Podcast Episodes

ADMISSIONS NOTES FOR THE HS GRADUATING CLASS OF 2026

Season 1 Episode 663

Every year, new calculations and complications impact the college application process. Amy and Mike invited educational consultant Rebecca Stuart-Orlowski to return to the show with admissions notes …

Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FOR THE STUDENT ATHLETE

Season 1 Episode 662

The path for high school athletes seeking to play at the next level becomes more uncertain every year. The increasing complexity of college sports recruitment is matched only by the uncertainty of ev…

Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: VEGA AI

Season 1 Episode 661

AI-first data-driven platform to build, deploy, analyze, and personalize any course.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

What is the story behind VEGA AI?

How does VEGA AI work?

Published on 1 month, 4 weeks ago

HOW ARE POLITICAL CHANGES SHAPING HIGHER ED?

Season 1 Episode 660

The walls of academia have always seemed distant and distinct from the corridors of political power. But even the ivory tower isn’t safe during periods of dramatic societal change. Amy and Mike invit…

Published on 2 months ago

HOW MUCH AI IS JUST RIGHT IN THE COLLEGE ESSAY?

Season 1 Episode 659

Smart college applicants know not to let artificial intelligence agents write their entire personal statement but might shudder at the idea of ignoring these tools entirely. How much is too much? Amy…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: June 2025

Season 1 Episode 658

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 enj…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

DOES IT MATTER IF YOU TAKE CALCULUS IN HIGH SCHOOL?

Season 1 Episode 657

If you’re applying as a STEM major or looking at selective colleges, there’s no question that you should consider taking advanced or accelerated math courses at the secondary level. The question inst…

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

HOW TO PLAN A GAP YEAR

Season 1 Episode 656

Most students matriculate directly from high school to college. But what if you’re not like most students? Amy and Mike invited education consultant Julia Rogers to explore how to plan a gap year.

Wh…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

TEST PREP PROFILE: Kristen Lefebvre

Season 1 Episode 655

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry?

MEET OUR GUEST

Meet Kristen Lefebvre, the National Director of Education at StudyPoint,…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

TEST PREP PROFILE: Allen Tsao

Season 1 Episode 654

Ready to learn the history, philosophy, and practice of an experienced professional in the test prep industry?

MEET OUR GUEST

Meet Allen Tsao, who started out as an Electrical Engineer (BS at UC Berk…

Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago