Shift - College admissions in a changing world

How to maximize your college application for CS, STEM, and other majors

Applying to CS or STEM undergraduate programs? Or just looking to maximize your application in general? 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 on how to make the most of every part of your college application, with specific tips for computer science (CS) and STEM applicants.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

The SCOTUS affirmative action ruling and its impact on college admissions

How will the SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action change college admissions? Robert Franklin is a writer and admissions consultant at Admissionado, a full service college admissions firm that guides students through the whole process. In this episode, Robert shares his thoughts on the recent US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruling that struck down most of affirmative action, including what affirmative action was, why the court made the ruling, how the ruling affects applicants from all backgrounds, and what students from underrepresented backgrounds can do now.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Mega episode - How to research and evaluate colleges, and then build your college list

Getting ready for the college admissions process? This is a great place to start! Hamada Zahawi is the CEO and founder of Write Track Admissions, a global admissions consultancy with a 93% success rate. In this episode, Hamada walks us through the process of creating your college list, including what and how to research, key culture fit things to look for, and how to structure your final list.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

What’s actually changing in the new digital SAT? Answering your FAQs

The new digital SAT is coming soon. Now that we've gotten more information from the College Board, we can answer some of your frequently asked questions. Travis Minor is the founder of Open Door Education, which has been helping students prepare for the SAT and ACT for over 10 years. In this episode, Travis walks you through the new digital SAT's format, content, adaptive nature, and more.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Former Stanford Dean: How to choose a college intelligently by using the right data

People think about and apply to colleges primarily based on name brand, location, and legacy - but there's a lot more data out there that can help you make the right choice. 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 his concerns with the common rankings and data sources, what other sources you should look for to determine culture fit and academic rigor, and how to use all this data make your best college decision.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Mega Episode: How the AMC and AIME can help you stand out when applying to top STEM colleges

With grade inflation, everyone taking a million extracurriculars, and more, how can students stand out from the crowd when applying to top STEM programs? Wes Carroll is the founder of Wes Carroll Tutoring, a top AMC tutoring firm in the US, and the author of Achievable's AMC 8 and AMC 10/12 courses. In this episode, Wes explains the landscape of admissions to today's top 10 STEM colleges (Stanford, MIT, etc), what the AMC and AIME (short for American Math Olympiad) are, and how proficiency with the AMC demonstrates the skills that these top colleges are looking for.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT, AMC 8, and AMC 10/12 exams - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Mega-episode: How the admissions landscape is shifting with the Common App and test-optional policies

The college admissions landscape has changed dramatically in the past few years. Stephen Friedfeld is the cofounder of AcceptU, an admissions consulting firm since 2010 that only employes former admissions officers. In this mega-episode, Stephen talks us through many of the major changes in the college admissions landscape, specifically the spread of the Common App and test-optional policies, and how those two things combine to make a massive change in the admissions landscape.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

Developing your passion and the skills you need for life, not just your college application

It's easy to get caught up in the 'game' of college admissions and doing things for admission's sake, but the best thing you can do for admissions and yourself is find genuine passions that you want to pursue in college. Gabriel Kadian is one of the owners at Westchester Prep, and directs their college advising team. In this mega-episode, Gabriel shares his thoughtful advice for developing genuine passions that last a lifetime, and make finding activities to pursue for college admissions easy and fun.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

How to craft an excellent essay, with excerpts from top college admissions essays

You've heard about great admissions essays - now let's go over some real ones together. Claudine Vainrub is the founder of EduPlan, and she has been helping students apply to colleges for over 20 years. In this episode, Claudine walks you through multiple top college admissions essays and pulls out the key lessons that you can leverage to craft your own essays.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.

How international students can leverage their unique background to write great US college application essays

International students might worry they have a tougher time applying to US colleges, but they have a unique advantage: their international background. Erik Kolb is an independent college advisor that has worked with hundreds of international US college applications around the world. In this episode, Erik explains how international students can leverage their background and unique experiences to craft compelling essays, including tips for brainstorming and writing them.
Achievable is a modern test prep platform for the ACT exam - visit https://achievable.me to try our course for free.