534. CHOOSING BETWEEN THE DIGITAL SAT AND THE ACT
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Release Date: 11/21/2023
621. EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: January 2025
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
A new year brings new excitement. The Tests and the Rest podcast has always been relentlessly focused on exploring 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? How were Amy and Mike’s holidays? What are our one word mantras for 2025? How are...
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620. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS AN UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Considering how prevalent the topic of AI has become in business, leisure, and education, it was only a matter of time before college students would choose to focus on its study. Amy and Mike invited college dean Jennifer Stephan to explore what you need to know about artificial intelligence as an undergraduate major. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What do students study when they major in AI? What are some focus areas within an AI degree? Is an AI major a replacement or improvement over a CS major? Are there non-technical pathways to contribute to AI? What majors...
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619. POST PANDEMIC LEARNING LOSS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The global onset of the coronavirus shut down schools, which interrupted the educational process for millions of students. The expectation was that deficits in fundamental areas would be made up once the world opened up again. Did that happen though? Amy and Mike invited education professional Nancy Weinstein to explore post-pandemic learning loss. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Are students really performing differently since the pandemic? Does learning loss differ based on age or gender? Were students in all parts of the United States equally impacted...
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618. HOW THE COMMON DATA SET CAN HELP INTERPRET WHAT COLLEGES TELL YOU
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Finding your best fit school requires a lot of smart research, so don’t overlook one of the best sources of institutional information available. Amy and Mike invited independent counselor Jane Gabin to discuss how the common data set can help interpret what colleges tell you. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the Common Data Set? How can studying the CDS help with judging the value of a school? What does a school’s graduation rate tell us about the school? How can the CDS be accessed and can anyone look at it? Are there schools that try to hide their...
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617. PREPARING TEENS FOR COLLEGE: ARE THEY READY?
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Wanting to pursue higher education is not exactly the same as being ready for higher education and all that its pursuit entails, as too many students learn to their detriment. Amy and Mike invited educator Carey Dukes to explore just how prepared and ready most teens are for college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Are students typically prepared for both the academic and emotional challenges of college? What critical skills should students develop to enhance their readiness for college life and beyond? Why does approaching college in terms of semesters make...
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616. EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: December 2024
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The Tests and the Rest podcast has always been relentlessly focused on exploring important topics in testing, admissions, education, and learning with amazing expert guests. Once in a while, 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? How was the NTPA Winter Workshop? How did Amy celebrate the end of Mike’s term as NTPA President? How will...
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615. THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLEGE INTERVIEWS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
How odd is it that one of the most effective ways to learn about college applicants tends to be among the least frequent steps in the process. How valuable is direct conversation for evaluating prospective members of an educational community and what might the future hold? Amy and Mike invited college admissions expert Parke Muth to explore the importance of college interviews. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is typically meant by a college interview? How common and impactful are interviews in the current admissions process? What are the best ways to prepare for...
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614. QUALITIES OF GREAT EDUCATORS AND COACHES
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Just about anyone can become an educator or coach, but can anyone become great at it? Amy and Mike invited educator Dan Lerman to enumerate the qualities of great educators and coaches. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the foundational qualities of a great tutor or coach? What can be taught to tutors and how? How do you know if you are not a great tutor or coach? Beyond a test, what does a great tutor teach? What is the current state of tutor training? MEET OUR GUEST Dan Lerman is a professor of Cognitive Science at Columbia...
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613. IEC PROFILE: Alison Merzel
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Alison Merzel. Alison Merzel is the founder of AHM Advising LLC, an independent educational consulting practice focused on helping high school students and families find their best-fit post-secondary educational options. Prior to launching her business in 2019, Alison was at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business for 15 years, most recently as the Senior Director of Graduate Recruiting and Admissions. Alison holds a BS from Northwestern...
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612. IEC PROFILE: Julie Spak
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Julie Spak. Since 1985, Julie has been connecting students to their futures in her work as a College Admissions Officer, Financial Aid Officer and Honors Program Counselor at the University of New Hampshire, where she received her M.Ed in Counseling and BA in Communication and English. Julie also worked as a School Counselor, so she knows how to help students and families from "both sides of the desk." She is a Past President of New Hampshire School Counselors...
info_outlineNow that college admissions is moving back into a test-preferred environment, students don’t have to struggle with the choice of whether or not to take a college entrance exam but rather which one. Amy and Mike invited educator Susan Powers to weigh the important factors in choosing between the digital SAT and the ACT.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
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Why should students give thought to which test they want to take?
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How are the ACT and digital SAT different?
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How does the ACT Science section play into a decision about which test to take?
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Should you prepare for both the ACT and digital SAT?
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Are there any general rules for what types of students are better suited to either test?
MEET OUR GUEST
Susan Powers is the founder and CEO of Woodlands Test Prep, a tutoring company based in the Houston area that improves students’ scores, supports students’ academic success, and helps families navigate the college admissions testing process with much less stress.
Susan started teaching SAT and GMAT classes for Kaplan in 1994 as a hobby while an executive for a large oil and gas equipment company, doing strategy and acquisitions. The arrival of children put hobbies on hiatus, and she was able to return to tutoring in 2011, founding Woodlands Test Prep. The company has grown from a solopreneur to a larger company with multiple tutors. Susan delights in all aspects of the business from tutoring to curriculum and resource development to process improvement to hiring those few rare gems and teaching them how to help students too!
Susan was a National Merit Scholar and has a B.A. in French and a B.B.A. in Finance from Southern Methodist University and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin, focusing on entrepreneurship. She lives in the country with her partner, Joe, and three dogs, a cat, and a parrot named Monkey. Her two children now live adventurous lives in the mountainous West. She loves to travel around the world, play day-long board games, sing, write poetry, garden, and read a couple of books at a time.
Susan is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Test Prep Association. She first appeared on the podcast in episode 231 in a Test Prep Profile.
Susan can be reached at www.woodlandstestprep.com.
LINKS
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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.
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS
Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros. If you’re interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, feel free to get in touch through our contact page.