Interview With Princeton University Freshman

Ana, Princeton University ‘13

How did you prepare for the SAT or ACT?
I prepared for both the SAT and ACT by doing practice out of prep books, usually more than one. Sometimes previous tests may also be distributed if you are scheduled to take the test, and this is the practice test I take closest to the test date.

What specific study materials (books, courses, tutor name) would you recommend to a high schooler who is looking to prepare?
I never took a preparation course or had a tutor, so I would just recommend prep books to high schoolers. For both the SAT and ACT, Kaplan and Barron’s are good resources and books for practice tests.

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Summertime and the Learning is Easy

Now that the lazy, hazy days of summer are upon us, it does not mean that the learning has to stop.  Studies have shown that students given a 2-3 month break for the summer lose a great deal of the gains they made in class the prior school year.

Researchers have found that summer learning loss equals at least one month of instruction, as measured by grade level equivalents on standardized test scores.  On average, children’s tests scores were at least one month lower when they returned to school in the fall than scores were when students left in the spring.  Summer knowledge loss was more pronounced for math facts and spelling than for other tested skill areas. Read the rest of this entry »

One Of The Best Stories Ever - An MIT Essay

From the MIT Admissions Office…

Cristen, MIT ‘10

Living in the graffiti-adorned projects of the Lower East Side, I’ve adjusted well to low-income living. Stuyvesant High School’s done a first-rate job on making me feel like an outcast for it.

“You can get a fee waiver once you give us a copy of your parent’s 1040 tax forms,” Ms. Cleary automatically explained.

“My parents don’t have tax forms,” I said pointedly. “They don’t fill them out.”

“Of course they file tax forms,” she shot back. “Everyone does.” After a few more minutes of fruitless discussion, I left the College Office, unsuccessful. I would pay for SAT II exams, again.

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Managing Your Math Studies

The following comes from Robert Ahdoot, a full-time math teacher and founder of yaymath.org.

When a student endearingly gripes, “Mr. Ahdoot, but I HATE factoring…” I use the moment as an opportunity to reshift her thinking. I reply, “Don’t hate the factoring, hate that you don’t know it.” To succeed in SAT Math (and any math for that matter), students need a sense that the material is approachable, manageable, and conquerable. This not only gives them the know-how but also builds their confidence, which can help them tackle other challenges they may face in college or beyond.
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Interview w/ An MIT Student

Dustin, MIT ‘12

You had mentioned that you had used a private tutor.  Who did you use?  What city/state were the lessons?
Her name is Suzanne Deutch, in Boca Raton, FL.

What is your opinion of your tutor? Please elaborate on his strengths and weaknesses, if any.
I would highly recommend her.  Strengths: she knew every nuance of the test, and had tried-and-true strategies for scoring well.  Weaknesses: N/A

What were the most helpful things that you took away from your lessons?
The most helpful thing was learning how the test worked. There is a specific process for answering the critical reading questions, and she taught me that process well. Going into tutoring, my average reading score was 600. Afterwards, I scored an 800 on the actual SAT.

Do you mind laying out the method you learned for solving critical reading questions?

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Stanford Short, Open-Ended Essay

Kate, Stanford ‘12

Stanford students are widely known to possess a sense of intellectual vitality. Tell us about an idea or an experience you have had that you find intellectually engaging.

Dr. G, a gay, black, ex-cross-dressing family friend recently went through a midlife crisis and got his PhD in neurobiology. For the past year we have been discussing the brain and I am in awe over all the little bits of information he relays to me about his work. Dr. G’s areas of research are the relationship between the chemical balances in the brain and functional disorders, such as obesity, fibromyalgia, and the effects of physical and emotional abuse on brain chemistry. One of the most interesting conversations I have had with him was about television and how your brain reacts in either a negative or a positive way. Although he had no conclusive answers for me, simply discussing different theories of whether or not e brain do change, or areas of the brain do become less functional is fascinating. Apart from his expertise, I am particularly interested in how the brain functions or creates the imagination or a dream: the ability of the brain to construct images or thoughts within the subconscious. I am so curious as to how this could ultimately influence what you dream about or why you dream. We take for granted the fact that we can formulate thoughts and images in our ‘mind’s eye’ without really divulging into the physiology behind it.  I find it so interesting to sit and…think about why all this could happen and there are so many different possibilities; perhaps as a way of coping or solving life problems, or avoiding them, or dreaming could be an excuse to fantasize. Although Dr. G never has any conclusive answers or evidence for me, considering his focus requires brain mapping rather than sleep studies, it doesn’t change the fact that I love to just sit and listen to anything he can tell me about his research or the people in his lab.

(Deep) Personal Statement From Brown University Student

Jacob, Brown ‘12

Emotions can make life very complex and hard to understand. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the nature and purpose of emotions.  Emotions have so much power that they can cause murder, everlasting friendship, depression, and lifetime satisfaction. Throughout my daily activities, I have begun to realize both the importance of emotion and the ways in which emotion can be harmful. Two important parts of my life that have helped me develop my understanding of emotions are physics and music.

Any physicist or scientist in any other field wants the purest, clearest vision they can possibly have of the events they are studying.  They try to see the events for what they are not how they wish to see them.  Good scientists would never compromise their results for their emotions.  As I study physics, I try to see everything in a clear, simple way. Read the rest of this entry »

The School Year in Review: Lessons Learned

Courtesy of our friends at Boston Tutoring Center…

As the school year draws to a close, I have been reflecting on some lessons that ring true time and time again in our work with parents and students.

• Time is on your side, but only up to a certain point. When students are preparing for a high stakes test such as SATs or the ISEE, the more preparation they have in advance the better.  Waiting until a few weeks before the test is nothing more than cramming, and usually does not produce good results.  Waiting until the last minute only leads to stress and anxiety, and it does not have to be this way.  Summer is a great time to prepare for tests given in the fall and early winter.

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MIT Interview — Donald, Class of 2012

We’ll be interviewing students to get their insight on test-prep and applying to schools.  Our first is with Donald from MIT.  He was already a good test-taker to begin with, scoring 214 out of 240 (about 2140) on his PSAT before raising it to  2340.  So realize that what follows below is his opinion based on his experiences and abilities and may not be applicable to all individuals.

* * *

Donald, MIT ‘12

How did you prepare for the SAT?
I took a classroom course called 24hundred near my house (Virginia Beach, VA).  We met once a week for 6 or 8 weeks.  I think it cost $275 for the “Dream Team” class I was in.  There was a teacher who taught the Math and then another who did the Reading and Writing…  We used the College Board book (“The Official SAT Study Guide”).

So you would recommend this class?
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