254. Using The Common Data Set
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Release Date: 10/22/2021
686. BEST & WORST EXTRACURRICULARS FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The choices a high schooler makes about how to spend their time outside of classes tell prospective schools a lot about what kind of college student they’ll be. However, in terms of admissions, not all activities are created equal. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Marlena Corcoran to review the best & worst extracurriculars for high schoolers. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the worst extracurricular activities for college-bound students? What are the runners-up for the prize? Are there any harmless extracurricular activities? ...
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685. SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: STUDYSPACES
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
What if your PDFs could grade and track themselves? with educator Jam Mirzakhalov What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the story behind StudySpaces? How does StudySpaces work? Who currently uses StudySpaces? What kinds of outcomes do users experience? What should someone curious about StudySpaces know about it? ABOUT STUDYSPACES StudySpaces helps tutors create, assign, and track student work in one place. It connects directly with your existing curriculum, automatically pulling in your PDFs and materials so you never have to start from scratch....
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684. HOW TO PLAN FOR YOUR COLLEGE TRANSFER
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Believe it or not, over one-third of college students transfer at least once while earning their degree. So why do so many students assume their first school will be their forever school? Amy and Mike invited college advisor Jaime Smith to share insights on how to plan for your college transfer. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Where do students most commonly struggle when preparing to transfer schools? How easy is it to transfer credits between colleges? What might students do in advance if a potential transfer is in their future? Do transfer students need SAT or...
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683. WHAT DO FEDERAL POLICY CHANGES MEAN FOR FINANCIAL AID?
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The ability to pay for a college education usually depends on stable economic conditions and clear, predictable rules. But what happens when everything seems to change every day? Amy and Mike invited financial aid advisor Ed Recker to explain what federal policy changes mean for financial aid. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What federal policy changes will have the potential biggest impacts to students? What federal policy changes will have the potential biggest impacts to colleges & universities? Has the U.S. Department of Education’s reduction in force (RIF)...
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682. CULTIVATING AND RECOGNIZING ACADEMIC CURIOSITY
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The primary goal of our formative years is often seen as figuring out what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Why, then, do we focus so much on what we want to *be* instead? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Matthew Jaskol to explore the importance of cultivating and recognizing academic curiosity. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the development process for a curious but undecided student? Why does fostering intellectual curiosity get overlooked in traditional education systems? What are ways to encourage students to explore or engage...
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681. EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: October 2025
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The Tests and the Rest podcast is always focused on exploring essential 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 and ongoing adventures 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? How busy was last month for Amy and Mike? How can educators balance work and family? Should high school prepare teens for the work world? What is...
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680. SCHOLARSHIPS, MAJORS, AND HOW CLARITY CAN UNLOCK MORE COLLEGE AID
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
While high schoolers don’t need to know exactly what they’ll be doing with the rest of their lives, those students who make intentional, well-informed major choices before applying to college can unlock more merit-based and private scholarship opportunities–including specific awards based on intended major. Mike moderated a conversation with Dave Peterson and Lisa Marker-Robbins to explore Scholarships & Majors: How Clarity Can Unlock More College Aid. What are five things you will learn in this episode? If scholarships aren’t just awards for past achievements, how should...
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679. How Do Female Students Benefit From Female Educators?
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
If learning and testing weren’t already challenging enough in and of themselves, success can often depend on the level of congruence between students and teachers. For example, is gender an influential factor in academic success? Amy and Mike invited educator Megan Fitzwater to explore how female students benefit from female educators. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the key differences in how girls learn when they work with female mentors? What factors likely contribute to girls feeling like bad test takers? What role do standardized tests play in shaping...
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678. HOW PARENTS CAN SUPPORT (NOT DERAIL) THE COLLEGE PROCESS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
For many college applicants, the dream of higher education would be unattainable without the support of their parents and guardians. That doesn’t mean, however, that these well-meaning adults can’t become an adverse influence in admissions. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Lisa Hillhouse to discuss how parents can support and not derail the college process. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. What non-negotiable terms should be established at the beginning of the process? 2. How can parents support the exploration phase of the college search process? 3. What...
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677. How Ikigai Can Help To Choose a College Major
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Ikigai, a Japanese concept that translates to "a reason for being" or "a reason to live," focuses on the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Doesn’t that sound like a critical consideration for college students and applicants? Amy and Mike invited admissions expert V. Peter Pitts to explore how ikigai can help to choose a college major. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is IKIGAI? How can an Ikigai exercise help in narrowing down your major? Do students really need to choose a major before...
info_outlineIn a system where selective colleges benefit from as many applicants as possible even as acceptance becomes rarer than ever, smart applicants need to do more than take public statements at face value. Prepare to delve into the data! Amy and Mike invited educator Shane Bybee to explain how to use the Common Data Set.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
- What is the Common Data Set?
- How and by whom can the Common Data Set be accessed?
- What kind of information does the CDS hold?
- Why should college applicants seek this information out?
- What are the limitations of the CDS?
MEET OUR GUEST
Shane Bybee of Bybee College Prep has spent over half his life teaching. Along the way, he has worked with thousands of different students teaching everything from remedial 7th grade English/Language Arts to Dual Credit English IV and AP Language and Composition and even remedial Algebra I. Every year, no matter the subject he taught, his students outperformed the campus average on standardized tests. He has written curriculum, presented topics at the state convention for English teachers, and created professional development sessions for colleagues and school districts.
While earning a master's degree in Educational Leadership and getting certified as an administrator, he started Bybee College Prep. He did research into how schools could help more students achieve National Merit recognition. His research grew into a tutorial service that has helped dozens of students reach National Merit Semifinalist status.
As an educator, he is certified to teach Gifted and Talented students and has completed courses for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. He has also served on test item review committees multiple times for the companies that write standardized tests and helped write online curriculum used by major test preparation companies. He understands what goes into crafting these tests.
Shane is also the co-founder of Parent University and host of the Let’s Talk College Podcast.
Shane has appeared on this podcast in episode 25 to discuss When Gifted and Talented Students Struggle and again in episode 195 as the subject of a Test Prep Profile.
Find Shane at shane@bybeecollegeprep.com.
LINKS
Texas A&M Student Data and Reports
College Navigator - National Center for Education Statistics
RELATED EPISODES
THE ROLE OF PARENTS IN THE COLLEGE PROCESS
HOW IECS AND TEST PREP PROFESSIONALS CAN WORK TOGETHER
ABOUT THIS PODCAST
Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page.