Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

Amy Seeley & Mike Bergin
  • 4.7 (44)
  • Courses
  • Semiweekly

Welcome to THE college admissions industry podcast! Join Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley as they discuss the latest issues in testing, admissions, learning, and education with leading experts. Tests and the Rest is perfect for parents, students, counselors, educators, test prep professionals, college consultants, and just about anyone engaged in the college admissions process. You can subscribe to this podcast or stream it online via any podcast app, including iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio. 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. Between the two of us, expect over 60 years of industry insight, expertise, insider news, and a bit of sarcasm.

  1. 1d ago

    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 Mathematics Competitions has recently observed. Amy and Mike invited educator Vida John to explain why math's "SAT moment" has arrived along with a shift to high-security testing. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the AMC, and what role does it play in college admissions? How does the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) address score integrity? What are the pros and cons of testing at private centers like Pearson? What are the implications for other contests related to science and humanities? Could we expect something similar happening to the SAT, AP, and ACT?   MEET OUR GUEST Vida John is a math coach and tutor who specializes in students preparing for math contests and studying curriculum published by Art of Problem Solving.  Vida grew up in Iowa, where she was a high school mathlete before studying at the Stanford School of Engineering and UCSF School of Medicine.  After working in Silicon Valley for a medical start-up, she homeschooled her two daughters to provide an excellent education, especially in math and science.   She coached homeschooled math teams for 10 years, and with both daughters now attending Stanford, she continues to help students prepare for MathCounts, AMC, and other contests while building their problem-solving skills. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and runs workshops on using math contests to prepare for college-level work.   Vida previously appeared on this podcast in episode 255 to discuss Competitive Math And Testing, in episode 536 to discuss All About the American Math Competition, and in episode 628 to discuss Admissions Implications of Academic Competitions. Find Vida at vidajohntutoring.com. LINKS American Mathematics Competitions MATHCOUNTS Foundation Art of Problem Solving RELATED EPISODES MATHEMATICAL MATURITY & TEST SUCCESS HIGH IMPACT STRATEGIES TO HELP STUDENTS SUCCEED IN MATH CHOOSING HIGH SCHOOL MATH COURSES STRATEGICALLY 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, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. 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, get in touch through our contact page.

  2. 5d ago

    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, 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? What have Amy and Mike been up to this month? How was Amy's son's wedding, and what was its test prep significance? What did Mike love about Cleveland? What are Amy & Mike's favorite Halloween costumes? What's coming up in the next month for Amy and Mike? We definitely want to respond to listener questions in our next EXTEMP episode, so reach out to us on social media or get in touch through our contact page. Let's get this Tests and the Rest mailbag rolling! RELATED EPISODES EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: September 2026 EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: August 2026 EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: July 2026 EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: June 2026 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, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. 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, get in touch through our contact page.

  3. 6d ago

    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 differentiates the metropolitan college experience, and who most--or least--benefits from such a dynamic, diverse environment? Amy and Mike invited NYU Director of Admissions Billy Sichel to shed light on the realities of attending college in a big city.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? What are the advantages of attending college in a big city? What are the disadvantages of attending college in a big city?  What kind of student thrives in an urban college setting? Is NYC a great place to go to college? What kinds of safety concerns are there in attending school in a big city? MEET OUR GUEST Billy Sichel has been at NYU for just over 7 years, where he has held various roles in the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Currently, as the Director of Admissions, he is responsible for overseeing the recruitment and selection process for the 10 undergraduate schools and colleges on the New York campus. Prior to working at NYU, he worked in the undergraduate admissions offices at two liberal arts colleges: Wagner College and Franklin and Marshall College, which is also his alma mater. In addition to that degree in Public Health, he has also completed an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business in Business Analytics and Leadership & Change Management. Find Billy at https://www.nyu.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions.html LINKS NYU RELATED EPISODES ATTENDING A SMALL COLLEGE ATTENDING A LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE ATTENDING A WOMEN'S COLLEGE ATTENDING A LARGE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY 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, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. 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, get in touch through our contact page.

  4. Oct 27

    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 invited Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris to explore the advantages of attending a rural college. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the definition of a rural college? What is different or unique about attending a rural college? What are the specific benefits of attending a rural college? What kind of student thrives in a rural college environment? What are some of the best rural colleges to consider applying to? MEET OUR GUEST Paul Glastris is editor-in-chief of the Washington Monthly and founder of the magazine's alternative college rankings. He was previously a speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and a correspondent and editor at U.S. News and World Report. He is a co-founder of the National Vote at Home Institute and co-author of two books, The Other College Guide: A Roadmap to the Right School for You and Elephant in the Room: Washington in the Bush Years. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, Politico Magazine, Slate, and other publications. Paul previously appeared on this podcast in episode 699 to discuss Best Colleges For Your Tuition Dollars. Paul can be reached at editors@washingtonmonthly.com. LINKS Best Colleges for Rural America 2026 Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars RELATED EPISODES ATTENDING A SMALL COLLEGE ATTENDING A LARGE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY ATTENDING A LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE 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, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. 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, get in touch through our contact page.

  5. Oct 22

    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 price into your initial college search. Amy and Mike invited educational expert Mark Salisbury to explain the importance of and path to college price transparency.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why isn't a college's "sticker price" enough to understand how much a student actually pays? Why do undergraduate financial offers arrive too late to inform college choice?  How can a database of actual college prices facilitate more informed school choices? How effective are standard Net Price Calculators? In what ways does price transparency benefit colleges? MEET OUR GUEST Dr. Mark Salisbury has spent over 30years in higher education. His first decade was as a soccer coach and admissions counselor. He then returned to school and earned a PhD in higher education at the University of Iowa, studying college student access and success as a researcher on the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education and a member of the Teagle Scholars. Since then, he has published both academic research and more mainstream writing on higher ed, including commentaries for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, interviews with NPR, and the blog, Delicious Ambiguity.  From 2010 to 2018, he was an Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at Augustana College in Rock Island, IL.  In addition, Mark has done consulting work for colleges and universities over the past decade on how to use data to improve in areas like recruiting, financial aid leveraging, admissions, student retention, graduation, and post-college outcomes. He started the TuitionFit project in the summer of 2018 and continues to be an enthusiastic advocate for the benefits of price transparency for both students and colleges. Find Mark at https://www.tuitionfit.org/ LINKS TuitionFit Mark's TEDx Talk The trouble with Net Price Calculators 2026 Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars RELATED EPISODES NEGOTIATING A FINANCIAL AWARD LETTER BEST COLLEGES FOR YOUR TUITION DOLLARS FINANCIAL AID HORROR STORIES SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: TUITIONFIT COLLABORATIVE 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, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. 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, get in touch through our contact page.

  6. Oct 20

    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 without properly evaluating them? Amy and Mike invited student entrepreneur Evan Goldstein to discuss creating better college visits. What are five things you will learn in this episode? Can you truly understand a college without visiting campus? What should every high schooler ask a current college student before committing to a school? What can current college students tell you that admissions offices can't? How much does the person showing you around campus shape your perception of a college?  Why does timing play such an important role in effective college visits? MEET OUR GUEST Evan Goldstein is a member of the Class of 2028 at Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon. In the summer of 2025, he co-founded Quadzio with his older brother Jack, a student at the University of Pennsylvania, to bring greater transparency and a student perspective to the college admissions process. Built around the philosophy of "Fit Over Prestige," Quadzio connects high school students one-on-one with current college students, giving prospective applicants a candid, firsthand look at the schools they're considering beyond traditional tours, rankings, and admissions materials. Evan has been featured in Chris Rapozo and Rob Clark's higher education book Attention Gap for his perspective on college admissions and has shared his experiences on several podcasts. Outside of the classroom and his work with Quadzio, Evan is passionate about college sports and Mock Trial. Evan can be reached at egoldstein@quadzio.com. LINKS Campus Visits That Count: What Questions to Ask Before You Commit RELATED EPISODES MAKING THE MOST OF COLLEGE VISITS MAKING THE MOST OF A VIRTUAL COLLEGE ADMISSIONS EVENT HOW TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH COLLEGES 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, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. 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, get in touch through our contact page.

  7. Oct 15

    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 educational consultant Edie Steele to explore the benefits and challenges around finishing a four-year degree on time.   What are five things you will learn in this episode? Why does finishing a four-year degree on time matter? What academic issues keep students from finishing college on time? What credit and career planning issues keep students from finishing college on time?  What role do or should colleges play in facilitating on-time completion? How can parents prepare high schoolers to finish their degrees on time? MEET OUR GUEST Edie Steele's expertise was honed as an Academic Advisor and Student Retention Director at diverse colleges and universities. Her Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership from the College of William and Mary enabled Edie to understand key factors driving student success, and the larger forces that shape and define the American higher education system. Her Master's degree in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia strengthened Edie's skills in supporting individual students. Edie's background includes Career Exploration with students and Admissions Counseling positions at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Edie now coaches students privately through Finish in Four, LLC with a simple goal of helping students finish college on time. With high school and college students in tailored sessions, remotely and in person, she works to identify potential roadblocks, teach students how to navigate college structures, and provide strategies for academic, social and career success. Edie also presents to groups of parents and students about academic success and a dream of a college education pursued the right way: on time and on budget!   Find Edie Steele at www.finishin4.org. RELATED EPISODES HOW TO PERSIST TO COLLEGE GRADUATION GALLUP ALUMNI SURVEY AND THE SIX COLLEGE EXPERIENCES THAT DRIVE SUCCESS ADVANTAGES OF DUAL ENROLLMENT EARNING ADVANCE COLLEGE CREDIT 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, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. 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, get in touch through our contact page.

  8. Oct 13

    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 person. Amy and Mike invited college essay specialist Barak Rosenbloom to discuss how to write the college essay that AI cannot. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What is the consensus view on AI and college essays? What do people—students, adults, professionals, even teachers—miss out on when they use AI, and what does it do to communication between people? What do people need to know, and what skills do they need, to interact with AI in ways that produce better writing and communication? How should teens approach their college essays to maximize what counts? What role can AI play in a smart essay approach? MEET OUR GUEST Barak Rosenbloom is the founder, owner, and Chief Essay Mentor of Essay Mentors, a Seattle-area company that specializes in college admissions essays. He's mentored over 600 students in a comprehensive 1-to-1 program and has delivered training and workshops to thousands of students, parents, counselors, teachers, and admissions officers.   Barak is the lead designer of EssayQuest, an all-in-one system that helps schools, teachers, and counselors help their students write better college essays. Barak and his team developed EssayQuest over eight years, incorporating principles of neuroscience, linguistics, learning theory, and instructional design.   Barak started life after college as an English teacher; spent five years at the US Department of Labor; and for fifteen years was a leadership, organizational development, and communication consultant. Barak previously appeared on this podcast in episode 482 to discuss College Essays In The Age of Artificial Intelligence. Barak can be reached at essayquest.co. LINKS AI can write your college essay, but it won't sound like you Fifteen great college essays RELATED EPISODES COLLEGE ESSAY SECRETS HOW MUCH AI IS JUST RIGHT IN THE COLLEGE ESSAY? MAKING YOUR COLLEGE ESSAYS COUNT 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, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. 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, get in touch through our contact page.

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About

Welcome to THE college admissions industry podcast! Join Mike Bergin and Amy Seeley as they discuss the latest issues in testing, admissions, learning, and education with leading experts. Tests and the Rest is perfect for parents, students, counselors, educators, test prep professionals, college consultants, and just about anyone engaged in the college admissions process. You can subscribe to this podcast or stream it online via any podcast app, including iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn Radio. 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. Between the two of us, expect over 60 years of industry insight, expertise, insider news, and a bit of sarcasm.

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