Shift - College admissions in a changing world

Your primer for the digital SAT

The digital SAT is currently scheduled to roll out in early 2024. What will change, and what should parents and students do to prepare? Phil McCaffrey has been teaching the SAT and ACT for almost 30 years. In this episode, Phil walks you through what's changing with the digital SAT and how you can best prepare for the new format.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Why the ACT and SAT are still valuable, and how to best prepare for them

Now that some universities are going test-optional, some students are questioning why they should prepare for the SAT or ACT exams. But this is short sighted, according to Kailey Ossanna, owner of KO Tutoring. In this episode, Kailey shares her argument for why preparing for and taking the ACT and SAT is still worth your time as a busy high school junior, and what life skills they will teach you. She also shares her tips for preparing for these exams.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Tactics for mastering your test anxiety

Test anxiety is more common than ever, but that doesn't mean you have to let it take over. 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 gives you the same advice she gives her clients on how to handle test anxiety, including mindset, prep work, and tactics for test day.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

How to make your college application stand out

With everyone having great GPAs, sports, APs, and extracurriculars nowadays, what can you do to stand out? In this episode, Marc Gray, founder of Odyssey College Prep and the author of Achievable's ACT course, shares his advice on how to differentiate yourself in your college application.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Test-optional admissions: what three years of data says

Universities went test-optional en masse during the COVID-19 pandemic, because students literally couldn't take the SAT or ACT tests. Now that the pandemic is no longer preventing people from taking exams, do test-optional policies still truly mean that submitting SAT or ACT scores is optional? Scott Clyburn, founder and director of North Avenue Education, has been a professional educator since 2005 and has advised thousands of students on their college applications. In this episode, Scott shares what the data from the last three years shows about test-optional admissions, their impact, and whether you should really submit to your top choice school without a test score.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

ACT vs. SAT: how to decide which test to take

Brian Stewart, founder of BWS Education Consulting, has been a tutor for 18 years and has worked with thousands of students on both the SAT and ACT exams. In this episode, Brian shares what he tells his clients about taking the SAT versus the ACT, and how to determine which test you will score the best on for yourself.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Why superstar STEM students fail to get into Ivy League schools - even with a 4.0 GPA

If Harvard accepted every 4.0 GPA superstar STEM student into their class, it'd be full twice over. So how do they decide who gets admitted and who doesn't? Nat Crawford, Stanford PhD, founder of Improve Your English and college admissions counsellor, works with superstar STEM students in the San Francisco Bay Area every year. In this episode, Nat shares why he sees these students fail to get into Ivy League schools, what he advises them to do to improve their applications, and the lessons you can take away for your own application.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

How will the content of the digital SAT differ from the current paper SAT?

Now that the digital SAT is almost here, how is the test going to be different? Rachel Elmer and Emily Lubejko are testing and college admissions experts from Private Prep, a national test preparation and college admissions firm. In this episode, they share their learnings from the College Board's releases and their own research about how the digital SAT content will change compared to the old paper SAT, and give advice on how students should change their preparation to achieve the best possible score.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Upcoming FAFSA formula changes and their impact on families

FAFSA formulas are changing and if you're looking to receive federal financial aid for your college tuition, you need to know what's what. Tom Leahy, founder of Optimum Education, has advised students and families on receiving federal financial aid for decades. In this episode, Tom gets you up to date on how FAFSA formulas are changing, who will be affected, and how to navigate the changes to ensure you can still receive as much aid as possible.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Deep dive into college admissions criteria

Sure, we know that grades, test scores, et cetera all matter for college admissions, but how much do they matter and what priority is each given in the applicant review process? 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 walks you through all of the things that a college admissions office looks at, including grades, test scores, essays, extracurriculars, and how they stack up in terms of importance and emphasis.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.