657. DOES IT MATTER IF YOU TAKE CALCULUS IN HIGH SCHOOL?
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Release Date: 06/24/2025
672. From Stage To Test: What Performance Teaches Us About Test Anxiety
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
All the world’s a stage, which means that performance anxiety can be debilitating in a variety of contexts. What does it take to silence your inner critics and do your best when only your best will do? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Christine Gangelhoff to explore what performance teaches us about test anxiety. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the core similarities between test anxiety and performance anxiety in musicians or athletes? How can students pace their test prep the way performers pace their practice to avoid last-minute panic? What...
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671. EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: August 2025
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. Sometimes, though, we enjoy an unstructured opportunity to discuss our 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? What have Amy and Mike been up to this month? How has the addition of the September SAT affected test prep calendars? ...
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670. Intentionality On The Road To College
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
It’s been said that when we set an intention, somehow the world seems to magically come to meet us. Does that apply in college admissions? You'll never find out if you don’t try. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Ann Cadwallader to outline the impact of intentionality on the road to college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What does intentionality mean in the context of the high school experience? How does course selection tell a story? What really matters when choosing extracurricular activities? What does the choice to work or volunteer during high...
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669. College Essay Secrets
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Few writing assignments loom as large or feel as significant as the application essay does to a college-bound teen. But what if the keys to a statement that makes a difference were both simple to understand and easy to implement? Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Susan Knoppow to reveal valuable college essay secrets. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the real essay prompt every applicant needs to respond to? How are college essays used in the admissions process? Do they really matter? What are the biggest mistakes students make when writing college...
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668. STRATEGIES FOR THE COMPUTER-BASED ACT
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Starting in September 2025, the ACT will be administered nationally both on paper and on digital devices. Should you take the ACT on a computer? If so, what do you need to know in advance? Amy and Mike invited educator Adam Snoza to review Strategies For The Computer-Based ACT. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What should test takers know about the digital interfaces? What are the differences in platforms between the in-school and national digital ACT? Even with the majority of test prep providers recommending the paper test, what are unique benefits to the digital...
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667. THE IMPACT OF DUAL ENROLLMENT
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Imagine two models of education, one of which reserves opportunities for college credit for college students and another which allows high schoolers to also earn college credit. Which do you think most college-bound students would prefer? Amy and Mike invited admissions professional Audrey Moreno to explore the impact of dual enrollment programs. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is an early college high school? Are there different models of dual enrollment offerings? Why is access to dual enrollment programs so important? What makes dual enrollment such a...
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666. EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: July 2025
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. Sometimes, though, we enjoy an unstructured opportunity to discuss our 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? What have Amy and Mike been up to this month? Why is summer always so busy? What’s the new college student housing...
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665. HOW TO MANAGE PROCRASTINATION IN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Procrastination does not necessarily stem from laziness or disorganization. Sometimes, we put off important tasks to cope with negative emotions associated with their outcomes–perfectly understandable but highly undesirable when it comes to complex college applications and strict deadlines. Amy and Mike invited education consultant Michelle McAnaney to understand how to manage procrastination in the admissions process. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why do students procrastinate? Are there any benefits to procrastination? How does procrastination affect the...
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664. TESTING GAMEPLAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2027
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
When tests change, so should the conventional wisdom about timelines and options. How will the Enhanced ACT factor into your admissions exam plans? Amy and Mike invited educator Brian Eufinger to review a testing gameplan for the HS class of 2027. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the main issues for students in the high school class of 2027? What are the timelines students should keep in mind? Have test score policies changed over the last year? Should ACT test takers sit for the optional Science section? Should students focus on only one test? MEET OUR...
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663. ADMISSIONS NOTES FOR THE HS GRADUATING CLASS OF 2026
Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast
Every year, new calculations and complications impact the college application process. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Rebecca Stuart-Orlowski to return to the show with admissions notes for the HS graduating class of 2026. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Is the enrollment cliff real, and what does it mean for the Class of 2026? Which colleges and universities are becoming more popular? With the science section in the ACT becoming optional, should students still take it? Is building a balanced college list enough? With changing math standards...
info_outlineIf you’re applying as a STEM major or looking at selective colleges, there’s no question that you should consider taking advanced or accelerated math courses at the secondary level. The question instead revolves around which course to take. Amy and Mike invited researcher Adam Tyner to review whether taking calculus in high school is absolutely necessary.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
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What are the typical pathways for showing math rigor in high school?
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Does the choice between calculus or statistics matter?
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In what cases would one of these choices be more advantageous to an applicant?
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Do students who have taken calculus in high school outperform their peers?
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Are their equity issues wrapped up in this decision?
MEET OUR GUEST
Adam Tyner is the national research director of research at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, where he helps develop and manage Fordham’s research projects. Prior to joining Fordham, he served as senior education analyst at Hanover Research, where he executed data analysis projects and worked with school districts and other education stakeholders to design custom studies.
Adam has also spent several years leading classrooms, teaching English as a second language in both China and California and teaching courses at the University of California, San Diego. His work has appeared and been cited in national and international media such as The Economist, The New York Times, Forbes, Education Week, Education Next, and The Diplomat, as well as in numerous local outlets. Adam holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, San Diego, where he completed his doctoral dissertation on the integration of rural-to-urban migrant workers in China’s cities. He also holds a bachelor of arts in international studies from the University of Oklahoma.
Adam first appeared on the podcast in episode 140 to discuss Social Studies Instruction and Reading Comprehension and in episode 295 to discuss Would Eliminating Tests Make Education More Equitable.
Find Adam at fordhaminstitute.org.
LINKS
Calculus or Statistics: Does it Matter?
RELATED EPISODES
CHOOSING HIGH SCHOOL MATH COURSES STRATEGICALLY
MATHEMATICAL MATURITY AND TEST SUCCESS
GETTING READY FOR THE AP CALCULUS AB OR BC EXAM
GETTING READY FOR AP PRECALCULUS
GETTING READY FOR THE AP STATISTICS EXAM
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.