Shift - College admissions in a changing world

The 12 hours before your ACT or SAT can make or break your 'game day' performance. Alexis Avila is the founder and CEO of Prepped and Polished, a tutoring and test prep company with a focus on executive function coaching. In this episode, Alexis walks you through how to properly prepare for your ACT or SAT, including routine suggestions for the week of and morning of, and helpful tips for getting your mind right the day of the test.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Using an error log is a crucial tactic for improving your standardized test scores, yet so few people actually do it. Claudia Chesler has been part of the Potomac Education Center for the last 17 years. In this episode, she walks you through what an error log is, how to create one for yourself, and how to use it to reduce mistakes and improve your ACT and SAT scores.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Almost everyone gets rejected from a college, misses the mark on their SAT, or bombs a key exam. The key is what you do next. Mark Cruver, founder of Capstone Educational Consultants, has been helping students get into college for over a decade. In this episode, Mark shares his philosophy for handling failure and how to both take care of yourself during failure and then set yourself up for future success.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

When you study for the ACT and SAT, you don't just get into college - you get skills that can help you for the rest of your life. John Baylor, founder of OnToCollege, works with over 700 high schools around the nation to help their students get into college. In this episode, John shares his philosophy for why the ACT and SAT can be helpful to you now and also prepare you for college and beyond.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Did you know that colleges can ask you to interview with an alumni as part of your college application process? Kristie Beck is the founder of Savvy Strategies, a college admissions and test prep firm, and was a high school teacher for 15 years. In this episode, Kristie walks you through the process of interviewing with an alumni for college admissions, what to do, what NOT to do, and how to make sure the interview is a positive in your application.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

How do you write a college essay that connects the dots for admissions officers? Sarah Cook is the founder of College Bound Career Ready, and has 18 years of experience in education and college admissions. In this episode, Sarah shares her framework for building a cohesive college essay, including how to brainstorm properly, how to organize your many essays to cover the appropriate ground, and how to tie everything together into a cohesive story.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

How do you stand out when applying to top schools? How do you show your passion for a field or area of study? Business internships and summer programs can do both, as well as get you valuable learning experience in the field you're considering. In this episode, Barbara Leventhal of ScoreAtTheTop and Annaline Dinkelmann of TeachMeWallStreet share their advice for how to secure a business summer program or internship and why it will help you on your college application.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Students now are asked to juggle more than ever: extracurriculars, sports, AP classes, clubs, passion projects, and summer internships. Oh, right, and school and their SAT or ACT prep! How can you make sure to stick with your study schedule for the ACT and SAT, even when life is busier than ever? Randee Schneeberg, founder of JettPrep, has been advising students on standardized test prep for 24 years, and has never seen test anxiety as prominent as it is now. In this episode, Randee shares her advice on how to make a study schedule you can keep, and then how to keep it.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Test-optional took the country by storm when COVID made it impossible to sit for the SAT or ACT in 2020. But now it's hard to know whether you should submit your scores or not. David Blobaum is one of the co-owners of Summit Prep and a nationally recognized expert on the SAT, ACT, and college admissions. In this episode, David explains how test-optional policies can benefit schools even when they prefer to receive test scores, and how that should influence your decision on whether or not to submit your scores to a particular school.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Online colleges have come a long way and are a more viable option than ever before. Jaime Smith, founder of Jaime Smith IEC and an educator since 1997, has helped hundreds of students apply to colleges of all kinds. In this episode, she walks you through online college landscape, the advantages and disadvantages of an online college, and how to pick the right college for you.

Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.