SAT ACT Test Prep

I’m reading a great book The Time Paradox: The New Psychology of Time That Will Change Your Life. There are numerous subtleties and nuances that make the following just a blunt force statement but nonetheless: Most high school students are present oriented hedonists (enjoying themselves in the present) but those that are most successful balance that natural […]

Old Saybrook, Saturdays, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon Class 1: September 8 Class 2:  September 15 Class 3:  September 22 Class 4:  September 29 Class 5:  October 6Note: for seniors taking the Oct. 6 SAT, the alternate class date is Wednesday Oct. 3, 6 pm in Old Saybrook Madison, Sundays, 10:00 – 1:00 pm Class 1:  […]

School has just started for most Connecticut high school students.  For juniors, this is the most pivotal year of their entire K-12 process. Many will focus on building their GPAs.  Many will focus on deepening their involvement in activities.  Many will start the college selection process and many will start preparing for the SATs. The […]

“Could you please talk?” The silence of a dozen teenagers staring at their phones before class starts and/or during break has become alarming to me. I tell the class: “there is a remarkable interactive application sitting right next to you.”  The kids laugh and sometimes it breaks the ice so that they can start talking […]

For most high school juniors in Connecticut, the PSAT is October 10. Since summer just ended, October may seem far away.  But you might look at your now September calendar and realize that it is right around the corner.   The P in PSAT relates to Practice and, for many parents, this word lowers the necessity […]

Connecticut high school juniors just started school.  If you are a parent of one, you will likely deal with their lethargy from having to go from not studying to studying a great deal, particularly if they are juniors. So, to hear that the PSAT is in early October and that it will be one of […]

I used to be highly self-conscious about the obviously self-serving advice to prepare vigorously for the SAT.  I would also worry about blow-back from those criticizing the test.  Now, at the risk of not being liked as much as my people pleasing nature would prefer, I realize that my worries are not serving my clients. […]

As I work with dozens of students on their college essays, I note that many lament their uninteresting lives.  I emphasize that they are very fortunate they did not grow up in areas where overcoming crime, poverty, and bad schools were part of their struggle.  They were fortunate to be born in Connecticut’s lush suburbs […]

“Do you plan on becoming a concert violinist in the next few weeks?” “Will you raise your cumulative GPA?” “Can you start a charity?” I half-kiddingly ask these questions to during college counseling meetings with seniors who urgently inquire about what they can do to increase their college admissions chances. They usually get the point: […]

Early action-early decision programs can lead to wonderful senior years for those admitted. Each year, as parents and students call with news about their Early Action-Early Decision acceptances, deferrals, and rejections, it has become abundantly clear that the single distinguishing factor among those who were accepted into competitive colleges is SAT (or ACT) test scores. […]