The digital SAT may look like the future of standardized admissions tests, but the exam continues a long tradition of verbal priorities. The more things change, the more they stay the same! Amy and Mike invited educator Lori Goldstein to talk all about digital SAT Reading & Writing.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How is the SAT Reading & Writing section structured?

2. How important are vocabulary skills on the test?

3. What makes SAT Reading questions so difficult?

4. What makes SAT Writing questions so difficult?

5. What can students do to excel in SAT Reading & Writing?

MEET OUR GUEST

Lori Goldstein grew up in NY and NJ and attended the University of Pennsylvania, earning a degree in Communications. She worked in television for a while (behind the scenes) and then took a job in Florida. Eventually, Lori started selling sailboats in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, which provided her the opportunity to go sailing every chance she had.

After raising her family, Lori decided to become a math teacher. She enrolled to get the credits needed to re-learn all the high school math that she had forgotten. This was actually fun for her, allowing her inner nerd to come out. She started tutoring kids in math. Eventually, one parent asked if she could help their daughter with the SAT. "Why not?" she said. The rest is history.

Lori previously appeared on this podcast in episode 235 for a Test Prep Profile.

Lori can be reached at circletestprep.com.

LINKS

Meet The Digital SAT: READING AND WRITING

RELATED EPISODES

HOW THE DIGITAL SAT IS SCORED

THE NEW DIGITAL SAT EXPERIENCE: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

NEW SAT TEST SPECIFICATIONS

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Billie Jean King described tennis as a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquility. In a lot of ways, taking a high-stakes exam feels the same way. Amy and Mike invited educator Scott Greenspan to explore how tennis and test prep are similar.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What makes tennis such a perfect analogy for testing?

2. What can aspiring test takers learn from tennis?

3. In what ways are tennis players and test takers alike?

4. What is the role of practice in academic and athletic success?

5. What is the role of coaching in academic and athletic success?

MEET OUR GUEST

Scott Greenspan is the founder/president of Span Test Prep in Glenview IL, which is located in the north suburbs of Chicago. For well over 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 and college admissions coaching.

Scott is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in math, and he earned an MA in teaching from North Park University. His hobbies include tennis, skiing, and hiking.

Scott previously appeared on this podcast in episode 191 for a Test Prep Profile.

Scott can be reached at sgreenspan@spantestprep.com or https://www.spantestprep.com/.

LINKS

Looking for a Good Test Strategy? Think Sports!

RELATED EPISODES

HOW TEST PREP AND SPORTS ARE SIMILAR

THE INNER GAME OF TESTING

HOW TEST PREP TUTORING SHOULD WORK

WHAT TO DO WHEN A TEST SCORE DISAPPOINTS

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

A new test creates new opportunities and requires new study aids. Now that the SAT has gone digital, where should students and educators be looking for prep and practice material? Amy and Mike invited educator Laura Whitmore to explore the options for resources for the digital SAT.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What materials do you recommend that your students use for the Digital SAT?

2. When and how should you use the official Blue Book practice tests?

3. What have your students tried already and what did they think?

4. Should you trust 3rd party scoring algorithms?

5. What are the best free materials to use?

MEET OUR GUEST

Laura Whitmore is the Founder and CEO of Strategic Test Prep, a leading SAT prep service. With extensive experience and expertise, Laura has been helping students achieve remarkable score improvements since 2007. As a former high school Valedictorian and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Laura's educational background sets a strong foundation for her coaching. Trained by a former College Board question writer, she possesses insider knowledge that enables her to outsmart the SAT and ACT tests. Over the years, Laura has refined these strategies and collaborated with her students to develop additional effective techniques. Laura currently scores a 1570 on the SAT (800 Math, 770 English).

​Laura's dedication and positive approach have resulted in exceptional outcomes. Her students have achieved grade improvements and remarkable score gains of up to 400 points on the SAT. From local to international levels, Laura's influence has expanded, working with students in various states across the United States, as well as countries such as Finland, Azerbaijan, India, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Chile.

In addition to personalized coaching, Laura extends her expertise through her popular YouTube channel, Strategic Test Prep, where she shares free test prep information with students worldwide. Recognizing the need for accessible resources, Laura has also developed asynchronous online SAT courses and a Digital SAT prep app called Preptly​​, available on the App Store and Google Play. With degrees in psychology and a dual degree in mathematics and adolescent education, Laura's qualifications and dedication make her a trusted source for successful SAT preparation.

Laura can be reached at Strategic Test Prep.

LINKS

Download the Bluebook Digital Testing App | College Board

Official Digital SAT® Prep | Khan Academy

Mathchops

Roots2Words

Desmos

Digital SAT Math - Desmos Lesson #1 Solve any Equation!

RELATED EPISODES

THE NEW DIGITAL SAT EXPERIENCE: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

ALL ABOUT DIGITAL SAT MATH

ALL ABOUT DIGITAL SAT READING & WRITING

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Powerful graphing calculators can provide potent math problem solving advantages for students that know how to use–and can afford–them. What is the impact, then, when everyone has free access to leading edge calculation tools? Amy and Mike invited educator Kyle Terracciano to explore using the Desmos calculator in digital testing.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is the Desmos calculator, and what can it do?

2. How is Desmos integrated into college admissions testing?

3. What are the best resources to learn Desmos for the Digital SAT?

4. When is it best to utilize Desmos on the Digital SAT?

5. In what kind of test problems are calculators less useful?

MEET OUR GUEST

Kyle Terracciano is the founder of the company Tutorllini, the math test prep YouTube channel Tutorllini Test Prep, and the Facebook group Digital SAT Prep. Since 2019, he has been on a mission to empower students to dominate their college admissions tests and bring much-needed clarity to the confusing world of academic math.

Kyle's journey as an educator began in his college years while working as a competitive swimming coach, sparking his passion for mentoring others. After graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut in 2018, he couldn't resist the call of teaching. Kyle went on to earn a Master's Degree in Mathematics Education from Rutgers University in 2020, and then through Tutorllini, dedicated himself fully to his goal of empowering students everywhere with not just a deeper understanding of math, but more confidence as well.

But Kyle doesn't stop there. Determined to make a global impact, Kyle runs one of the fastest growing YouTube channels and Facebook groups focused on the Digital SAT, all completely free to anyone who is ready to learn. By using the most modern tech and impactful visuals with a dose of humor and his trademark relatable personality, Kyle helps students unlock their full potential.

Kyle previously appeared on the podcast in episode 476 to discuss The New Digital SAT Experience: A Student Perspective and in episode 470 to discuss Getting Ready For The AP Statistics Exam.

Find Kyle at tutorllini.com.

LINKS

Desmos Graphing Calculator

Desmos (Digital PSAT, NMSQT, and SAT Version)

Kyle's Free Digital SAT Math Desmos Course

Learn Desmos Playlist

Desmos User Guide

Mastering Desmos for the Digital SAT

App or Scrap? (ep 8): Digital SAT Strategy Guide

RELATED EPISODES

RESOURCES FOR THE DIGITAL SAT

ALL ABOUT DIGITAL SAT MATH

CALCULATOR USAGE ON THE SAT AND ACT

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Every October, the PSAT is administered in high schools. Even though the test has no bearing on admissions, college-bound students should still take–and prepare–for it. Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Stewart to explore how to prepare for the digital PSAT.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How has the PSAT changed over the past couple of years?

2. What are some resources students can use for PSAT preparation?

3. Besides "test prep," how can students improve their PSAT readiness?

4. What are some of the most common mistakes high-achieving students make on the PSAT?

5. Why is familiarity with the format so important on the PSAT?

MEET OUR GUEST

At the end of his first year teaching Social Studies at Dublin Jerome High School, company founder Brian Stewart thought it would make sense to do some part-time tutoring work over the summer. After all, he had done quite well on standardized tests when he was in high school and really enjoyed coming up with creative ways to explain challenging concepts to students. Other companies charged a fortune and didn't seem to have a high-quality product.

As Brian worked with more students, word spread about the quality of his tutoring services. He started to offer ACT and SAT test prep group classes, and worked with students from all over Central Ohio. In 2011, Brian left his day job to run BWS Education Consulting full time with his wife Caitlin. Applying the expertise from her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, Caitlin has ensured that our teaching materials and methods make high-quality test preparation accessible to students of all backgrounds and ability levels.

In 2012, Barron's Educational Series contacted Brian about submitting samples of his writing as they conducted a national search for their next ACT book author. Brian was chosen to write Barron's ACT, and has gone on to write several ACT, SAT, and PSAT books with Barron's Educational Series. His books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide.

In 2014, BWS Education expanded to have associate tutors who teach not only the ACT and SAT, but tutor students in math, science, and writing. Brian and Caitlin personally interview and train every tutor on our staff to ensure they are the best in the business. BWS is a team of committed educators who relentlessly look for the best way to deliver educational enrichment to our clients, whether it's test prep, academic help, or college admission counseling.

Brian appeared on the podcast in episode #33 to discuss PSAT and the National Merit Scholarship, in episode #383 to discuss Should You Prepare for the PSAT, and in episode # 507 to discuss The New Digital PSAT.

Find Brian at https://www.bwseducationconsulting.com.

LINKS

Brian's PSAT Book: Barron's PSAT/NMSQT 1520

Why take the PSAT?

PSAT and Scholarships

PSAT/NMSQT Study Guide, 2023: 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice (Barron's Test Prep)

Colleges that offer Full-Rides for National Merit

Information on the New Digital PSAT

RELATED EPISODES

RESOURCES FOR THE DIGITAL SAT

ALL ABOUT DIGITAL SAT READING & WRITING

ALL ABOUT DIGITAL SAT MATH

THE NEW DIGITAL SAT EXPERIENCE: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

We all know that getting into and paying for college represent two very different challenges. But what if you could focus on factors that improve your odds of accomplishing both at the same time? For a surprising number of schools, you can! Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Eufinger to explain the role of test scores in college merit aid.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What's the difference between need-based aid and merit aid? Can people with incomes too high for need-based aid still qualify?

2. What are merit aid grids? How have they evolved over the last 20 years?

3. How much merit aid can students earn based on ACT, SAT, or PSAT scores?

4. Does every college offer merit aid based on test scores?

5. How can students maximize the chances of merit aid?

MEET OUR GUEST

Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU's Emergency Support Team.

Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep's free parent meetings. Brian serves on the Board of Directors of the National Test Prep Association. He is an active member of Washington University's Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program.

Brian was our guest to discuss THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION (#28), SELF-PREP FOR THE SAT & ACT (#131), and SHOULD I TAKE THE ACT WRITING TEST? (#271) TESTING GAMEPLAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2025 (#432) and STATE OF TEST OPTIONAL ADMISSIONS IN 2024 (#550). He hosted the show CELEBRATING OUR 500TH EPISODE and facilitated our 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW (#100).

Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com.

LINKS

meritaidgrids.com

RELATED EPISODES

PSAT AND THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP

FOUR SCHOLARSHIP MYTHS

FLORIDA BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIPS

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Students, parents, and even teachers sometimes fall prey to the misconception that academic improvement follows a perfectly linear path with each performance a marked improvement over the last. If only! Amy and Mike invited educator Shahar Link to explore strategies for breaking through test score plateaus.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How can you tell the difference between a score ceiling and a plateau?

2. What are the most reliable ways to break through score plateaus?

3. What are the most common score levels where students hit plateaus?

4. Are there situations in which it doesn't make sense to keep trying to break through a plateau?

5. What are a few strategies to break through plateaus on either Reading and Writing or Math?

MEET OUR GUEST

Shahar Link, the CEO and founder of Mindspire Tutoring and Test Prep, has been at the forefront of the test preparation and academic excellence arena for over a decade. With a career spanning 25 years, Shahar has honed his expertise in high school teaching and tutoring standardized tests, including the SAT and ACT. Holding a Master's degree in History from Stanford University, where he delved into the history of IQ testing, Shahar founded Mindspire driven by the deep reward in empowering students to exceed their own expectations and achieve remarkable success in even the most formidable academic and mental endeavors.

Shahar's exceptional contributions have not gone unnoticed. He has been featured as a quoted expert in the renowned US News & World Report and has been invited as a keynote speaker at numerous educational institutions, captivating audiences with his innovative approaches to learning. Through Mindspire Tutoring and Test Prep, Shahar has transformed the lives of countless students, providing them with invaluable strategies and guidance to conquer academic challenges and unleash their true potential.

Shahar can be reached at https://www.mindspire.com.

LINKS

Standardized Test Preparation Checklist

Disappointing Results? Press On!

RELATED EPISODES

WHAT TO DO WHEN A TEST SCORE DISAPPOINTS

BRINGING GRIT TO TESTING AND ADMISSIONS

WHY YOU WANT TO WORK WITH A CAREER TUTOR

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Now that college admissions is moving back into a test-preferred environment, students don't have to struggle with the choice of whether or not to take a college entrance exam but rather which one. Amy and Mike invited educator Susan Powers to weigh the important factors in choosing between the digital SAT and the ACT.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Why should students give thought to which test they want to take?

2. How are the ACT and digital SAT different?

3. How does the ACT Science section play into a decision about which test to take?

4. Should you prepare for both the ACT and digital SAT?

5. Are there any general rules for what types of students are better suited to either test?

MEET OUR GUEST

Susan Powers is the founder and CEO of Woodlands Test Prep, a tutoring company based in the Houston area that improves students' scores, supports students' academic success, and helps families navigate the college admissions testing process with much less stress.

Susan started teaching SAT and GMAT classes for Kaplan in 1994 as a hobby while an executive for a large oil and gas equipment company, doing strategy and acquisitions. The arrival of children put hobbies on hiatus, and she was able to return to tutoring in 2011, founding Woodlands Test Prep. The company has grown from a solopreneur to a larger company with multiple tutors. Susan delights in all aspects of the business from tutoring to curriculum and resource development to process improvement to hiring those few rare gems and teaching them how to help students too!

Susan was a National Merit Scholar and has a B.A. in French and a B.B.A. in Finance from Southern Methodist University and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, focusing on entrepreneurship. She lives in the country with her partner, Joe, and three dogs, a cat, and a parrot named Monkey. Her two children now live adventurous lives in the mountainous West. She loves to travel around the world, play day-long board games, sing, write poetry, garden, and read a couple of books at a time.

Susan is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Test Prep Association. She first appeared on the podcast in episode 231 in a Test Prep Profile.

Susan can be reached at www.woodlandstestprep.com.

LINKS

Meet the Digital SAT

RELATED EPISODES

WHY PRACTICE TESTS MATTER SO MUCH

NEW SAT TEST SPECIFICATIONS

THE NEW DIGITAL SAT EXPERIENCE: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Every time a sophisticated educational assessment changes, every aspect has to be reconsidered and possibly changed. The digital adaptive SAT is no exception, and one particular aspect of that test has transformed substantially. Amy and Mike invited educator Brenna O'Neill to explain how the digital SAT is scored.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How does multistage adaptive scoring work on the digital SAT?

2. Does every question count the same on the dSAT?

3. What is Item Response Theory (IRT) and how does it apply on the dSAT?

4. What are the advantages and challenges of using IRT in test design and scoring?

5. How does the way the test is scored inform test-taking strategies?

MEET OUR GUEST

Brenna O'Neill is the President of Test Innovators. Brenna brings an intimate knowledge of private schools, standardized tests, and the admissions process. Her experience in math, English, and test prep education helps to improve student learning and inform product development at Test Innovators. Brenna is excited to ensure every student's success through building excellent educational content, resources, programs, and tools.

Brenna appeared on the podcast in episode #266 to discuss What is the ISEE?

Find Brenna at brenna@testinnovators.com.

LINKS

Digital SAT Suite of Assessments

Item response theory

RELATED EPISODES

NEW SAT TEST SPECIFICATIONS

THE NEW DIGITAL SAT EXPERIENCE: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

THE NEW DIGITAL PSAT

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The difficulty of individual multiple-choice questions depends on far more than just the questions themselves, as any test taker who has struggled to differentiate between several tempting choices can attest. Amy and Mike invited educator Vinny Madera to share his research on answer traps on standardized tests.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is an answer trap, and why do they exist?

2. What is a distractor answer choice?

3. What are common types of math distractor choices on standardized tests?

4. What are common types of verbal distractor choices on standardized tests?

5. How does knowledge of trap choices help students?

MEET OUR GUEST

Vinny Madera is the guy who shapes Test Prep Wizards and helps the team determine the most effective and efficient ways to get the results students need. Tutoring in some capacity since college, Vinny decided in 2007 to become a full-time tutor and works directly with over 800 students per year through his classes and individual students. Aiding numerous school districts, private institutions, and tutoring companies, Vinny has developed all Test Prep Wizards' reporting software and has written the company's SAT and ACT manuals, which have been licensed by many school districts as an efficient, low-cost means of helping their students.

Vinny is a huge nerd fan of data and statistics, moonlighting as a math enthusiast at Fairfield University where he teaches a variety of math courses and freshman experience workshops. He brings this love of numbers and trends to Test Prep Wizards in the form of its state-of-the-art analysis programming. Vinny is the author of Demystifying the Calculator: A Guide to Using the TI-84 PLUS CE on the ACT.

Vinny appeared on the podcast in episode #141 to discuss Tracking Test Score Data, in episode #225 to discuss Calculator Usage On The SAT And ACT, and in episode #340 SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Test Prep Wizards Score Reporting.

Find Vinny at testprepwizards.com or vinny@testprepwizards.com.

LINKS

The Position of Distractors in Multiple-Choice Test Items: The Strongest Precede the Weakest

A Comparison of the Two-Option Versus the Four-Option Multiple-Choice Item: A Case for Fewer Distractors

Three Options Are Optimal for Multiple‐Choice Items: A Meta‐Analysis of 80 Years of Research

Knowledge-Driven Distractor Generation for Cloze-Style Multiple Choice Questions

Multiple-Choice Item Distractor Development Using Topic Modeling Approaches

Advanced Answer Elimination Strategies

RELATED EPISODES

COMMON TESTING MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

WHY PRACTICE TESTS MATTER SO MUCH

USING STUDENT SELF-ANALYSIS TO IMPROVE INSTRUCTION

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

We accept as bedrock truth that every important test should be studied for. How often, though, do we explore what studying actually entails? Amy and Mike invited educators Anna Solomon and Kailey Ossanna to share effective study skills for test preparation.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What makes studying a skill?

2. What does a lack of effective study skills look like?

3. What study skills are essential for students preparing for important exams?

4. Why are study skills best learned as interactive conversations?

5. Why is self-advocacy considered a study skill?

MEET OUR GUESTS

Anna Solomon grew up in Florida and graduated with a B.A. in History from New College of Florida. She lived in Asheville (NC) and Richmond (VA), and now lives in Salisbury (MD). She worked for Huntington Learning Center, Tutor Doctor, and other private tutoring and test prep companies before beginning her own company, Flamingo Tutoring. She now focuses on one-on-one tutoring for the SAT and ACT.

Anna is thrilled to be part of the NTPA and co-founder of the NTPA Book Club and Women of NTPA. When Anna isn't hanging out with colleagues (virtually) or working with students (virtually), she is out exploring with her four-year-old.

Anna previously appeared in a Test Prep Profile in episode 250.

Find Anna at testprep@flamingotutoring.com.

Kailey Ossanna is the proud owner of KO Tutoring, the test prep company she founded in August 2020. She is a graduate of Campbell University, receiving her BS in Biology. Kailey's path to KO Tutoring has had many interesting stops. From her time as an officer in the United States Army to overseeing quality control of the production of vital medical supplies to teaching math and science in Appalachia, Kailey has brought professionalism and passion to everything she has done. She is now using her experiences and love for education and education policy to provide excellent service to her clients and work towards uplifting all students by working within the professional tutoring community and local communities.

Kailey previously appeared in a Test Prep Profile in episode 416 and a Sponsor Spotlight in episode 446.

Find Kailey at https://www.kotutoring.com.

LINKS

Study Skills: Planner and Curriculum

RELATED EPISODES

HOW TO TEACH STUDENTS TO STUDY EFFECTIVELY

FAST AND SLOW LEARNERS

MAKING LEARNING SCIENCE WORK FOR YOU

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Most years, the PSAT feels inconsequential for all but the highest-scoring students. The October 2023 exam, however, will put everyone–students, schools, and College Board itself–to the test as the first U.S. administration of a very new version of an old exam. Amy and Mike invited educator and author Brian Stewart to share essential information about the new digital PSAT.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How is the PSAT changing in Fall 2023?

2. Will the scoring on the digital PSAT be different from past tests?

3. What do we know about how the National Merit selection process will be affected by the Digital PSAT?

4. How should students prepare for the digital PSAT?

5. Can paper resources effectively prepare students for a digital exam?

MEET OUR GUEST

At the end of his first year teaching Social Studies at Dublin Jerome High School, company founder Brian Stewart thought it would make sense to do some part-time tutoring work over the summer. After all, he had done quite well on standardized tests when he was in high school and really enjoyed coming up with creative ways to explain challenging concepts to students. Other companies charged a fortune and didn't seem to have a high-quality product.

As Brian worked with more students, word spread about the quality of his tutoring services. He started to offer ACT and SAT test prep group classes, and worked with students from all over Central Ohio. In 2011, Brian left his day job to run BWS Education Consulting full time with his wife Caitlin. Applying the expertise from her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, Caitlin has ensured that our teaching materials and methods make high-quality test preparation accessible to students of all backgrounds and ability levels.

In 2012, Barron's Educational Series contacted Brian about submitting samples of his writing as they conducted a national search for their next ACT book author. Brian was chosen to write Barron's ACT, and has gone on to write several ACT, SAT, and PSAT books with Barron's Educational Series. His books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide.

In 2014, BWS Education expanded to have associate tutors who teach not only the ACT and SAT, but tutor students in math, science, and writing. Brian and Caitlin personally interview and train every tutor on our staff to ensure they are the best in the business. BWS is a team of committed educators who relentlessly look for the best way to deliver educational enrichment to our clients, whether it's test prep, academic help, or college admission counseling.

Brian appeared on the podcast in episode #33 to discuss PSAT and the National Merit Scholarship and in episode #383 to discuss Should You Prepare for the PSAT.

Find Brian at https://www.bwseducationconsulting.com.

LINKS

Brian's PSAT Book: Barron's PSAT/NMSQT 1520

Why take the PSAT?

PSAT and Scholarships

PSAT/NMSQT Study Guide, 2023: 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice (Barron's Test Prep)

Colleges that offer Full-Rides for National Merit

Sample Alternate Entry Form for National Merit

Information on the New Digital PSAT

RELATED EPISODES

THE NEW DIGITAL SAT EXPERIENCE: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

TESTING GAMEPLAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2025

NEW SAT TEST SPECIFICATIONS

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Response to stress manifests in a multitude of ways. Unfortunately, most of them are bad! Amy and Mike invited psychologist Ben Bernstein to explain how stress affects test performance.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is the scientific relationship between stress and performance?

2. How can stress be defined?

3. What is the 3-legged-stool model for keeping stress at an optimal level?

4. How can stress-reducing tools be integrated while studying and practicing for tests?

5. What are some of the keys to assessing underperformance?

MEET OUR GUEST

Ben Bernstein is a senior psychologist and educator specializing in top performance. Known as the "Stress Doctor," he is the author of four books on how stress affects performance: Test Success (2009), A Teen's Guide to Success (2014); Stressed Out! for Parents (2015); and Crush Your Test Anxiety (2018). His two forthcoming books, What You Should Have Learned in School: Accept, Grow and Serve, and The Well-Trained Husband will be released in 2023. His monthly blog posts on the Psychology Today website regularly receive thousands of hits.

'Dr. B' is a performance coach for Academy Award, Tony Award, and Pulitzer Prize winners. His client list includes CEO's, business owners, dentists, athletes, attorneys, physicians, parents, opera singers and actors. He lectures worldwide, live and online, to audiences of business executives, professors, parents, and healthcare professionals as well as at conventions, corporations, universities, colleges and hospitals.

An award-winning honors graduate of Bowdoin College (Brunswick, Maine), Bernstein

received his doctorate in Applied Psychology from the University of Toronto (Ontario, Canada).

He also holds a master's degree in Music Composition from Mills College (Oakland, California).

An educator for the last fifty years, Bernstein has taught at every level of the educational

system. Originally trained in London, he has received major grants from the American and Canadian governments for his work.

Paralleling his career in education and psychology, Bernstein has extensive involvement in the

performing arts. He created and publicly produced original films and plays with psychiatric patients in Australia and the US. As a result of this work, he was invited to be a resource artist at Robert Redford's Sundance Institute to collaborate with writers to realize their creative ideas.

He has directed theater at the Juilliard School (New York) and the National Academy for Dramatic Art (Sydney). An award-winning composer, a Master Coach at the San Francisco Opera, Bernstein is the Founder and Artistic Director of The Singer's Gym, a non-profit training workshop for professional singers to have more vitality, spontaneity and connection in their work.

Bernstein's wife, Suk Wah, is a novelist. The couple divide their time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Tamil Nadu in south India.

Ben can be reached at drb@drbyourbest.com.

LINKS

Yerkes–Dodson law

How to Breathe When Feeling Stressed

Bpi

https://www.drbyourbest.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Bernstein_Performance_Inventory2.pdf

https://courses.drbyourbest.com/courses/crush-your-test-anxiety

RELATED EPISODES

MENTAL TECHNIQUES FOR PEAK TEST PERFORMANCE

USING MINDFULNESS FOR TEST AND SCHOOL SUCCESS

HOW TO BREATHE DURING STRESSFUL ACADEMIC SITUATIONS

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.481.

The SAT has been through so many changes over nearly a century of assessment, but the current transition to a digital adaptive platform represents an ambitious departure from what test takers are used to. How did the first official international administration of the new test go, and what should students, educators, and administrators know for the future? Amy and Mike invited high schooler Fatema Taskin to share a student perspective on the new digital SAT experience.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What can students expect from the SAT testing environment?

2. What is the role of the proctor for the digital SAT?

3. Does everyone begin and end sections at the same time?

4. What should students taking the digital SAT know in advance?

5. What should educators administering the digital SAT know in advance?

MEET OUR GUEST

Meet Fatema Taskin and Kyle Terracciano, the founders of the Facebook group Digital SAT Prep, one of the fastest-growing SAT study groups on Facebook. Fatema and Kyle are on a mission to democratize test prep by providing free study materials, group classes, and important updates to thousands of students and educators around the world.

Fatema, a recent high school graduate, is currently applying to colleges so she can pursue an undergraduate degree. She is passionate about physics, drawing, and problem-solving. She also runs a studygram where she shares studying motivation and guidance with anyone that wishes to study abroad.

Kyle is a seasoned mathematics educator dedicated to reaching students from all walks of life. In addition to tutoring students through his company, Kyle teaches math test prep to anyone who is ready to learn via his YouTube channel. He previously appeared on the podcast in episode 470 to discuss Getting Ready For The AP Statistics Exam.

Find Fatema at instagram.com/lifeof_tas_.

Find Kyle at tutorllini.com.

LINKS

Digital SAT / Digital PSAT Preparation Group - Int'l Students Welcome :) | Facebook

Digital SAT Suite of Assessments

Always Know More Than The Proctor

RELATED EPISODES

NEW SAT TEST SPECIFICATIONS

FIRST THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEW DIGITAL SAT

TESTING GAMEPLAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2025

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Every meaningful challenge can be prepared and practiced for, which tends to mean that challengers vie for the best outcomes. Whether you're competing against yourself or others, you have to put in the effort. Amy and Mike invited educator Steven Menking to explore the importance of a competitive mindset in testing.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Why is mindset such a significant factor in test prep success?

2. What is a competitive mindset, and how does it work?

3. Who exactly are typical test takers competing with?

4. Does this approach benefit students beyond just test prep?

5. What are the biggest obstacles to having a proper mindset?

MEET OUR GUEST

Steven Menking is the Founder and CEO of Menking Tutoring. After graduating from Williams College in 2010 with degrees in Economics and Mathematics, Steven worked on Wall Street for several years before going into business for himself as a private tutor in NYC. Over the past decade Steven has worked with hundreds of students from around the world on standardized tests and academic subjects. He founded Menking Tutoring in 2020 to provide premium SAT and ACT courses in an online, on-demand format to students around the world.

Find Steven at https://menkingtutoring.com or steven@menkingtutoring.com.

LINKS

Grateful for an Opportunity to Compete

About That Perfect SAT Score You Expect…

RELATED EPISODES

MENTAL TECHNIQUES FOR PEAK TEST PERFORMANCE

THE INNER GAME OF TESTING

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A BAD TEST TAKER?

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Conventional wisdom holds that if you don't use it, you lose it, whatever "it" happens to be. But why do we forget information we've learned and how can we better retain it? Amy and Mike invited educational entrepreneur Tyler York to explain how to use spaced repetition for study success.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is spaced repetition?
2. How does spaced repetition compare to traditional study methods?
3. How does reviewing information you've already learned save time?
4. What are the best use cases for spaced repetition, and what is it not good for?
5. What are the best ways to implement spaced repetition?

MEET OUR GUEST

Tyler York is an entrepreneur and marketing professional with a proven track record as a problem solver and organizational leader. In his over 12 years of experience in startups, mobile gaming, and education, Tyler has brought dozens of products and services to market that generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Tyler is inspired by connecting customers with products that they love and that help them reach their goals. He is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Achievable, a test prep company focused on opportunity-gating exams such as the GRE, FINRA exams, ACT, AMC, and USMLE.

Find Tyler at tyler@achievable.me.

LINKS

Study Right with Spaced Repetition

AnkiWeb

RELATED EPISODES

HOW TO IMPROVE FUTURE MEMORY

MAKING LEARNING SCIENCE WORK FOR YOU

FAST AND SLOW LEARNERS

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Applicants find themselves more confused than ever by current test-optional admissions policies; how do you know if "optional" really applies to you? Amy and Mike invited college counseling expert Judi Robinovitz to explore the complexities of whether to submit test scores or not.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is the difference between test optional and test blind?
2. What did test optional look like as a policy before COVID?
3. What does test-optional mean presently in college admissions?
4. What are the most important considerations in deciding to submit a score or not?
5. What signals from schools can help applicants make wise score submission decisions?

MEET OUR GUEST

Judi Robinovitz is a Certified Educational Planner with more than thirty-five years of experience in college counseling and school placements. She is the author of numerous articles, books, and software products on educational planning and test preparation. Judi has been a featured speaker at national educational conferences, schools, and places of worship.

To keep pace with current educational trends, Judi continually travels across the country to visit dozens of college and boarding school campuses every year. She has acquired vast knowledge of the admissions process as well as the requirements and specialties of hundreds of educational institutions. Since 1980, she and her team have successfully guided more than 8,000 students – from those at the very top of their class to students experiencing significant academic struggles – and their families through the planning and application process for private school, college, and graduate school. Judi specializes in guiding students applying to prestigious double-degree BS-MD programs and the nation's most selective universities as well as colleges that best serve mid-range students and those with learning disabilities.

During her 23-year tenure at Educational Testing Service, Judi served as technical liaison to the College Board. She designed and led the programming team to implement the College Board's first SAT-prep software; she also wrote strategy chapters of their original SAT-prep books. Taking the SAT numerous times throughout her career, Judi has several perfect 800 scores on her record.

As a founding faculty member of two private schools in Boca Raton, Florida, Judi created their college guidance programs and served as Director of College Guidance to the first four graduating classes of each school. Judi founded Score At The Top Learning Centers & Schools in South Florida. Accredited by AdvancED and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the learning centers provide academic tutoring, SAT & ACT preparation, and courses for credit to over 1,000 students every year, both in person and via Skype. The accredited schools are home to more than 180 full-time students who thrive in intentionally small classes ranging in size from one to eight students.

Judi is a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, the Higher Education Consultants Association, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, the Secondary School Admissions Test Board, and the Learning Disabilities Association of America. Judi earned degrees in mathematics and computer science from the University of Connecticut and Rutgers University, both with highest honors. Her professional life has been devoted to helping students achieve academic success.

Judi first appeared on our podcast in episode 139 to discuss Building an A+ Extracurricular Resume and in episode 202 to discuss Crafting A College Resume.

Find Judi at judi@scoreatthetop.com.

LINKS

What Does Test-Optional Mean?

Truth About Test Optional

What Does an SAT Score Mean in a Test-Optional World?

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

RELATED EPISODES

WHY COLLEGE READINESS MATTERS

WHY OPTIONAL STATEMENTS AREN'T OPTIONAL

WHO BENEFITS MOST FROM TEST OPTIONAL POLICIES?

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Coaches often claim that we play like we practice. Unfortunately, we don't always replicate our best practice results when it counts. Amy and Mike invited educator Brooke Hanson to discuss what to do when a test score disappoints.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How can test takers determine expectations for test score increases at the outset?
2. What factors should be considered when scores don't meet expectations?
3. How should a student approach a second, third, or fourth retest?
4. How can superscoring play a role in a retest decision?
5. When should a student consider the testing process over?

MEET OUR GUEST

Brooke Hanson grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and Kansas City, graduated from Stanford University with honors, and holds an MFA in Cinematic Arts Production from the University of Southern California. After spending over a decade juggling a career in Hollywood with her tutoring and test prep work, Brooke founded Supertutor Media to make college admissions and test prep more accessible and engaging. Her YouTube channel SupertutorTV now boasts over 20 million views and 230K subscribers. She's been featured on CNN, US News and World Report, Teen Vogue, and Yahoo! Finance. Brooke has also written two ACT® math books and developed comprehensive online video-based prep courses for both the SAT and ACT.

Brooke previously appeared on this podcast in episode 213 to discuss Test Prep YouTube, episode 290 to discuss First Thoughts About The New Digital SAT, and episode 310 to discuss Letters Of Continued Interest.

Find Brooke at supertutortv.com or subscribe to her YouTube (youtube.com/supertutortv).

LINKS

Test Preparation Checklist

Disappointing Results? Press On!

RELATED EPISODES

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A BAD TEST TAKER

BRINGING GRIT TO TESTING AND ADMISSIONS

HOW TEST PREP TUTORING SHOULD WORK

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Test takers have more ways than ever to prepare for important exams. However, if the way you are learning doesn't involve actually taking practice tests, does it even count as prep? Amy and Mike invited educator Paul Pscolka to explain why practice tests matter so much.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Is it really test preparation if you don't take practice tests?
2. What can be learned from practice tests?
3. Why is simulating official test conditions so critical?
4. Are timed tests necessary?
5. What kinds of tests provide the best practice?

MEET OUR GUEST

Paul Pscolka is the founder of Ivy Masters, an organization based out of New Jersey devoted to helping students improve their SAT and ACT scores and get accepted at their first-choice university.

Paul has taught SAT and ACT full-time since 2003. His students have scored perfect on SAT and ACT as well as countless others who have scored within 100 points of perfect on SAT and within 2 points of perfect on the ACT. Many of his students have received thousands in scholarship money as a direct result of their scores.

Paul was a Division 1 student-athlete at an Ivy League School. He earned his B.A. in Sociology and his M.S. Ed. at the University of Pennsylvania.

Paul first appeared on this podcast in a TEST PREP PROFILE in episode 296.

Find Paul at https://www.ivymasters.com or 732-485-6480.

LINKS

How to Take a Practice Test

Why Practice Tests Matter So Much

RELATED EPISODES

WHAT SAT & ACT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS CAN TELL YOU

COMMON TESTING MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A BAD TEST TAKER?

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Most conversations about memory tend to focus on familiar challenges with retention and retrieval of what we've previously learned and must know now. An overlooked but equally important area of concern should be what we need to remember later. Amy and Mike invited educator Andrew Watson to explain how to improve future memory.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is prospective memory?
2. What makes remembering the future difficult?
3. How can habits alleviate working memory overload?
4. Does writing information down really help us remember important information?
5. Can electronic devices replace paper and pen for offloading memory tasks?

MEET OUR GUEST

Andrew Watson has been teaching since 1988, studying brains since 2008, and combining those fields since 2012. As a consultant and conference speaker, he works with students and teachers to make learning easier and teaching more effective. Author of three books, he writes frequently on memory, attention, motivation, and skepticism.

Find Andrew at andrew@translatethebrain.com or Twitter @andrewwatsonttb.

LINKS

Have You Heard of..."Prospective Memory"? What It Is, Why Teachers Should Notice

The Goldilocks Map: A Teacher's Quest to Evaluate 'Brain-Based' Teaching Advice

Learning Begins: The Science of Working Memory and Attention for the Classroom Teacher

Learning Grows: The Science of Motivation for the Classroom Teacher

RELATED EPISODES

THE SCIENCE OF MEMORY

MAKING LEARNING SCIENCE WORK FOR YOU

HOW TO TEACH STUDENTS TO STUDY EFFECTIVELY

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

The PSAT high schoolers take in October of 11th grade has no bearing on college admissions, but that doesn't mean the test isn't worth taking or prepping for. Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Stewart to clarify if and when you should prepare for the PSAT.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Should students take the PSAT?
2. Do you have to take the PSAT before you can take an SAT?
3. How do you know if you have a good chance at National Merit recognition?
4. What can students do to prepare for the PSAT?
5. Can students qualify for the National Merit Scholarship without taking the PSAT?

MEET OUR GUEST

At the end of his first year teaching Social Studies at Dublin Jerome High School, Brian Stewart thought it would make sense to do some part-time tutoring work over the summer. After all, he had done quite well on standardized tests when he was in high school and really enjoyed coming up with creative ways to explain challenging concepts to students. Other companies charged a fortune and didn't seem to have a high-quality product.

As Brian worked with more students, word spread about the quality of his tutoring services. He started to offer ACT and SAT test prep group classes, and worked with students from all over Central Ohio. In 2011, Brian left his day job to run BWS Education Consulting full time with his wife Caitlin. Applying the expertise from her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, Caitlin has ensured that our teaching materials and methods make high-quality test preparation accessible to students of all backgrounds and ability levels.

In 2012, Barron's Educational Series contacted Brian about submitting samples of his writing as they conducted a national search for their next ACT book author. Brian was chosen to write Barron's ACT, and has gone on to write several ACT, SAT, and PSAT books with Barron's Educational Series. His books have sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide.

In 2014, BWS Education expanded to have associate tutors who teach not only the ACT and SAT, but tutor students in math, science, and writing. Brian and Caitlin personally interview and train every tutor on our staff to ensure they are the best in the business. BWS is a team of committed educators who relentlessly look for the best way to deliver educational enrichment to our clients, whether it's test prep, academic help, or college admission counseling.

Brian previously appeared on this podcast in episode 33 to discuss the PSAT AND THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROCESS.

Brian can be reached at bwseducationconsulting.com.

LINKS

PSAT/NMSQT Study Guide, 2023: 4 Practice Tests + Comprehensive Review + Online Practice (Barron's Test Prep)

Colleges that offer Full-Rides for National Merit

Sample Alternate Entry Form for National Merit

Information on the New Digital PSAT

Why Take the PSAT?

RELATED EPISODES

HIGH-PRIORITY SAT AND ACT TOPICS

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE SAT AND ACT

WHY COLLEGE READINESS MATTERS

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Ever since a move to a new digital adaptive SAT was announced, College Board has provided admirable transparency at every step of the transition so far. What do we know about the big changes, and what are we still eager to learn? Amy and Mike invited educators Sonya Muthalia and Neill Seltzer to analyze the new SAT test specifications.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How much do we know about the digital SAT and how much is left to learn?
2. What are the biggest changes to the content and question format from the most recent release?
3. What aspects of the SAT are staying the same?
4. Will current tests, content, and books be useful for prep for the new SAT?
5. Where will students and educators find full digital practice tests?

MEET OUR GUESTS

Sonya Muthalia is the Founder and CEO of Informed Decisions, a leading Mumbai-based test prep company that trains students for the SAT, ACT, GMAT, and GRE. Over the last two decades Sonya, along with her faculty located in India and North America, has trained over 10,000 students across 33 countries. Sonya also contributes to articles in newspapers and is a speaker at various online and offline forums. Sonya is always looking for newer and better ways to help her students and enhance their experience.

Informed Decisions is one of the strongest proponents of the Mindprint Learning Assessment and holds marketing exclusivity for India. Sonya uses MindPrint to design bespoke tutoring plans for her students which has helped significantly improve teaching outcomes which have ultimately translated to optimal scores.

Sonya is also a passionate cook and particularly loves baking. Her newfound love for sourdough bread making is what helps her destress on the eve of test day or results day!

Find Sonya at sonya@testperformancenalytics.com.

Neill Seltzer is the TestPrep Director for Mindprint Learning. Neill is a long-time test prep veteran who got his start as an SAT tutor in Hong Kong in the early 90s. Since then he has run test prep and tutoring companies around the country and internationally including stints as the COO of Test Services Inc, Chief Product Officer at Inspirica, CEO of Noodle Pros, and the National Content Director at The Princeton Review.

Neill has written or contributed to over twenty books on standardized tests, built test prep apps, designed testing engines and score reports, trained hundreds of tutors, and tutored or taught thousands of students. He has a BA in English from Vassar and a Master of Architecture from Pratt. Now, as a father of three, Neill is navigating the world of standardized tests in a whole new, eye-opening role: parent.

Find Neill at neill@testperformancenalytics.com.

LINKS

Score Smart

Digital SAT Suite of Assessments

Early Testing Game Plan for the Class of 2025

RELATED EPISODES

FIRST THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEW DIGITAL SAT

COMPARING PAPER- AND COMPUTER-BASED TESTING

SUCCESS IN COMPUTER-BASED TESTING

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

At every stage of education–including test preparation–highly individualized instruction presents both benefits and tradeoffs compared to learning in large or small groups. Amy and Mike invited educator Dominique Padurano to explore the pros and cons of small group classes vs 1-1 tutoring for SAT & ACT prep.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Are test prep classes or tutoring even necessary?
2. Which is better for test prep: classes or tutoring?
3. Which students should skip classes in favor of tutoring?
4. What personality types work best for group instruction?
5. Is test prep tutoring ever a worse option than a class?

MEET OUR GUEST

Dr. P. (Dominique Padurano, M.S., Ed., Ph.D.) founded Crimson Coaching in 2014 to address the educational and socio-emotional needs of students and families. A solopreneur, Dr. P. herself provides academic tutoring in many high school subjects; prepares students to take tests like the SAT, ACT, and APs; and counsels students and families through the college application process.

After teaching for ten years at New York high schools such as Horace Mann and Scarsdale and writing and scoring tests such as the SAT II in U.S. History and AP U.S. History, Dr. P. used her expertise in testing, deep understanding of how teens learn, and passion for a wide range of academic disciplines to serve students' individualized academic needs.

Dr. P. earned her A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard University and her Ph.D. from Rutgers University. A native Long Islander, Dr. P. loves open water swimming in the summer, salsa dancing in New York City, and spending time with friends and family.

Dominique can be reached on Facebook, LinkedIn, and info@crimsoncoaching.com.

LINKS

What Kind of Test Prep is Right for My Teen?

RELATED EPISODES

HOW TEST PREP TUTORING SHOULD WORK

TEST PREP FOR STUDENTS WITH ACCOMMODATIONS

WHY REMOTE TUTORING IS HERE TO STAY

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

While education often feels like an art, a great deal of objective research and proven strategies support the technical craft of both teaching and learning. Amy and Mike invited educator Mike McGibbon to explain how to make learning science work for you.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How does testing itself help you learn more quickly?
2. Why do educators sometimes teach more by helping students less?
3. What can golfers, chess players, and chunking theory teach you about how to practice?
4. Why does the structure of your practice matter?
5. How is your memory like Google search, and what does that have to do with cramming for a test?

MEET OUR GUEST

Mike McGibbon started tutoring at Kaplan while he was a student at UC Berkeley. After graduating in 2002, he moved to NYC to study music and play the trumpet professionally.

During this time, Mike also worked for several NYC tutoring agencies, and eventually transitioned to a full-time tutoring career. He now runs his own solo tutoring practice, focusing on the ACT, SAT, and ISEE. He is also CEO and co-founder of Mathchops.com, an adaptive math practice tool.

Today, Mike teaches in Westchester County, where he lives with his wife and three kids. He also provides free advice through articles and videos on www.nyctestprepadvice.com and the Mathchops YouTube channel.

Mike previously appeared on this podcast in episode 165 to discuss Differences Between SAT and ACT Math.

Mike can be reached at mike@mathchops.com.

LINKS

Testing IS Learning

Exercise in Repeatedly Recalling a Thing

How the Chunking Technique Can Help Improve Your Memory

The Power of Testing Memory: Basic Research and Implications for Educational Practice

Practice Makes Myelinated Perfect

Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

RELATED EPISODES

THE SCIENCE OF MEMORY

ARE IQ TESTS VALID

DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE LEVELS ON THE SAT AND ACT

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Academic and testing success depends not just on much you learn but also how quickly. Amy and Mike invited professor and author Barbara Oakley to provide guidance on teaching fast and slow learners.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is a slow learner?
2. How does consistency in building good habits help learning?
3. What is the link between working memory and learning speed?
4. How do students fool themselves into thinking they are learning?
5. Why is rote learning being seen in a more favorable light these days?

MEET OUR GUEST

Barbara Oakley, Ph.D., PE is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan; Michigan's Distinguished Professor of the Year; and Coursera's inaugural "Innovation Instructor." Her work focuses on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior. Barb's research has been described as "revolutionary" in the Wall Street Journal.

Barb is a New York Times best-selling author who has published in outlets as varied as the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Her book A Mind for Numbers, on effective learning in STEM disciplines, has sold over a million copies worldwide. Dr. Oakley has won numerous teaching awards, including the American Society of Engineering Education's Chester F. Carlson Award for technical innovation in engineering education and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers William E. Sayle II Award for Achievement in Education. Together with Terrence Sejnowski, the Francis Crick Professor at the Salk Institute, she co-teaches Coursera's "Learning How to Learn," one of the world's most popular massive open online courses with over three million registered students, along with a number of other leading MOOCs.

Barb has adventured widely through her lifetime. She rose from the ranks of Private to Captain in the U.S. Army, during which time she was recognized as a Distinguished Military Scholar. She also worked as a communications expert at the South Pole Station in Antarctica, and has served as a Russian translator on board Soviet trawlers on the Bering Sea. Dr. Oakley is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Find Barbara at https://barbaraoakley.com.

LINKS

Uncommon Sense Teaching (MOOC 1 & MOOC 2)

The Importance of Working Memory Capacity

Faster versus slower thinking and intellectual humility

RELATED EPISODES

THE SCIENCE OF MEMORY

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A BAD TEST TAKER?

ARE IQ TESTS VALID

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

All time management, it is said, begins with planning. If you have a big test in your future, your time management plan better include a watch! Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Dustin Claretto to share strategies for tracking time on standardized tests.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Why is timing so important on standardized tests?
2. Is time management a practicable skill?
3. How can students use a watch during the test?
4. What kind of watch is permissible during testing?
5. What role does a physical watch play during a digital test?

MEET OUR GUEST

Dustin Claretto has over a decade of experience in the education and consulting worlds, teaching students of all ages in a variety of subjects, including standardized test prep. He is the COO of Testing Timers, a company founded by Jordan Liss to help students reduce their test anxiety and achieve their full potential. Over the last decade, Testing Timers watches have helped tens of thousands of students to improve their test scores and lower anxiety.

Find Dustin at dustin@testingtimers.com.

LINKS

For a Win on Test Day, Wear a Watch

RELATED EPISODES

COMMON TESTING MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

WHAT SAT & ACT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS CAN TELL YOU

USING STUDENT SELF-ANALYSIS TO IMPROVE INSTRUCTION

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

Once you decide whether you'll take the SAT or ACT for college admissions and scholarship purposes (you probably should), you'll need to make critical decisions about timelines for prep and testing. Amy and Mike invited educator Jim Reinish to answer the age-old question: "When should you take the SAT or ACT?"

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. When should high schoolers plan to prep for and take the SAT and/or ACT?
2. How do current testing timelines differ from the old testing paradigm?
3. What academic considerations influence testing timelines?
4. What scheduling challenges should be considered during test planning?
5. What personality traits in test-takers need to be taken into account?

MEET OUR GUEST

Unlike many test prep professionals, Jim Reinish discovered test prep "late" in life. A graduate of Columbia University's Engineering School, Jim had a long and successful career as an executive with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. In the midst of a salary freeze and worrying about the future cost of his children's college tuition, Jim explored additional income sources. He bombed at selling knives and hated real estate, so in 1994, he responded to a tiny newspaper ad (found by his wife) for the Princeton Review. The rest as they say is history.

Jim rose up the ranks at Princeton Review becoming a site director and a premier tutor. Wanting to impart a more personal approach to his tutoring, he soon began his own company. It grew to become one of the most successful tutoring companies in a very competitive New Jersey market. Tutoring at night and weekends, Jim prepared thousands of students for the SAT, ACT, GRE and GMAT. At the same time, Jim and his wife Lisa shepherded three children through the college application journey with them eventually landing at the University of Virginia, Columbia University and Penn State.

In 2015, Jim retired from his day job and, with Lisa, moved to the frozen tundra of Rochester, NY to be closer to his daughter and, hopefully, grandchildren. Jim thought he was done tutoring, but missed it so much that he went back to work. It didn't hurt that he found Mike Bergin and Chariot Learning. Jim's been working for Chariot Learning ever since and has solved the snow issue by spending half the year in Florida. Grandchild number one is almost two!!

Find Jim at jim@chariotlearning.com.

LINKS

When is the best time to take the SAT or ACT?

How long should preparing for the SAT or ACT take?

RELATED EPISODES

WHAT SAT & ACT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS CAN TELL YOU

HOW TEST PREP AND SPORTS ARE SIMILAR

HOW TEST PREP TUTORING SHOULD WORK

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.

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?

1. Is the SAT math more of a content-oriented section or a strategy-oriented section?
2. Is the best way to prepare for the SAT math to do practice sections from the College Board?
3. What are frequent topics on the SAT that most students don't know?
4. If a student can only learn a few topics, which ones should they really focus on?
5. How much math should a student have been exposed to before beginning prep for the SAT math?

MEET OUR GUESTS

Jackie Pollina and Josh Kariyev are both the founders of J&J Test Prep, a company that prides itself on maintaining a modern, relatable feel for students. Jackie and Josh are both in their mid-20s, and, upon realizing that they had a knack for tutoring, turned down the traditional path to attend a graduate program and started their own business despite the cries from all around them that it was "too risky" at such a young age. Jackie and Josh are also published authors with their new SAT math workbook, No B.S. SAT Math, which is now available on Amazon.

Jackie and Josh, in maintaining a modern feel, run an academic TikTok account intended to get students more excited about learning as our world becomes increasingly digitized.

Jackie graduated with a 4.0 GPA from Hofstra University, where she majored in Philosophy; Josh graduated with a 3.96 GPA from NYU, where he majored in Mathematics. Fun Fact: Jackie and Josh are high school sweethearts–they've been dating since they were 15 years old!

Jackie and Josh first appeared on the show in episode #182 to discuss TEST PREP TIKTOK.

Find Jackie Pollina and Josh Kariyev at https://www.jjtestprep.com/contact or on TikTok at @testpreptips – https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJaCVnq3/

LINKS

No B.S. SAT Math

Why SAT Math Problems are So Wordy

RELATED EPISODES

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SAT AND ACT MATH

CALCULATOR USAGE ON THE SAT AND ACT

COMPETITIVE MATH AND TESTING

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page. We'd love to hear from you!

For generations, the term "SAT word" has been synonymous with extremely challenging or esoteric vocabulary words. But does the phrase even still apply? Amy and Mike invited educator Michelle Rotteau to discuss vocabulary on the SAT and ACT.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Is a college-level vocabulary still necessary on admissions tests?
2. What kind of vocabulary does the SAT & ACT challenge?
3. Which test or section presents more challenging words?
4. What is the best way to learn the types of words tested on the SAT and ACT?
5. How valuable is learning word roots for today's tests?

MEET OUR GUEST

Michelle Rotteau grew up in Goderich, Ontario, Canada where she worked in the town's public library until attending Trent University, completing a Bachelor's degree in English and Canadian Studies. She then returned to library work until she opened a bookstore in 1997 where she sold books both in-store and online.

In 2001, Michelle and her husband moved to Seoul, South Korea where she started teaching reading and writing skills for test prep including SAT, ACT, SSAT, TOEFL, MCAT, and LSAT. In 2007, she returned to Canada and started working in Toronto for both a test prep company where she currently is the head teacher for 2 schools and as an independent reading tutor for international students. In 2016 she started her blog internationaltester.com as a free resource for international students who want to excel in SAT reading. In 2018, she published 2 e-books focusing on the Literature and History passages to help students overcome these dastardly sections.

For the past 15 months, Michelle and her husband have reverted to sleeping on their living room floor (memories of Korea) after having transformed their bedroom into Michelle's online teaching studio. She is really looking forward to getting back to her classroom (and its collection of over 600 books) in September (hopefully).

Find Michelle at www.internationaltester.com.

LINKS

SAT Vocabulary, Vocabulary, Vocabulary

The Most Important Vocabulary Words for the SAT & ACT

The Academic Word List

RELATED EPISODES

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SAT AND ACT READING

SOCIAL STUDIES INSTRUCTION AND READING COMPREHENSION

THE SAT AND ACT ARE CLASSIST NOT RACIST

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

A calculator on a high stakes test fits the classic definition of a double-edged sword: formidable in the hands of an expert but a liability for those who don't know how to use it. Amy and Mike invited educators Vinny Madera and Tony Miglio to outline the essential facts of calculator usage on the SAT and ACT.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Is a calculator really necessary on the SAT and ACT?
2. What are the best calculators to use on the tests?
3. On which test is the calculator more important?
4. How do tests penalize poor calculator use?
5. Should test-takers download useful programs into their calculators in advance?

MEET OUR GUESTS

Vinny Madera is the guy who shapes Test Prep Wizards and helps the team determine the most effective and efficient ways to get the results students need. Tutoring in some capacity since college, Vinny decided in 2007 to become a full-time tutor and works directly with over 800 students per year through his classes and individual students. Aiding numerous school districts, private institutions, and tutoring companies, Vinny has developed all Test Prep Wizards' reporting software and has written the company's SAT and ACT manuals, which have been licensed by many school districts as an efficient, low-cost means of helping their students.

Vinny is a huge nerd fan of data and statistics, moonlighting as a math enthusiast at Fairfield University where he teaches a variety of math courses and freshman experience workshops. He brings this love of numbers and trends to Test Prep Wizards in the form of its state-of-the-art analysis programming. Vinny is the author of Demystifying the Calculator: A Guide to Using the TI-84 PLUS CE on the ACT and first appeared on the podcast on episode #141 to discuss Tracking Test Score Data.

Tony Miglio is the owner of NKY Tutoring and is a nationally sought-after test prep expert, specializing in the math section of the ACT Test. He has worked with students both locally in the Greater Cincinnati area, but also students throughout the US and Europe. He works with students in person, and virtually; in groups, and 1-1, and is able to help build a rapport with each of his students to help students grow in confidence, along with growing their ACT Scores.

Tony is a former teacher, and he has been an ACT tutor for more than 15 years, with the last 10 years specializing in helping students conquer and raise their Math ACT Scores. His specialty is customizing the mental approach for each student, based upon the score that they need to drive success on the test. Tony first appeared on the podcast on episode #48 to discuss How Test Prep And Sports Are Similar.

Find Tony at nkytutoring.com@gmail.com

Find Vinny at testprepwizards.com or vinny@testprepwizards.com.

LINKS

Live Online Calculator Class

Demystifying the Calculator: A Guide to Using the TI-84 PLUS CE on the ACT

Be Calculator Smart on Test Day

RELATED EPISODES

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SAT AND ACT MATH

MATHEMATICAL MATURITY & TEST SUCCESS

HIGH IMPACT STRATEGIES TO HELP STUDENTS SUCCEED IN MATH

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

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?

1. Why is creating engagement the first step to effective online learning?
2. What do parents want to hear when their teens are engaged in remote instruction?
3. What is the 15/15 Rule, and how does it capitalize on recaptured commute time?
4. What efficiencies does remote instruction offer that lead to more productive teaching?
5. Why is the shift of locus of learning from outside the home to inside it so profound?

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 was responsible for hiring and training new teachers and was twice named Teacher of the Year. He now lives in San Antonio with his wife and their 3 dogs 🙂

Chris specializes in a wide variety of academic subject areas and standardized tests.

Find Christopher at https://sandersontestprep.com/ or 305-878-TEST.

LINKS

Tutoring in the Zoom Age

RELATED EPISODES

COLLEGE ADVISING AND PREP BY VIDEOCONFERENCE

HOW TEST PREP TUTORING SHOULD WORK

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF ONLINE TEST PREP

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

The old saying "What gets measured gets managed" can definitely be applied to testing data. But what exactly should be measured and why? Amy and Mike invited test prep wizard Vinny Madera to analyze opportunities and imperatives in tracking test score data.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What data matters in the context of standardized tests?
2. What can a great educator do with student data?
3. Why is the human element still essential to truly understand score data?
4. How does a test scoring protocol influence how student data is tracked?
5. What are the limits of score data assessment and why does this matter?

MEET OUR GUEST

Vinny Madera is the guy who shapes Test Prep Wizards and helps the team determine the most effective and efficient ways to get the results students need. Tutoring in some capacity since college, Vinny decided in 2007 to become a full-time tutor and works directly with over 800 students per year through his classes and individual students. He left a big-name test preparation company in order to provide lower cost tutoring and more access to students through his programming.

Aiding numerous school districts, private institutions, and tutoring companies, Vinny has developed all Test Prep Wizards' reporting software and has written the company's SAT and ACT manuals, which have been licensed by many school districts as an efficient, low-cost means of helping their students. The analysis software he developed to give school districts customized views of its students' testing trends has been called "Amazing," "Mind-boggling," and "Revolutionary."

Vinny is a huge nerd fan of data and statistics, moonlighting as a math enthusiast at Fairfield University where he teaches a variety of math courses and freshman experience workshops. He brings this love of numbers and trends to Test Prep Wizards in the form of its state of the art analysis programming. Vinny is the author of Demystifying the Calculator: A Guide to Using the TI-84 PLUS CE on the ACT.

Additionally, Vinny is a partner at Arete Academy, a one-stop facility for athletic, academic, and student-athlete betterment. When he is not trying to make learning more enjoyable for as many students as he can reach, he's spending whatever hours are left in the day with his three fantastic kids.

Find Vinny at testprepwizards.com or vinny@testprepwizards.com.

LINKS

Demystifying the Calculator: A Guide to Using the TI-84 PLUS CE on the ACT

RELATED EPISODES

DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOOK AT TEST SCORE INCREASES

WHAT SAT & ACT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS CAN TELL YOU

COMMON TESTING MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

The SAT has attracted incalculable criticism and scorn over the last century, but would detractors feel as much loathing if they knew the test's noble origins and purpose? Amy and Mike invited educational icon Anthony P. Carnevale to recall the historical mission of the SAT.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What was the original purpose of the SAT?
2. What was the initial role of the College Board?
3. What did the SAT have to do with the Cold War?
4. What are the limits of standardized tests in American education?
5. Does elimination of testing standards improve issues of equality and access?

MEET OUR GUESTS

Dr. Anthony P. Carnevale serves as Director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce and is co-author of The Merit Myth: How Our Colleges Favor the Rich and Divide America. He has served as Vice President of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), senior staff in both the US Senate and House, and has received appointments in multiple presidential administrations. In 1993 he was appointed by President Bill Clinton to chair the National Commission on Employment Policy and was subsequently appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the White House Commission on Technology and Adult Education. Dr. Carnevale co-authored the principal affidavit in Rodriguez v. San Antonio, a US Supreme Court action to remedy unequal education benefits, a landmark case that resulted in significant fiscal reforms to equalize K-12 education spending in a majority of states. Dr. Carnevale received his BA from Colby College and his PhD in public finance economics from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.

Find Tony at apc39@georgetown.edu.

LINKS

The Merit Myth: How Our Colleges Favor the Rich and Divide America

What Excellent Community Colleges Do: Preparing All Students for Success

RELATED EPISODES

PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF TESTING

IMPLICATIONS OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT DASHBOARD

WHAT COLLEGE BOARD AND ACT ARE DOING RIGHT

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

Contrary to the allegations of critics, you cannot buy great test scores. In fact, a surprising number of students earn elite--and sometimes perfect--scores on their own. Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Brian Eufinger to analyze self-prep for the SAT & ACT.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Is it possible to self-prep and excel on the SAT and ACT?
2. What kind of students self-prep effectively?
3. What resources are available for students who want to prep on their own?
4. What if a student is not capable of effective self-study?
5. Is preparation really that important for the SAT and ACT?

MEET OUR GUEST

Brian Eufinger graduated with honors from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2004. While an undergrad, he enjoyed working as a teaching assistant for Political Science 101, a resident advisor (RA) and as a volunteer paramedic with WashU's Emergency Support Team.

Brian is frequently invited to speak about test prep, college admissions, and scholarships at PTSA meetings at Atlanta-area high schools as well as Edison Prep's free parent meetings. He is an active member of Washington University's Young Alumni chapter in Atlanta, as well as the WashU Alumni Admissions Interviewer Program.

Brian was our guest to discuss THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION (#28) and facilitated our 2019-20 ACADEMIC YEAR IN REVIEW (#100).

Find Brian at https://www.edisonprep.com/

LINKS

One Secret to Seriously Strong Test Scores

Historical ACT Percentiles for 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015

RELATED EPISODES

WHY THE SAT AND ACT ARE AWESOME

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS AND TEST PREP

THE REALITY OF GRADE INFLATION

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

We sometimes look to educators like oracles who can predict a student's academic future based on faint and inscrutable hints. But why guess in the dark when all the answers are right in front of you? Amy and Mike invited test prep expert Phil McCaffrey to describe how to use student self-analysis to improve instruction..

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Why does self-reflection matter?
2. How can an educator best elicit effective self-reflection?
3. Why are physical journals superior to digital documents for this task?
4. What is the importance of differentiating mistakes and behavior?
5. How does effective self-reflection uncover critical issues?

MEET OUR GUEST

Phil McCaffrey is the owner and Head Math Tutor of 3RPrep (www.3RPRep.com) in Pittsburgh, PA. Phil started tutoring at age 9 in the 3rd grade when his teacher turned his desk around to give the weekly multiplication quiz-game because he had never lost, and she wanted someone else to win... she created a test-taking monster. He learned that beating tests was just practice! Now he still teaches kids to beat the test in a very unique way, through self-analysis and practice.

Phil began his standardized career, like Amy, as a teacher for The Princeton Review after scoring a near perfect on the GRE. He is a proud Penn State Navy ROTC graduate and served seven years on active duty, first as a Naval Flight Officer in combat in Iraq, then began his professional teaching career in 1994 teaching Navy ROTC at Old Dominion University in Norfolk Va where he earned a MBA. Phil specializes in one on one tutoring with highly competitive students seeking selective college admissions.

Find Phil at phil@3rprep.com.

LINKS

Test Preparation Checklist

RELATED EPISODES

COMMON TESTING MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A BAD TEST TAKER?

UTILIZING A REFLECTION JOURNAL TO PREPARE FOR YOUR COLLEGE ESSAY

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

Almost every test taker finds the SAT and ACT challenging. However, learning and testing disabilities add a whole new level of difficulty, which demands thoughtful approaches to practice and preparation. Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Scott Clyburn to discuss best practices in test prep for students with accommodations.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What kind of testing accommodations are usually granted for the SAT and ACT?
2. Why do educators have to act as advocates for students who need accommodations?
3. How do testing accommodations influence the choice of tutoring vs. group instruction?
4. Why does applying accommodations to practice testing matter so much?
5. Is either the SAT or ACT better for students with accommodations?

MEET OUR GUEST

Scott Clyburn holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Yale University, and is the founder and director of North Avenue Education, a premier test prep and study skills firm based in Portland, Oregon.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Scott has taught in both secondary and higher education and has been tutoring professionally since 2005. He sees tutoring as an opportunity for any student to become a better learner. Scott specializes in coaching students with LD and is motivated by seeing his students transform their potential into action.

Find Scott at scott@northaveeducation.com or follow us onTwitter @NorthAveEd

LINKS

Testing Accommodations Explained

RELATED EPISODES

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS AND TEST PREP

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FOR TWICE EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS

TRANSITIONING YOUR IEP OR 504 PLAN TO COLLEGE

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

Test prep differs from various other forms of academic instruction in that progress can be measured quantitatively. How many ways can this data be evaluated, and is that process even worth the effort? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Evan Jones to review different ways to look at score increases?

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Why does tracking student score improvement matter?
2. What difficulties do educators encounter in setting reliable baselines?
3. What are some creative ways to learn student's official scores?
4. How many effective ways exist to measure improvement?
5. What useful observations can be derived from score increase data?

MEET OUR GUEST

After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in Economics, Evan Jones went on to begin his career as a high school math teacher and football coach in the city of Tampa. Despite enjoying both, the politics of the school system wore thin on him. With the goal of "helping students achieve their dreams and fulfill the immense potential of their talents" he launched Plus Tutoring in 2016. Since then he has focused on expanding the business and creating truly creative ways to enhance the "typical" test prep process.

Of particular interest to Evan is the fact that test prep offers a unique situation in which every tutor nationwide prepares students for the same test. Therefore, unlike many other professions where comparison is oftentimes primarily subjective, test prep offers a quantifiable way to measure effectiveness. Using various measures of score tracking Evan has been able to enhance his business and student outcomes in multiple ways. From monitoring the effectiveness of new tutoring strategies to the use of score tracking as a form of marketing, Evan continues to devise ways of further enhancing educational and business related outcomes.

Find Evan at https://www.plustutoring.org/

LINKS

By How Much Can Test Scores Improve in One Month?

RELATED EPISODES

WHAT SAT & ACT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS CAN TELL YOU

HOW TEST PREP TUTORING SHOULD WORK

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT THE SAT AND ACT

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

According to author Timothy Gallwey, every game is composed of two parts, an outer game and an inner game. We play the outer game against an external opponent or obstacle, but the inner game takes place in the mind of the player. This insight has as much to do with testing as it does with tennis. Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Brett Ethridge to explain the relevance of the inner game of testing.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What does the "inner game" refer to?
2. How does the inner game concept explain when students with great grades earn low test scores?
3. What two selves are at work during high pressure activities?
4. How can we silence our inner critics while testing?
5. What role does deliberate practice play in improving your inner game?

MEET OUR GUEST

After graduating from Duke University with a degree in Public Policy, Brett Ethridge spent two years in Madagascar doing community health education with the U.S. Peace Corps. Upon his return to the States, he helped launch a PR/marketing firm in Washington, D.C. before heading to graduate school where he earned a MA in International Finance and Economic Development from the University of Denver.

Dominate Test Prep, LLC is a leading provider of online GMAT and GRE test preparation courses and lessons to empower prospective MBAs and graduate school students to get into the programs of their choice. Dominate Test Prep is the parent company for Dominate the GMAT (www.dominatethegmat.com) and Dominate the GRE (www.dominatethegre.com) which have helped thousands of happy clients from around the world boost their scores on these all-important standardized tests so that they can pursue their dreams and future life aspirations, starting with higher education.

Brett is also proud to be an Associate Member of AIGAC, the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants. In addition to founding Dominate Test Prep, Brett also operates successful nutrition and stock trading businesses. He is a huge Duke basketball fan, an avid tennis player, and a budding CrossFit athlete.

Find Brett at brett@dominatetestprep.com.

LINKS

The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance

Using Mindfulness for Test and School Success (Episode #18)

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

If you ask your average high schooler (or parent) for some adjectives describing the SAT and ACT, the extensive vocabulary list will likely skew negative. But do those who know the tests best feel the same way? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional David Blobaum to effusively explicate why the SAT and ACT are awesome.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is awesome about the math tested on the SAT and ACT?
2. What is awesome about the grammar tested on the SAT and ACT?
3. What does the importance of education say about the SAT and ACT?
4. Why are the SAT and ACT awesome even beyond their role in college admissions?
5. Why are tests that help put grades in context so valuable?

MEET OUR GUEST

David Blobaum graduated from the University of Chicago with honors both from the college and in his major. In college, he took seriously the University of Chicago's aim of a "Renaissance" or well-rounded education and took courses in 17 different disciplines, ranging from Statistics and Economics to Philosophy and Art History. Since then, he has devoted himself to helping students reach their potential on the SAT and ACT and, more broadly, to help them succeed through education.

To that end, in 2013, he founded Summit Prep with a former UChicago classmate. They now have two tutoring centers in New Jersey, and their team of SAT/ACT experts privately tutors over 500 students per year. David is a consultant to schools on SAT/ACT best practices, personally trains each Summit Prep tutor one-on-one, and tutors a select few students himself. David not only teaches students the necessary subject matter but also motivates them to continually strive towards their potential.

Find David at https://summitprep.com/.

LINKS

Enemies of the People: The SAT and ACT

The SAT and ACT are good predictors of success in college and beyond:

The Truth About the SAT and ACT

Standardized Tests Predict Graduate Students' Success

Ability Differences Among People Who Have Commensurate Degrees Matter for Scientific Creativity

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

Taking high quality practice tests at deliberate intervals is an indispensable part of any true test preparation regimen. But what makes mocks or diagnostics so important? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional David Phelps to explain specifically what SAT & ACT diagnostic tests can tell you.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Why do diagnostic tests matter for students taking the SAT and ACT?
2. At what point in the prep process should students take practice tests?
3. What should we look for in evaluating diagnostic tests?
4. What won't SAT & ACT diagnostic tests tell us?
5. Is over testing a legitimate concern?

MEET OUR GUEST

David Phelps is the cofounder and co-director of Forum Education. A tutor by trade, David has spent the last decade consulting and tutoring nearly every major subject and test to private school students of widely different learning and psychological profiles. At Forum, he has personally co-architected three apps for tutors and education, as well as advanced mock test diagnostics that recommend what students should work on to optimize their score. He is also the author of a number of guides for analytical writing, college essays, Spanish, chemistry, and test prep.

Find David at david@forumeducation.nyc.

LINKS

Practice Tests: How Many, How Often, and How to Do Them Right

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

The gap between a test taker's potential best and actual best depends entirely on delivering an error-free performance when it counts. But how easy is that in the face of tricky test questions, challenging content, and human fallibility? Amy and Mike invited test prep professional Michael Jordan to identify the common testing mistakes and how to avoid them.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What types of errors do test takers think they make?
2. What types of errors do test takers actually make?
3. How can test takers avoid these classic mistakes?
4. What can analyzing errors teach us?
5. What does "muscle memory" have to do with error-free performance?

MEET OUR GUEST

A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Michael Jordan is a National Merit Scholar and perfect-scorer on the SAT and ACT. As a high school senior, he was torn between pursuing biomedical engineering or music education, and ultimately chose to study the latter at the University of North Texas.

After teaching high school band in Texas for four years, Michael branched out to test prep tutoring in 2013. He started hiring tutors in 2015, and since then, Michael Jordan College Prep has established itself as the leading provider of in-home test prep in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Michael is still a certified teacher as well as a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association. Outside of running a test prep business, Michael enjoys running a competitive barbecue team, cooking with his wife, Ashleigh, playing with his dog, Ella, and planning world travels.

Find Michael at http://www.mjprep.com/ or michael@mjprep.com.

LINKS

The "Categorize Your Mistakes" Exercise

Embracing Mistakes for Bigger Brains… and Test Scores

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

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?

1. Why do sports analogies make so much sense when we talk about test prep?
2. Why is motivation so important in both endeavors?
3. What does the concept of muscle memory have to do with testing?
4. Why can mistakes be meaningful in the prep process?
5. How does coaching make a massive difference in both tests and sports?

MEET OUR GUEST

Tony Miglio is the owner of NKY Tutoring (https://nkytutoring.com/) and is a nationally sought-after test prep expert, specializing in the math section of the ACT Test. He has worked with students both locally in the Greater Cincinnati area, but also students throughout the US and Europe. He works with students in person, and virtually; in groups, and 1-1, and is able to help build a rapport with each of his students to help students grow in confidence, along with the growing their ACT Scores.

Tony holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a minor in Psychology from Northern Kentucky University. Tony is a former teacher, and he has been an ACT tutor for more than 15 years, with the last 10 years specializing in helping students conquer and raise their Math ACT Scores. His specialty is customizing the mental approach for each student, based upon their score that they need to drive success on the test.

Last year, he quit his previous job to be a full-time standardized test tutor and focus on helping students all over the country. Being full time allows him to meet with students throughout the day as well as travel across the US, to work with schools. This flexibility has provided Tony the opportunity to make a work with more students and make a positive impact in their lives.

Find Tony at nkytutoring.com@gmail.com

LINKS

Similarities between Baseball/Softball and the ACT

Looking for a Good Test Strategy? Think Sports.

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

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?

1. What are some mental enhancement techniques that allow us to be present in a pivotal moment?
2. Which mental enhancement techniques can be leveraged in the short term?
3. Why is the flow state so desirable during testing?
4. How can neuro-linguistic programming help reframe negative beliefs?
5. What is a surprising yet effective way to deal with a moment of panic?

MEET OUR GUEST

Bara Sapir, CEO/Founder of City Test Prep, is an internationally recognized expert in high-performance coaching, personal empowerment, and transformative test preparation. She has over 20 years of experience in the test preparation field, including six years as an instructor for The Princeton Review Bara is a pioneer bringing holistic, mindful human potential techniques to the test preparation field, including teaching students effective ways to stay calm, focused and able to recall material learned. She does this through hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming, tapping, integrated life coaching, mindfulness, and more.

Sapir is the co-author of The Full Potential GMAT Sentence Correction Intensive, published by Nova Press, creator of the HypnoPrep™ method and the Full Potential™ audio series. All these products help students optimize test-taking results and professional success by reducing anxiety and enhancing concentration, confidence, and ease. This approach works as a complement to any content-based study program and will work to help students beyond content mastery and test-taking strategy. Her Full Potential™ audio series is a unique interactive audio training for SAT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and other standardized tests, designed to inspire relaxation and improve test scores. Sapir also innovated MindFlow, a mindful speed reading workshop that has increased students' verbal scores an average of 13% and their reading speed up to 5x..

Bara's test prep expertise has been featured in the media, including The Wall Street Journal, Business Because, CBS Bay Sunday, Cosmogirl, Women's World, Next Step, CNN/Fortune Magazine's online blog and Positive Thinking, National Public Radio (NPR), WBAI, and on Karen Salmonson's Lime Satellite Radio program, Be Happy...Dammit!.

Bara holds masters degrees in education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and in art history from the University of Michigan. She also has certifications in hypnosis, Integrative Life Coaching, Reiki, neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and Interchange Counseling. lectures and conducts workshops for students, parents, educators, business people, and creative professionals seeking high-performance results at school, work, and in life.

Find Bara at https://citytestprep.com

LINKS

The Full Potential GMAT Sentence Correction Intensive

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

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?

1. Is it possible to be a bad test taker?
2. What are the signs of a bad test taker?
3. How does one become a good test taker, if that's even possible?
4. What do the differences between tennis and ping pong have to do with testing?
5. What does social equity and access have to do with test taking ability?

MEET OUR GUEST

Moshe Ohayon has been working in the tutoring and test prep industry for over 20 years. He is the author of the award-winning strategy guide, The ACT for Bad Test Takers and the developer of the ACT preparation app PrepSharp. Moshe holds degrees from Columbia University, the University of Louisville, and Harvard University.

After years of operating a successful tutoring and test prep company, Moshe became disillusioned with the tremendous educational advantage that is all too often only available to those from financially-privileged backgrounds. He founded Educational Justice and Equitas Prep to help level the educational playing field for under-resourced students.

Find Moshe at EquitasPrep.com

LINKS

PrepSharp App

The ACT for Bad Test Takers

Educational Justice

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

"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?

1. What exactly is grit?
2. Why are passion and perseverance essential to reaching high levels of success ?
3. How can parents, educators, and counselors cultivate grit?
4. What is the difference between productive and unproductive success and failure?
5. What does it mean to say that developing grit is a long game?

MEET OUR GUEST

Laila Y. Sanguras, Ph.D., is a lecturer in the department of Curriculum and Instruction at Baylor University. Dr. Sanguras' areas of teaching include psychology of learning, educational evaluation, and educational research. Her primary scholarly interest is on the development of psychosocial skills, particularly grit and coping, and how teachers and parents can support their children to succeed academically and personally. She has written books for teachers and parents focused on strategies they can use to cultivate grit in their students. She also just released a student planner that is full of activities for students to set goals, rethink failure, and explore their interests. Dr. Sanguras works closely with school districts and parent organizations to bring research to practice. She also presents at numerous professional conferences and enjoys mentoring students on their personal research projects.

Laila is the author of Grit in the Classroom: Building Perseverance for Excellence in Today's Students, Raising Children With Grit: Parenting Passionate, Persistent, and Successful Kids, and other works.

Find Laila at https://www.andstillweteach.com/

LINKS

Laila's catalog of books

Duckworth's Grit Scale

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

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?

1. Do some schools prefer one test over the other?
2. Are certain tests or test dates easier than others?
3. Does either test cater to really strong verbal or math students?
4. Should students study vocabulary or science specifically for the tests?
5. Are these exams intelligence tests?

MEET OUR GUEST

Daniel Ascher, M.Ed., President of A+ Test Prep and Tutoring, has been a professional educator since 1988. Daniel began tutoring students while in graduate school and enjoyed one-to-one instruction so much that he decided to go directly into the field upon completing his Master's degree.

In 1992 he started A+ Test Prep and Tutoring out of his home. Today A+ has 50 tutors who work out of two office locations, at students' homes and schools throughout the Philadelphia Area, and online. A+ specializes is one-to-one instruction for SAT and ACT test preparation. In addition they provide Executive Function coaching and instruction in all school subjects. A+ serves about 600 one-to-one clients per year and runs test preparation and study skills classroom programs at schools and community organizations throughout the Philadelphia area.

Find Dan at www.aplustutoring.com

LINKS

NACAC: State of College Admission

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

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?

1. What is mindfulness?
2. What is "the other half of test prep" and how can mindfulness help prep?
3. What are the "passengers" that steer us wrong in stressful moments?
4. How can simple acknowledgment of negative self-talk create better outcomes?
5. What can educators, counselors, and parents do to help cultivate mindfulness?

MEET OUR GUEST

Logan Thompson scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT®, GRE®, and GMAT®. He has studied and practiced mindfulness since 2008. After earning his MBA from Vanderbilt University, Thompson lived at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, for two and a half years, spending several months in silent mindfulness retreats. He also participated in a two-year mindfulness teacher-training program by Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBME). Thompson holds a Masters of Education in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University and is an adjunct psychology professor. He has spent the past several years teaching both mindfulness and test prep for Manhattan Prep.

Logan is also the author of Beyond the Content: Mindfulness as a Test Prep Advantage.

LINKS

Ten Percent Happier app

Mindfulness and Concentration in Testing

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.

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?

1. How similar are the SAT and ACT grammar sections?
2. Are some grammar questions more complex than others?
3. Which grammar section consistently covers more grammar rules and content?
4. Does pacing and time per question differ dramatically from one test to the other?
5. What aspects of the grammar sections might influence students to take one test or the other?

MEET OUR GUEST

A native of Brookline, Massachusetts, Erica Meltzer graduated from Brookline High School and earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Wellesley College.

Before becoming involved in test prep, she worked in the Department of History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University and in the Department of Philosophy at Columbia University, where she helped coordinate graduate admissions. From 2006 until 2015, she tutored privately in Manhattan as well as online, helping students around the world achieve their SAT/ACT goals and gain admission to a number of top colleges, including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Caltech, Stanford, and Duke.

With over 100,000 copies sold, her SAT and ACT Reading and Writing guides consistently rank at the top of their respective categories on Amazon, outperforming comparable guides produced by Kaplan, Princeton Review, and Barron's. She has been featured in Teen Vogue, The College Solution, and CBS Moneywatch, and her books are currently used by students and tutors worldwide.

Find Erica at https://thecriticalreader.com/.

LINKS

Erica's extensive catalogue of books

The Critical Reader SAT/ACT grammar question of the day

What does the ACT English test measure?

What does the SAT Writing and Language Test measure?

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.