By admin
In June 2009, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling published the result of a survey. Here is a summary:
‘
“High School Survey
- Nearly three-fourths of high schools reported an increase in the number of students foregoing their “dream schools” in favor of more affordable options
- Overall, around one-third of all high schools reported budget cuts in the 2008-09 school year
- Nearly 60 percent of respondents indicated an increase in the number of students planning to enroll in public versus private colleges in Fall 2009
College Survey
- A majority of institutions reported increases for each of the following: inquiries (62 percent); total applications (62 percent); Early Decision applications (51 percent); Early Action applications (68 percent).
- Forty-five percent of respondents reported a decrease in their 2009 May 1 yield rates as compared to 2008
- About 35 percent of postsecondary institutions experienced budget cuts and 15 percent experienced staff cuts to the admission department during the 2008-09 academic year”
What will be interesting to me is what happens this year. Last year, lots of people has college plans in place by the time the market tumbled. This year, people are applying to colleges in a recession (though Bernanke has said we’re at the end of the recession, the recovery hasn’t yet picked up). I expect more Dallas students will be applying to state schools and will think longer and harder about full scholarships at schools they might not have thought about in flusher times. In either of these scenarios, test scores are going to matter. Higher test scores can help students get better scholarships, and if state schools do have an increase in applicants, well, the higher your test score, the better.
What I don’t know is if, conversely, it will be a smidge easier to get into upper tier private, expensive schools. Will they see a dropoff in applications overall? Will they see an increase in applications from students who really really want to go there — in other words, will students who once might have considered sending out twenty applications now reign themselves in to more affordable schools and the one expensive school they desperately want to attend?
I’ve talked with a lot of people and no one is sure what is going to happen. I’ll be very interested to see how this application cycle turns out…
By admin
From an article in the New Yorker, by Malcolm Gladwell:
“Eric Hanushek, an economist at Stanford, estimates that the students of a very bad teacher will learn, on average, half a year’s worth of material in one school year. The students in the class of a very good teacher will learn a year and a half’s worth of material. That difference amounts to a year’s worth of learning in a single year. Teacher effects dwarf school effects: your child is actually better off in a “bad” school with an excellent teacher than in an excellent school with a bad teacher. Teacher effects are also much stronger than class-size effects. You’d have to cut the average class almost in half to get the same boost that you’d get if you switched from an average teacher to a teacher in the eighty-fifth percentile.”
There are other factors that affect student learning, of course. But a good teacher can make a big difference. An enormous difference, as most folks know. Which is why I tell parents who ask about me as a tutor about my nominations for teaching awards from students and parents. Having an exceptional tutor doesn’t guarantee you a score on the SAT or ACT or ISEE. But it does make it much more likely that you’ll get the score that you want, given that a great tutor helps you learn more and learn it faster.
By admin
“The potential benefits of test preparation are clear,” according to a new study from the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Even a gain as small as ten points on the SAT can significantly impact an admissions decision at some schools, especially if you’re applying to a selective school.
The study also found that 21% of the schools admitted to having an SAT cutoff score and 24% had an ACT cutoff score — as in, ‘If you don’t get X on the test, you won’t get in, no matter what your grades are.’
It’s worth noting that both the College Board and the ACT folks encourage colleges to use the tests as part of a more holistic admissions process — and that the researchers seemed surprised by many of the results of the study. (The cutoff score information was a surprise to me.)
To read the whole study, click here.
By admin
I was reading the Wall Street Journal and came across a list of schools with no tuition. Some schools require you to work — at the all-male Deep Springs, for example, some students work as ranch hands as well as study intensively.
And the schools are:
Deep Springs College
College of the Ozarks
Berea College
Olin College of Engineering
Cooper Union
Curtis Institute of Music
Alice Lloyd College
Additionally, Cooper Union in Manhattan has an endowment that has done remarkably well, despite the current economic crisis.
By admin
The revisions are complete. Welcome to the new Test Prep Texas website! I’ll be posting here every other Monday morning, so check back for details on the latest news about tests, scores, and scholarships.
For example, the Irene S. Wischer foundation offers up to $10,000 a year to Texas students who demonstrate financial need, with a preference for students who are Christians. The scholarship is brand-new, having just awarded its very first scholarships at the end of May. For more information about it, click here.
By moiramuldoon
This website/blog is in the process of being redesigned. The new version should be live by June 15. In the meantime, feel free to browse old entries and to contact me at moiramuldoon@gmail.com.
By moiramuldoon
The percentage of colleges that say testing is very important has grown by more than ten percent since 1995 (Inside Higher Ed). Recent studies show that an excellent teacher can triple the amount of material taught, putting students ahead of the curve.
One-on-one tutoring – with its focus on individual student needs — is the most effective way to prepare for the PSAT, ACT, and SAT. Test Prep Texas offers in-home tutoring for these tests with extraordinary teachers.
The SAT and ACT are becoming more important to college admissions. College education is key to lifetime success. Getting your student the best scores for the best college is our goal.
By moiramuldoon
This page links back to each of the Essay Writing Tip blogs I’ve posted. I’ll be adding to this page each time I post a new tip.
Writing Tip: The Most Important Word in an Essay
Writing Tip: Apples to Apples: What Smart Students Usually Miss
Writing Tip: Dangling Modifiers Cost You Points
Writing Tip: Active vs. Passive (definition)
By moiramuldoon
This page links back to each of the Critical Reading Tip blogs I’ve posted. I’ll be adding to this page each time I post a new tip.
Easy Reading Tip: Asking the right questions
By moiramuldoon
This page links back to each of the Math Tip blogs I’ve posted. I’ll be adding to this page each time I post a new tip.
Easy Math Tip: Use all the information
Easy Math Tip: Use the formula