Mark Greenstein
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On the Blog Post Reducing SAT Anxiety and Stress
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On the Blog Post SAT Anxiety and Reducing it - January 2013
Mark Greenstein
12:49 pm on Monday, February 4, 2013
Proud Liberal is right. Many guidance counselors dislike national standards; many teachers don't like to see the SAT potentially distracting from a student's academics. So schools downplay what they KNOW is important so kids (for a short time) feel good, and so the counselors and teachers can keep their agendas.
Rightly or wrongly, the SAT score is an important number, parents and student who recognize this will in the end be LESS stressed.
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On the Blog Post Why an Education Consortium is Brilliant
Mark Greenstein
12:30 pm on Monday, December 3, 2012
ReplyThe Consortium that I speak of is one of the more "private-enterprise" elements that public schools do. A smart Consortium enlists good private offerings for the benefit of its students. So until your area districts are prepared to do away with public schools, the Consortium is actually a smart way to give students high quality at a low price.
There is little "bloat" and though Superintendents need to approve, the Consortium takes its cues from parents directly. It even can specify the teachers it wants to enlis. The Consortium need not pay for pensions, medical leave, or high salaries of mediocre-yet-tenured teachers. That's how education should be.
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On the Blog Post For Parents On "Unrealistic College Expectations", by Mark Greenstein
Mark Greenstein
4:54 pm on Monday, November 19, 2012
ReplyI've lived in Philly and Ivy Bound has tutors throughout Eastern PA.
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On the Blog Post For Parents On "Unrealistic College Expectations", by Mark Greenstein
Mark Greenstein
7:51 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Hello Crestor --
There is a wide gulf between "can get into", and "likely to get into". A Top 20 Undergrad school is a much MORE LIKELY feeder to a top grad school than is a not-well-ranked undergrad school.
There is not a single law school or med school admissions committee that would hold a student with a B+ GPA at an Ivy League school on a same par as a similar student with a B+ GPA at a mid-tier state college.
A great GMAT score helps overcome the lower college ranking, but not everyone is destined for a 700+ GMAT score. If you can afford to attend a Top 20 school and get in, it usually makes sense to attend.
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On the Blog Post For Parents On "unrealistic college expectations"
Mark Greenstein
5:41 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
@ Cherly Boston: Thank you for the clarity on SAT prep benefits.
I like to go further: a good SAT course will do all that you said AND add test-taking and time management skills. These help on the SAT, and on standardized tests throughout a student's college "career".
A REALLY good SAT course furthermore adds CONTENT. There are many things tested on the SAT that students DON'T get in high school classes. They take unprepared SAT students by surprise. Student who take a really good course work on SAT vocabulary, SAT grammar, intricate SAT reading, SAT essays, and the "wierd math" that shows up on every SAT. They know how to do battle with these questions, and usually gain a resourcefulness to succeed even on questions that still come "out of the blue".
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On the Blog Post For Parents On "unrealistic college expectations"
Mark Greenstein
5:35 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
Actually, for kids in city schools, the SAT is what propels admissions to UConn and other state universities the most. UConn craves urban kids whom they know can do the work once they arrive on campus. Apply with a good transcript (even from a weak high school) and with really good SAT scores, your application is likely to be FAVORED.
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On the Blog Post For Parents on "Unrealistic College Expectations"
Mark Greenstein
4:38 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
We also commented on "Gap Years", which make college more affordable, and often better for post-college earnings.
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On the Blog Post Why PSAT Scores Have Become Almost Useless!
Mark Greenstein
11:07 am on Saturday, October 27, 2012
Dave, this is to INFORM. Yes, if informed familes align with Ivy Bound's service, I hope they'll call. Please don't disparage information/opinion that nobody else is complaining about! We don't steer, other that to say that test prep is generally wise. Our site, www.IvyBound.net, has more informative articles and less hype than any other SAT Prep site I've viewed.
Please notice that my article downplaying PSAT scores has a "DON'T enlist for PSAT Prep" message.And along the lines of informing...the 40 - 70 day delay IS costly. No student should be waiting until the spring for her or his first SAT. The target should be 11th grade fall or winter at latest! Kids who learn PSAT results in December can't realistically do a bang-up job for the January SAT and are hard-pressed to do decent prep in time for even the March SAT. Unless a student comes in with a VERY strong vocabulary, the word absorption typically takes 3 - 5 months. Please see other articles I have written about why early SAT testing is superior.
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On the Blog Post Why PSAT Scores Have Become Almost Useless!
Mark Greenstein
7:56 am on Tuesday, October 23, 2012
ReplyHi Jean --
I agree with your point about National Merit. For the few students with a realistic shot at landing National Merit Finalist awards, I do urge PSAT study.
Note that for my firm, PSAT Study concides with SAT study, so there's no need for a separate course.
My point was (and is) that the SCORES are almost useless because as a practice test, practice SATs if not the REAL SAT gives students a better snapshot.
Mark Greenstein
11:00 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Linda is right. SAT Prep is not a "crash course" that you can expect to do well in just 2 or 3 weeks. We like 3 - 4 months advance prep time, and even more if a child begins with a mediocre vocabulary.
The prep time WILL go faster and the results will almost always be better when a student has a tutor. Yes, that's a trade-off of money for time, and money for satisfaction. But for most families the money comes back many-fold, in merit-based scholarships. Schoilarship money available from colleges based largely on SAT scores routinely runs $20,000 over 4 years, and can run to over $100,000.