"SAT"
It’s Not About Tests. It’s About Rigorous Curricula
Alex Mallory has a piece over at the Huffington Post titled, “The Real Reason Private Schools Drop AP Tests.” His argument is nice, but everything in it is premised on time, money and resources that most schools don’t have. Of course a school, or district (does Mallory know about public school districts?) can write their [...]
Read MoreLest We Forget Our Teenagers Are Children
We have a wonderful tradition at Webb, just prior to our students leaving for winter holiday. Our boys line the walkways to the girls’ dormitories with candles in preparation for an evening of caroling, hot chocolate and, of course, Santa Clause (actually one of our revered venerable teachers but, then, no one is telling). They [...]
Read More5 Reasons why Americans Choose to Board in Canada
Many Americans wonder why they would seek to attend a Canadian boarding school? I just wrote about this over on my own blog (Why do American Students Choose Brentwood College School?) by conveying experiences specific to my school (Brentwood College School), but here are some generic reasons why families may choose a boarding school in [...]
Read MoreWhat you do when you’re there matters more than where you go
I’m responding to a recent Forbes article “America’s Best Prep Schools” (Raquel Laneri). The advice in an accompanying piece “What Parents Need To Know About Boarding Schools” (Tim Hillman), although brief, is good. But, Laneri’s perspective seems myopic and makes me wonder about her personal and professional exposure to a larger world. As my native [...]
Read MoreIdentifying and Serving the Highly Capable Child
As an independent school educator of some thirty-plus years and a director of admission at a number of highly-selective independent schools for twenty-two of those years, I must admit that I am becoming increasing concerned about the overuse of the term “gifted child.” Now, as a disclaimer, I believe profoundly that every child has a gift [...]
Read MoreHarvard Study Questions the Predictive Value of Advanced Placement Courses in Science and Math
A four year study by Harvard’s Philip M. Sadler and UVA’s Robert H. Tai concludes that, while the curriculum and rigor required of student in AP courses is worthy, success in AP science and math courses cannot predict a student’s success once in college. Sadler concludes for the Harvard Gazette (High School AP Courses Do [...]
Read MoreCollege Counselor and Anxious Mom All Rolled into One
It’s confession time. Not only am I a college counselor, but I am also the mother of a senior. And this week our daughter wrote to her college counselor and complained about her mother. Yes, I confess … in my worst moments, I have said and done some of the very same things that I [...]
Read MoreMaking Lemonade
Over the summer, articles from prominent national publications have flown across my desk on almost a weekly basis, each in one way or another decrying the state of college admissions, financial aid, college affordability, college testing and more. It can be gut-wrenching, but in the spirit of being handed lemons, it’s also an opportunity to [...]
Read MoreClassic Novels, Old and New
Editor’s note: We’re thrilled to feature this guest post by Lydia Anderson from Summit Educational Group. Summit provides high-quality, affordable standardized test preparation from the SSAT to SAT. Most high school students complete a reading list of books written long before they were born. While these remain classics for a reason, they can often feel [...]
Read MoreA Quick Read on College Admission Craziness
It’s not boarding school admission, but it’s an interesting read about the different ways and roads to want what’s best for you kids. Lisa Belkin contributes a nice synthesis of a parent’s takes on the college admission craziness. In her post to the New York Times Motherlode column she brings together three perspectives that circle [...]
Read MoreWhy Not Just Be Clear About How Each College Factors Standardized Test Scores in Admission
The College Board has raised hackles again with a policy change. Called Score Choice, this program gives students the option to control which test scores get sent to schools. (This really isn’t a new policy; it’s a return to an earlier policy circa 1993-2002 when students could choose to send schools their best scores over [...]
Read MoreScarsdale Opts Out of AP Curriculum
Late week we wrote a piece about the growing number of colleges that no longer use the SAT as part of their admission evaluation. I had no idea that the number of non-SAT colleges and universities had grown to 800 or so. We noted that the choice to remove standardized testing from the college admission [...]
Read MoreThe SAT Conundrum
The Boston Globe ran short exposition article looking at the current state of the ‘drop the SAT’ movement. All of the standard anti-SAT arguments appear- inaccurate predictor of college success, tilted in favor the wealthy (cultural exposure and test prep), use the SAT but assign less value to it in the admission process, no SAT [...]
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