532. ALL ABOUT DIGITAL SAT MATH
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Release Date: 11/07/2023
590. HOW TO PREP FOR THE DIGITAL PSAT
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Every October, the PSAT is administered in high schools. Even though the test has no bearing on admissions, college-bound students should still take–and prepare–for it. Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Stewart to explore how to prepare for the digital PSAT. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How has the PSAT changed over the past couple of years? What are some resources students can use for PSAT preparation? Besides "test prep," how can students improve their PSAT readiness? What are some of the most common mistakes high-achieving students make on...
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589. THE ROLE OF RAPPORT IN EDUCATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
When learners work with teachers, tutors, consultants, and coaches, developing domain mastery and a strategic plan is an obvious component of success. Less obvious, however, is the instrumental roles personality and chemistry play in the learning process. Amy and Mike invited Jagmohan Durganandan to explore the role of rapport in educational relationships. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does rapport mean in an educational or coaching context? Why does rapport matter? How can educators and coaches cultivate effective rapport? What is the role of students in...
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588. BIG CHANGES TO AP TESTS IN 2025
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Advanced Placement courses have set the standard for accelerated subject studies in many high schools, but next year’s offerings may look very different from what teachers and students are used to. Amy and Mike invited educator John Moscatiello to explain the big changes–both in testing platforms and course options–in AP tests in 2025. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why did the College Board revise the scoring of AP tests? How has the College Board recalibrated AP test scores? What new AP tests will be available in the 2024-2025 school year? How is...
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587. SHOULD I APPLY EARLY DECISION OR EARLY ACTION?
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
SHOULD I APPLY EARLY DECISION OR EARLY ACTION? When applying to highly selective schools, every advantage makes a difference. Why, then, would a student pass up one of the biggest multipliers in acceptance rate? Amy and Mike invited education consultant David Parker to explore the existential college admissions question: should I apply Early Decision or Early Action? What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are all of the ways to apply early and why do colleges offer so many options? What are the differences between early decision and early action? What are the benefits...
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586. WHAT DOES THINKING CRITICALLY IN COLLEGE MEAN?
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The standard high school education covers a broad and deep array of state-mandated subjects but doesn’t necessarily cultivate strong critical reasoning skills. That’s a shame, because those skills are essential to success in higher education. Amy and Mike invited college dean Louis Newman to explore what thinking critically in college means. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Do teens typically arrive at college with sufficient critical thinking skills? What does critical thinking mean in an academic context? What kinds of critical thinking do college...
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585. HOW PREPARATION AND MINDFULNESS GO TOGETHER
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Some people embrace practice and coaching in order to be ready for a certain moment, while others train to be fully present in any moment. When it comes to the most important moments, why not both? Amy and Mike invited educators Claire Russell and Aproteem Choudhury to explore how preparation and mindfulness go together. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How do test prep tutoring and mindfulness coaching overlap? What are the primary reasons a student would benefit from mindfulness preparation in test prep? How does mindfulness help students achieve in...
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584. USING THE DESMOS CALCULATOR IN DIGITAL TESTING
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Powerful graphing calculators can provide potent math problem solving advantages for students that know how to use–and can afford–them. What is the impact, then, when everyone has free access to leading edge calculation tools? Amy and Mike invited educator Kyle Terracciano to explore using the Desmos calculator in digital testing. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the Desmos calculator, and what can it do? How is Desmos integrated into college admissions testing? What are the best resources to learn Desmos for the Digital SAT? When is it best to utilize...
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583. THE VALUE OF THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
When Ralph Waldo Emerson suggested that it's the journey, not the destination, that matters, he may not have had higher education in mind. That said, applicants often overlook what really matters on the road to college. Amy and Mike invited college consultant Arthur Smith to explore the intrinsic value of the college admissions process. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does the college admissions process entail in general? What is actually involved when you focus on “the process” instead of the outcome? How can focusing on “the process” lead to more...
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582. THE NEED FOR TESTING SITES IN CALIFORNIA
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
California is the most populous American state with a veritable cornucopia of exceptional and reasonably well-funded high schools. Why, then, do Californian teens need to travel hundreds–and sometimes thousands–of miles to sit for the SAT or ACT? Amy and Mike invited student Sebastian Gillmore and educator David Blobaum to discuss the need for testing sites in California. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the problem with SAT & ACT testing locations in California? Why are testing locations so scarce? Why is access to testing so critically important for...
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581. COLLEGE DOCUMENTATION FOR HOMESCHOOLERS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The bespoke nature of homeschooling can be a great advantage for tailoring education to a student’s individual needs. However, those differentiated programs present challenges when the time comes to apply to college. Amy and Mike invited education consultants Michele Evard and Holly Ramsey to review the intricacies of college documentation for homeschoolers. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What do stakeholders in the admission process need to know about homeschool documentation? What are some best practices for homeschool documentation? How do homeschoolers...
info_outlineSince its inception, the SAT has challenged math conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills. What, if anything, has changed on the new digital adaptive test? Amy and Mike invited educator Mike McGibbon to talk all about digital SAT Math
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
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What aspect of the new test will affect preparation and performance the most?
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How much will Desmos and other aspects of the digital delivery system matter?
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How does the digital SAT's math content compare to the current SAT's math content?
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What makes the hard module of the digital SAT so hard?
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How can educators and students use existing resources?
MEET OUR GUEST
Mike McGibbon started tutoring at Kaplan while he was a student at UC Berkeley. After graduating in 2002, he moved to NYC to study music and play the trumpet professionally.
During this time, Mike also worked for several NYC tutoring agencies and eventually transitioned to a full-time tutoring career. He now runs his own solo tutoring practice, focusing on the ACT, SAT, and ISEE. He is also the CEO and co-founder of Mathchops.com, an adaptive math practice tool.
Today, Mike teaches in Westchester County, where he lives with his wife and three kids. He also provides free advice through articles and videos on www.nyctestprepadvice.com and the Mathchops YouTube channel.
Mike previously appeared on this podcast in episode 165 to discuss Differences Between SAT and ACT Math, episode 372 to explain Making Learning Science Work For You, episode 332 for a SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Mathchops, and episode 480 to discuss How Standardization Can Benefit Education.
Mike can be reached at [email protected].
LINKS
https://mathchops.substack.com/t/digital-sat
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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.