In a process with as many steps as choosing, applying to, and being accepted at a target higher education institution, small improvements in efficiency at any point can compound dramatically for both applicants and admissions offices. Amy and Mike invited ed tech entrepreneur Sam Bernstein to explore the current state of AI and the college admissions process.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. How is AI changing the way students search for colleges and navigate the application process?

2. How should students and parents be using AI in the college process—and where should they draw the line?

3. What AI-powered tools should parents, counselors, and IECs be aware of?

4. How can counselors use AI to manage caseloads more efficiently while maintaining a personal touch?

5. What does a student-first future look like in an AI-driven college admissions landscape?

MEET OUR GUEST

Sam Bernstein is the co-founder of Loper, a free mobile app designed to help students explore and discover their best educational opportunities after high school. The inspiration for Loper came out of the pandemic, where “life on pause” led to two college friends (Sam and his co-founder Eric) spending long nights discussing their shared passion: education. Fast forward two years, and they quit their jobs to launch Loper, which has now helped nearly 200,000 students find best-fit opportunities after high school.

Since founding Loper, Sam has spoken at nearly a dozen industry conferences, and he always loves the opportunity to present to both students and parents on college and career readiness. Sam lives in Chicago, loves to bike, and (so far) has kept up with his 2025 resolution to read more fiction. His favorite podcast is “Revolutions” by Mike Duncan.

Sam has previously appeared on the podcast in episode 360 to discuss FINDING YOUR COLLEGE FIT.

The best place to connect with Sam is on LinkedIn. If you have questions about Loper or are interested in either a virtual or live presentation to your students, you can reach him at sam@getloper.com.

LINKS

AI Is Taking Over College Admissions

Incorporating AI into the Admissions Process

Loper

ESAI

CollegeCraft.Ai

TurboLearn AI

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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.

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 was the IECA Conference in Detroit?

2. Was our presentation on Scaling Your Practice well received?

3. What projects are Mike and Amy working on?

4. Who should attend the Game Plan for the Enhanced ACT seminar?

5. What does the next month hold for Amy and Mike?

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

2025 NTPA National Conference

RELATED EPISODES

EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: April 2025

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EXTEMP WITH AMY & MIKE: December 2024

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.

The last thing anybody wants to do is sit for a meaningless test. Entrance exams like the SAT & ACT should be able to inform both test takers and target institutions about the likelihood of success at the next level. So do they? Amy and Mike invited educator David Blobaum to explore the predictive validity of test scores in college admissions.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. Research says that SAT/ACT scores are better predictors of success at Ivy-plus colleges than are high school grades–why?

2. Have any other colleges beyond the Ivy-plus colleges made similar statements?

3. Why have colleges not gone back to requiring test scores then if they're so predictive?

4. Do test-optional colleges value SAT/ACT scores?

5. Are test-blind colleges blind to all tests?

MEET OUR GUEST

David Blobaum graduated from the University of Chicago with honors both from the college and in his major. In college, he took seriously the University of Chicago’s aim of a “Renaissance” or well-rounded education and took courses in 17 different disciplines, ranging from Statistics and Economics to Philosophy and Art History. Since then, he has devoted himself to helping students reach their potential on the SAT and ACT and, more broadly, to help them succeed through education.

To that end, in 2013, he founded Summit Prep with a former UChicago classmate. They now have two tutoring centers in New Jersey, and their team of SAT/ACT experts privately tutors over 500 students per year. David is a consultant to schools on SAT/ACT best practices, personally trains each Summit Prep tutor one-on-one, and tutors a select few students himself. David not only teaches students the necessary subject matter but also motivates them to continually strive towards their potential.

David first appeared on the podcast in episode 79 to discuss Why The SAT And ACT Are Awesome, in episode 582 to discuss The Need For Testing Sites In California, and in episode 421 for a Sponsor Spotlight.

Find David at https://summitprep.com/.

LINKS

Common Data Set

AP Exam Scores Are Important For College Admissions

The Rumors Are... True. Testing is Coming Back.

SAT And ACT Scores Are More Predictive Than Grades?

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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.

Not everyone assumes that life after high school automatically entails immediate enrollment in college. Many teens graduate ready to pursue a more practical education. Amy and Mike invited education market researcher Brady Colby to explain the implications of enrolling in a trade school.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What exactly is a trade school?

2. What are recent trends for trade schools?

3. Why might trade schools be getting more popular?

4. How should parents or guidance advisors incorporate trades into post-high school planning?

5. Are the rise of trade schools a threat to so-called traditional higher ed schools and opportunities?

MEET OUR GUEST

Brady Colby is the head of market research at Validated Insights, which is a higher education marketing firm. Brady was the founder of Thirty Two EDU, which was acquired by Validated Insights in 2023.

Brady and his team of higher education experts publish monthly reports on different sectors affecting higher education including quarterly OPM market reports, and quarterly trade school market reports. They have also recently published reports on the MBA Market.

Brady can be reached at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradycolby/.

LINKS

Trade School Market Insights

Trade School Enrollment Surges Post-Pandemic, Outpacing Traditional Universities

Gallup-Lumina State of Higher Education

Why These Gen Zers Are Ditching College Degrees For Blue-Collar Careers

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PATHWAY PLANNING FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS

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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.

One should not take on what is potentially the biggest expense of a lifetime lightly. Motivated students can absolutely make sure college pays off academically, socially, and emotionally; financially, though, can be a big question mark. Amy and Mike invited educator Gage Mersereau to define the concept of true college ROI.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What does ROI mean in the context of college?

2. What are the major factors to determine your true college investment?

3. Why should plans after graduation factor into college plans?

4. Why should ROI factors be understood before submitting college applications?

5. Why doesn’t net price apply to all applicants?

MEET OUR GUEST

Gage Mersereau is the CEO and Founder of GradBetter, a company focused on simplifying college planning and affordability for counselors and families. With over 15 years of experience in the field, Gage has dedicated his career to helping families find their college fit. Prior to founding GradBetter, he built ConnectSports, a youth sports recruiting platform that empowered 100,000 high school athletes to discover, connect with, and commit to their college of choice. Gage began his career on Wall Street, working as an M&A banker and in private equity.

Find Gage at https://www.gradbetter.com/.

LINKS

Free college ROI calculator

How the flawed earnings information in the College Scorecard misleads students (opinion)

Tuition Discount Rates at Private Colleges and Universities Top 50 Percent

RELATED EPISODES

RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN COLLEGE

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WHAT IS A NET PRICE CALCULATOR?

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.

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. What have Amy and Mike been up to in the last month?

2. How is Amy using ChatGPT?

3. What is College Eagle?

4. What updates will we be making for the ACT curriculum for the enhanced ACT?

5. What are Mike and Amy doing at IECA in May?

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 Eagle

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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.

The ACT has been a remarkably stable exam, administered in roughly the same way for decades. However, a new version is on the horizon, and some intrepid souls have braved the uncertainty of the field test to experience it. Amy and Mike invited someone who sat for the April 2025 Enhanced ACT to share the test taker’s perspective.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What were your general impressions about the enhanced ACT test experience in the digital format?

2. What did you find to be the same on the enhanced ACT?

3. What did you find to be different on the enhanced ACT?

4. What recommendations would you have for a student taking the new Enhanced ACT?

5. What should tutors know about tutoring for the new Enhanced ACT?

MEET OUR GUEST

Our guest today has her master's degree in higher education and has worked in multiple areas of college administration. She has been a professional SAT and ACT tutor for the last 10 years and works with students across the US for several test prep companies. She understands the preparation necessary to do well on standardized tests, especially the ACT. She prides herself on the scores she has earned on officially administered ACTs in recent years, earning consistent 36 composites. Most importantly, she recently took the first digital enhanced ACT on April 5, 2025.

LINKS

ACT Test Enhancements

ACT Enhancement Content Rebalancing

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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.

The Advanced Placement exams represent some of the most challenging subject-specific standardized tests a high schooler might ever take, and AP Economics is no exception. Amy and Mike believe that every test warrants smart, serious preparation, so we invited educator Michael Rodriguez to share valuable strategies, insights, and resources for getting ready for the AP Economics exam.

What are five things you will learn in this episode?

1. What is tested on the Macro vs Micro AP Economics exam?

2. How do students score points on the AP Economics exam?

3. What are the highest priority topics on the tests?

4. How should students prepare for the AP Economics exam?

5. What are the best prep materials for AP Economics?
   

MEET OUR GUEST

Michael Rodriguez is a national champion speaker and debater. While he was competing, he claimed the title of national champion in Parliamentary Debate from Phi Rho Pi in 2009. Michael completed his undergraduate degree in economics at Cal State Fullerton in 2012. While in school he helped perform research on the long term implications of training students to become financially and economically literate. After college he worked as an economic consultant to law firms.

For the past 10 years, Michael has worked as a teacher at Modern Brain Academy in Irvine California and as a private tutor in AP economics. When students learn from coach Michael, they learn how to think like an economist.

Find Michael at michael@modernbrain.com.

LINKS

AP Microeconomics – AP Students | College Board

AP Macroeconomics – AP Students | College Board

5 Steps to a 5 500 Must-Know AP Microeconomics/Macroeconomics Questions

Jacob Clifford - YouTube

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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.