#PREPPED: The Test Prep Podcast

Season 3 continues with a fantastic interview with Sasha Chada, the CEO and Founder of Ivy Scholars. Ivy Scholars is a boutique college candidacy building firm located in Sugar Land, Texas.

Naka and Sasha discuss the important aspects admissions counselors look for in great applications, including how to handle extracurriculars, manage fluctuations in GPA, and make your application stand out!

Sasha is driven by a desire to change students’ lives through the college admissions process. Higher education is a cornerstone of advancement in today’s society, and Sasha wants nothing more than to see students in the college that best sets them up for future success.

Sasha’s vision for Ivy Scholars is to educate, enable, and empower students to achieve the best versions of their lives by exploring their intellectual curiosities, proving their talents, and telling their stories to top-tier admissions committees. 

SHOW NOTES
ivyscholars.com

ivyscholars.com/essays

ttprep.com

preppedpodcast.com

If you're struggling to finish any section on the SAT then this episode is for you! Naka is joined by Site Director Alan Reed and an 'OG' of the SAT Prep World Adam Danger (with over 30 years in the world of test prep) to discuss strategies to make sure you finish sections on time during the SAT. 

Since math is organized by difficulty, but all weighed equally, make sure to have a realistic target score in mind to keep focusing on nailing the earlier questions! Writing relies heavily on your understanding of the rules, but not every single grammar rule is tested on the SAT, so know which ones are! For Reading, many students struggle with the timing, but knowing disqualifiers and HOW to read properly for the SAT are skills that are needed to achieve success on the SAT! 

In this episode, the SEASON 3 PREMIERE of #PREPPED: The Test Prep Podcast, Naka interviews Jonathan Wu, Aarya Agarwal, and Rhea Rasquinha- 3 Perfect Scoring SAT Students!

Jonathan is part of the Manhasset High School Class of 2022 and is currently searching for his dream school, but he has made the process easier by getting his perfect score early in junior year. 

Aarya and Rhea were both part of the Herricks High School Class of 2021; this fall, Aarya will be attending The University of Chicago, and Rhea will be attending Brown University's Program in Liberal Medical Education.

Aarya is involved in historical and economics research and won an international film award, among many other accolades. Rhea was involved in student government and science research and was named a Regeneron semifinalist.

They share their different stories on how they scored perfectly on both the Evidence-Based Reading/Writing and Math sections, while also giving advice on how to stay focused and how to keep standardized testing expectations realistic.

preppedpodcast.com
ttprep.com

A MUST-LISTEN FOR ALL PARENTS AND SAT STUDENTS!

Naka is joined by Peter Baum for the SEASON 2 FINALE of #PREPPED: The Test Prep Podcast! Peter is THE premier SAT tutor in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been working with families across the nation for over 32 years. With his years of experience, Pete has a unique way of approaching and clearing up those “silly/careless/big oof” mistakes on the SAT that tend to stagnate scores and lead to frustration. 

In this episode you will learn: 

How to reduce those careless mistakes on the SAT!

How to diagnose WHY you are missing the problems!

What to do if you get stuck on the ACTUAL SAT!

Directors Brian and Jeremy join Naka in this content-driven episode for students aiming to get that perfect 800 on the SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing. While it is tremendously difficult to get a perfect score on the English portion of the test since there are almost 100 questions and almost no room for error (since the scoring table tends to be less forgiving on average compared to math scoring tables) the directors provide some essential tips and concepts students MUST know to get that elusive 800 on test day. Brian even goes on one of his famous “reading’ rants that every student should hear!

In this episode you will learn:

Why Reading is NOT HARD on the SAT!

Why getting a perfect 800 in English is harder than an 800 in Math!

Grammar concepts students AND ADULTS should know!

How do you take an already high SAT math score and make it even higher?

Mike McClenathan of PWN Test Prep and the popular book series PWN THE SAT joins Naka to discuss some important concepts and specific advice for high scorers to keep in mind while in pursuit of the perfect 800 on the SAT Math! 

In this episode you will learn:

Why getting a perfect 800 is so hard!

Concepts that appear on some of the hardest problems

How to change the game for yourself if you are missing only a few questions!

Why 'speed runs' in math are a bad idea

SHOW NOTES

PWN the SAT: Math Guide 4th Edition
pwntestprep.com
preppedpodcast.com
ttprep.com

In this episode, Naka and Steve have some fun discussing some of the most recent scandals involving standardized testing. 

From the Varsity Blues admissions scandal to the Long Island cheating ring (and even the 'Avengers' stealing the SAT answers from College Board HQ  in the 2004 film The Perfect Score), Naka and Steve break down how each scandal has actually improved test security and what to expect when registering for your SAT.

preppedpodcast.com
ttprep.com

In this quick episode, Naka and Jeremy break down the PSAT, which essentially provides students with an introduction to standardized testing. 
While there are many opportunities to take a PSAT during a high school career (some schools offer the PSAT 8/9, the PSAT 10, and the PSAT/NMSQT- The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test), students should REALLY put their energy into the 11th-grade PSAT/NMSQT (ideally, when they are preparing for their SATs anyway). If students do exceptionally well on their 11th grade PSAT/NMSQT they can qualify for recognition and scholarships. Overall, the PSAT gives students a good sense of where they stand as they start their journey to their dream college acceptance.



SHOW NOTES
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10

https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/start.aspx?gid=2&pgid=61

ttprep.com

In this episode, Naka is joined by Ryan Morrissey of The Retire With Ryan Podcast to discuss how to maximize student aid by understanding the valuable FAFSA form. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid opens October 1st and can help provide some financial aid to students based on several factors discussed in the episode, such as Expected Family Contribution. Ryan shares his insight on how to manage parent and student assets and position your family in the best way to not only make the process easier but also maximize aid received.

SHOW NOTES
www.morrisseywealthmanagement.com

www.retirewithryan.com

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

https://www.collegeboard.org/

https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/2021-22-fafsa.pdf

In this episode, Directors Brian, Jeremy, and Naka discuss the four sections (known as "tests") of the ACT while providing some quick tips for students preparing. Ultimately, the test builds on similar concepts that are tested on an SAT, but there are MORE questions and LESS time to beat them on the ACT. 

With over 30 years of student success stories, TestTakers provides weekly insight through discussions with counselors and test prep experts in #PREPPED to help students and families succeed.