• 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
* Custom academic reports and admissions probabilities
* Completion of admissions applications (unlimited)
* Specific academic recommendations (unlimited)
* 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
* Course advising

The Admissions Essay Program is designed to help you with three admissions essays of your choice.

* Quality research and editing
* Excellent Admissions Feedback
* Essay Help within 24 Hours
* Professional Admissions Guidance

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

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Responding to the ACT Test Prep article…

Today’s Wall Street Journal article on the ACT exam is indicative of a larger need to bring test prep to schools and high schools across America. What we recommend is that high schools implement ACT prep programs that allow many deserving students the opportunity to not only take the ACT exam, but to do well on it. We offer test prep boot camps to many cities currently, and we would be happy to help any schools with consulting on how to improve their ACT exam scores – school wide.

If any high school is looking to implement an ACT test prep curriculum or would like advice on how to set up an ACT exam course, contact us today at (800) 501-Prep.

We’re committed to giving students the best tools in preparing for the ACT exam. Here’s info on our ACT Prep program.

Link to WSJ article: http://bit.ly/2SCyGL

Our private tutoring and test prep programs…

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If you’re looking for private tutors on any of the following exams:

ISEE, SSAT, PSAT, SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE, MCAT, TOEFL, SAT IIs and AP Exams,

Contact us today at (800) 501-PREP

We have private tutors ready with custom schedules, test prep books and results to help you prepare for all of these standardized exams.

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Ross Blankenship (Education, Admissions Expert) Addresses the US News and World Report Rankings.

The current college ranking systems provide an easy way for prospective students to see how one institution ranks against another. This can make for a simple way to see which colleges will provide the best education. At least that is what the ranking system is supposed to do. In recent years though there has been some criticism regarding the methodologies used to rank colleges.

In this article we will talk about the current system of college rankings. We will cover what the current ranking system is, and talk a little about the criticisms of the methodologies used for admissions rankings.

What Are Admissions Rankings Generally

Before we talk about what is good about the current system and what is not, it is important to understand how colleges are currently ranked in the United States. It is also important to know that there is more than one ranking system available such as Webometrics.

The methodology that most of us are familiar with is the ratings that are given by the US News. This system has been around since 1983, and each year the ratings for colleges change. The US News ranks scores each institution with a score between 1 and 100, with 100 being the best, and they separate the schools into 4 tiers. The “best schools” are listed as tier 1.

The ratings are based on gathered data that take into account the following factors:

Peer Assessment Reputation of the school based on a survey of presidents, provosts, and deans from other institutions.

Retention The graduation rate over a 6-year period, and the retention rate of first year students.

Student Selectivity A combination of data based on: test scores of students, the percentage of top percentile students admitted, and the student acceptance rate as a whole.

Faculty Resources Data that includes the student-faculty ratio, the average salary of faculty members, and the education level of the faculty.

Financial Resources Average tuition rates per-student.

Graduation Rate Performance The difference between what the expected rate of graduation was and what the actual graduation rate turned out to be.

Alumni Giving Rate The amount of money received from donations by alumni.

The first four elements on the list account for 80% of the total score. Peer assessment alone makes 25% of the rating, and that is where most of the criticism of the US News ranking system comes in to play.

The Good and the Bad of U.S. News Rankings

In recent years there has been some criticism of the current rating system. It has been said that with the weighting given to peer assessment, student selectivity, and faculty resources that it becomes easy to pick which schools will come out on top. The largest schools and the richest schools will win out over the smaller colleges every time, regardless of the actual education that a student can expect to receive from the institution.

Looking at the historical data, these statements are true to a certain degree. Schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton always end up on top of the list along with several Ivies like Cornell and Penn. Some suggest that, to get a true measure of school performance, the ratings should give a larger weighting to factors related to graduation rates, salaries after graduation, and student performance in the long run.

Even with the criticisms, the current college ranking system does provide a method for students to see how their chosen (or prospective) institution ranks against similar colleges in the country. It provides a simple method to see where they can expect a top-rated education, and where they will be getting a second tier education.

It is likely that prospective students should still talk to an college admissions counselor, before making their final decisions. But, with the US News and their admissions rankings, those students do have a simple place to start when looking for the best schools in the country.

This was written by Ross Blankenship, an admissions expert and college admissions counselor. For inquiries, please call (800) 501-Prep. Ross Blankenship is the Founder of Top Test Prep, which offers SAT and ACT prep for students applying to colleges.

Top Test Prep provides private tutoring and admissions consulting to students and parents across America.

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Top Test Prep has announced a FREE 1-hour SAT Prep review course, starting May 30, 2010.

The 60 minute review will include:
SAT Math Review
SAT Verbal
SAT Writing Practice

And instruction by the leader in test prep, Ross Blankenship.

Ross Blankenship is the founder and President of TopTestPrep.com

Who? Top Test Prep
What? SAT Prep and SAT Exam Review
Where? 1027 33rd St NW Suite 140 Washington DC 20007
When? Sunday, May 30 at 2:00pm.
Why? Because you deserve the best SAT prep.

Students and Parents are welcome!

1027 33rd St. NW
Washington DC 20007

Call to reserve your space: (800) 501-Prep
or email “director@toptestprep.com”

This SAT prep course is open to all students in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia Regions.

You must RSVP for this event, space is limited.

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