Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Industry Podcast Amy Seeley & Mike Bergin

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 high school graduation requirements, accountability and evaluation systems?
4. What might surprise people about the research on testing? 
5. Instead of casting blame on the tests themselves, what should those who want to improve education and equity focus on?
MEET OUR GUEST
Dr. Yoon S. Choi is CEO of CollegeSpring, a national nonprofit that helps schools and teachers provide free SAT and ACT prep to students from low-income backgrounds. She has over a decade of leadership, management, and fundraising experience, primarily with organizations serving underrepresented youth. In 2020, she was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar by the program led by the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. She has published articles about testing and college access in Inside Higher Ed, The Hechinger Report, and EdSource. Yoon earned her doctorate in anthropology from the University of California at Irvine, as well as a master’s degree from New York University and a bachelor’s degree from Scripps College.
Yoon previously appeared on this podcast in episode # 111 to discuss Do Test Optional Policies Drive Equity.
Reach Yoon at https://collegespring.org.
LINKS
Standardized tests can be great predictors of college success and should not be seen as a cause of inequity
Words Matter: Don’t Go Test Optional, and If You Do, Call it Something Else
Test Optional Won’t Level the College Admissions Playing Field,
RELATED EPISODES
WHO BENEFITS MOST FROM TEST OPTIONAL POLICIES?
WHY TESTS MATTER: STUDENT PERSPECTIVES
BENEFITS OF SCHOOL DAY TESTING
COVID LEARNING LOSS
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.
 

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 acceptance letters are sent?
5. How can applicants remain balanced throughout the admissions process?
MEET OUR GUEST
Debra Landesberg has a M.S. in Continuing Education with an emphasis in Counseling/Psychology & Certificate in College Counseling. Debra has guided students through secondary education to college and beyond for over two decades. As a nationally known and highly respected figure in the college counseling community, she is considered a veteran expert in college admissions. She has served on national and regional boards and maintains membership in HECA, NACAC, and SACAC. She has worked hands-on with multiple family members who have achieved acceptance to more than 200 colleges & universities across the United States & globally. 
Debra can be reached at mycollegeresource.net.

LINKS
Reframing power relationships between undergraduates and academics in the current university climate
Does Anyone Win When Colleges Compete?
RELATED EPISODES
HOW TO SPEAK TO A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS REP
DO COLLEGES CARE ABOUT THEIR APPLICANTS?
LETTERS OF CONTINUED INTEREST
WHAT DO COLLEGES KNOW ABOUT APPLICANTS?
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.
 

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 cost me to go to college. 
Myth #4: Full pay students shouldn’t bother filing the FAFSA.
Myth #5: We shouldn't save for college because we will get more financial aid if we don't.
MEET OUR GUEST
Ann Garcia has helped thousands of families save millions of dollars on college. She is the author of the critically-acclaimed "How to Pay for College" and a sought-after media guest who's been quoted in the New York Times, U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, and Money magazine, to name a few. Ann recently launched an interactive online course to help parents (and their advisors) affordably build savings for college and apply for aid into their broader financial plan. As a parent whose twins just graduated debt-free from college, Ann's expertise expands beyond FAFSAs and 529s — she understands the emotional components of helping your child set and achieve goals for their future. Outside of financial planning, Ann is an avid runner, skier, and fan of middle school rock concerts.
Ann can be reached at howtopayforcollege.com.
LINKS
How to Pay for College: A complete financial plan for funding your child's education
RELATED EPISODES
HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE
FOUR SCHOLARSHIP MYTHS
WHAT IS A NET PRICE CALCULATOR?
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.
 

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.
Jennifer is currently the Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies for the School of Engineering at Tufts University. Prior to joining Tufts in 2016, she spent over two decades serving as a dean and a professor of Computer Science at Wellesley College, where she collaborated with colleagues at MIT, Olin College of Engineering, and Babson College to support students pursuing engineering. While at Wellesley, Jennifer served on the College’s Board of Admissions, reading and evaluating approximately one hundred transfer applications each year.
Jennifer also is the founder of Lantern College Counseling, a robust college counseling practice where she regularly employs insights from her experiences leading in higher education to help students develop their college lists and shape competitive, authentic applications. She is the author of the online course "How to Write a Standout Computer Science College Application." Jennifer specializes in STEM, computer science, engineering, undecided and transfer students
She is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).
Jennifer first appeared on our podcast in episode 541 to discuss NAVIGATING THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ADMISSIONS..
Find Jennifer at jennifer@lanterncollege.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. 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.
 

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 ACACs, and Families Advocating for Campus Equality. She has also been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, CBS News, PBS, and WNYC.
Find Hanna at https://hannastotland.com or hanna@hannastotland.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. 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.
 

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced independent educational consultant?
MEET OUR GUEST
Meet Carolyn P. Mulligan, who attended Bucknell University, where she graduated with a degree in English Literature. She has been proud to have been a counselor for many years at the Bucknell College Admissions Summer Workshop. She worked in public relations in NYC.  She helped to open the Museum of Holography in Soho and worked for the Jamaica Tourist Board. 
Carolyn is also a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling (NJACAC), the Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling (PACAC) and the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC). She is a member of CH.A.D.D. (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder), and the LDA, the Learning Disability Association.  She is also a proud member of the Character Collaborative.  She has served on Admission Advisory Boards at several institutions including the University of Arizona, Drexel University and Roger Williams University.
Insiders Network to College owner Carolyn Mulligan believes every student has a select few best fit colleges. She guides them towards those target colleges, creating a balanced and tailored list of prospective schools based on their unique strengths, abilities, and goals. She has specialized knowledge in learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD. She goes the extra mile to know each student and determine what kind of environment they will need to be successful in class and on campus. 

Her commitment to her business is reflected in her visits to over 400 campuses, continuing leadership and engagement in professional associations. She's built personal relationships with college admissions professionals. This gives her a unique insight into higher education. Carolyn has successfully seen hundreds of students through the search process over the last 18 years, with admission letters received from over 200 different colleges and universities. 
Carolyn is married and has three children, and three grandchildren, the joy of her life.  When her children were younger, Carolyn advocated for them by spending 14 years coordinating the Special Education Parent Advisory Board for the Summit, NJ Board of Education.  She was instrumental in bringing speakers like Jonathan Mooney, the late Mel Levene and Rick Lavoie to Summit.udent. She helps direct a team of 13 counselors to deliver the best, always, to their clients.
Find Carolyn at https://insidersnetwork.org or call at 908-277-3754.
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.