What if the test gatekeeping college admissions was designed to celebrate—not undermine—your classical education? Discover how one alternative is changing the game for homeschoolers and classical students across America. In this milestone episode, Robert Bortins sits down with Soren Schwab (VP of Partnerships) and Noah Tyler (CFO) from the Classical Learning Test to celebrate 10 years of offering an alternative to the College Board's monopoly. The conversation opens with a stunning revelation: after hiring David Coleman—the chief architect of Common Core—in 2015, the College Board transformed the SAT so dramatically that its longest reading passage is now between 25-125 words. That's literally the length of a tweet. This is what "college readiness" has become.
The CLT offers something radically different: Instead of politically biased content and tweet-length passages, students engage with C.S. Lewis, Aristotle, Dickens, and Abraham Lincoln. Parents report their children actually asking to read more after encountering authors on the test—something that would never happen with the SAT or ACT. And because homeschoolers can take it from home through video proctoring, test anxiety is significantly reduced.
What You'll Learn:
- How homeschoolers went from "a little weird" to the most sought-after students on college campuses
- The expansion story: from garage startup to 320+ accepting universities and recognition in 15 states
- Legislative victories breaking the College Board's monopoly in Florida, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and beyond
- The exciting announcement about "Enduring Course Exams"—CLT's alternative to AP, starting with humanities subjects where the College Board's ideological capture is most egregious
Resources:
This episode of Refining Rhetoric is sponsored by: Classical Conversations Alumni Network
Classical Conversations launched its Alumni Network in May 2025, creating the first comprehensive platform for CC graduates and parents to stay connected beyond Challenge IV. Discover job opportunities, network with fellow alumni, and access exclusive content featuring CC success stories.
Learn more at https://ccalumni.network/ and join the community that's empowering CC alumni and parents to connect, thrive, and inspire through their shared legacy of Christian, classical education.
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