Simply Smarter

In July 2025, everything changed for families planning for college. New legislation now allows you to use 529 College Savings Plans for ACT and SAT test prep—completely tax-free. But here's what ...

The ACT changed—and so did we. Following our deep dive into the new ACT format (catch that episode if you missed it!), we're excited to unveil something revolutionary: the ACT FLEX Course, design...

The ACT just underwent its most significant transformation in decades, and the changes are game-changing for college-bound students. With July 12th marking the last chance to take the old format, it&a...

On this episode, Caleb and Jill dive into the controversial topic of whether you should take the ACT/SAT, or if you might be better off without it? They'll explore scenarios in which taking a sta...

In today's episode, Jill has the pleasure of interviewing one of our Standard-Level Tutors, Meredith Vaughn.  Meredith opens up about her high school experience, her college prep process, and the...

It's a question we hear often and there is a lot of talk surrounding the topic. Should students take the ACT or SAT? Caleb and Jill chat about which schools require it, which schools are test opt...

What are the current trends in college admissions? Caleb and Jill tackle some of the effects Covid-19 has had on students and learning as well as their mental well-being, stress level and test anxiety...

The GRE General Test is a computer-delivered test that features question types that features question types that closely reflect the kind of thinking you'll do in today's graduate school pro...

Today we sit down with one of our Premier-Level Tutors, Audrey Hazzard, who has been a tutor with Get Smarter Prep for over ten years. Audrey talks about the changes she has seen in the tutoring indus...

We're back! After taking a few months off, Caleb and Jill are back to talk about a few updates surrounding Get Smarter Prep as well as what current Juniors should be focusing on right now. Of cou...

A Decade of Changes with Stephen Heiner: Part Two continues.  Season Five of the Simply Smarter Podcast kicks off with a look back at all of the changes within the past 10 years, featuring Stephen Hei...

Season Five of the Simply Smarter Podcast kicks off with a look back at all of the changes within the past 10 years, featuring Stephen Heiner.  Stephen was the President of Get Smarter Prep from 2006-...

On this episode, we take a look at the approaching deadlines students need to look at in the next few months. Caleb and Jill break down what students and parents will need to accomplish in December, J...

On today's episode, we break down just how many times students need to take the ACT. Here's a hint...it's different for everyone. From scholarships to Honors Programs to college admitta...

Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you understand the ACT changes, please subscribe to Simply Smarter Podcast on your favorite platform and leave us a review. Your feedback helps us reach ...

On today's episode, Caleb and Jill break down the newest changes within the reading section of the ACT called "Visual and Quantitative Information" questions.  These new questions were ...

Today's Simply Smarter episode will  cover what high school students should be thinking about between their Sophomore Year and Junior Year. What can students start doing now to prepare for colleg...

Do I need to take the ACT or not? Do I really need an ACT score to get into college? On today's episode, Caleb and Jill tackle a few of the questions surrounding college admissions. We seem to be...

On today's episode, Caleb and Jill discuss the difference between Academic Scholarships and Athletic Scholarships as well as the divisions among athletic scholarships. They also point out differe...

This month, Get Smarter Prep celebrates our 15-Year Anniversary! To commemorate this milestone, Caleb and Jill look back over the last fifteen years to where Get Smarter Prep started. They walk throug...

On today's episode, we have two very special guests from The Future of Us joining us, Brenan Latimer and Precious Awopetu.  The two of them identified a disparity in the amount of college opportu...

On today's episode, Caleb and Jill wrap up what's left of 2020's school year and move onto 2021. They also talk about potential ACT dates that are fitting for students, creating realist...

What happens next? What does moving forward look like for the Class of 2021 or the Class of 2022? On today's episode, Caleb and Jill discuss tangible steps for High School Seniors, Juniors, and S...

College Expert, Caleb Pierce discusses the top ten current trends in college admissions for high school students. So much has changed for students in the past 6 months, what does applying for college ...

On today’s episode, Caleb and Jill discuss how schools are reopening this year due to COVID-19 and what that looks like. They will also cover the many changes the Class of 2021 has to endure and the n...

Welcome back to the Simply Smarter Podcast! On today’s episode, Caleb and I will talk about the past several months and how the novel coronavirus has affected students, parents, and life in general. S...

On today's Simply Smarter podcast, Caleb and Jill talk about the Law School Admission Test, or what most people refer to as the LSAT. They break down what the test consists of, how the test is sc...

On today’s podcast, Caleb and I are going to step away from the ACT and talk about another standardized test, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). We’ll discuss what the test covers, who needs to ta...

Caleb and Jill discuss what exactly an academic mentor is, how it will affect your student, and what to expect from both the mentor and the mentee (the student). We unpack what sets students up for su...

On today's episode, Caleb and Jill will discuss what every parent and student need to know when it comes to state/district wide ACT testing. The state of Kansas will have Juniors take the test on...

On today’s episode, Caleb and I are discussing three different changes that have been made to the ACT and how that will affect students. And, since we are Kansas City local, we give a little love to o...

On today's episode, Caleb and Jill sit down to discuss five smart strategies Caleb and our tutors use throughout different sections of the ACT.  They also talk about the delayed ACT scores for th...

On today's episode, we have a super special guest, one of our online students, Scout Webb. Jill babysat Scout while she was in college in Oklahoma and now Scout needs a little extra help studying...

On this episode, Caleb and Jill talk about The College Board's "Adversity Score" and how changes have already been made to the tool that reduced a student's background to a single ...

On the show today we have a very special guest. One of our Master-Level Tutors, Gina Claypool is with us! Gina has been a tutor with us for over 5 years and has seen quite a few changes within standar...

Today we have a special guest joining us. Our very own expert College Counselor and Standard Level Tutor, Ilana Garon. Ilana’s going to share what it takes to make a great college essay, give us some ...

The episode today applies mainly to parents of 8th, 9th, and 10th graders. This is one question we get from them all the time! When should we start studying for the SAT/ACT? Today, we’re going to brea...

On today’s episode Caleb and I are discussing whether it’s smarter to focus on a part time job or attain academic scholarships for college. We’re going to break down what it takes to make the most mon...

Welcome back to Season Two of the Simply Smarter Podcast! We are excited to be back to inform students and parents about all things ACT related. On today’s episode Caleb and Jill are going to debunk s...

On this week's episode, we are chatting with Liz Ferrigno, a parent of one of our students who just recently took the April 13th ACT. Her daughter, Danielle, is a Junior at Blue Valley West and i...

Success looks different for everyone. For some students, success may be getting accepted into their dream college, for others it may equate to a significant scholarship, and for others it may be incre...

Setting realistic expectations when it comes to the ACT is important. Why? Just like any other scenario in life, such as a big test, a speech, a business meeting, or an interview, you have to prepare....

The ACT is very different from all other tests in high school. Students tend to feel overwhelmed with the way test makers phrase the questions and run out of time in different sections. On today'...

Every high school student's Junior year is hectic and their schedules are full! In today's episode, Caleb and Jill breakdown how to choose the correct ACT test date. It may sound simple, but...

On this week's episode of Simply Smarter we talk about what a "good" ACT score really means, how each student should have different ACT goals, and how to establish a baseline ACT score....

Today on the Simply Smarter Podcast Caleb and Jill are discussing the Varsity Blues College Admission Scandal, who was involved, the colleges that were a part of the scandal, as well as students'...