subject he taught, his students outperformed the campus ...
Apr 30, 2021•19 min•Season 1Ep. 195
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Ariel Akselrad Lieberman , the founder of Your Best Prep , a tutoring company based in Westchester County, NY that helps high school students, both neurotypical and those with learning differences, master the standardized test prep process and achieve their academic goals. Prior to founding Your Best Prep, Ariel wrote SAT and AP curriculum for Ivy Consulting Group in...
Apr 29, 2021•18 min•Season 1Ep. 194
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? 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 caters 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 w...
Apr 28, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 193
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? Meet Carmen Fernández de Tarrago , the founder of SATPrep DR, based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A high school math teacher with 25+ years of experience, Carmen is a provider of test preparation tutoring and classes for the SAT/ACT and academic tutoring in math. She is devoted to helping students improve their math SAT scores and for the last 5 years, many of her students have ...
Apr 27, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 192
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Scott Greenspan , the founder/president of Span Test Prep in Glenview IL, which is located in the north suburbs of Chicago. For the last 25 years, Scott has helped over 4000 students reach their goals on the ACT and SAT. He especially enjoys working with his students on motivation, mindfulness, and mastery of the content. He and his staff also do academic tutoring an...
Apr 26, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 191
We all know that college costs. But how much will a semester at a given college cost for you? Will that tuition differ from what others pay? Why is college so expensive anyway? Amy and Mike invited author and columnist Ron Lieber to explain the price you really pay for college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why does college cost so much, and who is paying the full sticker price? Why and how has the financial aid system gotten so complicated? How does conventional wisdom ab...
Apr 23, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 190
The global pandemic changed nearly everything about schooling and testing. One aspect of the academic experience, however, that might not have changed has been the willingness of some students to misrepresent their knowledge or understanding in order to earn better grades. Amy and Mike invited testing expert Jarret Dyer to share research regarding the growing impact of cheating during COVID. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Do students take tests differently based on whether ...
Apr 20, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 189
Pronounced differences in standardized test scores often manifest across racial and socioeconomic segments of districts, states, and the U.S. as a whole. Does this mean the tests are biased, or can the bias be found elsewhere? Amy and Mike invited educator Eva Addae to explain how SAT and ACT scores highlight educational inequity. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the historical narrative about college entrance exams and bias? How do test makers keep bias out of test i...
Apr 16, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 188
We all know how valuable scholarship awards can be in defraying the high cost of education. But how many applicants recognize how often colleges subtract from their own aid packages the exact amounts students report in external scholarship funds? Amy and Mike invited scholarship expert Ken Downs to shed light on the mysterious phenomenon of scholarship displacement. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What exactly is scholarship displacement? Why does scholarship displacement oc...
Apr 13, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 187
When more selective schools open doors to more substantial opportunities--and compensation-- gaining admission to the right MBA programs can be serious business! Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Brett Ethridge to share the most current guidance on getting into business school. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Do college majors matter to business school? What admissions tests do business schools accept? What is the optimal timeline for applying to MBA and related pr...
Apr 09, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 186
While teachers generally want students to be ready for the quizzes, exams, and finals associated with their curriculum, most shy away from focusing on state or national assessments. Too bad, really, when school is the perfect place to prepare for any test. Amy and Mike invited educator Laura Link to extol the virtues of incorporating test prep into the high school classroom. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How can educators reconcile readiness standards and state or district...
Apr 06, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 185
Leaders inspire others to make things happen. Colleges want students who make things happen. Seems like a natural fit, right? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Lt. Col. Lisa Hillhouse to discuss how and why to demonstrate leadership in college applications. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why does leadership matter to colleges? How is leadership defined in this context? How can students demonstrate leadership in their college applications? Are titles necessary to d...
Apr 02, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 184
