Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

Since 2014, Gallup has investigated some of the most important outcomes of higher education through a survey of college graduates. What valuable lessons can future college students learn from the ref…

Many high school students dream about playing sports on the college level. However, entering the application and recruitment process with low grades and test scores can be a nightmare for even the mo…

Too many students, parents, and professionals act as if high schoolers magically transform into independent, motivated, productive college students right after their graduation ceremonies, even if no…

The college essay provides teens their single best chance to speak from the heart and share something significant that does not come through the rest of the application. But what happens when a stude…

Many families embark on the college search process with a magical “dream school” in mind. But what if the dream doesn’t match the reality? Amy and Mike invited college consultant Lynn O’Shaughnessy t…

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? A…

Grade inflation often seems like a trivial offense, a somewhat victimless crime. However, evidence suggests the exact opposite, that the practice undermines students, corrodes institutions, and perpe…

For many students, community college represents the path to academic and career success, while others only see a stop on a longer educational journey.  County by county and state by state, these inst…

Success in tests, as in life, comes down to much more than just what you know. But where and how are students supposed to learn key skills like time management, organization, prioritization, and proj…

While life after high school should be one of the most important considerations for teens and the adults that support them, too many kids choose default paths because they don’t know the depth and br…

Attending college as a student with special needs presents a wide variety of serious logistical challenges. Even more daunting, though, may be the extra burden of paying for extra accommodations and …

Humans may spend about a third of their lives asleep, but the average time at slumber dips dramatically during the teen years. Yet, the physical, mental, and emotional health of adolescents and young…

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 interventio…

NACAC’s Code of Ethics and Professional Practices (CEPP) establish guidelines for college admissions conduct that most colleges voluntarily observe. In 2019, the organization voted to remove three pr…

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 …

In a perfect world, every student would commit to exactly the kind of test prep program he or she needs to confidently reach or exceed SAT & ACT score goals. However, in the world we live in, most fa…

“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 invit…

Most high schoolers are highly motivated to attend and maybe even graduate college. If only they’d bring the same fervor to the steps needed to get to college! Amy and Mike invited test prep professi…

While you may be able to uncover hundreds of Catholic and Christian universities in your college searches, you’ll only find a select number of Jesuit schools. These universities, however, tend to sta…

Isn’t it funny how we expect students to study and understand really complex material while using really basic study skills? Educators should prepare their students for advanced learning by understan…