Blogs
Our dedicated writers create content that is useful not just for students and parents, but also to other educators, counselors and school officials. We prefer quality over quantity, so these blogs are short and to the point.
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Standardized Tests
Colleges & Universities
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Never assume a kid is not trying
The first thing we do when a student is doing consistently poorly in school should never be to chalk said student’s...
3 Key Principles for the SAT
Why Believe Anything? In the age of fake news and alternative facts, it often feels impossible to tell what is true...
5 Tips for Choosing a College During the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has made choosing a college this year anything but normal. High school juniors and...
The Myth of the Bad Test Taker
The “bad test taker” is a comforting myth. The myth says that in a situation where a student does poorly on a test,...
The Real Reason Why Colleges Hate Standardized Tests
A recent, oft addressed and well-documented push against the SAT and other standardized tests (for the purposes of...
Top 25 Colleges You Can Get into with a 1100-1190 or 22-24 score
You just got your PSAT, PreACT, SAT, or ACT score back and you’re wondering how far it can take you. Where can you get...
Top 25 Colleges You Can Get into with a 1400-1490 or 31-33 score
You just got your PSAT, PreACT, SAT, or ACT score back and you’re wondering how far it can take you. Where can you get...
“The Standard Pace is for Chumps:” How Expert Tutoring Leads to Exceptional Results
There's no limit of pace when you learn from a Jedi master expert tutor. In a blog post called “There’s No Speed...
Are APs More Important Now that SAT Subject Tests are Gone?
TLDR: yes, they are. On January 19, the College Board announced that it was discontinuing the SAT subject tests. It...
Standardized Tests
Not Happy with your SAT Score?
March 10th -- it came and went. Maybe you took a prep class with your friends, maybe your mom...
Case Study 5: The “Bad Test-Taker”
Executive Summary: Anthony was a middle of the road Park student starting at an 1120 on his...
Case Study 1: Unearthing Latent Obstacles To A Student’s Test Prep Success
Miles’ IQ was in the 99th percentile while his processing speed was below the 20th percentile. We wouldn’t find that out until we conducted a full battery of educational testing. It took a lot of work to get us there. The parents were resistant. “Isn’t extra time cheating? There’s nothing wrong with my kid!” Unfortunately, in the traditional classroom setting, a high IQ can mask certain learning differences. When a child is earning good grades and keeping up with the material, parents and teachers don’t always recognize red flags.
Colleges & Universities
Making Good Learning
The Best Lecture - The difference between sitting in a lecture and actively interacting with...
Moving Up a Level in the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive disruptive impact on students in the U.S. As might be...
What is the Ideal College Admissions Process?
The college admissions process is in a state of flux. Popularly held values have shifted. This has...
Case Studies
Case Study 3: The Prep Plateau
Executive Summary: Teresa was a popular girl at Franklin High with a starting score of 21. She...
Case Study 2: Bright Students Need Tutoring Too
Executive Summary: Tim was a bright Mcdonogh student with a high starting score -- 1420 walking in...
Case Study 1: Unearthing Latent Obstacles To A Student’s Test Prep Success
Miles’ IQ was in the 99th percentile while his processing speed was below the 20th percentile. We wouldn’t find that out until we conducted a full battery of educational testing. It took a lot of work to get us there. The parents were resistant. “Isn’t extra time cheating? There’s nothing wrong with my kid!” Unfortunately, in the traditional classroom setting, a high IQ can mask certain learning differences. When a child is earning good grades and keeping up with the material, parents and teachers don’t always recognize red flags.