Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Shayda Moshirvaziri , the founder of Pivot Tutors . Shayda graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Biomedical Engineering in 2003. She was accepted at MIT, John Hopkins University, Stanford, and UCSD for Ph.D. programs in Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering on full fellowship. She chose to attend UCS...
Feb 25, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 303
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST A Georgia native, Blake Shealy attended high school in Cobb County at McEachern High School. While there, he earned valedictorian and STAR student honors and attended the University of Georgia in 2004 as a Bernard Ramsey Scholar and a member of the honors program. After graduating in 2008, Blake began a career in medical research and worked in labs across the U.S. includi...
Feb 24, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 302
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Manjri Gupta. Manjri wears many hats. She is a wife, a proud mother, an avid walker, and the owner and founder of a growing business in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She holds a B.S in Chemistry and an M.B.A in Finance. Though her career began within the walls of big corporate climates, Manjri has always believed in the value of education. One might say that education is...
Feb 23, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 301
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Travis Minor founded Open Door Education in 2011 with the goal of building the best and most impactful tutoring company in Massachusetts. Travis, who earned his B.S. in Secondary Education at the University of Vermont and his M.Ed. at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, began his teaching career in West Philadelphia, where he became acutely aware of the profound impac...
Feb 22, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 300
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Ashley Boggs , the owner of Problem-Solving Math, LLC located in Parkersburg, WV. She holds multiple degrees and teaching licenses in elementary education, secondary mathematics and science education, and school administration with a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. A National Test Prep Association member, Ashley is also the only ACT-Certified Educator in t...
Feb 21, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 299
Up until 2020, not many educators or students had direct experience with live online instruction, but once COVID arrived, everyone did. Was this just a passing phase? Amy and Mike invited educator Adam Snoza to explore why remote tutoring is here to stay. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Is online tutoring here to stay, even post-pandemic? What are the benefits of online tutoring over in-person? How do you maintain engagement in one on one tutoring and group classes online? W...
Feb 18, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 298
Many families envision scholarships as a substantial contributor to an expensive college education. Yet surprisingly few have any experience actually getting those awards. Mike and Amy invited educational consultant Sherri Graf to point out common catastrophic mistakes in scholarship applications. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why does every successful scholarship application begin with following instructions? Does good writing make a difference in scholarship applications...
Feb 15, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 297
The Talmud teaches that a timid person cannot learn. While well-intentioned adults might negotiate obstacles and opportunities for teens, the most successful students are usually the ones who learn to stand up for themselves. Amy and Mike invited educator Barak Moore to explore the importance of self-advocacy in education and admissions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does self-advocacy mean in the context of an educational environment? What are examples of how student...
Feb 11, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 296
Inequitable access to high-quality education harms all of us in society, particularly the least advantaged among us. Yet some efforts to mitigate the advantages of wealth and privilege in admissions may inadvertently do the exact opposite. Amy and Mike invited researcher Adam Tyner to explore whether eliminating tests makes education more or less equitable. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the origins of anti-test sentiment in modern American education? Why are some ...
Feb 08, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 295
Some states find innovative and generous ways to support higher education for their residents, and Florida is one of them. As the first of what will be an ongoing series on state scholarships, Mike and Amy invited educational consultant Carrie Bedard and educator Jason Robinovitz to discuss the Florida Bright Futures Scholarships. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the Florida Bright Futures Scholarships? How much can these scholarships amount to? Are these scholarship...
Feb 04, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 294
The economic benefits of a college degree are not just to individual learners but entire towns, counties, states, and countries as a whole. So why don’t we as a society invest in higher education attainment more directly? Amy and Mike invited author Morley Winograd to make the compelling case for tuition-free college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What economic benefits accrue from access to tuition-free two- and four-year college? What are the potential downsides of acces...
Feb 01, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 293
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Parke Muth , who has worked in education for over 35 years . Most of that time he served as a Dean at the University of Virginia in the admissions office and in the English Department. He now works with companies, schools, families, and students across the world but mostly focuses on Asia where he spends about 1/2 of the year. While at Virginia, Parke was, among other th...
Jan 28, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 292
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Sandy Andolsek , an Independent College Counselor who spent her career in the field of College Admissions since 1991. Her extensive experience in both the private and public college sector allows her to serve students and families with a comprehensive understanding of the college application process. She is well versed in the complexities that may sometimes overwhelm man...
Jan 27, 2022•15 min•Season 1Ep. 291
When a test as influential and controversial as the SAT faces a new iteration, people take notice. But when that same test will be administered in an entirely new format that leaves the classic #2 pencil behind, people start to lose their minds. Amy and Mike invited educator Brooke Hanson to help unpack First Thoughts About The New Digital SAT. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What did the College Board say about a new digital SAT? What is the projected timeline for the new t...
Jan 26, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 290
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Alan Sheptin , owner of Sheptin Tutoring Group (STG) . Alan has been a professional member of IECA since 2017 and became a Certified Educational Planner in 2020. He earned a BA in Computer Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA in Finance from Fordham University and a Certificate in College Consulting from UCLA. Prior to establishing his company in 2007,...
Jan 26, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 289
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Kristina L. Dooley , a Certified Educational Planner (CEP) and founder of Estrela Consulting , an Ohio-based independent educational consulting firm. Kristina has more than 20 years of experience working with students from around the world navigating the complex college and school search processes. Prior to launching Estrela Consulting in 2008, Kristina served as the Ass...
Jan 25, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 288
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Zach Galin , who has spent over a decade working independently with students and families in the college admissions process . From test preparation to college matching, applications, and financial aid, Zach has helped students gain acceptance to their top-choice schools. Zach spent his undergraduate years at Northwestern University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of ...
Jan 24, 2022•16 min•Season 1Ep. 287
The attainment of a law degree in the United States is bookended by two essential standardized tests. While work in the legal field depends on passing at least one bar exam, the whole journey starts with an important admissions test. Amy and Mike invited educator David Lynch to explain all about the LSAT. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the LSAT? What kinds of schools or programs use the LSAT for admissions? When should students prepare for and take the LSAT? What sh...
Jan 21, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 286
The odds that any individual college applicant will accept, enroll, and persist to graduation may not mean much to a given institution, but those same numbers for the entire applicant pool mean everything. No wonder schools track every applicant interaction so carefully! Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Matthew Herr to clarify how much colleges really know about applicants. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the purpose of an enrollment management CRM like Sl...
Jan 18, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 285
Curriculum, structure, and delivery of educational services like academic tutoring and test prep tend to vary widely. So why is there so little diversity in the way clients pay for these services? Amy and Mike invited educator Dave Crystal to discuss educational services pricing models. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the traditional pricing models for educational services? Where do these models fall short? What are some alternative test prep pricing models? What ar...
Jan 14, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 284
Anyone who has ever sat in a classroom knows that some students need a higher level of academic enrichment and challenge than others. When did such a fundamental facet of education become controversial? Amy and Mike invited author and editor Brandon Wright to explain why gifted programs are under attack. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why exactly are gifted and talented programs under attack? How has this opposition impacted gifted programs? What makes opposition to gifted ...
Jan 11, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 283
We often talk about how expensive a college education can be, but we don’t explore often enough how to make earning a degree less expensive. Amy and Mike invited educator David Vise to discuss different ways to earn advance college credit. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are different ways high schoolers can earn advance college credits? What are the advantages and disadvantages of entering college with a lot of credits? Is it really possible for students to earn a Fres...
Jan 07, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 282
The Tests and the Rest podcast has always focused in part on celebrating and supporting amazing test prep professionals. Why, then, are we ending our successful run of professional development summits? We invited educator Dan Ascher to join us for a discussion of the history and future of the Tests and the Rest Summits. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What initiated the first Tests and the Rest conference? What was the immediate and long-term impact of the Boca Raton TATR co...
Jan 04, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 281
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Pranoy Mohapatra began tutoring as a high school sophomore for a local company after finding joy in helping classmates at the Academy of Allied Health and Sciences study for tests. Pranoy found he learned by teaching and explaining concepts to reinforce them, and often viewed standardized tests as puzzles. He continued to tutor through college and his first year of medica...
Dec 31, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 280
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Nikki Highfield , owner of Helping Hands Educational Services . Nikki is a native of Cincinnati, OH. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and an MBA from Xavier University as well as a M.Ed in Special Education from St. Joseph’s University. Nikki spent 15 years working in the financial industry before returning back to the world of education. She started Helping ...
Dec 30, 2021•16 min•Season 1Ep. 279
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Steve Feldman . As Founder and Managing Partner of Private Prep , Steve initiates and manages strategic partnerships. Steve also leads Private Prep’s growth into new geographic markets and additional services. Since founding Private Prep in 2006, the company has become recognized as one of the leading personalized education services in the NY Tri-State Region, the Wa...
Dec 29, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 278
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Alice Humbracht . Alice is a premier tutor with over 16 years of full-time experience tutoring standardized tests. She spent six years at The Princeton Review honing her skills, and then she started her own tutoring office in 2011. Alice specializes in ACT and SAT, but has helped students improve their scores on a variety of standardized tests including the ACT, SAT,...
Dec 28, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 277
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Ian Siegel . Ian started Streamline Tutors in Baltimore, MD, in 2013 and has been tutoring full-time for a decade, primarily as an SAT/ACT tutor and college essay coach. Ian consistently gets some of the highest score improvements in the country on the SAT and ACT. He attributes his success to his ability to act as a mirror to his student’s actual potential, somethin...
Dec 27, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 276
The cost of college has defied economic logic for decades but cannot rise exponentially forever. How can schools align tuition costs with what students want and need? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Rick Staisloff to explore alternative pricing strategies in higher education. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What drives current higher education pricing models? Who do these models serve? What are some alternatives to conventional tuition structures? What would be d...
Dec 24, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 275
Math has been cornerstone content of the SAT since its inception nearly a century ago. What math is tested and how to prepare for it, however, evolves endlessly. Amy and Mike invited educators Jackie Pollina and Josh Kariyev to explore current best practices in how to prepare for SAT math. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Is the SAT math more of a content-oriented section or a strategy-oriented section? Is the best way to prepare for the SAT math to do practice sections from ...
Dec 21, 2021•25 min•Season 1Ep. 274
