128. 529 College Savings Plans
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Release Date: 09/22/2020
569. HOW TO PERSIST TO COLLEGE GRADUATION
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Getting into your best fit school usually feels like the prize at the end of a long and grueling journey, but the next step in the undergraduate adventure has really just begun. Will you emerge victorious, degree in hand? Amy and Mike invited college consultant Beth Howland to share insights into how to persist to college graduation. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the difference between retention and persistence and how is each related to graduation rates? What are the most common reasons students leave college? How should families think about college...
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568. HOW STUDENTS USE GENERATIVE AI
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The artificial intelligence genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no way to put it back in. All we can do is learn to live with AI as productively as possible. No surprise, today’s youth are leading the charge from middle school to college. Amy and Mike invited ed tech expert Annie Chechitelli to describe how students use generative AI. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How are students using generative AI? What are positive and productive ways to use generative AI? What are less-productive ways to use generative AI? Are current detection tools keeping up...
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567. GETTING READY FOR THE AP COMPUTER SCIENCE A EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take, and AP Computer Science is no exception. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Edward Lee to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Computer Science A exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Computer Science A exam? How do AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles differ? What are the highest...
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566. GETTING READY FOR THE AP LITERATURE EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Christy Shriver to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Literature exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Literature exam? What are the different approaches required by each essay? What strategies lead to higher scores on the AP Literature exam? How should students...
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565. GETTING READY FOR THE AP CALCULUS AB OR BC EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Shayda Moshirvaziri to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Calculus AB or BC exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Calculus exam? How important is a calculator on the AP Calculus exam? What are the highest priority topics for this exam? What are the best prep...
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564. GETTING READY FOR THE AP GOVERNMENT EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Dan Corrigan to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP United States Government and Politics exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Government and Politics exam? What are the highest priority topics for this exam? How should students prepare for the AP Government? What...
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563. GETTING READY FOR THE AP PHYSICS 1 EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take, and AP Physics 1 is no exception. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educators Jennifer Boughton and John D’Alessandro to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Physics 1 exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Physics 1 exam and how does it differ from the other physics APs? How important is a calculator on the AP...
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562. TESTING POLICIES AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY REVISITED
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Theories that standardized testing impeded equity in admissions decisions drove the pandemic-era test optional movement. With a few years of real-world data, we can now examine the accuracy of those theories. Amy and Mike invited student advocate Dr. Yoon Choi to revisit the review of testing policies and educational equity. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. What does the research say about testing and equity? 2. How do standardized tests help predict college readiness? 3. Why do many states and school districts in the U.S. use the SAT and ACT tests as part of their...
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561. POWER DYNAMICS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Students and their families anxiously awaiting acceptance letters often feel helpless throughout the college admissions process. Little do they realize how quickly the advantage can shift in their favor. Amy and Mike invited educator Debra Landesberg to explore the concept of power dynamics in college admissions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. Why are power dynamics worth considering in the admissions process? 2. Who holds the most power before applications are submitted? 3. Who holds the most power once applications are submitted? 4. Who holds the most power once...
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560. BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Some rumors about the costs of college are true. For example, some colleges this year will establish record highs in tuition and fees. But does that mean you can trust everything you’ve heard? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Ann Garcia to bust some pervasive myths about how to pay for college. What are five myths that are busted in this episode? Myth #1: We're not poor and our student isn't an athlete, so we're stuck paying full price for college. Myth #2: I have a 4.6 GPA so I will get merit scholarships wherever I apply. Myth #3: My Student Aid Index/EFC is what it will...
info_outlineMost families get serious about planning for life after high school during a child’s tween or teen years. If you want to pay for educational programs like college, though, you might want to plan much further in advance! Amy and Mike invited financial expert John Hupalo to demystify 529 college savings plans.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
- What exactly is a 529 college savings plan?
- What is the optimal timeline for investing in a 529?
- Can 529 funds be used to pay for tutoring, test prep, or college advising?
- What if your 529 beneficiary doesn’t want to go to college?
- Can 529 plans be used to pay for K-12 education?
MEET OUR GUEST
John Hupalo is nationally recognized expert in education loan finance and college planning.
He is the founder of MyCollegeCorner.com, a mission-driven company dedicated to empowering families with the information, tools and services needed to make more informed college decisions. His education-focused career spans more than 30 years as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill, Managing Director on Wall Street, and Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of First Marblehead Corporation (NYSE:FMD). He was elected to the Bronxville School Board, chaired the NYU Stern School Alumni Association, established the Mainstream Foundation, served as a Trustee and Treasurer for the Carroll School and Treasurer for the Wellesley Village Church. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Point O’Woods Association.
He co-authored Plan and Finance Your Family’s College Dreams (Peterson’s, 2016). John has testified before Congress on private credit student loans. He has been a guest on more than 70 radio shows, appeared on Bloomberg Day Break and The Street with Gregg Greenberg, and has been published or quoted in the New York Times, the Fiscal Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Hill, Fox Business, and U.S. News and World Report. He is a contributor to The Hill and Bob Brook’s Prudent Money Radio show.
John received his B.A. with Honors from Boston University and an MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business.
Find John at [email protected].
LINKS
Plan and Finance Your Family’s College Dreams
529 Day: CV-19 has Not Changed the Importance of Saving for College
Can 529 Funds Be Used to Pay for Test Prep?
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ABOUT THIS PODCAST
Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.