Note: To download the MP3 file for the interview you want, right-click the "download" button, then click the "Download Linked File" or "Save Target As..." option in the menu that will appear. If you don't have a right-click mouse, hold down the Control key, click the "MP3" link and then select the "Download Linked File" or "Save Target As..." option.

TOEFL: The Test of English as a Foreign Language with Eileen Tyson

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Who should take the TOEFL, how is it scored, and what does it test? How do you register, and how do you find out whether the colleges you are applying to have a minimum TOEFL score requirement? Find out in this informative interview with Eileen Tyson, Director of Global Client Relations for the Educational Testing Service, which creates and administers the TOEFL exam. (February 19, 2010)
For further information, see TOEFL Go Anywhere.com

Two Million Minutes with Bob Compton

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Bob Compton, creator and executive producer of the Two Million Minutes family of documentaries, explores what education looks like in growing economies such as China and India, examines how that compares to what we're doing here in the U.S., and looks at what we'll need to start doing to remain competitive on a global scale. (February 12, 2010)
For further information, see Two Million Minutes web site

A Classical Education at Home with Susan Wise Bauer

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Dr. Susan Wise Bauer, Professor of American Literature at the College of William and Mary and co-author of the book, "The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home," describes the three developmental stages (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) that help define a classical education; the four-year historical cycle (ancients, medieval, renaissance/reformation, and modern era) that repeats three times throughout the 1st-12th grade curriculum; and the options parents have for scheduling a home school academic year. (February 5, 2010)
For further information, see The Well-Trained Mind

What the Research Says About Homework Effectiveness with Dr. Harris Cooper

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Dr. Harris Cooper, chair of the department of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, and author of the book, "The Battle Over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents," illuminates the debate on homework by revealing what the research says about homework in elementary, middle, and high school, how much is too much, and the signs of burnout parents and educators should watch for. (January 22, 2010)
For further information, see Dr. Harris Cooper

"Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" with
author Daniel Pink

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Daniel Pink, best-selling author of "A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future," discusses his newest book, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us," and examines the three qualities that lead to engagement and motivation in people in both the working world and in education. (December 11, 2009)
For further information, see Daniel H. Pink's web site

The MATHNext Research Project on Engaging Middle Schoolers in Math:
Increased Challenge, Increased Achievement with Dr. Roberta Schorr

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Dr. Roberta Schorr, Associate Professor of Math Education at Rutgers University and Executive Director of the MATHNext Project, describes techniques for drastically increasing student engagement and accomplishment in math by giving them conceptually complex problems and time to grapple over them in an emotionally supportive environment. (November 13, 2009)
For further information, see MATHNext Project

The Rise of Cheating and What Parents and Schools Can Do
with Dr. Christine Carter

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Dr. Christine Carter, Executive Director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, discusses the rise of cheating among today's high school and college students, some of the factors that influence student's cheating behaviors, the long-term repercussions of cheating on attitudes and adult behavior, and what schools and parents can do to help their students engage in the learning process and avoid the temptation to cheat. (November 6, 2009)
For further information, see Greater Good Science Center

Post High-School Planning with nextSTEP Magazine with Laura Jeanne Hammond

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nextSTEP Magazine is a free publication aimed at helping students understand the many options available for post-high-school life and the steps needed to get there. Laura Jeanne Hammond, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of nextSTEP, discusses the magazine's target audience, who writes the articles, the topics covered, and the online features of the magazine's web site. (November 6, 2009)
For further information, see nextSTEP Magazine

Stanford's Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) with Ray Ravaglia

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The Education Program for Gifted Youth, or "EPGY," at Stanford University is a place where exceptional students from around the country and around the world can find challenging courses and the camaraderie of other high-ability students, all online or, in a few instances, over the summer on Stanford's campus. Ray Ravaglia, Deputy Director of EPGY, describes the student-directed courses, the seminar-style courses, the Online High School (7th-12th grades) and the supplementary offerings for K-6th students. (October 30, 2009)
For further information, see epgy.stanford.edu

Online, On-Demand Tutoring at Ziizoo.com with Robert Einspruch

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What do you do when it's 11:00 p.m. and you need help with a tricky calculus problem? Ziizoo.com is an online service that matches students with tutors in real time, using a Flash-based white board and online chat to facilitate communication. Students can choose tutors based on their expertise, their hourly price, and more, and pay only for the minutes they are online with the tutor. Robert Einspruch, CEO of ziizoo.com, gives the details. (October 23, 2009)
For further information, see ziizoo.com

PSAT Information and Strategies with Molly Baab

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Molly Baab, a test prep expert and director at Peterson's StudentEdge.com, explains format, scoring, and other details about the PSAT test and gives strategies for preparing and pacing during the exam. She also discusses the free PSAT online test prep course available at StudentEdge.com. (October 9, 2009)
For further information, see StudentEdge.com

The Race to Nowhere: A Documentary with Vicki Abeles

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Vicki Abeles, Executive Producer of the new documentary "Race to Nowhere," describes the current anxiety, depression, sleep-deprivation and disengagement of many of today's college-bound teens when they get swept up in the endless pursuit of the higher grade, the better test score, and that one last extracurricular activity. She and host Beth Pickett discuss the difficulties of finding balance in today's families and what can be done to help families take a step back and reassess their priorities. They also discuss the conflicting messages that other country's students are outperforming American students in many subjects, despite the fact that many American students seem to be spending hours and hours on homework. (September 18, 2009)
For further information, see RaceToNowhere.com

Is Algebra a "Gatekeeper" Course, and If So, Why? With Nigel Nisbet

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Nigel Nisbet, math expert with the Los Angeles Unified School District, explains why algebra is sometimes thought to be a gatekeeper course for students seeking to graduate from high school or college, and discusses the deeper causes of these difficulties, which often start long before that first algebra course. (September 4, 2009)

Mapping the World by Heart: Developing Geographic Literacy in Young Students with David J. Smith

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David J. Smith, author of the bestselling books, "If the World Were a Village" and "If America Were a Village," and creator of the "Mapping the World by Heart" curriculum, discusses why it's important for today's students to be geographically literate and shares his ideas for helping them increase their awareness of cultural, physical, and political geography. (August 7, 2009)
For further information, see Mapping.com

Developing Self-Regulation and Early Literacy Skills in Preschoolers Using Music, Movement and Stories with Shauna Tominy

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While preschool is too early to begin making college visits, it's not too early to set the stage for academic achievement later on. Students who enter kindergarten able to pay attention, follow directions, and control impulsive behavior fare better academically throughout primary and secondary school and even into college. Educator and musician Shauna Tominy describes how she puts classic fairly tales to music and accompanying games to help preschoolers develop these essential skills in an engaging, fun way. (August 7, 2009)
For further information, see StoryTimeSongs.com

HippoCampus's Free Online Multimedia Courses with Dr. Gary Lopez

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Dr. Gary Lopez, Executive Director of the Monterey Institute for Technology and Education, describes their HippoCampus.org collaborative online project (funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation) that brings high-school and college-level course content from the country's best educators, and adds audio, video, and interactivity. Students worldwide use the site for free to preview, learn, or review course content on topics such as algebra, biology, physics, and history; teachers use the site (also for free) to create customized HippoCampus web sites featuring multimedia lessons from the HippoCampus database that they've pulled together to reflect exactly what they want to teach. (May 29, 2009)
For further information, see HippoCampus.org

Making the Transition from 10th to 11th Grade with Adam Sapp

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Adam Sapp, Associate Dean of Admission at Claremont McKenna College, offers tips and advice for making a strong and successful transition into the junior year of high school. (May 15, 2009)

The Junior Classical League with Sherwin Little

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Sherwin Little, President of the American Classical League, discusses the activities and scholarship opportunities for high school students involved in the Junior Classical League, a group dedicated to the study of ancient Greek and Roman culture and language. (May 15, 2009)
For further information, see Junior Classical League

The National Geographic Bee with Mary Lee Elden

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Mary Lee Elden, Director of Geography Competitions at the National Geographic Society, discusses the National Geographic Bee, which involves more than 13,000 schools and approximately 5 million fourth- through eight-grade students in the U.S. She outlines the calendar of competitions, the scope of the material covered, and how students and schools can get involved. (May 1, 2009)
For further information, see National Geographic Bee

The Scripps National Spelling Bee with Paige Kimball

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More than 11 million students from around the world participate annually in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which culminates in a national championship that is broadcast live on ESPN and ABC. How does the Bee benefit students and how can you get involved? Paige Kimball, Director of the Bee, gives us the answers. (April 24, 2009)
For further information, see Scripps National Spelling Bee

SAT vs. ACT: Which Should You Take? with Matthew Pietrafetta

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Colleges will take either test, so how do you choose which is right for you? What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT, anyway? Find out in this informative interview with Matthew Pietrafetta, CEO and Founder of Academic Approach. (April 24, 2009)
For further information, see Academic Approach

Test Anxiety with Dr. Moshe Zeidner

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Professor Moshe Zeidner, a world expert on test anxiety, discusses reasons why standardized tests such as the SAT and the ACT can be so stressful for students, and discusses specific recommendations for increasing performance while decreasing anxiety. (April 17, 2009)
For further information, see Publications by Dr. Moshe Zeidner

Tackling the SAT/ACT Essay with Dr. Courtney Federle

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Dr. Courtney Federle, who has taught at the college level (University of Chicago) and the high-school level (Latin School of Chicago) and now with the academic-enrichment and test-prep company Academic Approach outlines strategies to help students prepare for the essay section of the SAT and ACT college entrance exams. (April 17, 2009)
For further information, see Academic Approach

Senioritis: Insidiously Undermining College Options
with Joanne Levy-Prewitt

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A bad case of senioritis, when reflected on a student's final transcript in the form of a lowered GPA or tanking in a few classes, or manifested by breaches in ethical or even legal conduct, can not only affect student's financial aid packages but can also get a student's offer of admission revoked by the student's college of choice. Joanne Levy-Prewitt, an independent college advisor and nationally syndicated columnist, talks about senioritis and ways to avoid it. (April 3, 2009)
For further information, see http://www.ggworkshops.com

Listening to Stories: Developing Cultural Knowledge and an Ear for Language with Jim Weiss

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Jim Weiss, an internationally acclaimed storyteller, author, and audio reader, talks about the benefits of listening to stories. These benefits include developing an ear for language, cultivating a deep vocabulary, and familiarizing the listener with many of the seminal stories of western culture (such as the Greek myths, Shakespeare's plays, and even the Bible as literature) that are still commonly referenced in today's newspapers, magazines, and online writing--and in college-level academic work. (April 3, 2009)
For further information, see http://www.Greathall.com

The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) with Stephen Luebke

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Stephen Luebke, senior test specialist with the Law School Admission Council (the organization that creates and administers the LSAT), describes test logistics--when to take it, how long it is, what is included--and talks about how best to prepare. (March 27, 2009)
For further information, see www.LSAC.org

Academically Ready for College...or Not? with Professor Walter Brasch

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Walter Brasch, Ph.D., professor of journalism at Bloomberg University in Bloomberg, Pennsylvania, a syndicated columnist, author, and educator for more than 20 years, discusses the dramatic shift that he's noticed within the last five or six years in student preparedness for college, and explores the underlying causes. (February 27, 2009)
For further information, see www.WalterBrasch.com

What Can You Do with a History Major? with Professor John Quist

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John Quist, Ph.D., Professor of History at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, PA, describes the career options and opportunities for those interested in exploring the study of history as a college major. (February 20, 2009)
For further information, see www.historians.org

The FIRST Robotics Competition with Bill Miller

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FIRST Robotics Competition Program Director Bill Miller introduces us to the basics of this international competition in which teams of high school students are given six weeks to design a working robot based on guidelines set (and changed) by the competition organizers each year. Competitions take place at the regional and national levels, with more than 40,000 students competing each year. Learn how to participate and what the competition entails. (January 30, 2009)
For further information, see www.usfirst.org

Performing Arts Admissions with Kavin Buck and Ed Schoenberg

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Admissions for the performing arts--music, dance, and theater--require not only the standard application for admission, but an audition as well. Buck and Schoenberg, co-authors of "A Guide to College Choices in the Performing and Visual Arts," discuss the audition process and other considerations for aspiring performing artists. . (January 23, 2009)
For further information, see www.lulu.com/southlabrea

The Art of Problem Solving's Approach to Teaching Math
with Richard Rusczyk

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The Art of Problem Solving is an organization dedicated to helping bright math students understand and solve hard math problems. The Art of Problem Solving math textbooks differ from traditional math textbooks in structure, difficulty, and content, and are used by most of the top math contest participants in the U.S. AoPS founder Richard Rusczyk talks about his approach to teaching math. (January 16, 2009)
For further information, see The Art of Problem Solving

The Art of Problem Solving's Online Math Classes and "Alcumus" Online Adaptive Learning System with Richard Rusczyk

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The Art of Problem Solving's Richard Rusczyk talks about what students can expect in an online AoPS math course for high-school students. Want to do more math problems for fun and practice outside of a high-school course? Richard also describes their new "Alcumus" learning system, which tailors math problems to the student's abilities so the student is continually challenged but not frustrated. (January 16, 2009)
For further information, see The Art of Problem Solving

The Art of Problem Solving's Online Community
with Richard Rusczyk

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Math geeks, unite! In a world where not everyone shares the bright math student's love of a juicy, tough math problem, finding like-minded students with whom to share information, experiences, and problem-solving techniques can inspire students to reach new levels and give them a sense of community that might be missing from their bricks-and-mortar school. (January 16, 2009)
For further information, see The Art of Problem Solving

Avoiding Accidental Plagiarism with Dr. Michelle Stewart

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A charge of plagiarism can lead to a failing grade on a paper or in an entire class; it can lead to suspension or expulsion from college or, at the professional level, loss of a job or professional credibility. Dr. Michelle Stewart, Associate Professor of English at Mt. San Jacinto College in Menifee, California, describes accidental plagiarism and how to avoid it. (January 9, 2009)
For further information, see The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

Stressed Out Students and the Push for Perfection with Dr. Denise Pope

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Dr. Denise Pope, a co-founder of the Stressed Out Students and the Challenge Success programs at Stanford University, talks about what is going on with today's students and families as so many strive to earn a spot at a very few super-selective colleges, and what can be done to help improve student's mental health and families' perspectives on the college admissions process. (December 19, 2008)
For further information, see ChallengeSuccess.org

Study Abroad for American High Schoolers with Lisa Chinnery

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College admissions officers tend to look favorably upon students who are willing to explore places and experiences outside their comfort zones. In particular, a study abroad program during high school (summer, semester, or year-long) can help students to mature and to get a clearer view of who they are and what they want out of a college experience. Lisa Chinnery of Youth for Understanding-USA explains. (December 19, 2008)
For further information, see Youth for Understanding-U.S.A.

International High Schoolers Studying "Abroad" in the U.S. with Lisa Chinnery

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Lisa Chinnery, Coordinator of Outreach Programs at Youth for Understanding-USA, explains the study abroad experience for international students who are interested in having a high-school experience in the United States, and describes why some families are eager to host these students in their homes. She also outlines the logistics for becoming a host family. (December 19, 2008)
For further information, see Youth for Understanding-U.S.A.

The Engineeer Your Life Program with Thea Sahr

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Thea Sahr, Associate Director of Education Outreach at Public Television Station WGBH in Boston, describes the Engineer Your Life program and web site, which is designed to show high school students, particularly women, how creative and rewarding a career in engineering can be. (December 12, 2008)
For further information, see www.EngineerYourLife.org

A Day in the Life of an Engineer with Katherine Bicer

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Katherine Bicer, one of the engineers profiled in the EngineerYourLife.org web site, discusses the educational path that led her to a challenging and fulfilling career as a materials engineer for GE Aviation, where she helps ensure that the engine parts for aircraft flown by the Australian military give optimal performance under extraordinary conditions. (December 12, 2008)
For further information, see www.EngineerYourLife.org

College Options and Applications for Visual Arts Students
with Kavin Buck and Ed Schoenberg

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Students interested in studying the visual arts in college have many options in terms of university-based or art-school based programs. Buck, of UCLA's School of Arts and Architecture, and Schoenberg, of Otis College of Art and Design, co-authors of "A Guide to College Choices in the Peforming and Visual Arts," describe the considerations for each, and discuss how to begin pulling together a portfolio of work that these schools require. (December 5, 2008)
For further information, see http://www.lulu.com/southlabrea

Engineering School Admissions with Peter Osgood

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Peter Osgood, Director of Admission at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, describes engineering and science colleges and how they differ from other colleges, and reviews factors that help prepare a student for admission. (December 5, 2008)
For further information, see http://www.jets.org

The American Mathematics Competitions with Professor Steve Dunbar

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Steve Dunbar, Director of the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) and professor of math at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, describes the various AMC competitions, including AMC 8, AMC 10, and AMC 12. (November 21, 2008)
For further information, see http://www.unl.edu/amc/

Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment with
Emma Walton Hamilton

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Emma Walton Hamilton, author of the book, "Raising Bookworms: Getting Kids Reading for Pleasure and Empowerment," discusses how to keep a child's enthusiasm for reading going through elementary school and beyond, and why it's important for both college and career success to instill a lifelong love of reading in children and young adults. (November 21, 2008)
For further information, see http://www.RaisingBookworms.com

Earning the Phi Beta Kappa Key with Dr. John Churchill

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Dr. John Churchill, Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, discusses what it takes for a college student to be offered an invitation to join this prestigious national academic honor society. (November 7, 2008)
For further information, see http://www.pbk.org

Big History: What It Is and Why It's Important with Professor David Christian

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David Christian, Professor of History at San Diego State University, author, and creator of the Teaching Company DVD Course, "Big History: The Big Bang, Life on Earth, and the Rise of Humanity," discusses Big History and why it's helpful for students to have a mental map of all the great transitions that have shaped the universe, the earth, life, and human beings over the course of more than 13 billion years. (November 7, 2008)
For further information, see The Teaching Company: Big History Course

Change Your Mindset, Change Your Life with Dr. Carol Dweck

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Dr. Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and author of the book, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," describes her groundbreaking work on identifying the growth and fixed mindsets, and how adopting a growth mindset clears the way for greater success in academics and many other areas of life. (October 17, 2008)
For further information, see Dr. Dweck's book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Perfectionism and How to Avoid It with Dr. Christine Carter

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Dr. Christine Carter, Executive Director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, describes the ways in which perfectionism hinders, rather than fosters, success in academics and other areas. (October 17, 2008)
For further information, see The Greater Good Science Center

All About the PSAT/NMSQT with Glenn Milewski

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Glenn Milewski, Executive Director of the PSAT/NMSQT at the College Board, describes the format and scoring of the test, and discusses its role in launching the college search process for many students. (October 3, 2008)
For further information, seeCollege Board: About the PSAT

The National Merit Scholarship Program with Tim McGuire

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Tim McGuire, President of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, explains what the National Merit Scholarship Program is, how students qualify, and what students need to do to become semi-finalists, finalists, and winners of this prestigious scholarship program. (October 3, 2008)
For further information, see National Merit Scholarship Corporation

MATHCOUNTS Clubs and Competitions with Lou DiGioia

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Lou DiGioia, Executive Director of the MATHCOUNTS Foundation, talks about how this nationwide extracurricular program for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students helps develop students' math and problem-solving skills in a fun and engaging way. (October 3, 2008)
For further information, see http://www.MATHCOUNTS.org

What's Wrong with Math Education in the U.S. Today? with Richard Rusczyk

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Richard Rusczyk, Director of the USA Mathematical Talent Search, co-creator of the Mandelbrot Math Competition, author of the book, "The Art of Problem Solving," and founder of the online Art of Problem Solving online community and training courses, discusses math education in the U.S. today, and why it falls short. (September 19, 2008)
For further information, see http://www.ArtofProblemSolving.com

Math Contests with Richard Rusczyk

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USA Math Olympiad winner, Princeton University graduate, and Art of Problem Solving founder Richard Rusczyk discusses the many extracurricular opportunities that students from first grade through high school have to sharpen both their math and their problem-solving skills through the many individual and team math competitions offered in the U.S. (September 19, 2008)
For further information, see http://www.ArtofProblemSolving.com