Language flashcards for two-year-olds may seem crazy, but test-taking is an essential skill for a student´s entire academic life. Learning how to take standardized tests will help students at every grade level, but the SAT is the pinnacle and highest stakes test for most students. So how early should students prepare for the SAT?

Last fall, the College Board started to offer a new test designed to prepare eighth graders for the format and test-style of the PSAT and SAT. Called ReadiStep, the test is meant to help middle school students and schools evaluate and plan – ultimately for the SAT and for the college admissions process.

Should students start preparing in middle school – or earlier – for the SAT?

1. Test-taking skills translate into overall study skills

Starting at a young age in test-preparation has the potential to help students with their academic skills in and out of the classroom. Building a strong foundation and acclimating to test-taking pressure can help students in future tests. Check with teachers to learn about the standardized tests your student will take in school. At a young age, fostering creativity will contribute to a strong intellectual base later. If the school has standardized tests already, those tests may be sufficient. 

2. Use the SSAT and PSAT

For middle and beginning high school school students, there are already standardized tests many students take before the SAT. Students applying to private high schools often take the SSAT, and most high schoolers take the PSAT. Use these two tests to practice for the SAT. The SSAT and PSAT are particularly good tests for this kind of practice because they are high-stakes but less pressure than the SAT. The ReadiStep test may be another option for students in middle school who do not take the SSAT.

3. Consider taking a summer program

During the school year – especially at the middle and beginning high school level – students need to focus on their classroom academic work. Nothing can replace a strong GPA and competitive class schedule. Testing is absolutely essential, but useless if strong grades are lacking. Summer programs like those here at Top Test Prep provide students time to focus on test preparation without losing sight of their academic year goals. Students in summer programs will also be surrounded by like-minded, motivated peers.

4. Prevent burnout

Cited by premier universities, including the Ivy League, burnout happens to many incoming students who have had extremely intense high school years. College admission is tougher than ever, but when considering when a student should start preparing for the SAT, make sure you're not building in a stress time-bomb. Pressure is important, but so is sustainability.
 

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This post is titled, "How Early Should You Prepare for the SAT?" It was written by Marta Casey, a writer on Top Test Prep's team.

For more information about Top Test Prep's programs, call (800) 501 – Prep.

Tags: College Applications, College Counseling, SAT Prep // View Comments

Touring different schools is an essential part of the admissions decision. Parents and students often do visits and tours together, and a lot of attention is given to how students should behave on a tour – but how should parents act? The college admissions process contains hopes and dreams of the future, and perceptions between parents and students might vary.

What parents see, do, and ask on a tour is just as important as what their student does. Here are a few tips.

1. Be a careful observer

As a parent, you'll be closely watching not only the tour leader and seeing details of the campus your student might overlook, you'll also be carefully observing how your student reacts to the tour. Students might not realize how certain aspects appear to them until you notice their reaction. Maybe at their number two school you see your student often surprised and impressed. Later, ask about the aspects of the school that seemed to impress your student. By observing carefully and asking later, you will not be forcing your views onto your student – which is more productive overall.

2. Don't be afraid to ask questions

Let your student lead the questioning, but ask questions if they come up and espeically if no one else on the tour thinks of them. Don't remain silent in fear of embarassing your kid. This is a college tour and you'll both be on professional terms. If you have questions that you know will grate on your student – even if meant well – perhaps save them for a talk with an admissions counselor later. For instance, while the mental health support center is important on campus, it would probably behoove you to ask later, even if your student is not on any special medication. But your questions are important – so ask them.

3. Dress appropriately

Just as students must dress professionally – no jeans, no excessive piercings, no wordy t-shirts or holey clothes – you must, too. You don't need to look like the Secretary of State, but make sure you are presentable (and wear comfortable shoes, just in case).

4. Listen to your student's impressions before giving your own

After the tour and college visit, you and your student will be full of ideas. You might feel strongly opposed or in support of the school, but wait first, and just listen. Your perspective is essential, but allowing students to share their impressions first will help them digest and formulate their ideas and opinions. They will be the ones attending the college for four years. Help them work out their own feelings before stating your own. Even if they seem to brush your opinion aside, be assured – they are listening and considering your impressions and opinions. Just listening will help your student immensely.

5. Walk around town with your student

Your child will be living at this school and in a new town for four years. Take a bit of time to get a feel for the place, visit the downtown area, see how well the place fits your student not just on campus, but off. This is particularly important for small schools, but even on giant campuses, knowing the larger context is important. Town-gown relationships can help students get jobs, gain real-life experience, and broaden their perspective. Ask at the admissions office for a suggested route before taking off.

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This post is titled, "Parents: How to Tour a College with Your Student." It was written by Marta Casey, a writer on Top Test Prep's team.

To learn more about Top Test Prep's programs, call (800) 501 – Prep.

Tags: Admissions Advice, admissions consulting, Admissions Experts, College Counseling // View Comments

How to Compare Research Universities vs. Small Liberal Arts Colleges:  A guide for applicants

   You’re a student or a parent weighing the merits of applying to small liberal arts colleges or larger research universities. A campus visit is crucial as you narrow down your application list. If watching Division I football or finding a campus you can stroll across in a few minutes isn’t your main concern, you should consider the following factors.

1.  Size of Classes

   The amount of individual attention you receive is influenced by class size. Research universities often have honors programs which may include intimate classes. Liberal arts colleges may have popular majors favored by those with pre-med or pre-law aspirations. Their classes may have more students than the published institutional student/faculty ratio would indicate. Talk to departmental representatives and find out how many classes have enrollments under twenty and over fifty. In addition, make an inquiry about the percentage of full-time faculty, and at research universities about the role of teaching assistants. If teaching assistants are widely used, ask yourself if you are comfortable being evaluated or taught by another young person. For instance, at Carnegie Mellon, a well regarded research university, 62% of classes have less than twenty students and 11% surpass fifty students according to US News and World Report’s 2011 “Best Colleges” edition. At Swarthmore, a strong liberal arts college, 78% of classes have less than twenty students and 2% of them have over fifty students. The overall institutional percentages at these institutions are enticing, but parents and students should make inquiries with departmental representatives to see how they do in terms of class size and full time faculty.

2.   Available Majors

   Large research universities generally have more listed majors than small liberal arts colleges.  Contact the Admissions office or Dean’s office about whether the institution provides options for students to create multi-disciplinary majors or pursue joint studies with other schools, a growing trend at liberal arts institutions.

3.  Research Exposure

   Professors who can effectively bring research into the classroom are an asset to the school. Find out from departmental representatives to what extent you are exposed to full or associate professors in the class-room.  Keep in mind that faculty at both research universities and elite liberal arts colleges are researchers.

4. Student Support Programs

   Most of us can use academic and career planning support as undergraduates and possibly personal counseling. Explore these crucial elements of a school’s support network. Moreover, examine student graduation retention rates in US News and World Report’s annual “Best Colleges” issue as an indicator of the effectiveness of a school’s support network.

5. Extracurricular Opportunities  

   All work and no play doesn’t make for happy or successful students. Look into extra-curricular activities, which have expanded at undergraduate institutions. If your interests are in musical performance or acting, however, ask whether non-majors can participate.

   Research universities and liberal arts colleges each have their own merits.  Appearances can be deceiving, however, when you initially assess class size, teaching, majors, research exposure, student support, and extra-curricular activities. It is imperative that students and families take the time to visit the institutions and separate fact from fiction by asking the hard questions.

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David Dickson wrote this article for Top Test Prep.  He is completing his certificate program in college counseling with UCLA's graduate programs.

For more information about Top Test Prep's college admissions counseling programs, or test prep and tutoring, call (800) 501-Prep.

Tags: admissions consultants, Admissions Experts, College Applications, Colleges // View Comments

The following article provides information on the US News and World Report Rankings, more specifically "teaching quality"….

The criteria used in college application decisions vary. Status, size, location, fields of study, cost, and social life are considered. Too often, the most important college mission, teaching, is overlooked or misunderstood. Strong teaching is a pre-condition for picking up the skills necessary for the job market and graduate/professional studies. Teaching quality has diminished nationally as cost-cutting proliferates and faculty research obligations escalate. Strong teaching is not in the eyes of the beholder, however. Students and parents should take into account the following factors as a package, and not in isolation from one another, when they evaluate teaching.  With the exception of number six, they can be found in US News and World Report’s annual “Best Colleges” edition.

1.  The Undergraduate Academic Reputation of an Institution

This US News and World Report peer assessment index measuring a school’s academic reputation solicits the opinions of presidents, provosts, and deans of admission. For national universities and national liberal arts colleges, public school counselors are also surveyed. There are more specific indicators of teaching quality, however.

2.  Whether a School is Financially Sound

    A strong institutional financial foundation doesn’t guarantee strong teaching, but it is necessary for it. Schools cannot hire and retain strong full-time tenure track and tenured faculty without financial resources.  Class size can also be influenced by financial status, though this is a trickier issue as I will soon explain. Fiscal strength often correlates to US News and World Report ratings. A school’s “financial resources rank” is worthy of scrutiny. “Average alumni giving rates” included in the ratings provide a picture of the financial health of small national liberal arts colleges who depend more in alumni loyalty than their research university counterparts. For research universities, grants and investments are often their bread and butter.

3. Class Size

   Smaller classes facilitate more individualized faculty attention.  In larger classes, students can fall through the cracks and in research universities they are often evaluated and even taught by teaching assistants barely older than themselves. Take US News and World Report “student/faculty ratios” with a grain of salt since at research universities there can be non-teaching faculty. The “percentage of classes under 20 students and over 50 students” can be revealing, however.

4. Percentage of Faculty Who Are Full-Time  

   Many have heard stories of indifferent full-time faculty. Nonetheless, a school’s commitment to undergraduates is, in part, reflected in this US News and World Report category. Part-time faculty can be less accountable to institutions and students than those who are full-time.

5. The Percentage of Freshmen in Top 10% of High School Class and the Acceptance Rate

   Classes will be better if your peers are stronger. Lectures and discussions can be more sophisticated and interaction both inside and outside of class more rewarding.

6. The Quality of Teaching in the Student’s Areas of Academic Interest 

   Even when an institution’s overall academic reputation is respectable and other dimensions of teaching quality are positive, there can be departmental variations. The proactive student and family will visit a school, identify departmental faculty representatives, and pose questions on class size and full-time faculty percentages as well as offerings and services. If an institution highlights an individual professor on your visit, he/she should not be considered representative. Moreover, if  a department is unresponsive to your inquiries, it’s time to move on.

   Teaching skills are as crucial to your undergraduate experience as medical skills are to a patient. You can make it the focus of your undergraduate search!

 David Dickson

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For more information on college admissions counseling, or if you're a parent who needs help with your son or daughter college applications, call Top Test Prep at (800) 501-7737.

Tags: Admissions Advice, College Applications, College Rankings // View Comments

We've just released our new summer programs for SAT and ACT exam prep.  If your son or daughter is preparing to take either the SAT or ACT, or perhaps you'd like them to review the Advanced Algebra and Advanced Writing this summer, check out our summer programs!

Summer Program options:
SAT Academy:  $1195 (4 weeks)
ACT Academy:  $1195  (4 weeks)
Advanced Algebra Program: $595 (2 week program)
Advanced Writing Program: $595 (2 week program)
Or, all four combined…$2350

Summer Program includes:
Interactive lessons; the best instructors; books, and customized lesson plan.

Summer Programs for Your Son or Daughter – http://eepurl.com/dnrA9

You can also call us directly at (800) 501-7737 to learn more.

Top Test Prep is proud to continue our tradition of private tutoring and test prep courses.  

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Can you afford your top college? Should you take out loans to pay for school? These are questions that weigh heavily on many students and their families. Decisions have been mailed out, but financial aid packages, scholarship decisions, and loans can strongly influence where students decide to go. A report in the New York Times this week shows that "Student loan debt outpaced credit card debt for the first time last year and is likely to top a trillion dollars this year as more students go to college and a growing share borrow money to do so."

Loans are an important part of a financial aid package, but should you rely on them to attend your top choice when a different school has offered better financial aid?

1. Visit the colleges, get a feel for the communities

How well do you "fit" different colleges? Nothing can replace fitting a college well. You will have a better educational experience and be able to do more if the college feels natural to you. If you do not fit a place or fit the mindset of the student body, you will be paying in different ways.

Visit and talk with students and faculty. The image a college projects through marketing, its website, and recruitment is important – that will tell you about its mission and ideal look – but how a place feels is determined by its community and daily functions, which you'll be a part of. When you choose a college, in a sense you are also choosing a lifestyle. How well you fit or see yourself growing into that lifestyle is essential in your decision.

2. Talk to current students and alumni

Current students provide perspective no one else can. They can tell you why they chose their school, how well it fits them, and what they hope to do afterward. You'll gain a solid sense of how you could be a part of the place. Talking with alumni will help you think about after college, and the continued community of a college. Those alumni connections also translate into jobs and important career connections, which is a crucial factor when thinking about educational debt.

3. Consider educational debt in the long-term

Students must be extremely cautious when considering taking out any  type of loan, but consider educational loans in the long-term. Look at federal loans first, and then consider private loans and read the small print. When holding up two colleges and making a decision, look realistically with fit and alumni network in mind. If you plan on working directly after college, what kind of career resources does the institution provide? If you expect to complete your B.A. and move directly into graduate school, more loans will likely be a reality. Will taking out loans now affect your finances in graduate school? Will attending your top school give you a better base for graduate school?

Talk with different financial aid offices, your parents, and consider the above factors. Best of luck.

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This post is titled, "Loans and Educational Debt – Can You Afford Your Top Choice?" It was written by Marta Casey, a writer at Top Test Prep.

To learn more about Top Test Prep's programs, call (800) 501 – Prep.

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I would highly recommend students try to take the SAT only once – and at most two times- for the following reasons:

(1) Even with score choice optional reporting, many schools request to receive full score reports from the College Board.  If an admissions office sees a student has taken the test many times, it becomes indicative of the student's greater goal of "gaming" the test.

(2) If a student knows that he/she can take an exam many times, they will never quite take any SAT (or ACT) exam as seriously as they should. 

(3) Taking the exam fewer times allows for greater freedom on other aspects of school.  If you're always trying to prepare for the "next" SAT or ACT, you'll find yourself neglecting other important factors in college admissions such as extracurricular activities, clubs, sports, music and such.

Hope this helps you decide how many SAT (and/or) ACT exams you should take in preparing for college admissions!

-Ross

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Ross Blankenship is an education expert, and Chairman of Top Test Prep.  For more information on Top Test Prep's programs, call (800) 501-Prep.

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Besides working with your tutor and reading SAT/ACT books, what is the best way for you to get a little extra practice in for the critical reading section? Even if you love reading on your own, preparing for the reading section of a test is just that – preparing for a test. Having a few different methods and plans of attack are essential so that you know what the test is looking for, and how you can conquer it. Here are three ways to practice on your own.

1. Read a sophisticated newspaper

General newspapers are written at an 8^thgrade reading level. They are great for news and general audiences, but higher tier papers such as the Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal contain more specialized vocabulary and articles are written in a wider range of styles. While the vocabulary can be a built-in practice mechanism, figuring out the main components of articles and quickly summarizing important points will help you practice retention. In a test, this translates into time saved – you can answer questions more quickly instead of continually re-skimming the reading passages.

2. Practice making your own questions

After practicing a few reading sections, you know that there is a system for how the test makers create questions. Try making your own questions when you read new material. Putting yourself in the place of a test creator will make you look at a text differently, and will help you read more carefully. Try this on a practice test where you can read, make questions, and then compare your questions to the ones actually asked after the text.

3. Summarize in bullets after reading

Finally, you can practice critical reading section by reading different texts and making a quick bullet summary of important points and questions. Do this after reading and without looking at the text again. Pulling out the critical details of the text will help you with your short-term memory, and show you where you have gaps in reading. Knowing those gaps will help you become a more discerning reader, and a better prepared SAT/ACT test taker.

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This post is titled, “How to practice for the SAT/ACT reading section - Three tips.” It was written by Marta Casey, a writer on Top Test Prep’s team.

To learn more about Top Test Prep’s programs, call (800) 501 – Prep.

Tags: ACT Prep, SAT Prep // View Comments

Which will help your college application more: AP classes or music? AP classes show a commitment to rigorous academics, a willingness to do extra work, and a desire to be challenged in the classroom. But what about musical talent? An oboe player for four years in band, a few summer music camps and performances might show those same qualities of challenge and work ethic – and show creativity. If you are struggling to find time and know that you can only commit to one – AP classes or music – which should it be?

Choose based on developing commitment and personal qualities

College admission counselors are looking for qualities, not a pristine and crisp list of activities. Thousands of students have long lists of accomplishments. It is not only the accomplishments that will make you stand out, but what those accomplishments show. Just as choosing extracurricular activities, choose based on developing commitment and personal qualities.

For instance, if you are a writer on the school paper, an AP literature class will show intellectual commitment and growth in a linguistic way. If you are in a math club, it makes sense to show perseverence by taking AP math classes. If you have been in choir for three years and are pondering whether or not to audition for a specialized group, consider that the new group will show your growth, accomplishment, commitment, and talent in singing. If you choose to spend your time in an AP class that will take that opportunity away, you might be cutting yourself short.

Show a willingness to challenge yourself intellectually and creatively

Music is intellectual, and academia is creative. Bifurcating and mutually excluding qualities into either music and classes will hamper your pursuits, so keep an open mind. That said, you can challenge yourself creatively and intellectually in both music and AP classes – it depends on who you are and where your talents and interest lie.

Consider the relative gains by taking an AP class. If you are in a school where regular classes are known for being challenging, you might want to extend your abilities and commit to a musical activity. On the other hand, if you play violin and are used to orchestra rehersals on the weekends, maybe it's time to increase your class load.

A last note – before deciding between "either A or B," consider realistically – can you make it "A and B." If not, keep the above points in mind when you choose. If you have the opportunity to do both AP classes and music productively and happily – go for it.

Talk with a teacher, counselor, or tutor to consider the right choice for your own situation. We are always available at Top Test Prep for your questions. Good luck!

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This post is titled, "AP Classes or Music?" It was written by Marta Casey, a writer on Top Test Prep's team.

To learn more about Top Test Prep's programs, call (800) 501- Prep.

　

　

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Ever considered West Point or the Naval Academy, but pictured yourself at a more traditional college? Students who desire military leadership training and who expect to attend Ivy League and other top schools now have the option of participating in ROTC once again.

After four decades, Harvard and Columbia universities are reinstating ROTC programs. Harvard is officially reinstating the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps; Army and Air Force ROTC may follow in the near future. Other institutions are expected to follow suit.

The ROTC program – or Reserve Officers Training Corps – trains college students to become commissioned officers in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force. Participants in ROTC are able to apply for merit-based scholarship and college funding options with the promise of service upon graduation.

During student protests at the height of the Vietnam War era, many universities eliminated their ROTC programs. Columbia removed its ROTC programs in 1969, but students continued to participate by going through Fordham University's program. Dartmouth has an unofficial ROTC consort, which is run through Norwich University.

Other schools, like Princeton, U Penn, and Cornell, have kept their ROTC programs throughout the years.

During the ceremony to reinstate NROTC on campus, Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust said, "Over decades, and in their own distinctive ways, both the American military and American higher education have been engines of inclusion and wellsprings of service. The relationship we renew today marks progress in that common pursuit."

Discussion at other schools, including Brown and Yale, is already underway.

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This post is titled, "News Flash: Harvard, Columbia Reinstate ROTC." It was written by Marta Casey, a writer on Top Test Prep's team.

To learn more about Top Test Prep's programs, call (800) 501 – Prep.

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