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...
Virtual Learning- It Just Got Real!
As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps through the nation, the disruption and chaos it has caused can be felt in every facet of our lives. Requirements of social distancing have wreaked havoc on the public school system, resulting in school closures for at least a month....
What Does It Mean to Be Waitlisted?
When college decision emails start rolling in, the anticipation of being accepted or denied admission can feel overwhelming. The response in this email could determine where you spend the next four or five years. But what if the response is “waitlisted"? How long will...
College Campus Resources
Living on a college campus is a unique and exciting experience. After the college years, you won’t have the opportunity to live in a building with hundreds of other students your age or enjoy lunches and dinners you don't have to cook. While the dorms and dining hall...
Test Taking Tips
If there is one thing students are familiar with, it’s exams. All kinds of exams; the ones with multiple choice answers, true/false questions, an essay or two, and yes... even math exams! While it's important to understand subject content, it is also helpful to apply...
The Benefits of Community College
Update: This post was originally written February 2020. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted families and education across the world. With continued uncertainty of how colleges will adhere to CDC guidelines in the fall of 2021, community college is a stable...
Should I Take the ACT or SAT?
One of the questions we are asked most frequently is “should I take the ACT”? I always tell juniors that they should try both the SAT and the ACT. Even if you do not take an official test, you should at least take a practice test of each to get an idea of the...
Opportunity Knocks: Choosing Career Paths, Part 2
Years ago, employees prepared for one career with one company and retired after 30 years of working for that company. Today, there are no guarantees when it comes to a job, no promises that you will be employed with a company until you’re ready to move on. The more...
The Sky’s the Limit: Self-Assessment and Career Exploration, Part 1
It's never too early to daydream about your future career. Remember in elementary school when you sported a white doctor’s coat with a stethoscope and pretended to treat patients or taught your favorite subject to a group of imaginary students? In middle school you...
SAT/ACT Grammar Rules
The writing section of the SAT or English section of the ACT both require a strong understanding of grammar and usage rules. On the SAT, the Standard English Conventions questions test students on grammar to include verbs, punctuation (comma, colon, apostrophe, etc.),...
The Remedy for Senioritis
There’s a disease called senioritis, and we hear it’s contagious. It usually peaks around February of senior year, after early decision acceptance letters have been opened and college plans confirmed. Symptoms include a lack of motivation, decreased attention to...