Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

THROWBACK: WHEN GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS STRUGGLE

To many, the gifted and talented designation seems to promise a future of effortless academic success. How, then, can the adults in their lives help when these students f

765. MATH'S "SAT MOMENT": THE SHIFT TO HIGH-SECURITY TESTING

The higher the stakes for any given exam, the more likely it is that some test takers will seek an unfair or unethical advantage, as anyone connected to the American Math

764. EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: October 2026

The Tests and the Rest podcast consistently focuses on exploring important topics in testing, admissions, education, and learning with amazing expert guests. Sometimes, t

THROWBACK: ATTENDING COLLEGE IN A BIG CITY

The world's great cities offer some of the biggest, best, and broadest options in virtually any category you can think of, including colleges and universities. What diffe

763. ATTENDING A RURAL COLLEGE

Farm country may not contain many of the most well-known institutions of higher education, but the schools you'll find there perfectly fit their communities. Amy and Mike

THROWBACK: COLLEGE PRICE TRANSPARENCY

When is a price not a price? When the stated retail cost of a year at any college diverges dramatically from what students actually cost, you can't effectively factor pri

762. CREATING BETTER COLLEGE VISITS

Choosing a college often entails deciding where you'll live for the next four to possibly fifty-four years. Why, then, do so many applicants select their new homes withou

THROWBACK: FINISHING A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE ON TIME

About 66% of American students FAIL to earn their bachelor's degrees in four years. Yet, those extra years of college come at a tremendous cost. Amy and Mike invited educ

761. HOW TO WRITE THE COLLEGE ESSAY THAT AI CANNOT

In the age of artificial intelligence, more and more communication is crafted by sophisticated models–and it shows. Critical messages should be composed by a person for a

THROWBACK: MATHEMATICAL MATURITY & TEST SUCCESS

Far too often, we evaluate math ability in high schoolers solely on the basis of grades and level of math learned. A more accurate assessment of a student's potential on

760. WHAT COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CULTURE IS DOING TO OUR KIDS

Obviously, accomplishing big things requires energy and intention. But should admission to a specific school really be the ultimate focus of a child's K-12 journey?  Amy

THROWBACK: USING MINDFULNESS FOR TEST AND SCHOOL SUCCESS

How can we succeed in the moment when we're so burdened by thoughts of the past and anxious over fears of the future? The practice and application of mindfulness can keep

759. WHY DIDN'T MY TEST SCORE INCREASE?

It is often said that intention is one thing, but execution is another. That observation is little comfort to students who study and prepare with the best intentions yet

758. EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: September 2026

The Tests and the Rest podcast consistently focuses on exploring important topics in testing, admissions, education, and learning with amazing expert guests. Sometimes, t

THROWBACK: NEED BLIND AND NEED AWARE ADMISSIONS

Is any aspect of college admissions more mystifying than the determination of financial aid? The concept of "need" and how different schools consider need in both admissi

757. THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER: EXPLORING INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS

With thousands of colleges and universities at home, few American students ever consider studying abroad. Amy and Mike invited independent education consultant Alan Shept

THROWBACK: ACT SCORE REVIEW AND VALIDATION

Security at testing centers is almost as tight as screening at American airports. Yet some test takers still find ways to cheat on the ACT or at least raise suspicions. A

756. GUIDANCE FOR WRITING A STRESS-FREE COLLEGE ESSAY

Students often approach their college applications as if each essay is the most important piece of prose they've ever written, which leads to overthinking and anxiety. Th

755. SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: MentoMind (Fall 2026 Updates)

Expanding your tutoring business with MentoMind with educator Amit Jain What are five things you will learn in this episode? How are tutors using MentoMind? How is

THROWBACK: ANXIETY AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

While all teenagers are alike in certain ways, those at the very top and very bottom of the socioeconomic spectrum share some disconcerting similarities. How are these pe