Meet Mike Wagner
Founder of Wagner Prep and Expert in Test Prep and College Admissions Planning
Mike Wagner is the founder of Wagner Prep and a trusted guide for families navigating the college admissions process. He brings more than a decade of experience helping students raise scores, build strong applications, and make informed decisions about their academic futures. In addition to his one-on-one work, Mike also partners with schools and parent associations through workshops and presentations on SAT/ACT strategy and the changing college admissions landscape.
A Teacher’s Path to College Advising
Mike began his career as a high school history teacher. He loved the classroom, yet he also saw firsthand how much pressure students faced and how little individualized support they received. He knew students needed something different. Something personal. Something steady. Something built around connection.
Wagner Prep grew from that belief.
Mike’s early work with students focused on how they learn—metacognition, study skills, executive functioning, and academic confidence. As families continued asking for help with SAT and ACT prep, his work naturally expanded into test preparation and, ultimately, into college advising.
The growth was gradual and intentional. Over the years, Mike developed a model centered on understanding how each student thinks, giving them structure they can rely on, and supporting them through every phase of an increasingly complex process.
Today, Mike intentionally caps his college advising program at six students per year to ensure his support remains personal and consistent. He also tutors a select number of students in SAT and ACT Reading and Writing.
A Thoughtful, Informed Approach
Mike stays current on the shifting admissions landscape through professional associations, testing and admissions research, and regular campus visits. He blends:
deep knowledge of testing and academics
strong understanding of college admissions strategy
expertise in working with teens and helping them communicate authentically
a calm, organized process that keeps families grounded
Parents appreciate his clarity and his ability to make a complicated process feel manageable. Students appreciate his straightforward guidance, steady presence, and sense of humor.
Speaking and Workshops
Mike regularly partners with schools, parent associations, and organizations that want to support students through the SAT, ACT, and college admissions process. His presentations are practical, steady, and grounded in more than a decade of experience.
Popular speaking topics include:
The New College Admissions Landscape: What Parents Need to Know in 2026
A clear, timely overview of how admissions are shifting, how test-optional policies are evolving, and what families should prioritize now.
Preparing for the SAT and ACT in 2026: What Really Matters
A myth-free breakdown of timelines, planning, superscoring, and how to create a calm, effective prep plan.
Finding Your Fit: How to Choose a Major and Build a Strong College List
A practical workshop on exploring interests, identifying strengths, and building a purposeful, realistic college list.
Mike is available for virtual and in-person events, parent education nights, workplace learning sessions, and community workshops.
A Human-First Model
Mike built Wagner Prep around connection. Sessions begin with real conversations. Guidance is tailored, not templated. Strategies evolve as students grow, and progress is communicated clearly so families always understand the next step.
Whether he is supporting a student through test prep, planning a testing timeline, building a college list, or refining personal statements, Mike’s approach remains the same: meet students where they are, build on their strengths, and support them with honesty and care.
What Families Say
“Junior and senior year of high school are stressful — insanely so. SATs, APs, the long winding road of college applications, and of course those essays. It’s a broken system and at some point the dam will have to break.
Mike and his excellent team at Wagner Prep can’t fix the system, but they can help you navigate it, and then some. From SAT prep to AP tutoring to college applications, to simply being another steady voice guiding your son or daughter along the way — home run.
We were so impressed with Mike and his team. Great tutors, genuinely great people, and Mike himself is honest, logical, and straightforward. He’s there to help your kid — and you — in all the ways you need. They travel this road every year, they know the bumps along the way, and they’ll help you reach your destination intact.
Mike was referred to us by someone we trust, and it made all the difference. We recommend Wagner Prep highly and confidently. You won’t regret it.”
— Cormac C., google review
“I have been working with Michael Wagner for almost a year through my college admissions process and don't know what I would have done without his help. I went in without any clear path and ended up with scholarships from multiple schools. He helped me develop my Common App essay, taught me writing skills, and guided me through UC and out-of-state applications. He made the complicated, tedious college process so much more manageable for me and my family.” - Anna M., Google Review
“Mike was amazing from the beginning. We spoke about my son's priorities for college and collaborated on a strategy. Mike helped his scores improve and helped him manage the stress of the process. After the SAT, we hired him again for college essays — his creativity and attention to detail made my son a much better writer. My son got into his first-choice school, which once felt unobtainable, all thanks to Mike and his team.”
- Kristin G., Google Review