Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry?

Meet David Lynch, the founder of StudyLark Test Prep. He has been working with students …

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry?

Meet Mary Thomas, founder of Test Prep Simplified, who has implemented her 24 years of e…

The last year represented one of the most transformational periods in the history of education. Wondering what wonders the next year holds? Amy and Mike invited research consultant John Clark to sepa…

A student who is engaged is a student ready to learn. A student who is not engaged… not so much. Amy and Mike invited educator Julia Silver to explain the 4 P’s of student engagement.

What are five t…

If sheer volume and vehemence of accusations of racism were sufficient evidence, the case against standardized tests would be closed. But what if testing tilts in a different direction entirely? Amy …

In the old days, when high school and college students struggled with classes, we focused on academic tutoring. Why did it take so long to realize how essential motivation and productivity skills are…

Nobody would argue that all students with special needs don’t deserve to be supported and provided the resources they need to thrive. Why, then, do students with special talents--particularly for aca…

Colleges and universities struggled with challenges to profitability and program diversity before COVID-19 arrived, and the global pandemic certainly didn’t help matters! Amy and Mike invited higher …

While the math sections of the SAT and ACT both challenge conceptual understanding and problem-solving across a broad range of similar topics, a closer look shows differing priorities between the two…

Very few people truly love academic standardized testing, but animosity over assessments seems to increase in intensity every year. But are the exams themselves the problem or what their scores revea…

Almost every conversation about college admissions and choice eventually turns to major. Should teenagers even be expected to know what they want to study for the next four to six years? Amy and Mike…

Course selection heavily influences both a student’s high school experience and college prospects, yet definitive answers on how to make these choices are often lacking. Amy and Mike invited educatio…

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 i…

Pre-COVID, visiting a college campus was an important way to both learn about a school and signal interest. Today and likely going forward, more and more families will conduct that due diligence onli…

While standardized tests assess only part of a full high school math curriculum, assessing priorities has historically been difficult. Fortunately, ACT has quantified and clarified many elements of i…

The premise of holistic admissions suggests that admissions officers consider the whole applicant. But how can intangibles like character or compassion be judged alongside empirical data like grades …

According to former Secretary of Education Rod Paige, “There is no more powerful advocate than a parent armed with information and options.” But does that still apply to parents of teens? Amy and Mik…

While a college admissions process depends on a myriad of large and small moving parts, the great challenge in applying to schools lies not in the number of criteria but in accurately guessing which …

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry?

Meet Rob Pollak, an expert SAT and ACT tutor with a passion for helping high school stud…

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry?

Meet Kenny Tan, who has been working in test prep since 2010. Kenny founded Kenny Tan Te…