ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT: Independent School Testing
Do Private Schools Have Entrance Exams? Just like colleges, top private schools have entrance exam requirements: the ISEE, the SSAT, or the HSPT. Every summer, families around the country begin the private high school application process. Families must decide between parochial schools or secular independent schools, boarding schools or day schools, or a combination of […]
Is College Still Valuable?
Over the last few years, more and more pundits have asked the question: is college still valuable? Interestingly, many of these pundits have looked to the titans of technology such as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook or Bill Gates of Microsoft as examples of successful business executives who did not graduate from college. What these questioners forget […]
Keys to a Successful Freshman Year of College
Students who have successfully navigated the regimented world of high school education can find themselves confused by the flexible schedule and self-directed nature of college life. For four years of high school and thirteen years of primary education in total, students follow a rigid schedule of classes, lunch periods organized with almost military precision, and strictly […]
Junior Year Stress
It’s long been accepted conventional wisdom that students’ junior year of high school is the most stressful. Many adults can recount their own tales of junior year stress: maintaining their grade point average, preparing for college-entrance exams and thinking about college, perhaps participating in a sport or working a part-time job. And while high school […]
How to Navigate the May SAT Date
While the March SAT date is the most popular among students, with some reports claiming that as much as fifty percent of all high school juniors who take the SAT do so in March each year, another popular test date is the May SAT date. Many students take the SAT for the first time in […]
Guessing Strategies for the SAT & ACT
With so many changes in the standardized test landscape over the last three years, many students, parents, and educators are confused about many of the topics and concepts surrounding the college admissions tests: SAT and ACT. One area of confusion relates to scoring and guessing. Students, parents, and even educators are not sure if it […]
Transitioning from Elementary School to Middle School
Life is full of milestones, and one of the most overlooked and least understood is the transition from elementary school to middle school. Elementary school, normally Kindergarten or first grade through fourth, fifth, or sixth grade, is for many young students a safe environment for learning both the basics of academics and social cues necessarily […]
The Differences Between SAT and ACT Math
One of the potentially most stressful decisions parents and students have to make during the college counseling process is the choice between the SAT and the ACT. While students can begin their junior year by taking the PSAT and possibly the preACT, many schools only offer one of the official practice tests. Students can take […]