Shift - College admissions in a changing world

The SAT made a major shift this year to being digital and adaptive. How does that affect your college applications? Nat Crawford, Stanford PhD, founder of Improve Your English and college admissions counsellor, works with superstar high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area every year. In this episode, Nat shares how the new digital and adaptive SAT affect SAT scores and how that will impact college admissions.

With test-optional policies in retreat, how does this change whether you should submit your standardized test scores? Stephen Friedfeld is the cofounder of AcceptU, an admissions consulting firm since 2010 that only employs former admissions officers. In this episode, Stephen shares his tips for navigating the test-optional landscape and how you should make the decision on whether to submit test scores.

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The SCOTUS decision to strike down affirmative action will change college admissions, but how? Shane Bybee has run Bybee College Prep for almost a decade and has helped thousands of students get into college. In this episode, Shane shares his thoughts on the SCOTUS affirmative action decision and how it's going to impact college admissions going forward.

Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adapt...

The ACT English is one of the easiest parts of the ACT to improve your score on, and we'll tell you why. Mary Johnson is the ACT English and Reading lead at Odyssey College Prep and the author of the English and Reading sections of Achievable's ACT course. In this episode, Mary shares the key tactics and strategies you can use to ace the ACT English section and raise your score.

Achievable's ACT prep cou...

Dartmouth kicked off a wave of Ivy League and other colleges reinstating their SAT or ACT requirement for applicants - a massive shift away from test-optional policies. Sam Hassell is one of the owners at Westchester Prep, and directs their college advising team. In this episode, Sam and Tyler talk through the implications of these defections from the test-optional status quo, why test-optional didn't work for these schools, and wh...

ACT and SAT preparation are a key component of the college admissions process, so how to tackle it? Annie Tadros is the Director of My College Prep Online (formerly AM Tutoring) and has 25 years of professional tutoring experience. In this episode, Annie shares her advice on selecting an SAT or ACT test prep program, including key considerations related to your schedule and budget.

Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adapt...

Applying to colleges as a prospective athlete can be a big boost to your candidacy, but only if you do it in the right way. Joan Casey is the founder of Educational Advocates College Consulting and has been advising students on test prep and college admissions for almost 20 years. In this episode, she shares her tips applying to college as a prospective college athlete, including specific advice for athletes during the admissions p...

AP History exams are tricky, and you need to take special care studying for them. Jason Morgan has been a college admissions counsellor for 20 years, the last 10 of which have been focused on international students. In this episode, Jason shares some key lessons from years of advising clients on their AP History exams, including tips for getting a 4 or 5 on the test.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visi...

AI is here, and college admissions will never be the same. But how do you use it while still building an authentic application? Shane Bybee has run Bybee College Prep for almost a decade and has helped thousands of students get into college. In this episode, Shane shares his thoughts on AI, where it does and does not fit into your college admissions process, and how to leverage it without breaking any rules or losing your authentic...

The ACT Writing section is not talked about as much, but if you're taking it, it's still important. Mary Johnson is the ACT English and Reading lead at Odyssey College Prep and the author of the English and Reading sections of Achievable's ACT course. In this episode, Mary shares the key tactics and strategies you need to ace the ACT Writing section.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achieva...

Colleges already have an ideal candidate in mind, so how do you become that candidate? Hamada Zahawi is the CEO and founder of Write Track Admissions, a global admissions consultancy with a 93% success rate. In this episode, Hamada shares what colleges want and how to adapt your application to give them what they want without sacrificing authenticity.

Hamada shared a generous 25% off code with our listeners. Go to https://collegead...

Everyone seems to want to take AP classes and exams now, but many aren't taking the right approach. Jason Morgan has been a college admissions counsellor for 20 years, the last 10 of which have been focused on international students. In this episode, Jason shares some key things that those considering AP classes and exams should be thinking about, including why taking "off-major" AP classes can be a good thing, and what AP exams yo...

ACT released its annual score report recently, and the numbers are not good. Annie Tadros is the Director of My College Prep Online (formerly AM Tutoring) and has 25 years of professional tutoring experience. In this episode, Annie shares why she thinks ACT scores have declined nationwide for the second straight year and what you can do to buck the trend. 

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://a...

Preparing for tests with dyslexia, ADHD, and other learning disabilities can make an already difficult task even more challenging. Linus Law, a high school student who has studied these disabilities, and Mollie Book, a special education teacher from New York, join forces to talk through the current experience for high school students with learning differences, and give practical advice for preparing for tests while managing these d...

Getting an interview request from a college can be nerve wracking for high school students. Hamada Zahawi is the CEO and founder of Write Track Admissions, a global admissions consultancy with a 93% success rate. In this episode, Hamada walks you through his strategies for preparing for the college admissions interview to ensure that you nail the interview and get admitted.

Hamada shared a generous 25% off code with our listeners. ...

Preparing for the ACT or SAT is hard enough, but it's even more difficult if you have ADHD or other learning differences. Joan Casey is the founder of Educational Advocates College Consulting and has been advising students on test prep and college admissions for almost 20 years. In this episode, she shares her tips for preparing for the ACT and SAT as a person with ADHD or other learning challenges, including how to set up your stu...

If you're not taking your ACT practice tests correctly, you're not getting the most value for your time or improving your ACT score as much as you could be. In this episode, Mary Johnson, ACT English and Reading lead at Odyssey College Prep and the author of the English and Reading sections of Achievable's ACT course, shares her tips for taking an effective ACT practice test that gives you an accurate understanding of how well you'...

Now that the SCOTUS has struck down affirmative action in all forms -except in your essay - how are essays going to change? And how does this affect the essay approach for those from underrepresented backgrounds? Steph Shyu is the founder of Admitsee - a crowdsourced database of college applications, including college applications, essays, and reviews from thousands of students. In this episode, Steph tackles this important topic a...

Colleges don't just pick the best academic applicants for their schools - they have athletes, legacy, and other admissions needs to fill. Shane Bybee has run Bybee College Prep for almost a decade and has helped thousands of students get into college. In this episode, Shane explains how college admissions works behind the scenes, why your admissions chances are lower than you think, and what you can do about it.

Achievable is a mod...