253. The Unexpected Allure Of The Most Expensive Colleges
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Release Date: 10/19/2021
750. TEST PREP PROFILE: Eric Rath
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 OUR GUEST Eric Rath is the founder and president of , where he's spent the last decade building a remote test-prep and academic tutoring practice. His career in test prep goes back nearly twenty years, with senior business and instruction roles at some of the field's best-known names — Applerouth, ArborBridge, and Revolution Prep — before he struck out on his own in 2016. A UC Berkeley graduate, Eric is a frequent speaker on testing, assessment, and education, presenting...
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749. TEST PREP PROFILE: Amy Brooks
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 OUR GUEST Meet Amy Brooks, the founder of Amy Brooks Tutoring, an academic tutoring and test prep practice serving K–12 students and families both in person and online. With over 30 years of experience in education, Amy specializes in standardized test prep for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and ISEE, along with academic tutoring and educational consulting for families from homeschool, private school, and public school backgrounds. Amy graduated from Baylor University with a degree in...
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748. TEST PREP PROFILE: Bobby Nicholson
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 OUR GUEST Meet Bobby Nicholson. Bobby is the founder of , a Knoxville-based education company helping students achieve measurable, life-changing score increases on the ACT. What began as one-on-one tutoring has grown into a multi-coach, team-based program used by students and schools across the region, known for its data-driven diagnostics, proprietary coaching app, and five-point composite score guarantee. Beyond test prep, Bobby is building a broader ecosystem around education,...
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747. TEST PREP PROFILE: Mishkaat Rawjee
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 OUR GUEST Meet Mishkaat Rawjee. Mishkaat is the owner of , a solo tutoring business that focuses on one-on-one academic and test prep tutoring for the SAT, ACT, GRE, and K–12 math. She has an undergraduate and master’s degree in computer science, but quickly realized that sitting at a desk all day wasn’t for her. Tutoring started as a way to make extra money and naturally turned into a full-time career—and she’s been doing it ever since. Mishkaat understands today’s...
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746. TEST PREP PROFILE: Myles Múnera-Keating
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 OUR GUEST Meet Myles Múnera-Keating. Myles graduated early from Stanford University with a BS in Mathematical and Computational Science, concentrating on statistics and machine learning. His deep enthusiasm for numbers and probability, coupled with talents in writing and standardized testing, makes him a versatile educator who supports students across a wide array of domains from math and science to the humanities to college applications. Myles’s approach is not only about...
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745. WHY ARE SOUTHERN COLLEGES SO POPULAR?
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
While higher education is grappling with the implications of a demographic shift among applicants, an equally important trend of a decidedly geographic nature is creating winners and losers on opposite sides of the Mason-Dixon Line. Amy and Mike invited independent education consultant Mark Stucker to explain why Southern colleges are currently so popular. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Are Southern colleges and universities really outpacing other schools in popularity, and why? How did the pandemic influence admissions trends? Are there any particular schools...
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744. HOW TO DEFINE A DREAM SCHOOL
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Young adults should always be encouraged to dream big when imagining their futures. When the time comes to actualize those aspirations, though, practical details matter most. Amy and Mike invited author Jeff Selingo to clarify how to define a dream school. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the "Top 25 or bust" mentality and why do so many families still equate selectivity with quality? Do you need to attend a top-ranked school to get an exceptional college education? How do you define fit, and what specific factors should families consider...
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743. EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: July 2026
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The Tests and the Rest podcast consistently explores important topics in testing, admissions, education, and learning with amazing expert guests. Sometimes, though, we enjoy an unstructured opportunity to discuss our own takes on major issues, upcoming events, and our endeavors at the intersection of business and education. Catch up with us in the latest episode of EXTEMP with Amy & Mike. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What have Mike and Amy been up to this month? How did Mike work with ACT recently? What has Amy been philosophizing about? Is a perfect test...
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742. WHY COLLEGE FLASH ISN’T FIT
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
How many bad relationships begin because people prioritize superficial qualities over true virtues? Whether you are looking for a partner or applying to college, your deeper values should inform your decisions. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Ann Cadwallader to explain why college flash isn’t fit. What are five things you will learn in this episode? In terms of both college admissions and dating, what does it mean to say “flash isn’t fit?” Why do students and families get pulled toward what looks impressive when building a college list? How does the idea of...
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741. WHAT IS AN IEC AND WHO NEEDS ONE?
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Most people know–or at least think they know–the role of a school-based counselor. What about all of the professionals in private practice who support families on their admissions journeys and more? Amy and Mike invited IECA CEO Stephanie Simpson to learn what an Independent Educational Consultant (IEC) is and who needs one. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What role do Independent Educational Consultants (IECs) play in a student’s academic journey, and how do they How can IECs complement the contributions of school counselors, especially in districts where high...
info_outlineHigher education resembles most other goods and services in that price often increases with scarcity. In other contexts, though, the industry seems to defy economic principles. Amy and Mike invited editor Hilary Burns to explain the unexpected allure of the most expensive colleges.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
- Are college prices continuing to increase?
- What relationship cost and selectivity?
- Are the most expensive schools seeing more or fewer applicants?
- Why is the total cost of attendance still an important consideration?
- What surprising tier of college has also seen an increase in enrollment?
MEET OUR GUEST
Hilary Burns is the founding reporter and editor of higher-education newsletter, The National Observer: Higher Education Edition, which launched in September 2020. Burns’ higher-education coverage is published in more than 40 business publications owned by American City Business Journals.
Previously, Hilary served as associate editor of the Boston Business Journal, where she covered higher education in Greater Boston and managed the paper’s special industry sections. She has also been in reporting roles for American Banker, The Charlotte Business Journal, and Bizwomen.com. Beyond those publications, her work has appeared in the Cape Cod Times, USAToday, Huffington Post, Charlotte Magazine, and USAirways Magazine. She has also been featured on local tv stations, NPR, and Bloomberg radio stations in Charlotte and Boston.
Hilary graduated from Wake Forest University, where she was editor of the student newspaper the Old Gold & Black, and now lives in Cohasset, Massachusetts, with her husband and rescue dog.
Find Hilary at hilaryburns@bizjournals.com.
LINKS
Are 'best' rankings detrimental to the US higher-ed system?
National Observer Higher Education Newsletter
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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.