SAT ACT Test Prep

At the beach, at parties, at any gathering of adults who have college-bound children in the latter stages of high school, the topic of paying for college is discussed.  This was not always the case.  When I started providing test prep and college counseling advice in the 2000s,  the biggest focus among Shoreline, CT parents […]

I try not to give generic advice.  Every child is different.  But “when to begin test prep” is one of the most common questions I receive.  Here’s the analysis for most: The Gap The issue of when to prep (and how much to prep) revolves around the “gap” between the student’s goals and the student’s present […]

I know with certainty both from my years as an educational advisor and now as a Dad that strong SAT (and ACT) scores will help pay for college.  My worries about appearing self-interested have always haunted me in building a company that was sparked by idealism.  But now the evidence is clear: doing well on […]

“UConn will be her back-up” so said a well-educated mom from Guilford, CT.  The mom attended Miss Porter’s 30 years ago.  Going to the University of Connecticut or other Connecticut state schools was “unthinkable” in her words.  The mom was not as snobby as she sounded.  We were in a private conversation.  She was speaking […]

Aleutians from Alaska (more commonly referred to as Eskimos) do not need to do as well on the SATs as do white students from Connecticut.   Coming from an impoverished area will also be advantageous compared to a wealthy one also gives an admissions advantage. That was a fact prior to the SAT’s recent addition of […]

Many parents do not realize that all Connecticut students attending public high schools will take the SAT as part of their graduation requirements. In the Shoreline area, Branford, Guilford, Madison, Old Saybrook, Valley Regional, Old Lyme, East Lyme, Waterford among other schools, will be administering the SAT in either late March or early April 2020. […]

Parents, in an effort to bolster their student-child after a poor standardized test performance, are usually the first persons to say: “don’t feel bad, you are just not good at tests.” Many often add – a well meaning but completely unrealistic comment – “don’t worry, it doesn’t matter that much.” The latter part is not […]

I have three friendly acquaintances from college who all relayed to me how their SAT scores ended up changing their lives dramatically. Larry was from Iowa.   His graduating class was 42 high schools.  About half went to Iowa state schools and the other half went to work after high school.   Larry had ambitions, even as […]

Generation Z – if that’s what this generation is called – has been coddled more than any other or so we are told.  True or not true (and I think it is more true than not!), I do have an enormous amount of anecdotal evidence regarding well-meaning parents who are distorting reality for their children. […]

We are often asked: when is the best time to prep for the SAT? The real answer must be customized.  Students have different aspirations.  Nonetheless, for those who want the generic “optimal” answer, the summer before junior year is best. When you should start learning something that is highly important to your future?  Now.  The […]