Tag: senior year

10 Tools to for a Writer’s Block Emergency

Posted by: admin on February 6th, 2020

Let’s not mess around: we’ve all had writer’s block and sometimes need help. It doesn’t mean that we’re special or broken or misunderstood geniuses or fools. Our muses are not at the bottom of a Netflix binge or a pot of coffee or a box of crackers. Working with our writer’s block is a learnable […]

How to Improve Your Writing: Three Easy Tips

Posted by: admin on January 27th, 2020

Sometimes, learning how to write effective academic essays can feel overwhelming. You need to worry about your argument, your examples, your overall structure, and on and on. But there are a few simple steps you can take to improve the clarity and effectiveness of your writing. In today’s blog post, we’ll focus on some easy […]

ACT English Section: What You Need to Know

Posted by: admin on December 5th, 2019

ACT English Overview I often tell students I’m working with that the ACT and the SAT are bad tests. Why? I’ve been working with them for over 15 years and still can’t tell you what they really measure. It’s certainly not “intelligence” or IQ, there’s little correlation between test scores and grades, and test scores […]

ACT Science Section: What You Need to Know

Posted by: admin on November 8th, 2019

ACT Science Overview Before discussing how to tackle science strategy, I want to note a few things about what skills the ACT science section tests. I’ll often introduce the science section as a “science” section, with a tongue-in-cheek eye roll and obvious air quotes. On the whole, it does not test whether we remember topics […]

Major Changes at the ACT: Retaking Individual Sections, Online Testing, and Superscoring

Posted by: admin on October 8th, 2019

Originally published October 8, 2019 NOTE! ACT Changes have been postponed since this blog was posted. The ACT has just announced that beginning in September 2020, students will have more options about how they take the ACT exam. These include three fairly important changes: 1.       Students will be able to retake specific […]

College Applications: It’s All in the Details

Posted by: admin on September 5th, 2019

College applications are work, plain and simple, no doubt about it. You’ve got to fill in the form details on top of writing all those essays and getting letters of recommendation. You have to manage deadlines and document your activities. Almost all students are aware of these requirements, but what often gets overlooked — whether […]

Stay Confident, Avoid Distraction, and Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Posted by: admin on September 5th, 2019

Ah, the sound of silence. The unnatural quiet of senior year when, come fall, the college application process kicks into full gear. You and your friends stop talking about college plans and begin creating and submitting applications. The public discussion of college lists and top choices have now turned private, and most students hold their […]

The Latest Trends in College Admissions

Posted by: admin on September 4th, 2019

PrepMatters has just released the 2019-2020 edition of its Top Colleges Requirements Chart. Having prepared and presented it for a decade or so, it would be easy to look at it and think it’s the “same old, same old” – but not so. Although the columns have remained largely the same, it nonetheless bears witness to […]

Understanding the Common Application, the Coalition Application, and Other Options.

Posted by: admin on August 26th, 2019

Senior Year is nearly here, and you are feeling ready! You’ve spent time researching colleges, building a balanced list, and imagining brilliant essay ideas. It is time to move your college process from the theoretical to the actual. It is time … for APPLICATIONS. (For information on the 2021-2022 application cycle and the COVID-19 pandemic, […]

Toni Morrison and the Perfect College Essay

Posted by: admin on August 12th, 2019

(Originally published August 12, 2019) How one of America’s bravest voices teaches us to nail the dreaded personal statement  “I’m a believer in the power of knowledge and the ferocity of beauty, so from my point of view, your life is already artful – waiting, just waiting, for you to make it art,” Toni Morrison, […]