Shift - College admissions in a changing world

Harvard's response to SCOTUS: how to write the new application essay

In response to the SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action, Harvard added a new essay topic asking specifically about how your background influenced you. Nat Crawford is a Stanford PhD, founder of Improve Your English and college admissions counselor. In this episode, Nat shares why Harvard added this new optional essay to their application, why you should always answer it even if you are not from an underrepresented background, and tips for getting the biggest impact from your essay.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/?utm_source=podcast to try it for free.

Mega Episode: 9 mistakes to avoid when applying to highly selective schools

Getting into the top schools is tough enough, but if you make one of these key mistakes it can severely hurt your chances of getting admitted. Sam Hassell is one of the owners at Westchester Prep, and directs their college advising team. In this episode, Sam shares the 9 key mistakes he sees when students apply to the top colleges in the country and how to avoid them.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/#s=podcast to try it for free.

What impact has the SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action had on this year's college admissions cycle

The SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action was monumental, but how did it actually affect admissions? Elton Lin, founder of Ilumin Education in California, has helped students get into top programs nationwide for over a decade, and weaves life coaching and career advice into his practice. In this hour-long episode, Elton walks through the impact of the SCOTUS ruling on admissions chances for different students that he worked with and what he is hearing from other counsellors.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/#s=podcast to try it for free.

Mega Episode: How to make the most of your college experience academically

For many, college is the pinnacle of your academic career, so how do you make the most of it? Louis Newman is former Dean of Academic Advising at Stanford University and now the author of the new book "Thinking Critically in College: The Essential Handbook for Student Success." In this episode, Louis shares advice for making the most of the academic part of your college experience, both to learn and to set you up for a successful career.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/?utm_source=podcast to try it for free.

How to solve different Evidence-based Reading question types on the digital SAT

Looking to ace the SAT Evidence-based Reading section? Dave Lynch, founder of StudyLark, has tutored students on the SAT for almost 20 years. In this episode, Dave shares his best tips for simplifying and solving the various problem types you'll find on the SAT Evidence-based Reading section.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/?utm_source=podcast to try it for free.

Mega Episode: How students can develop the organizational skills and executive functioning they need for college and beyond

The biggest challenge that students face when they go to college is being on top of everything on their own. Sasha Chada is founder and CEO of Ivy Scholars, whose students have 7X the admission rate to Stanford, Columbia, MIT, and other top schools. In this mega-episode, Sasha explains the fundamental importance of organizational skills and executive functioning - not just for college, but for the rest of someone's life - and how teens can develop these skills ahead of college.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/?utm_source=podcast to try it for free.

The new Digital SAT: how it changes your admissions strategy

The SAT made a major shift this year to being digital and adaptive. How does that affect your college applications? Nat Crawford, Stanford PhD, founder of Improve Your English and college admissions counsellor, works with superstar high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area every year. In this episode, Nat shares how the new digital and adaptive SAT affect SAT scores and how that will impact college admissions.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/?utm_source=podcast to try it for free.

Should I submit my standardized test scores?

With test-optional policies in retreat, how does this change whether you should submit your standardized test scores? Stephen Friedfeld is the cofounder of AcceptU, an admissions consulting firm since 2010 that only employs former admissions officers. In this episode, Stephen shares his tips for navigating the test-optional landscape and how you should make the decision on whether to submit test scores.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/?utm_source=podcast to try it for free.

How the SCOTUS affirmative action decision will affect college admissions

The SCOTUS decision to strike down affirmative action will change college admissions, but how? Shane Bybee has run Bybee College Prep for almost a decade and has helped thousands of students get into college. In this episode, Shane shares his thoughts on the SCOTUS affirmative action decision and how it's going to impact college admissions going forward.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/?utm_source=podcast to try it for free.

Ways to raise your ACT English score

The ACT English is one of the easiest parts of the ACT to improve your score on, and we'll tell you why. Mary Johnson is the ACT English and Reading lead at Odyssey College Prep and the author of the English and Reading sections of Achievable's ACT course. In this episode, Mary shares the key tactics and strategies you can use to ace the ACT English section and raise your score.
Achievable's ACT prep course uses AI-powered adaptive learning to target your weak areas and boost your score - visit https://achievable.me/exams/act/overview/?utm_source=podcast to try it for free.