How much would you estimate schools spend to lobby or market to improve their rankings?

The ranking system is sort of lobby-proof. Talking to US News isn’t going to improve your ranking because they are based on quantitative numbers, a formula, but certainly schools send out brochures, try to raise their profile among other presidents and deans because of the academic survey. I think it‚ it’s more subtle how they are spending money to improve in the rankings. With Washington University or UNC, they may be spending money to improve student services so they get a higher graduation rate. The way to improve in the rankings is through the institution itself, not by lobbying US News, which is actually a good thing because students benefit from that.

How has your formula changed over the last ten to fifteen years?

At the beginning they were 100% reputation, and today they are 25% reputation and 75% quantitative data, so that is certainly one change. We’ve de-emphasized admissions data to some degree. We’ve switched the weight to output like graduation and retention rates. We’ve also dropped the yield rate from the admissions data.

Which colleges, in your opinion, will be making a jump in the rankings?

University of Rochester has been falling recently. For the next few years, the rankings are going to be impacted by the recession. States have been cutting the budgets of the some of the major public schools. It’ll be interesting to see whether the UCal schools can maintain their position. It’s unclear whether the tuition increase is going to be enough to cover the budget cuts. They may start taking more out-of-state students. The UCals take almost no out-of-state students, so there is talk that they are going to take a greater percent of out-of-state students because their tuition is so much higher. It’s going to be harder for in-state students to get into the public universities from their own state as those schools accept or enroll a greater proportion from out of state as a revenue enhancer.

If the UC schools drop in the rankings, who comes up?

Some of the privates who have been managed [constructively] may be able to maintain their budgets. Some of the private college endowments have really fallen. The way these rules work, you have to average your endowment spending over x number of years, so that will have an impact on their budgets. There are rules: you have to spend 4 or 5% of your endowment each year, so if your endowment is shrinking, that’s why schools like Harvard have to cut back. The point is, it’s hard to know how all these cutbacks and trends are going to impact the rankings because it’s happening in both public colleges and private colleges in different ways.

I know that schools have tried to emphasize their alumni giving. That’s how schools game the rankings, by boosting their alumni giving rate. We’re not counting the average contribution; we’re counting the average portion of alumni that are giving…but it’s not a heavily weighted factor.

How do you see the ranking system changing over the next few years?

Using the web, we can create a use-your-own-ranking. Students can develop their own ranking, so if they think the student-faculty ratio is more important than U.S. News does, they can weight our factors using their own weights to come up with where they stand. We’re going to build more interactive features on our website, trying to take advantage of what the internet offers to students.

I think maybe within a few years there will be more outcome measures, more ways of viewing the student experience: student engagement or student learning. That’s what is missing from the rankings: some indicator of what’s going on in the classroom, or how much students have learned.

Do you think that U.S. News would benefit from factoring in what students do after graduation?

Definitely. But [right now] it’s only spotty data. We measure what happens after graduation in our MBA rankings and our law rankings because we have placement data, career outcomes for the most recent class, but there’s nothing like that available at the undergraduate level. Yes, if there were data like that, it would be pretty powerful.

Have any notable schools called or emailed to contest their rankings?

Schools call and contest their rankings all the time. The schools don’t really lobby us…rather schools call about their rankings. A couple years ago we had something about UC Davis saying that they had misreported some data, and they called up all upset about it. What you find, the very top schools like the Harvard, Yale, and Princeton’s….they will try to stay above the fray. They don’t send out press releases and they’re not going to be in contact with us on the rankings.

A lot of it is, Why [do] they rank the way they do, or, Explain how the rankings work, or,where’d you get that data – because in some cases if they’ve assigned filling out the surveys to some other office, then when the rankings come out, a senior person in the president’s office says, Well that can’t be right. Of course we can prove that we got it from the school. Sometimes you can call up two or three offices at the same school and get slightly different answers to the same questions. So we face that when we collect data from schools.

This concludes Top Test Prep’s in-depth interview with Bob Morse of U.S. News & World Report. Stay tuned for some more great interviews with college admissions experts.

Ross Blankenship is an education and admissions expert who helps students and media organizations better understand the college rankings and US News and World Report. To contact Ross, call (800) 501-Prep to speak to his admissions expert team.

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Have you seen any questionable practices put in place just so a college can increase its ranking?

There was an event in the summer that came to light, even though I think it was debunked: that the president of Clemson  – they were not voting honestly on the peer assessment survey … but we have safeguards to prevent strategic voting.

Some schools have put in ways to boost their application count. They may have a one or two or three part application, and reject a student on the second part. They may not have had any intent to seriously consider the student.

When they report their data, some schools leave out minorities or certain types of students … they’ll have left out special cases who are beneath their SAT or ACT profile, so they may look like their scores are higher than they are. It’s unclear why they actually do that, because they may be inhibiting people from applying. I haven’t seen any specific names.

How does a college break into the top rankings?

It’s very difficult. It’s relatively easy, if you‚ are right beneath the top half, to break into the top half, or to move up somewhat if you’re in the middle of the pack. If you’re in the middle of the pack, it’s easy to move up somewhat, and college presidents have a reputation doing that, like Clemson or Northeastern. There are many schools like Arizona State, University of Arkansas, to name some who haven’t been that highly ranked, but because their profile isn’t that high, they’ve moved up into the bottom of the top half.

It’s very crowded at the top. It’s really hard to change your academic profile-  become another Harvard, Yale, or Princeton – for a number of reasons. It’s not impossible, but it’s difficult. It’s probably easier now in some ways than it used to be, because schools are becoming more international. There is a much bigger population in the US or the world, so the top 1 or 2% of SAT scores is bigger. Places like Stanford don’t have enough spaces for the top 1 or 2% of students. You can tell by their rejection rates. They’re rejecting people with a 1600, they’re rejecting valedictorians, they’re rejecting – the saddest part of the whole process is high school students who have played by all the rules – they’ve created the perfect application packet, and they can get rejected, whereas 20 years ago the odds of you getting into those top schools was greater. There’s a pool of these students who have to go somewhere. That’s why Duke and MIT and Washington University in St. Louis and USC – their academic profile is much higher than it used to be-  their admission profile. In some cases they’ve used scholarships, but in other cases there are just more people out there.

What are some of the major trends you’ve noticed in the rankings?

When we first started doing the rankings, they were ignored in some ways by college presidents. Now it’s become an acceptable thing among some college presidents to have as a goal: improving in the college rankings. This is at places such as Northeastern and Arizona State and Clemson, so the acceptance of the rankings as an academic benchmark, that’s certainly been one trend.

Another trend along the same lines is that many schools brand themselves by how well they do in our rankings or other rankings. When the rankings first came out, they wouldn’t consider doing that. It’s not that we were asking them to do it, but that speaks to the school’s needs of having an external force telling the public they’re good.

Another trend: the schools have gotten way more sophisticated in understanding the rankings and how they work. I think the public has benefited because there didn’t used to be a lot of higher education data out there. [With] the amount of higher ed data that exists, schools have gotten much better at producing information on themselves, so they’ve responded to the consumer’s need for comparative higher educational data.

Have some schools rebelled against the rankings?

Reed, Oregon, St. John’s in Annapolis and its cousin schools-  those are some of the … biggest rebels (against the college rankings). They refuse to turn over their statistical data, or they refuse to fill out certain parts of the survey, so they’re taking this supposedly principled stance. They think that being against the establishment is going to be appealing to their particular applicant pool. I think that’s the main reason they do it.

It’s fine if they don’t want to do that, but what the schools have to realize is that there’s so much public, available data. They have to turn in essentially the same data to the government, so we’re able to get the same information from other sources. There’s been a movement among certain liberal arts colleges to not participate in the peer surveys. Amherst, Swarthmore, Reed, Oberlin. Lloyd Thacker has a movement called “college unranked.”

How should students use the rankings?

Nobody, a student or a parent, should ever use the rankings as the sole basis for deciding to go to one school. It should not be the most important factor.

The UCLA freshman survey asks freshmen to choose what factors have been very important in choosing to go to [their] school. The rankings themselves are not a top factor, but certainly they’re more important among minority groups or international students. For people who are going to more selective schools, the rankings are more important. I understand why: if you’re coming from overseas, you want to go to a brand name, because that’s going to be important when you come back to the country. To some parents, when you’re paying, as the price of college has gone up, people want to know if they’re getting their money’s worth, trying to analyze the best value, so that’s another factor in why the rankings have become a more powerful source.

I think it’s a minority who uses the rankings as a primary factor, but some do. Admissions counselors or high school counselors have told stories about parents who come in and are effectively saying – I only want my Johnny or Jane to go to a school above this above this college ranking…

More to come …

Ross Blankenship is an education and admissions expert who specializes in prep school, college and graduate admissions.  Ross Blankenship is an expert on the US News and World Report College Rankings. To read more about Ross Blankenship, go to: Admissions Experts or call (800) 501-Prep.

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Meet the man behind the single most influential list in college admissions. Bob Morse is the Director of Data Research at U.S. News & World Report, the head of its revered college ranking system. As the force behind a series of annual publications that have achieved unanticipated fame within higher education, Bob Morse has helped to create the college ranking system as it exists today. He was nice enough to sit down with Top Test Prep and answer some questions.

Start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

I’ve been at U.S. News since 1976. I have a BA in economics and an MBA in finance, so I have a research and quantitative background. Doing the rankings is a research and quantitative analysis project. It’s not journalism in the sense that even though I do have a blog, the rankings themselves aren’t reporting … they’re creating information, while typical journalism is reporting on an event or analyzing an event or giving context to something that’s happened.

You have a blog?

I write the blog once or twice a week called Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings. Prior to the blog, U.S. News wouldn’t really write about rankings except at the time that we published the college and grad rankings, so the blog gives us the ability to make announcements.

How did you get connected to U.S. News & World Report?

I worked on Wall Street briefly, at a company called E.F. Hutton. A lot of them don’t exist anymore as they merged away but I used to work there in the mid-70′s. I was at U.S. News, but in another department. It doesn’t exist anymore; it was a research department called the economic unit.

U.S. News was moving from doing the rankings just based on reputation only in the very beginning, before I was involved, they were done very simplistically, in ‚1983 and, 1985. They wanted to make them more sophisticated.

How did the rankings come about?

At the beginning … we didn’t have the thick guidebook and we didn’t have the web, so it was just something that appeared in the weekly magazine in a very limited sense, sort of a top ten list. It was not some guerrilla force in admissions or higher ed, it was just information for consumers and our readers. Nobody thought that it was going to evolve into anything but an occasional feature or cover story. In 1987, I was put in charge (of college rankings). We were going to make it more sophisticated, a combination of reputation and quantitative data, and we were going to start doing this annual guidebook. I got involved in it because they wanted someone with a quantitative research background.

How do you assess a school’s reputation?

It’s become one of the more controversial parts of the rankings; controversial among people in the higher education establishment. The rankings themselves aren’t controversial to the public. The public, obviously, uses them and is attracted to them to a significant degree or otherwise we wouldn’t keep doing them.

We give college presidents and admissions deans and provosts a list of schools and we ask them to rate which ones are excellent and good, so it’s a subjective judgment about the relative standing of schools based on their academic reputations. The academic establishment doesn’t like that – or some of them don’t. Maybe liberal arts schools don’t. I think research universities do.

What’s most interesting to you about the college rankings?

A couple things. One, how it’s become this force in higher education. Some colleges are trying publicly to do better in the rankings and make educational decisions to improve in the rankings. I think that’s pretty interesting.

I think that we’ve filled an informational gap. There’s been a decrease in high school counseling- not at private schools, but at public schools;  high school counseling has been diminished by budget cuts, and the public is really searching for tools to help them decide what’s the best school for them. So they’re forced to make decisions on their own and fend for themselves. It’s been satisfying that we’ve been able to fill this informational void. People are becoming more quantitative in judging the best schools.

Another interesting thing is that we’ve been part of this accountability movement. Schools are being held accountable for how they spend money, and whether they’re succeeding in educating students: how well are they doing at what they’re supposed to be doing. So it’s been interesting to be part of all these trends.

Which colleges have seen their university rankings improve the most over the last two or three years?

The rankings are more stable than people think. Typically over a two- or three-year period, the rankings don’t move that much, but I think two schools … University of Southern California and Washington University in St. Louis … have over the last decade or so made a strategic decision-  they have a strategy to improve themselves, and their strategy is across-the-board improvement, step-by-step. They take small steps each year institution-wide, and that’s the formula to improve in the rankings.

What kind of steps are college taking to shape their ranking (small or large)?

They’re not small in the sense that they’re little things. They just do them a little bit each year. For example, [a college] would raise the SAT average, so maybe one year it was 1200, the next year it was 1225, the next year it was 1250 ‚ but they wouldn’t go from 1100 to 1300 (SAT) in one year; they would do it over a ten-year period. Or they would increase the freshman retention rate. They’d put money into increasing freshman retention. The graduation rate would be another one, or faculty salaries. They might put more emphasis on small classes and reduce the number of large classes. They’ll do this a little bit each year, focusing on many factors of the academic environment.

To be continued …

Ross Blankenship is an education and admissions expert who specializes in prep school, college and graduate admissions.  He’s also an expert on the US News and World Report College Rankings. To read more about Ross Blankenship, go to: Admissions Experts.

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Early Decision (Admissions) Results  -  Great news!  Several admissions offices have made their early decision application “decisions” this past week and will be mailing the application results this coming week.

If you haven’t heard back yet from your top college, no worries.  Let us know what you hear, twitter @toptestprep.

Our college admissions counseling and college counseling can help you get into these schools, no matter what the result this week. Call Top Test Prep at 800-501-PREP.

Below you will see when some colleges traditionally release their early decision application results and decisions.

Boston University – December 15th;
Bowdoin College – Mid-December;
Brown University – December 14th, 5pm EST online;
Caltech – Emailed on 12th of December by noon PST
Carnegie Mellon – Mailed as early as December 12th
Columbia ED – Online December 10, 5PM EST
Cornell University – Dec. 10, 5pm
Dartmouth College – December 8th 4PM EST
Dickinson College – ED – December 15th
Duke University – December 10th 6pm
Fordham University EA – December 25th
Georgetown University – December 15th
George Washington University – December 9 @ 6:00 pm online
Haverford College – December 15th
Johns Hopkins University – December 15th, 6 PM EST email, letters sent out same day.
Lehigh University – Letters out by 15th.
MIT – Dec 16th, 9pm
Northwestern ED – December 15th (2008)
Purdue University EA – begin December 11th, decisions posted daily.
Stanford University – December 15 3 pm PST
University of Chicago – December 13 (2008)
University of Michigan-by December 24
University of Notre Dame– Dec 15th by mail
University of Pennsylvania – December 11, 3:00 PM
Washington University in St. Louis- December 11th and 12th. Posted online.
Wellesley College ED – December 11th, 5 PM online
Williams College ED – mailed by December 15th (2008)
Yale University – December 15th @5 PM online

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Best of luck to everyone!

-Ross Blankenship

Education Expert

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Here’s some good advice on how to write the best scholarship essay…

We’ve told you to take your scholarship essays seriously. So where and how do you begin? Here are some helpful questions to get you started:

What attributes do you wish to convey?

- In order to answer this question, you should at the very least read a description of the award. Is the award intended to honor a certain person, and how is he or she described? This will give you an idea of the criteria on which your character will be judged.

- What are the main interests or goals of the organization offering the scholarship? How might you be expected to help achieve these goals? Present yourself as someone compatible with the organization’s mission.

- Create a list of attributes you wish to emphasize in your scholarship essay. Remember: in addition to self-confidence, humility is a very attractive trait!

- If you have questions regarding the scholarship, you can always call the organization. Committees want to help students create strong applications.

Do you need to do some research, or is the question more personal?

- Outside research can enrich your writing and strengthen its impact. You may be required to do research in order to answer the question – if, for example, you need to evaluate a policy and take a stance for or against it. If the question is personal, outside research may still be helpful for placing your circumstances in context. Maybe you want to explain just how crucial the lab research you’re conducting is to our understanding of the habits of howler monkeys.

Do you come across as human?

- If so, good! It’s alright – even beneficial – to reveal shortcomings, as long as you have some insight into them and can demonstrate that you’ll give a challenge everything you’ve got. Have a friend read your essay, and see what kind of picture of you it paints.

- Use specific details and examples to convey desired attributes. Don’t just say you work hard. Describe the steps you take to succeed, and how you manage to balance work with other demands.

• Examine your examples. How can you make them even more specific, and therefore more compelling? Remember that your readers have never met you or anyone in your life (probably). In order for your character to stand out, people need specifics, just as they do when reading a novel or a biography.

Lastly, get feedback.

Top Test Prep offers admissions counseling that can help you hone your scholarship essays and grab an organization’s attention.

This article is on how to write scholarship essays. For more information on scholarship essays for applications, go to TopTestPrep.com.

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Top Test Prep is proud to offer private tutoring in Washington DC, including tutoring for Georgetown, GWU, Catholic, Howard and American University students, as well as the broader Washington DC community.

Top Test Prep Location:

3615 Wisconsin Ave, NW

Washington DC 20016

(800) 501-Prep

As many of our readers know, we have been expanding rapidly. The parents and students with whom we work have been referring more tutoring and admissions consulting to Top Test Prep.  It is a pleasure to continue working with students as they prepare for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT, GRE and many more!

Our private tutoring and test prep continues to be the best, as we only accept private tutors who are in the Top 1% for all exam.  In addition, our private tutors are provided with highly customized exam materials and test prep schedules.  If you need help preparing for your exams, give us a call today at (800) 501-Prep.

Best regards to you and happy holidays!

Ross Blankenship

Chairman and Education Expert

Top Test Prep

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Some tips on getting scholarship money to fund your education…

1. Start researching now.

Don’t assume you’re ineligible for a scholarship without thoroughly researching what’s out there. Use the internet, see where your friends are applying, buy a scholarship guide at a bookstore, and ask your college counselor for suggestions. There are scholarships for everything, from tall brunette women to musical prodigies. Through diligent searching, you’ll discover you’re a candidate for more than a few.

2. Increase your chances.

If you start researching scholarships early, you may still have time in your educational career to become a good candidate. A scholarship might require that you’ve completed a certain project or spent time on an extracurricular interest by the application deadline. If you know in advance which scholarships interest you, you can work these things into your free time or your classes.

Another way to increase your odds of receiving scholarship money is to apply for scholarships with specific candidate criteria, scholarships for which fewer people will be applying.

3. Consider schools that offer academic scholarships to attract students like you.

Review the schools’ websites to see what kinds of recruitment scholarships they offer. Schools will invest in high-caliber students in order to boost their rankings. Additionally, schools may use scholarship money to attract students from different geographical areas, students who can contribute to the school’s ethnic and cultural diversity, and students who are involved in less popular areas of study. Check to see whether these schools require supplemental materials or separate applications from students interested in scholarship money.

4. Take applications seriously.

Be sure to do everything a scholarship application asks of you. Approach your potential patrons with humility: they’re considering giving you money, after all. The application itself – and how well you’ve managed to follow the directions – will influence your eligibility.

5. Write a killer scholarship essay.

Approach scholarship essays with the same seriousness of purpose (and attendant anxiety) you reserve for admissions essays. Remember that the people bestowing scholarship money are interested in you as an individual. They want to sponsor candidates that they can easily picture profiting in specific ways from the education they’ll be helping to fund.

Top Test Prep offers admissions counseling that can help you manage your search for scholarships and financial aid.

This article is on getting scholarship money for colleges. To get help from college admissions experts, go to TopTestPrep.com.

Ross Blankenship, Chairman of Top Test Prep and education expert on scholarships, college admissions and test prep, wrote this article.  Call (800) 501-Prep to learn more.

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Applying early to a college isn’t a simple decision. Whether your first-choice school offers early action or early decision, you may not want to hear the verdict on your application as early as December. Being denied admission to any school that early in your senior year can be demoralizing.

It’s true that applying early can give you a slight edge on the competition. Schools want to ensure that a certain number of admitted students will be filling their freshman class (and meeting or exceeding their admissions standards). If your first-choice school is well within your reach, it may impress the admissions committee that you are devoted enough to attend when higher-ranking institutions might accept you.

Consider applying early decision if:

1. You have a top-choice school.

2. You have thoroughly researched – and visited! – your top choice to determine whether it is right for you.

3. Financial aid isn’t a factor in whether you would attend.

4. Having any kind of answer early in your senior year would relieve some of the strain on your application process.

5. You would not benefit from having the college see your senior fall grades. (If you were rapidly improving in school, it might help you to wait.)

6. Your SAT scores are within the college’s acceptance range, and you do not plan on retaking the SAT.

If you can honestly answer “yes” to all of these, then applying early decision may be right for you.

Top Test Prep offers admissions counseling to help you manage your application process.

Contact Top Test Prep for help with your college admissions applications, (800) 501-PREP or go to our contact form.

This article is on tips for applying early decision.

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There are two ways to approach writing a college admissions essay: finding a unique subject, or finding a unique angle on a familiar subject. In addition to displaying your writing abilities, a college admissions essay helps round out your character to an admissions committee. It reveals – or is intended to reveal – who you are. Try not to be intimidated when a college gives you the freedom to choose any topic. Once you have a list of possible topics, trust that a unique angle – in other words, your honest perspective – can make almost any subject interesting, even if it’s something the college has heard about many times before.

First, ask yourself if you’ve had any outstanding experiences – a moment in time, a vacation spent volunteering, sports camp, or a semester abroad. “Outstanding” doesn’t have to mean exotic. It can be an experience that meant something to you – whether it made you sad, made you grateful, or challenged you in a particular area. Maybe it was the three months you spent on crutches sporting a giant plastic boot. Or maybe it was the week you helped your parents make all the traditional Thanksgiving foods from scratch.

If your outstanding experience took place over a significant span of time, consider narrowing in on a particular moment that is especially representative. A single moment or anecdote can jump-start your essay, leading into a broader admissions essay theme.

Stories are fascinating. I will always recommend working a narrative element into your college admissions essay, whether it’s starting out with a story, working some background and some analysis into the middle, and finishing the essay with how the story ended.

Ensure that your admissions essay appears polished by 1) giving it a title and 2) making absolutely sure that there are no grammatical errors or misspellings. Enlist an editor you trust to read it over before you submit it.

Top Test Prep offers college admissions counseling, including help with your college admissions essays.

Contact Top Test Prep to get help with your college admissions essays and college admissions counseling by calling (800) 501-7737 or fill out our contact form.

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1. Ask your teachers early.

In the fall of your senior year, your teachers will be flooded with rec requests from your classmates. Get ahead of the rush by asking your teachers in the spring of your junior year. They’ll appreciate having the entire summer to write you a recommendation.

2. Decide which of your teachers – past or present – will represent you in the best light.

Are there certain teachers who have made it clear that they think highly of you? Don’t limit yourself to classes in which you excelled. Someone who taught you in a particularly challenging class and saw your commitment to improvement might write you an even more compelling recommendation than a teacher who saw you begin and end with a solid A. Also consider teachers who have seen you in areas outside the classroom.

3. Only send out a supplementary recommendation if someone other than your teachers can provide unique and meaningful insight into your character.

While sending an extra recommendation from a drama teacher or hockey coach might help round out your character to an admissions committee, do not send an extra recommendation if the college to which you are applying specifically asks you not to do so. And don’t send more than one: it can make you look as if you’re compensating for a less-than-impressive application.

4. Ask your teachers in person.

Don’t send an email, and definitely don’t get your parents involved in requesting recommendations. The request should come from you personally.

5. Don’t expect an automatic “yes.”

Your teacher may have already committed to writing recommendations for others. That, or your teacher knows that he or she wouldn’t write you the best recommendation.

6. Provide your teachers with an outline of the kind of recommendation you are looking for.

Consider your application as a whole and the specific attributes you are trying to emphasize. Ask your teachers to write to these attributes if they can. Provide them with a rough outline of the points you would like them to cover. You are not “ordering” a specific recommendation, but helping your teachers focus on what you most wish to convey to the schools of your choice.

7. Write thank-you notes to the people who took the time to recommend you.

It’s just polite.

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To find out more about our admissions counseling or college admissions counseling, call (800) 501-PREP.

Top Test Prep’s tips for getting the best recommendations will hopefully help you when you apply to college. For more information on college admissions counseling, call (800) 501-7737.

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1. Spot errors by listening for them.

In the error identification section, your goal is to identify grammatical or structural errors in a given sentence. The upside: you don’t need to know how to correct these errors. All you’re required to do is recognize when an underlined portion is wrong, or when there are no errors. Pronounce the sentence in your head and listen for anything that sounds off. If it sounds off, it probably is.

2. Remember that this is a test of written English.

Though tip #1 generally holds true, there are things we can get away with in spoken English that are not appropriate for written English. Some questions will spell out a common mispronunciation Рsuch as “could of” in place of “could have” Рthat might sound right, but isn’t correct in writing.

3. Watch out for “I” versus “me.”

People often confuse the two, or assume that using “I” is always correct. Not so. Here’s a tip for figuring out which one to use: take out the other person or people, and see how you’d write the sentence if “you” were the only person. For example, if the sentence is : “My parents lent Sarah and I their station wagon,” take out “Sarah” and see how you’d rewrite the sentence if you were the only borrower of the station wagon. You will realize that “I” sounds wrong Рthat the correct phrasing should be “Sarah and me.”

4. Check for subject/verb agreement.

Ask yourself whether the subject is singular or plural, and whether the correlating verb is conjugated accordingly.

5. Check for verb tense agreement.

Ask yourself, “When did the event described take place?” in order to check that the verb is in the proper tense. If one event in the past happens before another event in the past, the earlier event will require a past participle such as “had talked” or “had eaten.”

6. Be able to recognize sentences that are too “wordy,” expressing an idea in too many words.

One example of wordiness on the SAT may be an adjective that is unnecessarily modified, such as “completely silent” or “very unique.” The words “completely” and “very” are not needed here: you are either silent or not silent; you are either unique or not unique.

7. Keep in mind that the essay portion of the SAT may be compared to your admissions essay.

Admissions officers may compare the two in order to verify that your style and writing level are similar for both essays. In some cases, a good SAT essay may give your application the edge you need to take you from borderline to admitted.

8. On the essay portion of the SAT, aim for clarity and good organization.

Apply all the rules for essay-writing you’ve learned in school. Organization and paragraph-parsing are key. It doesn’t matter what you know in a certain subject area; it matters how well you are able to express your opinion or to relate an experience relevant to the given prompt.

9. Proofread your SAT essay for grammatical errors.

Be as vigilant about checking your own writing for errors as you are on the error-ID portion of the exam. Small errors can add up, lowering your score.

10. Give your SAT essay a title.

It never hurts to title an essay. A title can intrigue your reader and summarize the main theme, giving your essay a feeling of completeness.

___________

Our SAT tutoring and SAT preparation can help you get into top colleges and improve your scores.

Top Test Prep can help you with your SAT writing. Give Top Test Prep a call at (800) 501-Prep.

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Here are some last-minute SAT prep tips…

Whether you’re taking the SAT in December for the first time or the umpteenth, you still have about a month left to prepare. Here are some tips for getting the most out of these remaining few weeks.

1) Go over those vocab flash cards one last time. By now you’ll probably be familiar with them – so familiar, in fact, that it takes you far longer to say the definitions than to remember them. Still, it never hurts to review, review, review, and along the way, to remember all the synonyms surrounding a given word.

2) Go over the toughest practice problems, the ugly ones that really gave you trouble. Get a handle on them. Don’t just understand why you got each one wrong: understand the thought process required for solving it, and seek out other problems like it.

3) Get a good night’s sleep … for the two weeks leading up to the test. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation, even for a single night, can affect your performance on tests for over a week afterward, even if you got enough sleep during the nights in between.

4) On test day, wake up early enough to eat a healthy breakfast. Eat whatever works best for you: something filling and nutritious that sits well and will last you through the test. Eating a special meal can help set the day apart, putting you in the zone and revving you up for the day’s challenges.

5) It’s not too late for private SAT tutoring. You still have a whole month to sit down with an SAT tutor and address your weaknesses. An SAT tutor can help motivate you to study and provide you with tips and assignments that will build your mental endurance and efficiency. You can study alone, or you can study with the guidance of an SAT success story … your choice!

This article is on last minute SAT prep tips and was written by education expert, Ross Blankenship.

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1) Watch your body language.

Sit in a way that feels comfortable but still shows that you’re taking the situation seriously. Don’t cross your arms or adopt a posture that appears closed. Talking with your hands can seem friendly and enthusiastic, but don’t let it distract from whatever you’re saying.

Give your interviewer a strong handshake, and sustain eye contact during introductions. Remember your interviewer’s name, and don’t be afraid to use it over the course of the interview.

2) Dress professionally.

When it comes to dressing for an interview, it’s better to be too formal than too informal. You might want to choose your clothes ahead of time so it’s one less thing to think about on the day of your interview.

3) Practice ahead of time with a friend.

Think of the questions you may be asked, and ask a friend to put you on the spot. Your friend may come up with some good follow-up questions, depending on your answers.

4) Get feedback.

Ask your friend to tell you honestly how you come across. Your friend may notice things that are simple and easy to adjust, but important in creating a good impression.

5) Lock down your safety schools.

Come prepared to every interview with relevant information about the school to which you’re applying. The interview is a great opportunity to demonstrate sincere interest in a school that may consider you overqualified.

6) Leave a good last impression.

Shake hands with your interviewer and thank him or her when you leave. Be sure to address him or her by name when you say goodbye.

For help with college admissions counseling interviews, contact Top Test Prep today at (800) 501-7737 or fill out our contact form.

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When you learn about an upcoming test in any subject, it’s smart to tailor your studying strategy to both the individual test and your personal needs. Ask yourself the following questions:

1) What’s the format of the test?

Find out what the questions will be like and how long you’ll have to complete the test. This will guide your studying, as you’ll know how detailed your answers should be.

2) How many days will I need to study?

Estimate how many hours you’ll need to study the material. Then decide how many hours you’d realistically be able to devote to studying each day. You may have to try studying some of it first, and see how it goes for you. Make a study plan, and stick to it.

3) How helpful are study groups to me? What about group study guides?

Your answer may depend on which subject you’re studying for. If you took detailed notes for your History class and did all the readings, it may not be worth your time to contribute to a group study guide that won’t give you much in return. Your time might be better spent reviewing your notes, which you can probably trust to be as comprehensive as the guide your classmates will churn out.

Ask yourself whether you study well in a group setting, or whether it ends up devolving into a social gathering with the odd study question being thrown out there now and then. If studying with others is helpful to you, maybe you need to find the right people – those who can focus, stay on subject, and make the most of the time you have.

4) Have I skipped any homework assignments or readings?

Best to cover these first, instead of remembering that you missed them at the last minute.

5) How will this test affect my grade in the class?

Knowing that a good test score could give your grade a significant boost will help motivate you to study. On the other hand, if you’re doing well in the class, you can reduce stress by seeing which range of grades will help you maintain your overall performance. It’s good to know how the test is weighted, and whether there will be other chances to prove yourself.

Top Test Prep can help you prepare for the next big test.

Contact Top Test Prep today to get more help with your SAT and ACT test preparation.

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1) Use a dictionary.

No matter what you’re reading, take the time to look up words you don’t know. Not only will this improve your vocabulary (it’s the best way to do so), but it will improve your reading experience. You’ll understand the text better without relying purely on context (or skipping over the phrase with the unfamiliar word).

2) Use a thesaurus.

How many ways can you say ‚Äúaggressive‚Äù? ‚ÄúBelligerent,‚Äù ‚Äúpugnacious,‚Äù ‚Äúcombative,‚Äù ‚Äúbellicose‚Äù … you get the idea. Memorizing synonyms as a group will help you remember what each word means. For every standard vocabulary word, there are several synonyms that stand a chance of showing up on the test.

3) Read something challenging on a regular basis.

Consider getting a subscription to a respected magazine, something that will catch your interest and stimulate your vocabulary at the same time.

4) Buy SAT flash cards.

Standardized tests tend to recycle vocabulary. Having mastered 100 or more of the most common words on the exam will give you confidence when one or two of those words shows up on your test.

5) Complete practice exams under timed conditions.

Get accustomed to the amount of time you’ll have to complete the test. You’ll get faster, which will give you more time to focus on the tough questions. Study all the words you missed on the practice exams (see number four).

Find a private tutor to help you prepare! (But not too pugnacious.)

To improve your SAT Verbal score, contact Top Test Prep today at (800) 501-Prep or read about our SAT private tutoring.

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On what basis do most people choose a college? I’ve heard more than a few students admit to being strongly influenced by the person who gave them a tour of the campus. I can still remember what the cute tour guide at Columbia was wearing the day I visited, and that he was a vegetarian Рlike me. What do I remember about Stanford, my first choice, and what visions danced in my head when I slaved away at my application? Well, the walkways of course Рso wide! Рwith bicyclists in flip-flops cruising by, and the mild weather, and the arches lining the pavilion next to the English building. As with my search for the right prep school, I was trying to get a “sense” of the place, awaiting a feeling that would guide my decision. Just how I arrived at that “sense” did not, at the time, seem as superficial to me as it does now. I wasn’t alone in my evaluative practices. A friend who graduated from Harvard admits to having had a deterministic crush on his tour guide. Perhaps we arrive with a crush on an entire school, ready to use anything as evidence in its favor. Do students really explore the areas of the college experience that will directly affect them Рthe social groups and extracurricular settings into which they are most likely to settle?

The Washington Post features an online group discussion on the topic. Apparently, I’m not the only student who’s proved susceptible to the touring experience.

But who’s to say that deciding this way is wrong? If a college clearly has a lot to offer any student who manages to meet its admissions criteria and be accepted, then what’s wrong with picking a place that just “feels” right? Most of us don’t choose a city in which to live according to the amenities or institutes based there. If the city wants us Рif we’ve been offered a job there Рand if it offers the advantages and excitement of any metropolis, then we’ll probably choose it based on “feel,” which may include the weather, the pace of life, and the people we bump into during a visit. If a studly urbanite happens to step into our subway car, well, we can’t help but be charmed and mark it down as a plus for the experience. Maybe intuition is something to be trusted when choosing a college.

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Choosing a topic for college admissions essays…

The Problem with Being Un-Special

When I was faced with describing my greatest accomplishment in a college admissions essay, I was at a total loss. In inviting such a description, the committee had managed to pinpoint my greatest shortcoming. I was exposed as the bland, provincial, un-special person that any college would thumb its nose at: I hadn’t accomplished anything. I lived in the suburbs, in Connecticut. I hadn’t overcome discrimination based on my gender, sexual orientation, or race. The most exotic locale I’d traveled to had been Nova Scotia, a cold, mosquito-ridden province on the coast of Canada.

The problem was that when I pictured a great accomplishment, I literally pictured a mountain – the mountain from the logo for Paramount Pictures, snow-capped and triangular – and imagined that a person with real accomplishments would have already climbed it. This accomplished individual would see the mountain as something conquered, a standing tribute to his or her talent and determination, not to mention the unique and fascinating circumstances into which he or she had been born. I couldn’t come up with a single thing I’d done that could possibly compare to that. We didn’t have snow-capped peaks in Connecticut. And if we did, I certainly hadn’t gotten around to scaling any. I did well enough in school – was that an accomplishment anyone wanted to hear about? Sometimes, when a friend came to me with a problem, I was able to offer comfort and advice. Over time, those moments had grown in number – but could I count them together as one big triumph? Whatever they had accomplished, it wasn’t something you could measure.

After reading the question, I immediately felt jealous of people who’d suffered terrible hardships. What had I done to deserve so much happiness, so much stability right up through age 17? Troubled by this response, I reverted to feeling annoyed with the admissions committee. What did they expect from me, really? I was 17 years old. Of course I hadn’t accomplished anything! And they wanted to hear about my greatest accomplishment, as if I had more than one!

The funny thing is, I can’t even remember what I wrote. Maybe that means my answer was as bland as I’d feared. Or maybe it goes to show that no one’s mind is swimming with remembered accomplishments. Most of us don’t have the image of a looming mountain to refer to when pressed, to pull out and present as evidence of our worth, our unique status. The admissions committee wasn’t expecting a story about a mountain. I needed to dig. Accomplishments are subjective: what they really wanted to know was what I valued, and how I applied my time and energy to it. Whether I’d achieved my goal wasn’t as important as how I’d gone about it. A good essay wouldn’t depend on the accomplishment I chose to write about; it would depend on how well I communicated what it meant to me. My task was to make a genuine mountain out of a molehill, and to help the committee see it that way.

Top Test Prep offers college admissions counseling andprivate tutoring to help students get into top private schools, colleges and graduate schools.

This article is an example of ways to choose a college admissions essay.

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In a recent article on the way standardized tests are graded, NY Times writer Todd Farley reveals that the people grading students’ essays don’t boast the credentials we might expect. The scores they assign are often influenced by emotions and circumstances.

No matter who ends up grading your admissions essay, there are certain qualities of good writing that every reader can appreciate, and it never hurts to include these in every essay you write. The reality is that all people, including editors who evaluate writing for a living, will find boring writing to be just that – boring. Writing that engages the reader, either because it’s humorous, insightful, dramatic, or lyrical, is far more likely to produce a favorable response, which may lead to a higher score.

Here are some guidelines for writing admissions essays that even people off the street will appreciate:

1) Give your admissions essay a title. A good one.

Imagine, as Mr. Farley points out, that your reader has a whole stack of essays to pore over, and it’s getting to be that time of day when his or her energy plummets. Choose a title that will rescue your reader from his or her afternoon slump. Don’t choose a title until you’ve finished writing the essay – how else will you know what it’s really about? Here’s a hint for coming up with your title: pick a word or phrase in the essay that expresses something essential about your topic. Or just pick a good word or phrase. Make that the title. Fiction writers do this all the time, and it can end up sounding mysterious and professional. It’s pleasurable for the reader to come across that phrase in the text. Suddenly, your title makes sense!

2) Grab the reader with an interesting first line.

This is your hook: your chance to capture the reader’s interest and compel him or her to continue. If your essay begins with an anecdote, deliver us right into the action: …. was poised at the starting line, waiting for the gun to go off…or Andy handed me the news article that would change my eating habits forever. Aside from starting a story with a bang, a good first line can include a confident statement. Consider using strong language, and avoid watering it down with a phrase such as “I believe.”

3) Section your admissions essay into multiple paragraphs, and begin each paragraph with a strong transitional sentence.

This sentence marks a slight change of focus – hence the new paragraph – while linking what is about to be said to what has been said already. Transitions give your essay a sense of continuity and wholeness.

4) Know your strengths, and play to them.

If you’re funny, be funny. Obviously, the topic itself is something you should take seriously, but the occasional humorous line can lighten your tone and greatly improve the experience for your reader. If you aren’t funny, then be insightful or observant. Bring out the drama in a situation that is inherently dramatic. Most importantly, be you – at your best – so that your writing shines through any reader’s fatigue. Maybe you’ll get lucky and land someone alert. In that case, he or she will appreciate what you’ve done even more.

5) Practice, practice, practice. The best way to improve as a writer is to write, and other people’s input can take your admissions essay to the next level. Top Test Prep offers admissions essay critiques and editing.

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You can call Top Test Prep for college admissions counseling help at (800) 501-Prep.

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Proud to announce our newest, most updated version of Top Test Prep’s website.

Check it out:

Private Tutors

Hope you all enjoy and get in touch if you need private tutoring and admissions consulting.

(800) 501-PREP

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Announcing our SAT Boot Camp starting this Wednesday, September 30th at Walt Whitman High School (Bethesda, MD) at 6:30pm.

This is the most interactive, intense SAT class in the country and includes an awesome instructor, test prep materials and other valuable information on the SAT, PSAT and college admissions.

Limited Spaces available!

SAT Tutoring, Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville, MD

For more information on our private tutors or admissions consultants, call today (800) 501-PREP.

You can also check out or private tutoring in Bethesda, Potomac, Chevy Chase and Rockville (MD), by calling (800) 501-7737.

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Top Test Prep has PSAT, SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT and GRE programs to help students improve their scores.

We have several private SAT prep and ACT tutors for schools like Walt Whitman, Wootton, Walter Johnson, Winston Churchill, and Bethesda-Chevy Chase, and many more in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

call (800) 501-PREP to find out more information, or locally (301) 654-2141.

Top Test Prep’s private tutoring private tutoring includes (but is not limited to) Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia, Boston, St. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, Los Angeles and Houston.

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Looking for education experts?

If you need an education expert and admissions counselor who specializes in getting students into top schools (Ivy League and beyond), contact Top Test Prep’s team at (800) 501-Prep.

As students are going back to school now, it’s important to get started on the applications. Our admissions counselors are dedicated to improving applications, working with families, and developing plans for getting into the best prep school, colleges and graduate schools.

Call (800) 501-Prep today to get the help you need.

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• Develop a theme: instead of listing every extracurricular activity you’ve done or all the things you have done throughout high school, write one consistent theme that embodies who you are as a student. Example: if you are an athlete but also enjoy biology, write an admissions essay or personal statement about what it is like being a student scholar on your team, and how people perceive you as a student and teammate.
• Proofread, proofread, and proofread: Nothing looks worse on an admissions essay than grammar or spelling errors. Proofread your admissions essay, correct the errors and then do it again. Read it out loud, read it backwards, and ensure that all mistakes are removed.
• Think Critically: As you proofread your essay think about every sentence and every paragraph critically. Could you write something differently to make a bigger impact? Is your word usage correct? How could you improve upon what you have written to make it even better?
• Admissions Essay Help: Along with taking steps one and two yourself, have someone you know do the same. Your friends, your teachers, or even your college counselor may have ideas that can help your admissions essay become that one element that pushes you over the top and gets you into the college of your choice. We also offer admissions counseling which is excellent for students applying to all programs, whether private schools, colleges or graduate schools.  Our Ivy League editors and private admissions counselors are here to help you get into the best schools.
• Revise Accordingly: As you work through the first three ideas, revise your admissions essay accordingly. Each time you do go right back to step number one and edit your essay again. If you work through these steps a few times you will get to the point where you feel it can’t be improved anymore.

“Writing the Best Admissions Essays” was written by education expert and college consultant, Ross Blankenship.  Ross is the President of TopTestPrep.com, which provides private tutoring and college admissions consulting to students and parents. If you’re applying to top schools, call (800) 501-PREP today.

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Here are the Top 10 test prep tips to improve your exam scores…

I’d like to share with our readers tips to use for test prep, whether you’re taking the SAT exam, ACT exam or other standardized tests like the LSAT, GMAT, GRE or MCAT. Preparing for exams can be tedious, but with the right plan you can succeed.

Ten Test Prep Tips to Help Improve Your Test Scores:

(1) Practice sections: Always take practice sections and exams under testing conditions. Testing conditions refers to taking an exam during the same time and general day you are scheduled for the actual exam (e.g. Saturdays at 9am)

(2) The back of the book: Do not simply look to the back of the book for answers. This causes you to rely on the book and others’ knowledge more than your own. Always try the problems first and then rely on the back of the book to check your answer.

(3) Manage your time wisely. One of the most important things to do before you begin studying for tests is to set out a proper study schedule. At a minimum, you should devote between 2 to 3 hours per day in preparing for exams. Make it your part-time job. Choose only one or two test prep books and go to work.

(4) Get help when necessary. In most cases, students only get once chance to take a major test like the PSAT, SAT, ACT or other grad level exams like the GRE and LSAT. So why not consider a private tutor? At the very least look into it. Beyond providing you direction, a private tutor may go a long way in helping you prepare for these exams. For example, Top Test Prep’s tutors all have scored in the top 1% percentile and are double-screened to ensure they are able to successfully tutor students.

(5) Speed exam taking: If the student has difficulties with time or time pressures, have the student take the sections under faster time settings. For example, have the student take what would normally be a 30 minute section, in 15 minutes instead. Like running with weights attached to your ankles, this will make the tests and each sections faster for the student.

(6) Math Problems: The method is more important than the result. If a student cannot explain how he or she got to the correct answer, they won’t be able to do it correctly on their own exam. Like any mathematical proof, you want to make sure you have every step down perfectly. Every studentmust be able to explain their methods.

(7) Verbal Problems: One method that has worked for Top Test Prep is to have every student read the verbal passages out loud before answering the questions. Most test prep companies recommend reading the questions first, and then skimming the content. During your tutoring sessions, we want the students to hear what the author is writing and then to explain the passage’s main point to the tutor. If a student can explain what an author intended to write, he or she will know the answers before they get to the questions. If a student can come up with his or her own title to the passage, they become more involved and will understand the questions better. Essentially, make the student the author of the passage.

(8) On test day: The Five P’s of Test Prep are simple: Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Make sure every student has everything they need on test day: All #2 pencils, calculators, and their admissions ticket. Being prepared will prevent nervousness and overall anxiety. Students are encouraged to have some caffeine, but not too much however much they are comfortable with drinking.

(9) Expect the Unexpected. When test day arrives, you must expect that you will see questions with which you are unfamiliar. In the event you don’t know the answer, make sure to eliminate as many problems that are not logical or those which have no basis for even being an answer choice. This takes practice. However, it’s important not to just guess if you have a chance of losing points.

(10) Don’t Panic. No matter what your score is, keep in mind that you can take an exam again. You can take most exams again without being penalized – several admissions offices will look to your highest score regardless of any previous exam results.

This article was written by Ross Blankenship, an education expert and Chairman of TopTestPrep.com, which provides private tutoring and admissions consulting to students around the world. Call (800) 501-PREP to get help with private tutoring and admissions consulting.

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Our admissions consulting offers students and parents the opportunity to gain admission to top-ranked schools. If you’re applying to prep schools, colleges or graduate schools, take a moment to visit our admissions consultants.

We offer admissions consulting for students which includes the following services:

The Elite Program is designed for students and parents who need an unlimited amount of time. This includes:

* Personalized educational consulting
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* Admissions essays (unlimited)
* Designing summer activities / internships / jobs
* Private Tutoring (when necessary)
* Curriculum counseling
* Personal mentoring

The Premium Program is designed for students and parents who need enough time to complete up to 10 applications at any level. This includes:

* Personalized educational consulting
* Custom academic reports and admissions probabilities
* Completion of admissions application (up to 10)
* Admissions essays
* Course advising

The Plus Program is designed for students and parents who need enough time to complete up to 5 applications at any level. This includes:

* Personalized educational consulting
* Custom academic reports and admissions probabilities
* Completion of admissions application (up to 5)
* Admissions essays
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The Admissions Essay Program is designed to help you with three admissions essays of your choice.

* Quality research and editing
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So take a moment today and find out more on our tutoring and test prep programs.

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