Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

Amy Seeley & Mike Bergin
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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. 4D AGO

    TEST SCORES: THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS EDGE

    Even as many competitive colleges are returning to test score requirements for admissions, many others remain at least nominally optional. What does the near future hold for testing, and who stands to gain from improved exam performance? Amy and Mike invited educator Phillip Bates to explore the college admissions edge of test scores. What are five things you will learn in this episode? How significant are standardized test scores in today's increasingly holistic college admissions landscape? What strategies can students employ to maximize their test scores and gain a competitive edge in college applications? What are the benefits and drawbacks of test-optional policies? How has the importance of test scores in college admissions evolved over the past five years? What steps should students who are struggling with standardized tests but still aspire to attend competitive colleges take? MEET OUR GUEST Philip Bates is a lifelong learner and educator with an unwavering passion for equipping educators with the tools and strategies to help students transition from the classroom to college success. As Director of College Readiness at UWorld and host of the From Classroom to Campus podcast, he draws on 18+ years of experience as a teacher, principal, and education leader to equip educators with the knowledge and strategies to help students succeed in higher education. A dynamic speaker and advocate for college preparedness, Philip is committed to making the path to college more accessible and achievable for all learners. Phillip can be reached at UWorld, through the From Campus To Classroom podcast, and on LinkedIn. LINKS Where Are Test Scores Required? College Testing Plan for the HS Class of 2027 RELATED EPISODES THE PREDICTIVE VALIDITY OF TEST SCORES IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TESTING GAMEPLAN FOR THE CLASS OF 2027 WHO LOSES WHEN WE ABOLISH ENTRANCE EXAMS? WHY TESTS MATTER: STUDENT PERSPECTIVES 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.

    34 min

  2. JAN 6

    CELEBRATING OUR 700TH EPISODE

    After 699 episodes devoted to amazing conversations about testing, admissions, education, and learning, it's time for something completely different. Amy and Mike invited educator Scott Greenspan to help celebrate our 700th episode.  What are five things you will learn in this episode? How did Tests and the Rest start, and how has it changed over time? What impact has the podcast had so far? What are Amy and Mike's theme songs, mentors, and dream vacations? Who else would Amy and Mike be willing to host TATR with? What might the future hold for the National Test Prep Association? MEET OUR GUEST Scott Greenspan is the founder/president of Span Test Prep in Glenview, IL, which is located in the north suburbs of Chicago. For well over 30 years, Scott has helped over 4000 students reach their goals on the ACT and SAT. He especially enjoys working with his students on motivation, mindfulness, and mastery of the content. He and his staff also do academic tutoring and college admissions coaching. Scott is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a BA in math, and he earned an MA in teaching from North Park University. His hobbies include tennis, skiing, and hiking. Scott is on the Board of Directors for the National Test Prep Association. Scott first appeared on the podcast in episode 191 in a Test Prep Profile and in episode 540 to discuss How Tennis And Test Prep Are Similar. Scott can be reached at sgreenspan@spantestprep.com or https://www.spantestprep.com/. RELATED EPISODES CELEBRATING OUR 600TH EPISODE CELEBRATING OUR 500TH EPISODE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF TEST PREP: AMY SEELEY'S ORIGIN STORY SAT & ACT TESTING TIMELINES: MIKE BERGIN'S ORIGIN STORY 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.

    45 min

  3. 12/30/2025

    BEST COLLEGES FOR YOUR TUITION DOLLARS

    An assortment of institutions as diverse and differentiated as colleges and universities can be ranked and sorted in any number of ways. If not all listing criteria are equally relevant, which ones should you trust to find your best fit schools? Amy and Mike asked Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris to clarify his rankings for the best colleges for your tuition dollars. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What's wrong with the metrics that U.S. News and similar ranking systems use to rate colleges? What alternative metrics would be better to rate colleges? How can upward mobility of graduates be measured? Which "hidden gem" colleges should rank highly but don't show up prominently on other lists?  What makes a school a good value for most students? 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 can be reached at editors@washingtonmonthly.com. LINKS Washington Monthly's 2025 College Guide and Rankings 2025 Trends in College Pricing 🎓🦅 RELATED EPISODES WHICH COLLEGE RANKINGS CAN YOU TRUST? US NEWS & WORLD REPORT COLLEGE RANKINGS CONSIDERING COLLEGE FINANCIAL FIT FIRST RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN 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.

    31 min

  4. 12/23/2025

    WHAT DOES PUBLIC EDUCATION OWE TO ADVANCED STUDENTS?

    Public schools are mandated to provide educational opportunities to all students and generally work very hard to support learners with profound deficits or differences. But what about learners who require enrichment rather than accommodations? Amy and Mike invited Kenneth Shores to examine the question of what public education owes to advanced students. What are five things you will learn in this episode? In theory, what is the purpose of public education? Why has public education struggled to support advanced students? Does harm occur when enrichment is withheld from thriving students? Why shouldn't families be responsible for providing enrichment? How does supporting advanced students align with the purpose of public education? MEET OUR GUEST Dr. Kenneth A. Shores is an associate professor specializing in education policy in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, and he is affiliated with the UD Center for Research in Education and Social Policy. His research is focused on educational inequality and encompasses both descriptive and causal inference. To this end, his work addresses racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in test scores, school disciplinary policy, classification systems, and school resources. In addition, he has examined how improvements to school finance systems can reduce educational inequality and how vulnerabilities in school finance systems can contribute to it. Dr. Shores was a National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellow, a Philanthropy and Civic Society Fellow, a Stanford Graduate Fellow, and an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Predoctoral Fellow. In 2018, he was the co-recipient of the National Council on Measurement in Education's Annual Award for exceptional achievement in educational measurement. He received his Ph.D. in education policy analysis from Stanford University. Prior to graduate school, he was a middle school teacher on the Navajo Nation. Kenneth can be reached at https://kennethshores.com or kshores@udel.edu. LINKS Rethinking What Public Education Owes to Flourishing Children High-achieving students deserve to be challenged in school RELATED EPISODES WHY GIFTED PROGRAMS ARE UNDER ATTACK THE NECESSITY OF GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAMS HOW GRADING POLICIES INFLUENCE GRADE INFLATION 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.

    28 min

  5. 12/19/2025

    EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: December 2025

    EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: December 2025 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 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? What are Amy and Mike's plans for finishing the year strong? What are Amy and Mike's favorite Christmas carols? What are Amy and Mike's goals for 2026? 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: November 2025 EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: October 2025 EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: September 2025 EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: August 2025 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.

    29 min

  6. 12/16/2025

    NEW WAYS TO USE YOUR 529 PLAN

    Every dollar saved for college is a dollar you won't have to borrow. But even if you can save, what's the best way to put money aside for higher education? Amy and Mike invited financial expert Joanne Dashiell to explore new ways to use your 529 plan. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What exactly is a 529 plan, and how does it work? Can you talk about the two different types of 529 plans, savings and prepaid? What are some of the tax advantages associated with using a 529 plan? How have 2025 policy changes expanded 529 plan flexibility? What is the one message you hope families take away about saving for college?  MEET OUR GUEST Joanne Dashiell serves as Chief Marketing Officer at CollegeWell and Private College 529 Plan. In her current role, Joanne is responsible for leading all marketing efforts across multiple audiences and channels for CollegeWell. She brings over 20 years of higher education experience and a passion for helping families and students make their college dreams an affordable reality. Through her varied roles, Joanne has helped tens of thousands of families prepare for college by developing education and outreach programs for audiences of all ages.  As an industry expert, Joanne has delivered presentations throughout the country at national, regional, and state conferences. She serves as a resource for secondary and post-secondary professionals, providing guidance on financial aid regulations and trends in college enrollment and financing. Joanne's higher education career began in 2001, during which she spent several years working in financial aid at both public and private institutions, as well as in various roles at MEFA, ASA, and the Higher Education Assistance Group.   Joanne can be reached at education@pc529.com.  LINKS Can 529 Funds Be Used to Pay for Test Prep? Private College 529 Plan | What is a 529 Plan? Education Savings Vehicles: Know Your Options RELATED EPISODES 529 COLLEGE SAVINGS PLANS THE ROLE OF TEST SCORES IN COLLEGE MERIT AID BUSTING MYTHS ABOUT HOW TO PAY FOR COLLEGE

    26 min

  7. 12/12/2025

    TEST PREP PROFILE: Dani Fleischer & Kevin McCormick

    Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUESTS Kevin S. McCormick is a certified New Jersey English teacher who has taught middle and high school in Elizabeth, NJ since 2013. Before joining Teach for America, he worked in Institutional Equity Sales at Salomon Smith Barney, the NYSE, and the American Stock Exchange. He holds an MBA in Finance and International Business and a BA in English from NYU. Dani Fleischer is a writer and educator whose work has appeared in The Huffington Post and The Washington Post. Like Kevin, she teaches Middle School Language Arts in Elizabeth, NJ, helping students grow as readers, writers, and critical thinkers. She holds a BA from Rutgers University.  Kevin and Dani founded Steel Trap Tutoring ten years ago, developing their own proprietary materials for ACT and SAT prep. In their free time, they endure the lifelong struggle of being New York Giants and Knicks fans—valuable firsthand experience in resilience to pass along to their students. Find Dani & Kevin at 646-499-0019 or steeltraptutoring@gmail.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, 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.

    19 min

  8. 12/11/2025

    TEST PREP PROFILE: Lucy Zhang

    Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry? MEET OUR GUEST Lucy Zhang is the owner of A+ Test Prep and Tutoring, a 30+ year–old company helping students boost SAT/ACT scores and academic performance. She also co-founded SetSail, an online tutoring company connecting U.S. tutors with students abroad, and now runs both organizations. Lucy is focused on growing her impact by bringing additional tutoring teams into the fold, so more students can access high-quality, one-on-one support. Find Lucy on LinkedIn. 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.

    17 min
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4.7
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42 Ratings

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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