I am an idealist by nature but a pragmatist in the way that I go about ensuring the ideals of my clients become reality.  For that reason, my response to criticism of the SATs or anything else that doesn’t suit idealists has always been “it is what it is” and then I explain that “if […]

College counseling has become an increasing part of our work at The Learning Consultants.  We have several excellent counselors based along the Shoreline of CT and into Fairfield County.  And a bigger part of my specific work has been career counseling in the context of college counseling. Since my own career change is part of […]

Our Shoreline, CT students are – like many teens but perhaps more so due to the small town nature of our communities – quite sheltered.  We live in an idyllic community.  Very safe, secure, and beautiful.  I say this as an outsider – having lived elsewhere for the first 32 years of my life and […]

College counseling has become an increasing part of our work.   It used to be easier.  When parents of college bound high school students applied, many would apply to around 6 colleges.  There was some thought that 2 would be safeties, two range, and two reach. UCONN for many in Connecticut was a safety or a […]

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-8uhMBl6vI Three key facts (1) We live in a knowledge economy (2) There are millions of job seekers (3) Employers need to make quick decisions about who to interview Given this combination, the main filter for screening potential employees: college

All Connecticut public school students have to take the SAT as part of graduation requirements.  The SAT will be important for many students to (1) gain admission to colleges of their choice (2) pay for their college and (3) their self-esteem. I sometimes present my SAT students the following hypothetical:  have run a marathon in […]

I always ask our students at the start of our SAT class: how well does Connecticut do nationally in relation to education.  And then I ask, “is the SAT a Connecticut test or a national test?” The answers to those two questions should make Connecticut students delighted that we have the SAT. US News & […]

“Kayla has anxiety issues.” A mother from Guilford, CT said in hushed tones.  “Her anxiety is off the charts when she takes these big tests, like the SATs.” As is the case when parents tell me that their children have been diagnosed with learning disabilities, many don’t realize just how many students are in the […]

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Theresa Anzaldua.  She is a journalist for Seasons magazine and a writer of the highly praised book We Had A Job To Do, a book about World War II veterans. I mentioned that one of my mini-lectures that I give to students in our Old Saybrook […]