Blog
The 123s of College Admissions During COVID
The below interview was conducted in the fall of 2020 but the information/advice continues to be relevant during the 2021 college admissions season. For seniors (class of 2022), the advice remains the same. If you have an SAT/ACT score that falls in the average or...
Back to School—Avoiding the Homework Battle
It’s that time of year again—changing leaves and cooler weather are on the horizon and our news feeds are filled with smiling children toting backpacks for the first time. While this seems like a beautiful scene, it often quickly devolves into the dreaded “homework...
Virtual Field Trips & Online Educational Activities
Museums, historical sites, art galleries, and zoos offer excellent opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Ideal for kinesthetic learners, these types of field trips allow for plenty of movement while engaging all the senses. If you're unable to visit these...
How About Grad School?
After four years of grueling undergraduate schoolwork, you might not want to see another textbook anytime soon. Dream job, here you come! But if the thought of job hunting right after college graduation does not appeal to you, graduate school may be the way to go....
The Benefits of a Summer Job
On the last day of school, you can hear a collective cheer from students across the country. Two months of no homework, tests, or projects has finally arrived. For the high school student, a productive way to spend your time over the summer may be working at a job or...
Understanding Your ACT Score Report
The ACT score report provides detailed information to help you better understand your strengths and weaknesses in terms of ACT content. It’s worth taking the time to review your score report in detail before deciding if you should retake the ACT because your scores...
Making the Most of Hybrid Learning
Seven months into the 2020-2021 school year, hybrid learning is now available for public school students across Virginia. Many students are excited about this opportunity to learn in the classroom, if only two days a week. Others, unsure of how the hybrid learning...
Back to School COVID-Style
For many middle and high school students, these next few weeks mark the start of in-person instruction. After almost a year of virtual school, going "back" to the classroom just might be the most exciting time of the year. But before the excitement of socialization...
Changes to the SAT
College Board has announced the elimination of the optional essay section on the SAT and all SAT II Subject Tests in an effort to reduce and simplify academic demands on students. Subject tests will no longer be offered to U.S. students and the essay section will not...
Staying Connected During COVID
The year 2020 has brought many changes for high school students, from virtual learning to social distancing. While virtual learning has been successful for some and challenging for others, social distancing has been a struggle for almost all high schoolers. Months of...
Top Three Concerns with Educational Testing
She's just lazy. He's not motivated. School is not her thing. These labels and perceptions can not only hurt, they can be 100% inaccurate. Students with undiagnosed learning disabilities may appear to be slacking off when their brains are simply unable to process...
Back to School: Making the Most of Virtual Learning
Update: Current return to school schedules can be found on the Fairfax County Public Schools website, Prince William County Public Schools website, Loudoun County Public Schools website, and Arlington County Public Schools website. The start of this school year will...
SAT Prep for High School Freshmen and Sophomores
Prepping for the SAT or ACT two to three months before the test date can feel a little overwhelming. That's why parents ask us all the time how their students can get a jumpstart on test prep freshman and sophomore years of high school. There are certainly ways to...
Planning for Success: Setting Career Goals, Part 4
The difference between a senior in high school considering a major for the first time and a middle school student setting career goals is the process in which they make the decision. If you have not thought much about your future before heading off to college, you...
It’s Time to Apply for College… is it Smart to Apply Early?
Regular admissions, rolling admissions, early decision, early action… all of these terms refer to college application deadlines. Unfamiliar with the college lingo? Take a few moments to read our previous blog post and learn all about each deadline option. Then, read...
Community Service During COVID-19
Community service is noticeably different now with many organizations and non-profits closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn't mean you can't still serve the community. It just requires a little time and creativity. Beyond the desire to serve others...
Plan A, B, and C: Comparing and Ranking Career Choices, Part 3
On average, Americans change jobs 12 times during their lifetimes and work less than five years in one job.* Since you will most likely work in more than one field throughout your career, it's important to prepare for more than one job. When creating a career plan...
Changes to College Admissions After COVID-19
Never in our lifetime have schools closed on a global level because of a viral pandemic. Students have experienced many unexpected changes this year, from schools closing three months early to the administration of AP exams at home instead of in the classroom and the...
The Benefits of Online Tutoring
I admit that, when it comes to tutoring, I am old school. I like meeting with a student face-to-face, sitting down at the kitchen table or grabbing a latte at a local coffee shop with a ten pound pile of books. Prior to COVID-19, online tutoring felt more like a...
Learning Outside the Classroom
With the closure of Virginia schools from mid-March to August due to the coronavirus pandemic, students will have five months off from in-person classroom instruction. The structure and support schools provide students will be sorely missed, and the risk of falling...