Proven Strategies to Score High on the SAT Exam

It’s not a secret as to what’s on the SAT.  In fact, several actual SAT exams, that were administered over the past two years, are available online at Khan Academy and in print in The Official SAT Study Guide by The College Board. So the most basic strategy for acing the SAT is to become thoroughly familiar with the test material ahead of time.  By taking prior exams, and learning how to correctly answer past questions, students will be well on their way to earning an impressive score on the day of their real test.

Students should also know, and understand, the directions for each test section in advance so they can use all of the allotted time to earn points rather than to figure out what they need to do.  This is particularly important for the open-ended math questions where students have to solve problems and then correctly bubble in their answers. Students need to know, for example, that if their answer is one-and-a-half they need to record their answer as 3/2 or 1.5. If they bubble in 11/2 the computer will read it as eleven halves and they will not get credit.

Five Strategies to Save Thousands on College

When talking about college debt, the statistics are never encouraging. In fact, the story gets sadder each year.  The average recent college graduate has amassed a debt exceeding $35,000 and joins the ranks of 44 million borrowers who collectively owe $1.3 trillion in education debt. The key is to avoid being a part of this grim statistic by considering some highly effective strategies.

1) When choosing potential colleges, high school students should consider a wide range of schools.  Students will find that if they apply to a college that is a tier below the level of school to which they could likely get accepted, the scholarship money will almost certainly be much greater.  Students planning to major in business, for example, often seek to gain acceptance to NYU’s Stern School of Business where the cost hovers around $70,000 a year for tuition, fees, room and board. These same students could reasonably expect to be welcomed at St. John’s University in New York, St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, and a host of other institutions with impressive business schools, substantially lower costs of attendance, and generous merit money (to attract strong students) which does not get paid back.

Top Tips for Spring Break College Tours

Spring break offers a unique opportunity. It’s one of the few times during the school year when college classes are in session while high school classes are not.  Typically, colleges schedule their spring break in early March while high schools hold theirs in late March to early April.  This provides the ideal opportunity for high school students to visit campuses while college life is in full swing.

If parents are available during a student’s spring break, it’s the perfect time for a road trip to visit out-of-state colleges.  The vast majority of students attend college within five hours of home, so the destination does not need to be a far off locale.  If a student dreams of attending a big city school, then a tour of colleges in the Boston or Washington D.C. areas may prove fruitful.  If a student prefers a suburban or rural environment, then a drive through Pennsylvania offers an option of touring close to 100 different colleges and universities. 

A US President’s Travel Program for Students

There are limitless ways for students to become immersed in the multitude of cultures around the world.  One of the most impressive programs, that targets middle and high school students and has withstood the “test of time,” is People to People.President Dwight Eisenhower created People to People in 1956 to provide young people with opportunities to become immersed in other cultures in the hopes that their experiences would lead to a new generation of globally minded citizens. A key part of most People to People trips is the “homestay” during which time students get to live with host families and experience day to day living in a culture that is vastly different than their own. Students also typically get to meet with government officials and discuss the different political climates and issues between their countries. An additional perk is that they gain access to some sites that are not typically available to the public.