The Tests and the Rest podcast has always been relentlessly focused on exploring 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, upcoming events, and our endeavors at the intersection of business and education. Catch up with us in the latest episode of EXTEMP with Amy & Mike.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Where did Amy and Mike go last month?

2. What is keeping Mike and Amy busy professionally these days?

3. How does Amy like the SAT/ACT TestBright Curriculum System?

4. What is the Words We Love 2025 Substack Carnival?

5. What does the next month hold for your fearless hosts?

We definitely want to respond to listener questions in our next EXTEMP episode, so reach out to us on social media or get in touch through our contact page. Let’s get this Tests and the Rest mailbag rolling!

LINKS

TestBright SAT/ACT Curriculum System

Words We Love 2025

RELATED EPISODES

EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: January 2025

EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: December 2024

EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: November 2024

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. 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.

During a period of American education history where most standardized tests fell at least momentarily out of favor, one series of exams seems to be growing in popularity with no end in sight. Amy and Mike invited educator Rob Franek to explore the explosive rise of Advanced Placement testing.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What has inspired the recent increase in AP tests and testing?

2. What is College Board’s strategy with the Advanced Placement program?

3. Will AP tests replace the need for SAT and ACT in admission considerations?

4. Where do these developments leave students without access to AP programs?

5. Will digital APs be cause for applause?

MEET OUR GUEST

A national expert on colleges and higher education, Rob Franek is a publisher, editor, lecturer, media contributor, and author as well as a former college admissions administrator.

As Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, he oversees the company’s 150+ Princeton Review books distributed by Penguin Random House. He also directs the company's annual surveys of students, parents, and school administrators. The survey findings are reported at dozens of education conferences and by hundreds of media each year.

Over his 33-year career, Rob has visited more than 1,200 high schools and more than 1,000 colleges and graduate schools. It is his interactions with students, parents, and counselors that he cites as his most inspiring professional experiences. He gives more than 100 talks a year to audiences of students, parents, educators, counselors, and advisors. He has chaired panels and presented keynotes at many National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC) conferences and delivered commencement addresses at three universities.

Rob is author of four books: The Best 390 Colleges; The Best Value Colleges; College Admission 101; and Colleges That Create Futures. He also spearheaded the publications of The Ultimate Guide to HBCUs and The College Wellness Guide .

As director of The Princeton Review's surveys, Rob has polled millions of college and graduate school students for the company’s school rankings which are based on student ratings of their schools and tallied in dozens of categories. Rob also oversees the company’s annual College Hopes & Worries Survey of thousands of college applicants and their parents as well as its annual College Administrator Summer Survey .

Rob has hosted 140+ videos on The Princeton Review's YouTube channel . which collectively have received more than a million views. Among them: The New SAT: 15 Must-Know Answers About the Test , The ACT is Changing: 5 Things to Know , and Key Concepts for Spring 2024 AP Exams .

Sourced by the AP, Voice of America, New York Times, Chronicle of Higher Education , and other media, Rob has also appeared on hundreds of broadcasts including more than 30 appearances on NBC TODAY. Hoda Kotb, the show's co-anchor, has introduced him saying “ He talks. We listen!”  Rob has also appeared on ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NPR, PBS, and NHK (Japan) as well as the Emmy-award winning show Teen Kids News.

Rob earned his B.A. at Drew University (NJ) and serves on its Board of Trustees. Prior to joining The Princeton Review in 1999, he was a college admissions administrator at Wagner College (NY) for six years.

A resident of Manhattan, Rob is a New York history buff and an avid runner.

Rob can be reached at [email protected].

LINKS

Advanced Placement - College Board

AP Test Prep - The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review Reports Findings of Its 2024 College Administrator Summer Survey

RELATED EPISODES

BIG CHANGES TO AP TESTS IN 2025

CONTROVERSIES AROUND NEW AP PROGRAMS

THE FUTURE OF AP EXAMS

CHOOSING BETWEEN AP AND IB PROGRAMS

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 and LEAP. 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.

Big life changes hit all of us differently, which is to say that not every teen is equally prepared for the dramatic academic, social, and emotional shift that comes with moving away from home. Amy and Mike invited counselor Katie Burchenal to discuss college transitions and distress tolerance.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is Distress Tolerance? 

2. What issues elevate Distress Tolerance? 

3. What are some strategies to manage Distress Tolerance and what is DBT?

4. How can parents, educators, and counselors support students through big life changes? 

5. What are self-care strategies for parents, educators, and counselors? 

MEET OUR GUEST

Katie Burchenal is a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and the owner of Katie Burchenal Counseling. Her private practice specializes in counseling for teens, individuals, and couples. Known for her empathetic approach, warmth, and humor, Katie connects deeply with her clients. She is dedicated to empowering individuals to pursue self-growth beyond therapy by offering solution-focused homework and practical strategies for daily life.

Katie Burchenal Counseling also provides coaching services for teens, parents, and individuals nationwide. She assists teens and young adults with issues such as academic stress, social relationships, divorce, self-discovery, confidence, anxiety, communication challenges, and transitions to high school, college, and post-college life. Additionally, Katie has a strong passion for supporting student-athletes aiming for college competition. She guides them through the recruitment process, effective communication with coaches, self-marketing, and the transition to college athletics.

Outside of her professional life, Katie enjoys a blended family with her husband and their eight children.

Katie can be reached at https://www.katieburchenalcounseling.com/.

LINKS

The Secret to Surviving Stressful Transitions

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Distress Tolerance Skills for College Students: A Pilot Investigation of a Brief DBT

Group Skills Training Program

Dialectical behavior therapy for college students: A randomized clinical trial

RELATED EPISODES

THE W-CURVE MODEL AND NEW COLLEGE STUDENTS

THE PARENT TRANSITION FROM HIGH SCHOOL TO COLLEGE

HOW PREPARATION AND MINDFULNESS GO TOGETHER

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. 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 entire edifice of higher education and industry depends on a steady flow of students coming in and qualified graduates flowing out. What happens to the system when the crucial input of applicants drops dramatically? Amy and Mike invited journalist Jon Marcus to answer that very question, because the dreaded demographic cliff is here.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What exactly is a demographic cliff?

2. What have colleges done to prepare for a decline in applicants? 

3. Which schools are most and least threatened by the demographic cliff?

4. How does the demographic pattern benefit applicants? 

5. How will this shift in population impact schools and society?

MEET OUR GUEST

Jon Marcus is higher-education editor at The Hechinger Report and also writes for The Washington Post, The New York Times, Wired, NPR, and other magazines, newspapers, and websites. Jon holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Bates College, and attended Oxford University. He teaches journalism at Boston College and Northeastern University.

Jon previously appeared on this podcast in episode 201 to discuss How College Board and ACT are Changing.

Find Jon at [email protected] or on Bluesky/X at @jonmarcusboston.

LINKS

The number of 18-year-olds is about to drop sharply, packing a wallop for colleges — and the economy

A looming 'demographic cliff': Fewer college students and ultimately fewer graduates

Despite public perception, and for the first time in decades, college acceptance rates are going up

Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica

RELATED EPISODES

DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

THE ULTIMATE COLLEGE STRESS TEST

PSYCHOGRAPHICS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. 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.

A widely held belief about brain function is that very little is truly understood in modern science. Unfortunately, most people probably know even less than they think! Amy and Mike invited education professional Gretchen Wegner to explore and debunk the most common neuromyths.

 What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What exactly is a neuromyth? 

2. Is there one neuromyth that stands out over all the others?

3. What are some other common neuromyths? 

4. Why is it so destructive to believe and teach neuromyths? 

5. How do we eliminate neuromyths in education and instruction? 

MEET OUR GUEST

Gretchen Wegner is the founder of the Anti-Boring Learning Lab, where educators obsess over discovering the best science-backed study skills and executive function strategies every student needs to thrive.

A former classroom teacher and academic coach, she now specializes in consolidating the science of learning into fun, digestible, actionable, executive function-friendly nuggets for educators and their students.

Gretchen is also a tireless learner, consistently and transparently modeling the Anti-Boring Study Skills Toolkit in her speaking presentations and throughout her courses and community.

Gretchen previously appeared on this podcast in episode 34 to discuss How to Teach Students to Study Effectively and in a spotlight in episode 542 SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Anti-Boring Learning Lab.  

Find Gretchen at www.antiboringlearninglab.com.

LINKS

Neuromyths: What Science to Ditch (or Defend?!) When Coaching Students

Expand your academic coaching toolkit

The Role of Meta-Analysis in Scientific Studies

RELATED EPISODES

DEBUNKING LEARNING STYLES

DOES GROWTH MINDSET MATTER?

MAKING LEARNING SCIENCE WORK FOR YOU

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. 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 opacity and complexity of elements of the college application process inspire endless speculation about what really matters. In many cases, though, the best place to find answers is with the colleges themselves. Amy and Mike invited educator John Durante to review admissions lessons learned from admissions representatives.

 What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What can admissions reps share about the college admissions process that you won't find elsewhere?

2. What are some of the things you do control in the college admissions process?  

3. What aspects of the college admissions process are out of an applicant's control?

4. What common mistakes do students or families make when focusing on the things they can control?

5. Why does today's admission process require so much knowledge and experience? 

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. John 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 nearly 300 episodes, while currently averaging over 10,000 downloads each month.

John is the author of Straight From The Admissions Office: Insider Strategies for College Applications.

John previously appeared on this podcast in episode 493 to discuss How To Speak To A College Admissions Rep.

Find John at [email protected].

LINKS

Straight From The Admissions Office: Insider Strategies for College Applications

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 past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. 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.

A new year brings new excitement. The Tests and the Rest podcast has always been relentlessly focused on exploring 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, upcoming events, and our endeavors at the intersection of business and education. Catch up with us in the latest episode of EXTEMP with Amy & Mike.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How were Amy and Mike’s holidays?

2. What are our one word mantras for 2025?

3. How are Amy and Mike starting the new year? 

4. What trips do Amy and Mike have coming up?

5. Why is Mike so excited about his newest Substack?

We definitely want to respond to listener questions in our next EXTEMP episode, so reach out to us on social media or get in touch through our contact page. Let’s get this Tests and the Rest mailbag rolling!

LINKS

College Road Newsletter

RELATED EPISODES

EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: December 2024

EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: November 2024

EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: October 2024

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. 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.

Considering how prevalent the topic of AI has become in business, leisure, and education, it was only a matter of time before college students would choose to focus on its study. Amy and Mike invited college dean Jennifer Stephan to explore what you need to know about artificial intelligence as an undergraduate major.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What do students study when they major in AI? What are some focus areas within an AI degree?

2. Is an AI major a replacement or improvement over a CS major?

3. Are there non-technical pathways to contribute to AI?

4. What majors besides AI and CS can prepare you for a career in AI?

5. What important questions should students interested in studying AI be able to answer?

MEET OUR GUEST

Dr. Jennifer Stephan has held a variety of roles across top colleges and universities, including professor, academic dean, and board of admissions member, in addition to serving as a private college counselor, alumni interviewer for Johns Hopkins University, and parent of three. She holds a BS degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, as well as an MS and a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Jennifer is currently the Dean of Academic Advising and Undergraduate Studies for the School of Engineering at Tufts University. Prior to joining Tufts in 2016, she spent over two decades serving as a dean and a professor of Computer Science at Wellesley College, where she collaborated with colleagues at MIT, Olin College of Engineering, and Babson College to support students pursuing engineering. While at Wellesley, Jennifer served on the College’s Board of Admissions, reading and evaluating approximately one hundred transfer applications each year.

Jennifer also is the founder of Lantern College Counseling, a robust college counseling practice where she regularly employs insights from her experiences leading in higher education to help students develop their college lists and shape competitive, authentic applications. Jennifer specializes in STEM, computer science, engineering, undecided and transfer students

She is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and a professional member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA).

Jennifer first appeared on our podcast in episode 541 to discuss NAVIGATING THE COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ADMISSIONS and in episode 559 for a Test Prep Profile.

Find Jennifer at [email protected] or https://www.lanterncollegecounseling.com.

LINKS

Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an Undergraduate Major: What You Need to Know

Navigating the Competitive Landscape of Computer Science Admissions: An Expert’s Approach — Lantern College Counseling

RELATED EPISODES

STRATEGIES FOR SELECTING A COLLEGE MAJOR ON TIME

COMPARING MOST POPULAR AND MOST LUCRATIVE COLLEGE MAJORS

CHOOSING HIGH SCHOOL MATH COURSES STRATEGICALLY

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. 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 global onset of the coronavirus shut down schools, which interrupted the educational process for millions of students. The expectation was that deficits in fundamental areas would be made up once the world opened up again. Did that happen though? Amy and Mike invited education professional Nancy Weinstein to explore post-pandemic learning loss.

 What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Are students really performing differently since the pandemic? 

2. Does learning loss differ based on age or gender?

3. Were students in all parts of the United States equally impacted by the pandemic?

4. How can students begin to repair pandemic learning gaps?

5. What can parents, educators, and coaches do to repair pandemic learning loss?

MEET OUR GUEST

Nancy Weinstein founded Mindprint Learning with the perspectives of both a parent and an innovator.  Realizing a need to address a common challenge for parents and educators, she drew upon her background in science and business to create Mindprint, the first ever valid at-home cognitive assessment supported with next-step strategies for growth. Nancy has an extensive background in business, including work at Goldman Sachs, The Walt Disney Company Corporate Strategic Planning, Bristol Myers Squibb, and several smaller Internet companies. Nancy has an MBA from Harvard Business School with first year honors and a BS/BSE summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton School of Management and Technology Program, Bioengineering and Finance. As a mother of two, Nancy recognizes the challenges parents face today, from helping with homework, to navigating the ever-changing pace of education and technology. 

Nancy previously appeared on this podcast in episode 132 to discuss The Science of Memory.

Find Nancy at https://mindprintlearning.com/.

LINKS

MindPrint Research Brief - Post Pandemic Brain Changes: Results from 35K Students

Study Finds COVID Harmed Cognitive Skills of Students — and Teachers – The 74

RELATED EPISODES

COVID LEARNING LOSS

THE GROWING IMPACT OF CHEATING DURING COVID

HOW TESTS AID MEMORY

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. 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.

Finding your best fit school requires a lot of smart research, so don’t overlook one of the best sources of institutional information available. Amy and Mike invited independent counselor Jane Gabin to discuss how the common data set can help interpret what colleges tell you.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is the Common Data Set?

2. How can studying the CDS help with judging the value of a school?

3. What does a school’s graduation rate tell us about the school?

4. How can the CDS be accessed and can anyone look at it?

5. Are there schools that try to hide their data?

MEET OUR GUEST

Jane S. Gabin has been publishing articles on colleges’ over-hiring of adjunct faculty since 2015, when she wrote about the problem in “Ask the College Counselor,” her regular column for InsideSchools.com. Her writing on this subject has also appeared in Inside Higher Ed (June 24, 2019), the Academe Blog (July 2, 2019 and May 21, 2020), and The College Prep Guide (college-prep-guide.com).

A member of NACAC, SACAC, and the International ACAC, as well as the Higher Education Consultants Association (HECA), she currently works as an independent counselor, addressing groups such as the local NAACP Youth Council about educational opportunities, and speaking to parents and students at local public libraries. 

Dr. Gabin has over 20 years in the college admissions profession. She worked for 10 years for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she was in charge of all international admissions and counselor relations. She followed this with 11 years in college advising at independent schools in the NYC area, primarily at the United Nations International School (UNIS). 

She gave a talk at the SACAC 2020 conference on “Another Way of Looking at What Makes a College ‘Good’” when she addressed this issue (in addition to suggesting a close look at colleges’ admission rate, retention rate, class size, and graduation rate). 

Additionally, she has given or led sessions (primarily on the essay process) at the New Jersey ACAC, the New York State ACAC, NACAC, and for KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) in NYC.

She received a Ph.D. in English at UNC-Chapel Hill and has published one novel and is working on another. As an independent scholar, she is currently researching the lives of women artists in the 19th century.

Jane previously appeared on this podcast in episode 328 to discuss Concerns About College Staffing Trends.

Find Jane at  [email protected].

LINKS

Common Data Set

The Shortest Guide to College Admissions

RELATED EPISODES

USING THE COMMON DATA SET

POWER DYNAMICS IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

HOW IMPORTANT IS GPA IN COLLEGE ADMISSIONS?

HOW ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR MORALE IS CHANGING ADMISSIONS

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our past episodes on the show page and keep up with our future ones by subscribing to our email newsletter.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS

Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. 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.