599. TEST PREP PROFILE: Sara Kohn
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Release Date: 10/11/2024
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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_outline
611. IEC PROFILE: Stef Mauler
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 Stef Mauler, founder of the Mauler Institute™ and author of . She began working in Ivy League admissions over 30 years ago. She met thousands of high school students and their families as they went through the mysterious Ivy League admissions process. Discovering that the majority of applicants had the academic record, but were not accepted, she set out to find patterns in what differentiated the students who were accepted from those who weren’t. Stef holds a B.A....
info_outline
610. IEC PROFILE: Michelle Siddons
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 Michelle Siddons. Michelle is an Associate Member of IECA, a new member of NTPA, and has her Masters in Education from Seton Hall and undergraduate degree from Colgate University. Michelle has been helping high school students for over twenty five years with test prep and the past five years with college counseling. She completed her certificate in college counseling from UCLA. She and her husband live in Mountain Lakes New Jersey, have three young...
info_outline
609. IEC PROFILE: Feiyang Liu
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 Feiyang Liu. As a naturally introverted high school student, Feiyang felt immense pressure to adopt a bubbly, inauthentic persona for my college applications. This led to a lack of fulfillment and a realization that pretending to be someone he wasn’t came with significant consequences. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in Political Science and from USC with a Master's in Education (Enrollment Management and Policy), he grappled with people-pleasing while...
info_outline
608. HOW TEST PREP PREPARES YOU FOR COLLEGE
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
The successful outcome of preparing for the SAT & ACT can yield a massive return on investment, but the real value lies in the process itself. Amy and Mike invited educator Rob Pollak to explore how test prep prepares you for college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Is test prep all about tips and tricks? How is standardized test prep more than just preparation for one isolated exam? In what way does test prep challenge students to think more strategically about their learning and approach to studying? How do the skills students develop during test prep...
info_outline
Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry?
MEET OUR GUEST
Meet Sara Kohn, who was raised in South Florida and attended Florida State University, where she obtained a degree in marketing. She later pursued a master's degree in exercise science. About two decades ago, She began tutoring about 20 years ago and eventually established her own company, Ready Set Prep - now called Advanced Test Prep, focusing on high level preparation, particularly for National Merit and the PSAT/NMSQT. She has conducted successful programs across South Florida, contributing to around 10% of all semifinalists in the state annually. Expanding on her passion for education and helping students achieve their academic goals, Sara’s journey in the field of tutoring and test preparation has been both fulfilling and rewarding. Through her company, Advanced Test Prep, she has been able to make a significant impact on the educational landscape of South Florida.
Sara has had the privilege of assisting educators and school districts nationwide in establishing their test preparation programs, aiding them in seamlessly incorporating test preparation into their existing curriculum. Additionally, she has collaborated with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club, the Salvation Army, and the FIU Upward Bound Program. This enables her to offer elite private school services to individuals who may not have access to them otherwise.
Find Sara at www.advancedtestprep.com.
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 and LEAP. 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.