#122 Finding the Right Test Prep with Amy Seeley and Mike Bergin

Flourish Coaching

May 14, 2024

In this episode, Lisa, Amy, and Mike discuss:

How to know if your teen could benefit from test prep or can go at it alone.
What to look for when assessing the quality of different test prep options.
The differences between working with independent tutors and working with Big Box Companies.
Advice for your family on best practices for reaching goal scores.

Key Takeaways:

Preparing for a test is like learning anything else – most people need a teacher, coach, or tutor to learn best and prepare.
Utilizing official test preparation materials is an important part of preparing for standardized exams. They are the best for understanding how your student will likely perform on the exam.
School counselors cannot endorse any particular test prep tutors, but they may still have individuals they could recommend based on the experience of their students and word of mouth.
While you vet your student’s test prep provider, they also vet your student’s willingness and motivation.

“One of the values of a good test prep person or expert is they make the process more efficient, they make it more effective. And that goes a long way with students who are busy and looking for results as quickly as possible.” – Amy Seeley

About Amy Seeley:

Amy Seeley, a formally certified and licensed secondary education teacher, received her degree from John Carroll University. She began her career in test preparation in 1994 working for Princeton Review. After gaining valuable knowledge and experience as a part-time tutor, she turned that passion into a career with Townsend Learning Centers.

In 2006, Amy began Seeley Test Preparation Services – meeting the test preparation needs of several hundred students annually in the Greater Cleveland area. As demand grew for Amy’s assistance in improving test scores, Seeley Test Pros was born in 2012. Her methods and techniques for navigating through the ACT and SAT, as well as many other standardized exams, guarantee students who apply themselves and are committed to her methodology to obtain higher scores.

About Mike Bergin:

After 30 years of experience in every aspect of standardized test preparation, Mike Bergin knows what works in test prep and what doesn’t. A nationally recognized leader in test prep, Mike founded Chariot Learning in 2009 to deliver on the promise of what truly transformative, individualized education can and should be. Besides overseeing Chariot Learning’s national programs, Mike is an ACT Certified Educator who trains teachers across the country to implement critical skills and college and career readiness standards.

Mike is also the creator of the TestBright SAT & ACT curriculum system and Roots2Words vocabulary program, co-host of the college admissions industry podcast Tests and the Rest, and admin of the Facebook industry group for test prep professionals, Test Prep Tribe.

Episode References:

Tests and the Rest Podcast, The Reality of Grade Inflation: gettestbright.com/the-reality-of-grade-inflation

Lisa on Tests and the Rest, Strategies for Selecting a College Major on Time: gettestbright.com/strategies-for-selecting-a-college-major-on-time

#060 Say Goodbye to the Paper SAT Test with David Blobaum

#015 Unplanned Career Paths with Mike Bergin

#061 COVID Impact on College Admissions with Amy Seeley and Cristiana Quinn

Get Lisa’s Free on-demand video: How-to guide for your teen to choose the right major, college, & career…(without painting themselves into a corner, missing crucial deadlines, or risking choices you both regret).

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