I just got off the phone with an overwhelmed parent. As I'm writing this, it's August 24. She signed up her son to take the ACT on September 11. She was calling back to cancel his lesson. He was so busy with other school work that he wouldn't be able to see me until the weekend. And he had just started with tutoring! You can probably see what a mistake that is. It's always easier to see … [Read more...]
SAT Advice from a First Grade Teacher
I read something today by a 1st Grade teacher that was so powerful and so moving that I have to share it with you: When I have a student standing in the middle of the room arms crossed with his eyes welling up with tears because we are about to do a simple writing activity but all of his previous experience of reading and writing has been full of frustration, disappointment and pain, then all the … [Read more...]
More Controversy About SAT Score Improvement
Can you really improve your SAT score by a large amount? It's a controversial question. The answer is yes, but let me state the other side first. It seems that last year’s controversy about SAT Score Improvement has reared it’s head again. A widely distributed AP story once again insinuates that it’s not really possible for a student to significantly raise his SAT score. It quotes … [Read more...]
College Admission Decisions: Acceptance Or Rejection, Putting It All In Perspective
It’s finally arrived. Decision day. You did all your hard work long ago, or so it seems. Taking the SAT, all of that tutoring, even your tutor's name, probably seems like ancient history. It’s now been months since you sent in your college applications, months of nervous anticipation. Some of you know already where you’ve been accepted. And rejected. Many colleges let you know … [Read more...]
President Obama’s Back to School Speech
Did you catch President Obama’s speech to students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, VA? If you get a chance, watch the video or read the transcript. Love him or loathe him, you can’t deny that President Obama is an excellent speaker and motivator, and his speech writers equally skilled. He basically said that students have to take personal responsibility for their education, set … [Read more...]