Do early birds really have an edge in admissions?  The answer is often yes!  The purpose of submitting an application to a college early is to indicate your top preference for that college or a small group of colleges.  Colleges appreciate knowing you are likely to enroll if admitted. With Early Action and Early Decision, you hear sooner whether you’ve been accepted to your “dream” school” and there is often a significant admission advantage to applying early.   

What is the difference between the three early application types? 

• Early Action is a plan offered by colleges allowing students to apply early and receive an admissions decision earlier than the regular decision dates. Early Action is typically non-binding (i.e. you are not required to enroll if you are accepted) and you may submit early action applications to more than one school. You can apply regular admissions to any other colleges. 

• ...

What should you be prepared for on the PSAT? 

1. Guessing allowed.  Remember, no deductions are made for incorrect answers on the PSAT.  So – guess away! 
2. Prepare to read for content. PSAT uses long reading passages, with questions based on content not vocabulary. Be ready to read and understand the passages. 
3. The PSAT scoring is the same as the SAT- almost. The PSAT scale ranges from 160-760 for each section: 320-1520 total for 2 sections. The SAT score range is 200-800 per section. 
4. Prepare for a long test!  The test is 2 hours 45 minutes.  
5. Remember your formulas and history. Don’t be surprised to find questions about science or the founding fathers. PSAT test questions are evidence based. 
6. Scores, scores and more scores.  The PSAT has multiple ways to look at what you were tested on and how you fared on the test.  Go over test scores with your school counselor. 

Practice Made Easy...

Start your college search with Google

It’s September – time to finalize your college essays. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts to guide you.

College Essay General Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

1. Do be concise and write about something you know about.
2. Do be open and authentic. Reveal something about your identity in your essay.
3. Do show rather than tell. Giving examples and illustrating your topic brings it to life.
4. Do write in your own “voice” and style.
5. Do have multiple people help you edit your essay for grammar, spelling, and context (parents, friends, your counselor, etc.).

Don’ts

1. Don’t write what you think others want to read.
2. Don’t exaggerate or write to impress.
3. Don’t use a flowery, inflated, or pretentious style of writing.
4. Don’t ramble—say what you have to say and conclude. 

Your college essay, along with your high school record, standardized test scores, and extracurricular involvement, will provide the basis upon which the...

The essay portion of the SAT and the Writing section of the ACT are both optional.  At press time, according to the Princeton Review, only 15 colleges require the SAT Essay and only 17 colleges require the ACT Writing section.  Just a note – ALL of the University of California System schools require the SAT Essay.   However, the odds are that if you are applying to colleges outside of California, it’s unlikely that they require the essay.   

There are additional schools that recommend submitting the SAT Essay or the ACT Writing – and some schools do use this part of the test for placement purposes or other consideration.  Therefore, it’s important to check with each school regarding their standardized test policies.  You don’t want to find yourself shut out of applying to a school or being considered for a scholarship that requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing.  

But if you do...

Sports, clubs, academic competitions, music, work, social activism? Colleges care about how you spend your time outside of class. Here are 3 steps to the Ultimate Activities List.

Write down ALL the activities you have been involved in during high school. As your get this information down, include:

• Name of the organization or activity you were involved in. Don’t use abbreviations. The reader may not know what ASB or DECA is.
• A description of the activity or organization. What is the focus of the activity or organization?
• All activities. Don’t forget about other groups or organizations you belong to outside of school. Youth groups, club or recreational sports, work, performing arts, talents (such as music) or hobbies count too.
• Grade level(s) participated in. Include whether you did an activity 1 year or all 4 years.
• Occasional activities. Doing a food drive once a year counts. Include those once or twice activities.

Add the DETAILS. Be sure to go back and include this...

It’s all about you! 

The wait is over! AP tests come out this week. Scores come out by physical location. View the date and location schedule, and your scores, on the College Board schedule.

What is the AP exam score scale?

There is no “pass” or “fail” on the AP tests.  It’s important to understand the definitions of the AP scores.

5 = extremely well qualified | Many universities award college credit

4 = well qualified  | Some universities award college credit

3 = qualified   | Some universities award college credit

2 = possibly qualified   | No college credit awarded

1 = no recommendation   | No college credit awarded

What if I have other scores?

Go to www.apscore.org to view scores on tests you took in previous years.

What if I have other questions about my AP test scores?

Check out the College Board’s AP Student Top Questions page for answers to viewing and sending scores to...

Standardized testing can be daunting!  Follow these tips to reduce your stress and help you do best on your tests.

1.         3 Times is Enough

Plan to take the SAT/ACT no more than 3 times each. You should be done testing by fall of your senior year.

2.         Try both the SAT and ACT

Take a diagnostic test or take the official ACT/SAT tests to see which one you prefer and/or do best on.

3.         Start to Study Immediately

Don’t waste one of your tries before you’ve even cracked open your prep book.  Know what to expect on the test and be familiar with the format.

Practice test taking strategies. Practice your weaknesses. Don’t waste time practicing your strengths.

4.         Pick One Test and Stick to It

Take a diagnostic test to...

Graduation completed? Check!
Dorm room selected? Check!
ATM card for college! What? Get an ATM card?

Before you leave for college, you need to learn how to handle money. Here are 6 tips for you to consider as you prepare to go off to college in the fall.

• Open a bank account NOW and get an ATM card (if you don’t already have one). Make it a joint account (you and a parent.) That way you can get money quickly if you need it when away from home (in college).
• Learn how to check your bank balance from your phone. It is a good practice to check your bank balance before you get gas or stop by Starbucks, to be sure you have money in the bank for your purchase.
• Learn how to deposit checks. New technology allows you to deposit checks right from your phone. Great for those graduation checks you will receive.
• Create a budget. It is essential to have a spending plan. Know how much money you will have each month from your financial aid or from parents. With your parents, create a realistic...