552. RESOURCES FOR THE DIGITAL SAT
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Release Date: 03/05/2024
567. GETTING READY FOR THE AP COMPUTER SCIENCE A EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take, and AP Computer Science is no exception. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Edward Lee to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Computer Science A exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Computer Science A exam? How do AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles differ? What are the highest...
info_outline
566. GETTING READY FOR THE AP LITERATURE EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Christy Shriver to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Literature exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Literature exam? What are the different approaches required by each essay? What strategies lead to higher scores on the AP Literature exam? How should students...
info_outline
565. GETTING READY FOR THE AP CALCULUS AB OR BC EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Shayda Moshirvaziri to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Calculus AB or BC exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Calculus exam? How important is a calculator on the AP Calculus exam? What are the highest priority topics for this exam? What are the best prep...
info_outline
564. GETTING READY FOR THE AP GOVERNMENT EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Dan Corrigan to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP United States Government and Politics exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Government and Politics exam? What are the highest priority topics for this exam? How should students prepare for the AP Government? What...
info_outline
563. GETTING READY FOR THE AP PHYSICS 1 EXAM
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take, and AP Physics 1 is no exception. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educators Jennifer Boughton and John D’Alessandro to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Physics 1 exam. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is tested on the AP Physics 1 exam and how does it differ from the other physics APs? How important is a calculator on the AP...
info_outline
562. TESTING POLICIES AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY REVISITED
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Theories that standardized testing impeded equity in admissions decisions drove the pandemic-era test optional movement. With a few years of real-world data, we can now examine the accuracy of those theories. Amy and Mike invited student advocate Dr. Yoon Choi to revisit the review of testing policies and educational equity. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. What does the research say about testing and equity? 2. How do standardized tests help predict college readiness? 3. Why do many states and school districts in the U.S. use the SAT and ACT tests as part of their...
info_outline
561. POWER DYNAMICS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Students and their families anxiously awaiting acceptance letters often feel helpless throughout the college admissions process. Little do they realize how quickly the advantage can shift in their favor. Amy and Mike invited educator Debra Landesberg to explore the concept of power dynamics in college admissions. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. Why are power dynamics worth considering in the admissions process? 2. Who holds the most power before applications are submitted? 3. Who holds the most power once applications are submitted? 4. Who holds the most power once...
info_outline
560. BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Some rumors about the costs of college are true. For example, some colleges this year will establish record highs in tuition and fees. But does that mean you can trust everything you’ve heard? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Ann Garcia to bust some pervasive myths about how to pay for college. What are five myths that are busted in this episode? Myth #1: We're not poor and our student isn't an athlete, so we're stuck paying full price for college. Myth #2: I have a 4.6 GPA so I will get merit scholarships wherever I apply. Myth #3: My Student Aid Index/EFC is what it will...
info_outline
559. IEC PROFILE: Jennifer Stephan
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Dr. Jennifer Stephan. Jennifer has held a variety of roles across top colleges and universities, including professor, academic dean, and board of admissions member, in addition to serving as a private college counselor, alumni interviewer for Johns Hopkins University, and parent of three. She holds a BS degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, as well as an MS and a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University....
info_outline
558. IEC PROFILE: Hanna Stotland
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant? MEET OUR GUEST Meet Hanna Stotland, who flunked out of high school, got a G.E.D., and went on to graduate from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Since 1999, she has been an independent admissions consultant specializing in educational crisis management, including Title IX, substance abuse and mental illness. Her recent professional presentations include conferences of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, the Higher Education Consultants Association, nine regional...
info_outlineA new test creates new opportunities and requires new study aids. Now that the SAT has gone digital, where should students and educators be looking for prep and practice material? Amy and Mike invited educator Laura Whitmore to explore the options for resources for the digital SAT.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
1. What materials do you recommend that your students use for the Digital SAT?
2. When and how should you use the official Blue Book practice tests?
3. What have your students tried already and what did they think?
4. Should you trust 3rd party scoring algorithms?
5. What are the best free materials to use?
MEET OUR GUEST
Laura Whitmore is the Founder and CEO of Strategic Test Prep, a leading SAT prep service. With extensive experience and expertise, Laura has been helping students achieve remarkable score improvements since 2007. As a former high school Valedictorian and a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Laura's educational background sets a strong foundation for her coaching. Trained by a former College Board question writer, she possesses insider knowledge that enables her to outsmart the SAT and ACT tests. Over the years, Laura has refined these strategies and collaborated with her students to develop additional effective techniques. Laura currently scores a 1570 on the SAT (800 Math, 770 English).
Laura's dedication and positive approach have resulted in exceptional outcomes. Her students have achieved grade improvements and remarkable score gains of up to 400 points on the SAT. From local to international levels, Laura's influence has expanded, working with students in various states across the United States, as well as countries such as Finland, Azerbaijan, India, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Chile.
In addition to personalized coaching, Laura extends her expertise through her popular YouTube channel, Strategic Test Prep, where she shares free test prep information with students worldwide. Recognizing the need for accessible resources, Laura has also developed asynchronous online SAT courses and a Digital SAT prep app called Preptly, available on the App Store and Google Play. With degrees in psychology and a dual degree in mathematics and adolescent education, Laura's qualifications and dedication make her a trusted source for successful SAT preparation.
Laura can be reached at Strategic Test Prep.
LINKS
Download the Bluebook Digital Testing App | College Board
Official Digital SAT® Prep | Khan Academy
Digital SAT Math - Desmos Lesson #1 Solve any Equation!
RELATED EPISODES
THE NEW DIGITAL SAT EXPERIENCE: A STUDENT PERSPECTIVE
ALL ABOUT DIGITAL SAT READING & WRITING
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.