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Artwork for Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

Amy Seeley & Mike Bergin
College Admissions
Test Preparation
ACT
SAT
Education
Higher Education
Standardized Testing
Tutoring
Financial Aid
Educational Consulting
College Admissions Process
Covid-19
Desmos
Ohio State University
Artificial Intelligence
Math Education
College Counseling
National Test Prep Association
Test Taking Strategies
Education Technology

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... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes745Founded7 years ago
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Artwork for Tests and the Rest: College Admissions Podcast

Latest Episodes

Young adults should always be encouraged to dream big when imagining their futures. When the time comes to actualize those aspirations, though, practical details matter most. Amy and Mike invited author Jeff Selingo to clarify how to define a dream s... more

The Tests and the Rest podcast consistently explores 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, upcomi... more

How many bad relationships begin because people prioritize superficial qualities over true virtues? Whether you are looking for a partner or applying to college, your deeper values should inform your decisions. Amy and Mike invited educational consul... more

Most people know–or at least think they know–the role of a school-based counselor. What about all of the professionals in private practice who support families on their admissions journeys and more? Amy and Mike invited IECA CEO Stephanie Simpson to ... more

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Recent Guests

Ann Cadwallader
founder of My University Coach, independent educational consultant
My University Coach
Episode: 742. WHY COLLEGE FLASH ISN'T FIT
Stephanie Simpson
Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Educational Consultants Association
IECA
Episode: 741. WHAT IS AN IEC AND WHO NEEDS ONE?
Will McGinley
Account executive for the PHEAA Keystone and PA Forward Student Loan programs, with ~20 years in financial aid
PHEAA Keystone, PA Forward Student Loan programs
Episode: 740. DECODING STUDENT LOANS
Rob Pollack
Desmos-based SAT prep collaborator and course facilitator
Pollock Tutors / TestBright Wizards
Episode: 739. SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Desmos SAT Math Course
Reetu Gupta
Co-founder and CEO of Cirkled In
Cirkled In
Episode: 738.WHAT COLLEGES AREN'T TELLING YOU
Marina Yalon
Founder of MYPrep, virtual SAT/ACT tutor
MYPrep
Episode: 735. BEACH READS FOR BETTER SCORES
John McDowell
Founder of The Gauntlet, SAT tutor
The Gauntlet
Episode: 733. SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: The Gauntlet
Eric Greenberg
Educational services expert; founder of Greenberg Educational Group
Greenberg Educational Group
Episode: 732. STRATEGIZING YOUR TESTING AND ADMISSIONS TIMELINE
Howard Freedman
Financial aid expert; author of Making College Happen
Financial aid consultant / author
Episode: 731. FINANCIAL AID HORROR STORIES

Hosts

Amy Seeley
President of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP; host with extensive experience in test prep and college admissions counseling.
Mike Bergin
President of Chariot Learning and TestBright; host with deep expertise in test prep and admissions strategies.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 49 ratings
  • Great Show!

    Mike and Amy are knowledgeable and entertaining hosts and bring on a variety of great guests! A must-listen if you are preparing for college or have a child who is!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    johntheoptimist
    United States4 years ago
  • Experts

    Amy and Mike are skillful hosts—they ask the right questions to get the best out of their guests. Both the interviewers and interviewees are knowledgeable, so I learn from all of them in every episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Anznhshdgsvjs
    United States5 years ago
  • Great resource for parents, educators, and tutors

    Amy and Mike do a phenomenal job of bringing in experts who can easily distill their messages into memorable chunks. Each podcast feels like a conversation between friends instead of an interview — a true testament to the hosts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    VM112358
    United States5 years ago
  • Amy and Mike are experts in their field

    With 50 years of experience between them, Amy and Mike know the right questions to ask their guests. Every episode is smart, on point and professional. Highly recommend!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Greg Langston
    United States5 years ago
  • Reliable advice from experts

    I have been working full time as an SAT/ACT/AP/TOEFL/IELTS (LMNOPQ) Tutor for over 20 years. The podcast has excellent guests who are invested in this industry not to make a fast buck but to provide real help to parents, students and tutors alike.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    mrotteau
    Canada5 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is valued by parents, educators, and tutors for practical, digestible insights.
Listeners praise knowledgeable hosts who ask sharp questions.
Guests are skilled at translating complex topics into actionable advice.
Episodes are consistently high quality with expert guests and clear, actionable takeaways.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

742. WHY COLLEGE FLASH ISN'T FIT
Q: How should families begin to define their criteria and balance parents' and students' priorities?
Start with self-knowledge, visit campuses with specific questions, assess practical factors (dining, dorms, accessibility), and create a two-sided list where both the student and the college would say yes.
741. WHAT IS AN IEC AND WHO NEEDS ONE?
Q: Why should families consider working with IECs early in the process?
Early engagement with IECs helps families plan course selection, transcripts, and financing, reducing risk and enabling more informed decisions long before junior year, and IECs can partner with counselors and test prep to align the student's path with realistic admissions outcomes.
741. WHAT IS AN IEC AND WHO NEEDS ONE?
Q: What is the IEC and IECA represent?
An IEC is an Independent Educational Consultant who provides unbiased, non-referral-based guidance across education stages, and IECA represents the professional association that certifies and supports these consultants with ethics, best practices, and a searchable member database.
738.WHAT COLLEGES AREN'T TELLING YOU
Q: How do colleges recruit before applications even come in?
Colleges actively recruit based on a broader set of signals, including GPA, test scores, volunteering, leadership, and other qualitative indicators gathered through targeted pulls and lists. This recruitment helps them shape a class beyond raw metrics, and families often aren't aware of how early this starts.
738.WHAT COLLEGES AREN'T TELLING YOU
Q: What is one thing every college-bound teen should start thinking about immediately?
Everyone has a story, and students should begin capturing all activities and experiences, especially leadership and impact, in a way that can be told later. They should focus on building a narrative that shows what they care about and how they've progressed, not just a scatterplot of activities.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show targets parents, students, educators, and test-prep professionals navigating college admissions, testing, and learning. Conversations cover testing landscape shifts, admissions strategies, data-driven counseling, and student well-being, often featuring practitioners from high-profile universities or education firms. Episodes balance practical guidance with real-world anecdotes, highlighting trends like the evolving value of test scores, data-sharing in admissions, and the growing role of AI in education. A notable strength is bringing seasoned insiders and IECs into accessible, strategic discussions, making it useful for listeners who want clear, actionable takeaways for advising families and students.

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this podcast launched 7 years ago and published 745 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Ann Cadwallader
2. Stephanie Simpson
3. Will McGinley
4. Rob Pollack
5. Reetu Gupta
6. Marina Yalon
7. John McDowell
8. Eric Greenberg

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