What to Do When You Get 'Deferred'

Receiving a “defer” decision from your top choice college or university as an early decision (ED) applicant can be a very discouraging, frustrating, and confusing experience.  There are two primary reasons why a candidate is deferred:

1) The admissions committee wants to see how the applicant fares relative to the regular decision applicant pool.

2) There is a gap in knowledge about the student’s scholastic performance or personal qualities.

While the final admission decision is out of an applicant’s control (and hopefully this relieves student/family anxiety in some way), there are strategies that students can use to stand out after receiving a deferral decision *:

1) Students--Send an email to thank the admissions officer for their thoughtful consideration of your application; reiterate that the college or university where you applied ED continues to be your top choice. Ask for 5 minutes of the admission officer’s time to discuss your application so that you can find out if there is particular information (e.g. grades, recommendations) that would help the committee to better understand you as a candidate. Even if you are unable to reach an admissions officer directly, make sure to submit updated materials such as grades, standardized test scores, and new recommendation letters (where appropriate).

2) Students--Ask your high school-based college counselor if he/she is willing to reach out to the admissions office to find out if there are particular materials you can submit to make a more compelling case for admission.

3) Parents--Be mindful that your student, and his/her college counselor where possible, needs to be front and center in following up with admissions officers. It is understandable for parents to want to “do something” during this tumultuous time, but the best thing that parents can do is to allow their students to take the lead.

Please know that admissions officers do consider the needs of students and their families during the process.  Nonetheless, students and families sometimes need additional college application support that a college or university cannot provide.

Questions? Contact Dr. Aviva Hirschfeld Legatt, College Admissions Consultant, at vivedconsulting@gmail.com or 215-595-4926.

*Thank you to numerous colleagues for input on these strategies. 

Major Changes Coming To 2016 SAT

Set to debut in spring 2016, the new SAT is a reaction to the increasing popularity of the ACT. 

The College Board's SAT has been losing market share as a college admissions test. The redesigned SAT will be better aligned to specific learning standards in order to compete both as a college admissions exam and as a state assessment test. The ACT has assessment contracts with 13 states, while the SAT has just two. 

Among the important changes are: 
1) Reading, Writing, and Language Tests that require students to cite evidence for their answers, analyze writing, and discern definitions from context;
2) A Math Test that emphasizes algebra, de-emphasizes geometry, and puts more questions in a real-world context; and 
3) Questions and content that better reflect the work that students undertake in the best high school courses.  

Other changes include a return to the 1600 point scale, an overhaul of the essay section (including making it optional), the addition of a no-calculator math section, and no penalty for wrong answers.   

Early SAT/ACT Test Prep Starts With Reading

Students with good reading comprehension, subject knowledge and problem-solving skills are on the right track for higher SAT and ACT scores.

Both exams require strong reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. It's important to read books, magazines and newspapers in addition to required texts. Students who take a rigorous course of study are also more likely to score high. 

Both tests have questions about literature. Both also require algebra and geometry. The SAT requires knowledge of statistics and probability, while the ACT requires trigonometry and has a science section. It's also important to know how to take tests: how to pace yourself, when to guess, how to avoid making careless mistakes. 

Key Academics friends and family are entitled to FREE individualized one-hour SAT or ACT strategy sessions. Students learn about time management, test structure, educated guessing, active reading, and reducing test anxiety. Call 610-940-1625 or emailinfo@keyacademics.com to schedule your free strategy session.

What Essays Thrill Elite Schools? These Teens Will Show You

I recently read a fascinating article in Forbes concerning the college admittance essay. 
It begins....
Mindy Zou wrote about a turbulent visit to China. Nicolae Sapoval recounted a grisly secret of the ancient Greeks. And Rebecca Tian shared the story of how she overcame depression. All three turned their college-application essays into a spot at an elite U.S. school. Their teen successes weren’t just a personal thrill; the winning essays have now become the fuel inside a fascinating new start-up, AdmitSee. 
Continue reading...http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2014/12/01/what-essays-thrill-elite-schools-these-teens-will-show-you/

The College Financial Aid Game

"The College Financial Aid Game" is being featured by The Whitemarsh Business Association. Michael Grossman,
CFP, author of the “The College Financial Aid Maze,” will be the presenter for this event:

William Jeanes Memorial Library
Nicholas and Athena Karabots Center for Learning…..
Community Room
4051 Joshua Road, Lafayette Hill, Pa. 19444

December 4th @ 6 P.M. – 8 P.M
This seminar will help parents of college bound high school students understand the complex and time consuming process called “The Financial Aid System.”

Please RSVP to the Whitemarsh Business Association Phone: 484-362-7414 or Email: WBA.FBA.INFO@GMAIL.COM

Ten Tips For Improving Teens' Writing

Here are 10 ideas for parents who want to help their middle grade and older students with writing. 

1. Know the assignment. Without fully understanding the details of their homework, it can be hard for kids to start writing. 
2. Plan ahead. Ask your child to list examples that support the thesis or main points.
3. Gather the facts. Strong evidence makes a paper that much better. 
4. Get organized. Review the sequence of ideas in each paragraph.  
5. Lend a hand. Listen and figure out what she's trying to say. Ask how you can help.
6. Read it out loud. By reading aloud what they've written, students are more likely to notice any obvious mistakes. 
7. Start with the strengths. Look for concrete details, clear sentences, and vivid words, and offer encouragement. 
8. Ask for more information. Ask questions to understand what your child is trying to say.
9. Ignore grammar in rough drafts. In the final draft, encourage your child to edit his own work.
10. Respect your child as a writer. What to revise, and how to revise it, should be your child's decision, not yours. 
For more help with writing at all grade levels, please call 610-940-1625. Located in Plymouth Meeting, Key Academics provides in-home academic tutoring and test preparation throughout the Delaware Valley.

Time Of Change For College Application Testing

It's a time of change for college application testing. Students taking the ACT in Fall 2015 will need to prepare for a more complex essay and some alterations to the Reading and Mathematics tests. These changes will be minor compared to the College Board's plans for an extensive redesign of the SAT in 2016. 

Here are the basics regarding the Fall 2015 ACT: 

Students taking the optional essay will encounter a more complex writing prompt that requires them to evaluate multiple perspectives on a complex issue and generate their own analysis based on reasoning, knowledge, and experience.
Writing test scoring will be updated to include subscores in four areas: ideas and analysis, development and support, organization, and language use.
The Reading test will introduce a new question type, asking students to compare information from paired passages, similar to the SAT.
The Mathematics section will see a slight increase in statistics and probability.
New supplemental scores in STEM (short for science, technology, engineering and math), Language Arts, Career Readiness and Text Complexity align to the Common Core standards. The ACT's traditional 1-36 composite score will not change; these new scores will be provided in addition to the current provided scores.

ACT Changes Scoring And Essay To Provide More Insight

     Starting in 2015, students who take the ACT will face a more complex essay question and will receive new scores for English language arts and the combined fields of science and mathematics.
      The ACT exam will retain its total scoring scale of 1 to 36 and its format of assessing achievement in English, math, reading and science, with an optional essay.
     The new indicators will provide more insight by assessing student performance and predicted readiness levels in STEM areas (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), career readiness, English language arts and text complexity.
     The current ACT essay prompt states an issue -- for example, community curfews for high school students -- gives two points of view and asks students to take a position and support it with specifics. The new version will ask students to evaluate multiple perspectives on a complex issue and generate their own analysis based on reasoning, knowledge and experience, the organization announced in June.
       The ACT is evolving as its rival the SAT college admissions test also undergoes a major redesign that will debut in 2016. Among the SAT changes announced earlier this year are a sharper focus on critical-thinking, an emphasis on real-world problems, a new scoring system, and an overhaul of its essay section.
     All in all, the SAT will remain a test of aptitude, whereas the ACT is more a test of achievement. Neither is more difficult or legitimate, but some students may be better-suited for one or the other.
     For information about in-home tutoring for the SAT/ACT, SAT Subject Tests, AP Tests, and academic subjects, please call Key Academics at 610-940-1625 or visit www.keyacademics.com.

ACT To Report New Scores In 2015

     Starting in 2015, students who take the ACT will face a more complex essay question and will receive new scores for English language arts and the combined fields of science and mathematics.
     The ACT will retain its total scoring scale of 1 to 36 and its format of assessing achievement in English, math, reading and science, with an optional essay.
The new indicators will describe student performance and predicted readiness levels in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), career readiness, English language arts and text complexity.
     The current ACT essay prompt states an issue — for example, high school dress codes — gives two points of view and asks students to take a position and support it with specifics. The new version will ask students to “evaluate multiple perspectives on a complex issue and generate their own analysis based on reasoning, knowledge and experience,” the organization announced in June.
     The ACT is evolving as the rival SAT admissions test undergoes a major redesign that will debut in 2016. Key Academics’ ACT and SAT materials are constantly revised and  improved to keep up with the latest changes to the SAT and ACT exams.

Good Grades Result When You Know How To Study

Homework time is a lot more fun for students who know the best techniques for learning. Here are 10 tips for getting good grades.

1. Know why and what you are studying, with defined goals.
2. Approach study feeling confident.
3. Work for understanding, not just to get by or for grades.
4. Memorize using mnemonic devices and as many senses as possible.
5. Employ the best physical conditions for effective study, like desk, chair and lighting.
6. Do a skim first to get an overview and make study more efficient.
7. Study in detail notes taken during class, highlighting with different colors to prioritize information.
8. Do the most difficult subjects first when you are fresh. Save the easy ones for dessert.
9. Review and recheck as a finishing touch.
10. Take regular breaks (45 min study + 5 min break for social media, healthy snack.)

Summer Tips For College Search And Admissions

Summer is a great time to get a jump on the college search and applications process. Here's a helpful checklist to get students started.

Rising Seniors

• Start writing your college essay. Don't leave it for the last minute. Brainstorm ideas about your experiences and accomplishments, and make an outline. If you are struggling with the essay, try a different prompt. The essay should reveal your strengths and talents, along with your writing ability.
• Evaluate your testing plan. Do any of the colleges you are considering require subject tests? Summer is also a great opportunity to prepare to retake the SAT or ACT before submitting your applications in the fall, even if you are considering early admission (check with your target colleges). 
• Visit colleges and universities. Take campus tours and attend college information sessions. Make sure to fill out the visit cards of each campus -- your visit demonstrates interest in the school, a positive sign to admission officers.       
• Check your senior schedule. Colleges look for students who take rigorous courses in their senior year. A challenging academic schedule goes a long way in the admissions process.

Rising Juniors

• Choose application-friendly activities. Whether your plans include a summer job, an internship, camp, travel, classes or community service, colleges want to know how you spend your summers.Visit idealist.org and volunteermatch.org to find volunteer opportunities.
• Take a practice SAT or ACT to determine your test prep strategy. You can take an actual test in home and receive a detailed, computerized score report that identifies strengths and weaknesses by contacting Key Academics. Summer is also a great time to receive tutoring for the test, since there are fewer distractions than during the school year.
• Read. Boost your grades and test scores by building vocabulary and improving reading comprehension. Augment your school summer reading assignments with articles and editorials from newspapers, books and magazines, which can even sometimes resemble passages on the SAT and ACT.

     Summer is a great opportunity to move forward with the college admission process, but it is also important to take time to recharge and enjoy the company of family and friends.

New SAT Format And Details

The College Board recently unveiled its plans for the upcoming SAT makeover. Among the biggest changes are a sharper focus on critical-thinking, an emphasis on real-world problems, a new scoring system, and an overhaul of the essay section.

We at Key Academics are glad the features of the SAT redesign are very well aligned with the ways we already educate our students. The College Board's increased focus on reasoning and foundational skills matches our own educational philosophy and pedagogy.

To help keep track of these changes and how they compare with the ACT and the current SAT, we have put together a comparison chart between these three tests.  To view and download the chart, please visit our partners at Summit Educational Group: http://www.mytutor.com/sites/default/files/imce/SATACTChart.pdf.

 

Below is an overview of major changes to and considerations for the redesigned SAT:   

Aptitude over Achievement

Following the College Board's information release, many critics have expressed assumptions that the test will be made less challenging than its current form. However, all evidence suggests that the redesigned SAT will be at least equal in difficulty. The redesigned SAT shows a greater emphasis on problem-solving and critical thinking.

 

Blurring the Lines between SAT and ACT?

Like the ACT, the new SAT will not penalize students for incorrect answers. The new SAT Writing & Language section will require students to review the grammar, punctuation, and structure of short passages (much like the ACT English section). The new Reading section will include science passages, accompanied by charts and graphs (much like the ACT Science section).

However, the SAT will remain a test of aptitude, whereas the ACT is more a test of achievement. Neither is more difficult or legitimate, but some students may be better-suited for one or the other.

The College Board will provide concordance information for comparing scores on the redesigned SAT to scores on the current SAT and ACT. However, this information will not be made available until the first administration of the redesigned SAT, in spring of 2016.

 

Less Vocabulary, More Reasoning

The new Reading section will remove the contentious vocabulary-based questions, replacing them with a new question type that requires students to cite evidence to justify previous answers.

 

The (Optional?) Essay

The essay will not be required, and it will be scored separately from the rest of the test. However, the essay on the ACT is also "optional," though most schools require applicants to complete it, regardless. We expect that the same will be true of the optional essay on the new SAT.

This new essay will be much more challenging, requiring students to read a passage and thoroughly analyze its argumentative rhetoric. Fortunately, students will now have twice as much time (50 minutes) to accomplish this task.

 

Narrower, Deeper Focus

The new Math section will focus on a narrower range of concepts, with particular emphasis on algebra skills. However, some of the sample problems provided by the College Board display an increase in the difficulty of questions and concepts. The former is best represented by a new question type: the "extended thinking" question. This is a complicated, multi-step problem that will appear once per test and is the only question worth 4 raw points. The increased difficulty of concepts is best represented by the new inclusion of trigonometry questions.

There will be more problems that provide real-world contexts, particularly in the fields of social studies and science. Below is an example that illustrates the difference between the type of questions seen in the new sample problems and a typical question seen on the current SAT:

Redesigned SAT

 

  

 

The figure above shows a metal hex nut with two regular hexagonal faces and a thickness of 1cm. The length of each side of a hexagonal face is 2cm. A hole with a diameter of 2cm is drilled through the nut. The density of the metal is 7.9 grams per cubic cm. What is the mass of this nut, to the nearest gram? (Density is mass divided by volume.)  

 

Current SAT

  

In the figure above, ABCDEF is a regular hexagon, and its center is point O. What is the value of x?

(A)   80

(B)   60

(C)   40

(D)   30

(E)    20

 

More to Come

The College Board's 200-page document on the SAT redesign, available athttps://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/redesign, explains many additional changes and considerations for the new test. As always, stay tuned for more updates from Key Academics, as we will be analyzing all of the new information to determine what is most relevant and important.

Preparing Teachers For The Common Core

The Common Core standards, which have been adopted by all but a handful of states, are new goals for what children should learn from one grade to the next. They are intended to move schools away from passive learning and fill-in-the-bubble tests and toward a writing-intensive curriculum that cultivates reasoning skills earlier than is now common. In practice, this means teaching fifth graders to write essays in which they introduce, support and defend arguments, using specific facts and details.

The problem is that many teachers have not been given the time or help they need to develop an understanding of the Common Core idea or to master the skills needed to teach it. The goal should be to end old-fashioned training sessions where teachers attend conferences at which they listen to lectures for a few days a year and move toward continuous instruction by master educators who observe teachers at work, providing help and feedback.

Know Your SAT Subject Tests

There are several factors to consider when planning to take SAT Subject Tests. Not all tests are given on all test dates, and students cannot take Subject Tests on the same day as the SAT. Students can take up to three SAT Subject Tests on a single test date, and can decide which ones to take on the day of the exam. Each Subject Test is 60 minutes long. 

Colleges that honor score choice on the SAT also honor score choice for Subject Tests, which means students can pick and choose which Subject Test scores you submit. Advanced planning is essential for maximizing Subject Test scores since students perform best if they take a test immediately after finishing their class in the subject. In addition, some tests are given only once or twice during the year.

SAT Subject Tests are scored on the same 200-800 scale as the SAT. Percentile scores for Subject Tests can be misleading as they often indicate a skewed testing population. For example, only 27,000 students take the Physics test each year, so it is logical to assume that most are quite good at Physics. The best way for students to decide which Subject Tests to try is to take official diagnostic tests to see exactly what is on the test and gauge their level of preparedness. Below is a list of all subjects currently offered.

Literature                       Biology E/M

French                           Modern Hebrew

U.S. History                   Chemistry

Spanish                         Italian

World History                 Physics

German                         Japanese

Mathematics Level 1 or 2 Chinese

Latin                              Korean

Chinese with Listening     French with Listening

German with Listening     Spanish with Listening

Japanese with Listening   Korean with Listening

Key Academics offers expert tutoring to prepare for the SAT Subject tests, and we are happy to help you create a personalized testing plan that suits your strengths and your schedule. Call us at 610-940-1625 to begin your planning.

What You Need To Know About Changes To The SAT

So far, information on the new SAT has been broad. We expect to receive more specific details on April 16, when the College Board will provide a blueprint for the new test and also release sample questions. In the meantime, here are the primary changes:

Scoring and Format

• The test will revert to the 1600-point standard, primarily comprised of a Math and a newly-combined Reading/Writing section. 
• The SAT will eliminate the ¼-point penalty for wrong answers. 
• The essay will now be optional. 
• The primary test will be about 3 hours; the essay will be 50 minutes. 
• The test will be offered in print and digital forms. 

Math

• Some Math sections will prohibit the use of a calculator to better test students' math literacy and number sense. 
• More math questions will be based on real-world scenarios, applying mathematical logic to situations in the sciences and social sciences. 
• More advanced math concepts will be introduced, likely including algebra II and trigonometry (although these topics have yet to be confirmed). 

Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

• Critical Reading and Writing sections will be combined into one score. 
• Sentence Completion questions will be eliminated, as the test will focus on more "real-world" vocabulary, rather than typical, unfamiliar, "SAT words." Students will be asked to decode the meaning of these words based on the context in which they are presented. 
• Some Reading questions will ask students to cite the passage in support of previous answers. 
• One passage in every new SAT will be what the College Board describes as a "Founding Document" (such as the Declaration of Independence) or related, important historical texts (such as Lincoln's Gettysburg Address or Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech). 

The Essay

• The essay will no longer be free-response only. Rather, students will be required to analyze a given text in terms of the passage's use of evidence, reasoning, and stylistic elements. Students will be expected to refer to the passage to support their claims. 
• The essay score will not factor into students' Reading/Writing scores. Instead, schools will see it as a separate score. 

Khan Academy Partnership 

Khan Academy is non-profit organization that specializes in providing free online educational programs, and Key Academics’ Summit resource has utilized some of Khan's SAT prep curriculum to the betterment of our students in the past. Now the College Board has selected Khan as an official test-prep partner. Khan Academy will offer free SAT study materials, and we are excited about grouping its features with our existing comprehensive suite of SAT diagnostic and study services to help students use these new resources effectively.

We are looking forward to hearing more about the SAT revision and will provide you with the most up-to-date information as it is revealed. We are currently planning major revisions to our flagship SAT prep curricula in advance of the new test. Until then, our current materials will get students ready for test day.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the SAT, ACT, or any of the other standardized tests in which we specialize. We look forward to working with you as we all navigate these changes together.

The Plus in Google Plus? It's Mostly for Google

     Google Plus, the company’s social network, is like a ghost town. Want to see your old roommate’s baby or post your vacation status? Chances are, you’ll use Facebook instead.
     But Google isn’t worried. Google Plus may not be much of a competitor to Facebook as a social network, but it is central to Google’s future — a lens that allows the company to peer more broadly into people’s digital life, and to gather an ever-richer trove of the personal information that advertisers covet. Some analysts even say that Google understands more about people’s social activity than Facebook does.
     The reason is that once you sign up for Plus, it becomes your account
for all Google products, from Gmail to YouTube to maps, so Google sees
who you are and what you do across its services, even if you never once
return to the social network itself.
     Before Google released Plus, the company might not have known that
you were the same person when you searched, watched videos and used
maps. With a single Plus account, the company can build a database of
your affinities.
     Google says Plus has 540 million monthly active users, but almost half
do not visit the social network.
     Click here for the rest of the story: http://nyti.ms/1fnxRYc

Recommendations Earn Up To $50 Gift Certificates

Recommendations Earn Up To $50 Gift Certificates

Key Academics is off to a great start in 2014 and helping more students than ever. Many contacted us as the result of a recommendation from a current or former students or their families.

Did you know that Key Academics is pleased to award a $50 Amazon gift card to parents or students whose referral results in a college entrance exam client? And that we send $25  gift card for academic or study skills referrals?

Please help us make sure that all referring parties get their rewards. If you have referred a new client, or were referred to us by another Key Academics family, please email me at ceo@keyacademics.com so I can send out the appropriate reward card.

Changes to the SAT and ACT

The two college entrance exams have announced fundamental changes to their tests, effective in 2015 and 2016, respectively. 

The SAT will not change its format, but the types of questions offered in each subject section will undergo a transformation. The critical reading vocabulary will shift away from words that seem to be found only on the SAT to include words more relevant to everyday life. 

The math section will place heavier emphasis on topics that better predict college performance, such as proportional reasoning, linear equations and linear functions.

The writing section will change its primary emphasis from building and supporting an argument to accurately analyzing facts and evidence, thus discouraging students from simply making up facts to argue their point. 

The ACT will begin to offer an adaptive, computer-based test alongside the traditional paper-and-pencil format. Students taking this electronic test will encounter questions asking them to perform virtual tasks – such as changing the pressure of a gas tank or pouring liquids into virtual beakers – before composing predictive answers based on their experiments.