Mental Health Matters: A Discussion On High School Mental Health (w/ Max Benezra of South Shore Counseling)
In this #PREPPED episode, Naka is joined by Max Benezra, the Assistant Director of South Shore Counseling and a psychotherapist with expertise in adolescent mental health, to discuss an obvious yet marginalized topic for students: MENTAL HEALTH. Today, over 70% of high school and college adolescents experience some sort of mental health issues, yet only 18% of those students actually address these problems. This discrepancy is due to many factors ranging from the social stigmas of ment...
6 Mars 202219min
Starting Your College Search (w/ Nandita Gupta of Enlighten Education Consulting)
A must-listen episode for all parents and students! The Founder and CEO of Enlighten Education Consulting, Nandita Gupta, joins Naka in a wonderful discussion about the most important first steps when starting your college search! With over 20 years of experience in elite college admissions and consulting, Nandita discusses the institutional criteria that universities prioritize, the immense value of self-discovery early in high school, and the context into which your application is placed b...
21 Feb 202228min
College Board's 'SECRET' Test: Earning College Credits Early Using CLEP (w/ David Vise of ModernStates & Freshman Year For Free)
Pulitzer Prize-winner and Executive Director of Modern States, David Vise, joins Naka in a captivating episode discussing how students can take advantage of a lesser-known College Board test that has been around for over 50 years to gain college credit early and save THOUSANDS of dollars in tuition! The CLEP exam (College-Level Examination Program) is a series of over 30 Pass/Fail tests that ANYONE in pursuit of a degree can take. With a passing score of over 50%, students can ga...
6 Feb 202225min
Director Discussion: The New DIGITAL SAT Announcement!
In this bonus 'Director Discussion' episode, Naka is joined by the TestTakers Directors as they weigh in on one of the biggest headlines of the year so far, the new DIGITAL SAT! Debuting in the USA in early 2024, this new Digital SAT will first be taken by current freshmen (Class of '25). Directors Brian and Jeremy discuss the format of the new test and what to expect when it comes to 'adaptive testing' based on College Board's announcement. Director Alan discusses the challenges of tak...
31 Jan 202212min
How To Make GREAT SAT Materials
In this #PREPPED SEASON 4 PREMIERE, Host Andrew "Naka" Nanayakkara is joined by Director Brian Corridan and President of TestTakers Frank Pomilla in a conversation about making not just good but GREAT SAT practice materials. With so many materials out there for students to use for their SAT preparation, it is important to sift through the 'noise' and focus on what makes GREAT SAT material, and how BAD material will reinforce BAD habits. Discussion includes why certain types of W...
24 Jan 202217min
The SAT Diet (feat. Michelle of NutrishMish)
Naka is joined by Michelle of NutrishMish for the Season 3 Finale of #PREPPED! Everyone knows that test preparation includes aggressive study and practice, but a less-explored aspect of test prep is NUTRITION. Michelle discusses important nutrients that keep the brain energized, and gives advice on how to maintain your testing endurance through strategic nutrition. Discussions also include how to avoid "crashing" during the test and the importance of hydrating (or pre-hydrating). U...
22 Nov 202112min
When Is Enough...Enough? A Discussion On Expectations and Score Growth
The President of TestTakers, Frank Pomilla, and Director Brian Corridan are back for another informative episode with host Andrew "Naka" Nanayakkara to discuss one of the most difficult aspects of SAT test preparation: when to call it a day. Discussions include how scores should realistically increase and how to set reasonable expectations for students and parents. Score growth is NOT linear but a process. While it is important to set goals, it is even more important to stick to you...
8 Nov 202121min
