This will be a defining year for all of us – as Americans and global citizens. No country, no industry, and sadly no person will go unchanged in the wake of COVID-19. How we respond and what we do during this crisis matters. This is a teachable moment – for all of us. I work with students and families every …
COVID-19 Update: Impacts on the SAT, ACT & AP Exams
From The CollegeBoard (SAT) Website Students whose March SAT exam was cancelled will receive a refund and can schedule for another exam. More info here. The May SAT has also been cancelled. Make sure you’re registered for the June SAT Exam. Regarding AP Exams: Update from March 16, 2020 The AP Program is developing resources to help schools support student …
Why Doesn’t My SAT Score Match My Grades?
Guest blog post by James T. My mother didn’t trust me to dress myself until I was in sixth grade. Even now, she’ll still remind me that my outfit doesn’t “match.” I’m unsure of what she means, but her obsession that my shirt and pants follow her aesthetically-pleasing color scheme underscores our intrinsic need to establish order and harmony. I …
What is the Best Calculator for the SAT or ACT?
By Blaise P. Episode 10, Season 34 of NBC’s hit show Saturday Night Live was, without a doubt, the most glorious moment in television history. At least, it was for me. John Malkovich — known for his roles in Bird Box (a recent Netflix horror hit) and Warm Bodies (the only dystopian rom-com I’ve ever seen) — hosted, with rapper …
What Should You Do the Night Before the SAT or ACT?
Guest blog post by Pierre F. Think back to the classic cartoons, where an unlucky antagonist gets caught in an avalanche before plunging downhill as a colossal snowball accrues around him. It might be fitting to compare this hilarious moment to the stress that many students feel the night before their big test. Months of preparation coalesce into one giant …
Back-to-School Goals
Check out these first semester goals for 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. By Andrew W. I always loathed back-to-school shopping. The week before Labor Day each year, my siblings and I would trudge towards a nearby Staples as my mother prodded us onward like a cowboy herding cattle across the Great Plains. It was a painful reminder that summer, …
Slaying the Dragon: What You Need to Do Before Submitting an Application
Guest post by Arthur R. The legend of Saint George describes George taking up arms against a wicked dragon that demanded human sacrifices. It’s a myth so potent that the entire country of England dedicated its flag to George’s victory. And whether or not this famed battle actually happened, “slaying the dragon” has become a familiar story in modern society. …
Tips on How To Become a Better Studier
Guest blog post by Emily R. Have you ever studied so hard for an exam, but still didn’t receive the grade that you wanted? Have you stressed out and crammed for an exam the night before? I think most of us have. However, I have some tips and tricks for you that may transform your study habits and may even …
What Makes a Good Personal Essay?
By Ava L. “Juicy” was the word. My sentences had to be “juicier.” We always fought over this. I, the unruly first-grader hell-bent on finishing my episode of Spongebob, would sneer when my mother meticulously criticized my daily vocabulary homework assignments. Thursday night was the worst, because every Friday, I had to submit ten sentences, each using one of the …
Summer Checklist for College-Hopeful Students
By J.K. Halsted I vividly remember my graduation. No, not my high school graduation. I’m clearly referring to a far more prestigious academic achievement: the time-honored convocation that is the fifth grade graduation. I paraded through the hallowed halls of a 2-5 elementary school that looked like any other elementary school in a fifty-mile radius — probably brick, built during …