536. ALL ABOUT THE AMERICAN MATH COMPETITION
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Release Date: 12/05/2023
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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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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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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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...
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We focus so much on our teens getting through high school and into college yet spend little time looking at the space between or how everyone involved needs to change and adapt for success. Amy and Mike invited educator Dr. Andrea Malkin Brenner to discuss the parent transition from high school to college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What role can parents play to support their students as they become self-reliant and college-ready? What are the major differences between being a high school parent and a college parent? How can parents help students prepare for the...
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When the most important exams in our lives tend to be meticulously crafted instruments based research, statistics, and standards, a sloppy and spontaneous approach just won’t cut it. Amy and Mike invited educator Russ Hanush to outline a scientific approach to test-taking. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why is general knowledge an irreplaceable foundation for test takers? What’s the best way to create study aids? What test-taking strategies do most students fail on? How can you leverage the odds on multiple choice? What physical preparation...
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While choosing a college feels like one of the biggest decisions of your life, choosing to leave one may be even more difficult. That said, swapping the wrong school for the right one can do wonders for your grades, mental health, and future prospects. Amy and Mike invited college advisor Jaime Smith to explore what you should know about transferring. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How common is college transfer? How has the rise of credible online programs impacted transfers? What are the best and worst reasons to transfer? What are the main transfer pathways? ...
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Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Alex Pint, the owner and founder of Pathway Prep in Kansas City! Alex attended Kansas State University, where he received a BS/MS in Architectural Engineering. To earn some extra money during college, he got a campus job tutoring math and physics, and thus the seed of being an educator was planted. After graduating in 2015, Alex started working at a KC consulting engineering firm but soon began a test prep side hustle. Alex continued working in engineering for 5...
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Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Remy Zaken Andersen. Remy is a graduate of Columbia University, where she majored in Psychology with a focus on social cognition and emotion. A former professional actress, she serves as a strong role model for students striving for academic excellence while balancing extracurricular and career interests. She scored in the 99th percentile on the ACT and SAT, and also received perfect scores of 5 on the AP exams in Biology and US History. Tutoring professionally...
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Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Jason Hankins, who graduated in the year 2000 from Milwaukee School of Engineering with a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering and a minor in Business Administration. Jason works full time as a Software Engineer and part-time as a test prep tutor. He has a love of math and teaching others how to understand it. In 2004 he started his tutoring business, J. Digital Tutoring Services. He specialized in tutoring mathematics courses, math sections of standardized tests,...
info_outlineMathematics is one of the fundamental tools for understanding the universe, nothing less than the science and study of quality, structure, space, and change. That doesn’t mean, though, that we can’t make a contest of it, especially if doing so can uncover a generation’s brightest math minds. Amy and Mike invited Vida John to explain all about the American Math Competition.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
1. What is the American Math Competition, and who runs it?
2. How is the AMC scored and what is a good score?
3. Have there been test security issues with the AMC?
4. Who should take the AMC and why?
5. How can students prepare for the AMC?
MEET OUR GUEST
Vida John is a math coach and tutor, specializing in students who are preparing for math contests and studying curriculum published by Art of Problem Solving. Vida grew up in Iowa where she was a high school mathlete before studying at the Stanford School of Engineering and UCSF School of Medicine. After working in Silicon Valley for a medical start-up, she homeschooled her 2 daughters with the intent of providing an excellent education, especially in math and science.
She coached homeschooled math teams for 10 years, and with both daughters now attending Stanford, she continues to help students prepare for MathCounts, AMC, and other contests while building their problem-solving skills. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and runs workshops on using math contests to prepare for college-level work.
Vida previously appeared on this podcast in episode 255 to discuss Competitive Math And Testing.
Find Vida at vidajohntutoring.com.
LINKS
American Mathematics Competitions
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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.