What sort of testing schedule will provide the most comfort for the current junior who plans to apply either Early Decision (“ED”) or Early Action (“EA”)?   (more…)

This spring, The College Board (“TCB”) unveiled its new Score Choice program, which TCB claims will help students to be less stressed when taking the SAT.  I was reading some of the predictable outrage about standardized tests when I came across a page on the College Board web site (which has since been removed) that mollified college admissions people by assuring them that even if a student opts for Score Choice the college still can request a copy of all of the student’s scores, which suggests that any Score Choice may remain the college’s.  (more…)

I often field questions about Maine Prep’s average SAT score increases and whether we offer any guarantees. In this entry, I’d like to share a little insight into such statistics and guarantees. Certainly, since no company that I know of follows up with every single former student, any company’s claimed “average score increase” should impress only those who are convinced that most sugar-based breakfast cereals (“part of a nutritious breakfast!!”) are chock full of vitamins and iron.  (more…)

Aside from fear of math, the hardest shortcoming to overcome when preparing for a standardized test is a weak vocabulary.  If you’re an adult, it’s good to examine your present vocabulary and consider how much of it you knew when you were 17.  In my case, most of the polysyllabic words with which I’m now familiar I hadn’t used even once at that age.  Let’s face it, learning vocabulary is a sedimentary process.  Words wash in, and if we use them regularly they bond with the words we already know.  When they’re not used, they wash away again. (more…)