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

When the time comes to select courses of study and future career paths, we hope to align what we are interested in with what we excel at. The preference part may be easy, but determining our strengths and weaknesses often requires expert assessment. Amy and Mike invited educator Marcus Gray to explain the Highlands Ability Battery.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
What is the Highlands Ability Battery, and how does it help students discover their strengths and weaknesses? 
In what ways does the Highlands Ability Battery contribute to informed decisions about college major and career path?
What differentiates the Highlands Ability Battery from other assessment tools?
When is the ideal time for students to take the Highlands Ability Battery?
How might parents, educators, or counselors incorporate the Highlands Ability Battery into their support of students?
MEET OUR GUEST
Marc Gray is the mastermind behind Odyssey College Prep. Marc uses advanced aptitude testing to demystify the college admissions journey for students and parents. As a Certified Highlands Consultant, he also serves as the Highlands Company’s Director of College Counseling Relations, helping fellow college counselors and test prep specialists level up their services with aptitude testing.
Find Marc at mgray@odysseycollegeprep.com.
LINKS
The Highlands Ability Battery: What Are Mike and Amy's Results?
What is the Highlands Ability Battery (HAB) Assessment?
High School Aptitude Testing
Do You Want to Become a Highlands Consultant?
RELATED EPISODES
ARE IQ TESTS VALID
DO COLLEGE MAJORS MATTER?
FINDING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF IN THE PATH TO 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. 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.

As the primary ambassadors to prospective students throughout the application process, college admission representatives manage most communication on behalf of their institutions. So how should applicants communicate with them? Amy and Mike invited educator John Durante to share advice on how to speak to a college admissions rep.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
1. What, in your experience, is the role of a college admissions representative?
2. What kind of questions should applicants ask admissions reps?
3. What kind of questions should applicants avoid asking admissions reps?
4. How can applicants best demonstrate authentic interest in their communications with reps?
5. How much influence, if any, do admissions reps have on which applicants get accepted?
MEET OUR GUEST
Dr. John Durante, a Stony Brook University alum, has been the principal of Syosset High School for 13 years.  In 2016 he was named Best Principal on Long Island from the Bethpage Federal Credit Union and is also a recipient of the PTA Founders Day Award and Jenkins Award.  Dr. Durante started his career at Syosset High School in 1994 as a teacher of world languages and he prides himself on helping others.  After helping his daughters through the college admissions process, he came up with the idea of interviewing college admissions representatives to provide students and parents with insight and advice, straight from the people who ultimately make the admissions decisions.  So, he launched “The College Admissions Process Podcast” in February 2022 and has released over 100 episodes, while currently averaging over 10,000 downloads each month.    
Find John at collegeadmissionstalk@gmail.com.
LINKS
The College Admissions Process Podcast
The College Admissions Process Alphabetical List with links
John Durante on LinkedIn 
RELATED EPISODES
MAKING THE MOST OF COLLEGE VISITS
HOW TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH COLLEGES
DEMONSTRATING INTEREST DURING VIRTUAL COLLEGE TOURS
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.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid has always been a crucial but complicated and challenging step in receiving financial aid for college or graduate school. What improvements does the future hold? Amy and Mike invited financial aid advisor Ed Recker to explain the impact of the Better FAFSA for both new and previous filers.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
What are the major differences in the current FAFSA and Better FAFSA?
How do these changes impact calculation of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?
Does this new FAFSA impact a college or university’s Net Price Calculator?
What changes should families with multiple students in college be aware of?
Will the Better FAFSA timeline have implications for Early Action/Early Decision applications or CSS profiles?
MEET OUR GUEST
Ed Recker is a Director of High School Relationship Management with Sallie Mae, serving high schools, states, and professional organizations throughout the U.S. He joined Sallie Mae in 2019, and has over 20 years’ experience in the financial aid and enrollment industry.  Prior to joining Sallie Mae, Ed was a Senior Consultant within the Enrollment Division of Ruffalo Noel Levitz, held the position of Vice President for Enrollment Management at the University of Findlay, and held various financial aid positions at the University of Findlay, Terra State Community College, and Bowling Green State University. Ed holds a M.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Toledo, and resides in Ottawa, OH with his wife Kate and daughter Evelyn.
Find Ed at Edward.Recker@salliemae.com.
LINKS
FAFSA® 2023: How to Apply for Financial Aid | Sallie Mae
View your financial aid, savings, scholarships, and loans all in one place and build your bridge to college with Nitro Next.
Sallie Mae - YouTube
FAFSA Simplification: A Better FAFSA Process Means a Better Future for Borrowers | Federal Student Aid - Financial Aid Toolkit
https://salliemae.com/fafsa
https://nitrocollege.com/next
https://www.youtube.com/@salliemae
RELATED EPISODES
UNDERSTANDING YOUR COLLEGE TUITION BILL
WHAT IS A NET PRICE CALCULATOR?
THE PRICE YOU REALLY PAY FOR 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. 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.

Evaluating college fit encompasses so much more than finding the right academic programs. Many students also seek environments where they can continue to live and grow in the ways that are most important to them. Amy and Mike invited college advisor Dana Ponsky to explore navigating college and admissions as a Jewish student.
What are five things you will learn in this episode?
What are important factors to consider when trying to find the right fit as a Jewish student?
What are the different campus organizations that support the social, emotional, religious, and cultural identity of Jewish students?
What should students and families be asking when on campus to ensure their student will be safe?
What are good resources to use to identify colleges that have a strong Jewish life?
If a Jewish student applying to or in college needs financial support, are there options beyond applying for financial aid via the government?
MEET OUR GUEST
Dana Ponsky began her career in education more than 20 years ago as a student at the University of Maryland where she earned a degree in American Studies, a graduate degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, and a post-master’s certificate in Enrollment Management from the University of Miami. After working in student affairs at the university level, Dana transitioned to work as a school-based college counselor and has served as a high school director of college counseling in Miami, Washington, D.C., Brooklyn, and Northern New Jersey.
Dana’s unique background in college admissions counseling, career counseling, and student development services, along with her entrepreneurial spirit, provides high school and college students with the tools and resources to have a great application to get into college and to ensure long-term success.
Dana previously appeared on this podcast as the subject of an IEC PROFILE in episode 427.
Find Dana at www.consultwithdana.com or https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewishandcollege.
LINKS
Top 60 Jewish Colleges
Chabad
Meor
OU-JLIC
TribeTalk
Kibbitz in 10 Minutes (Being Jewish in College Video Series)
Jewish Education Loan Fund - 
Scholarships for Jewish Students 
RELATED EPISODES
FINDING YOUR COLLEGE FIT
RED FLAGS IN COLLEGE SELECTION
OVERLOOKED ASPECTS OF CAMPUS LIFE
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 professional in the test prep industry?
MEET OUR GUEST
Meet Mackenzie Lee, Mackenzie Lee operates a “solopreneur” online tutoring business (website) focused primarily on test prep for the SAT and ACT, though also catering to occasional academic subject tutoring and other standardized tests. He has worked in tutoring for 11 years, first starting in the chemistry tutoring center at the University of South Florida, where he earned a B.S. in Biomedical Sciences and B.A. in German Studies. After college, Mackenzie started working with middle and high school students on test prep, and he has enjoyed the challenges and thrills of educational entrepreneurship ever since!
In addition to tutoring, Mackenzie also worked as a biomedical researcher for ten years. In this time, he co-authored ten original manuscripts, received a Fulbright Research fellowship (among other awards), and worked in a Nobel-prize winning laboratory in Göttingen, Germany. In 2020, he completed a master’s degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Neuroscience.
In his free time, Mackenzie enjoys cinematography, yoga, playing piano, brewing sake and beer, travel, and the great outdoors – in 2021, he solo bicycled 3,500 mi across the United States, tutoring online along the way!
Find Mackenzie at mackenzie@mleetutoring.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 professional in the test prep industry?
MEET OUR GUEST
Meet Stefanie Toye, the Dean of Tutoring & Test Prep at Collegewise, a collective of admissions consultants and tutors. She has extensive leadership experience, of both full-time and part-time teams, and has helped individual offices, as well as million-dollar divisions, grow through her focus on marketing and streamlining operations. She has 2 decades of experience in the education management and academia sectors, after earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in education from Rutgers. She enjoys strategizing, researching current trends in higher education, and presenting her findings to colleagues and the public alike. Stefanie recently earned an Executive MBA with a focus on strategy and entrepreneurship. When not Zooming with colleagues or friends, Stefanie can be found walking her rescue dog, knitting, or eating out with her family.
Find Stefanie 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. 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.