The Summer Before Senior Year: To Do

By Michal Strawn

Many students don’t begin thinking about colleges until late in their junior year or early in their senior year of high school. The perception is that until the applications are open, there isn’t much you can do. Boy is that a misconception! In the months prior to the start of senior year, there are many steps that students can take to help reduce the stress of application season and help the entire process move smoothly. Consider making our to-do list your to-do list for the summer.

1. Finish that list

Filling out applications isn’t actually all the difficult, it’s just time consuming. What can be difficult is finding the colleges to apply to! Take time over the summer to find a handful of colleges at which you can see yourself being happy and that have a strong program in your chosen field. Look up their admission requirements to make sure you have a few “sure things” on your list so that you’ll have options no matter what!

2. Visit

If you didn’t get any visits in during Junior year then need to happen now. The next break you have from school will be at Thanksgiving and that’s too late. Visit at least a few colleges to get a good feel for what you like and what you dislike. Adjust your list from there.

3. Prepare for the ACT or SAT

You’ve likely already taken these tests once or twice. The summer before senior year is the final big push for any improvements that you want to see. Fall of senior year will be your last chance to take these tests and get your scores back before applications are due.

4. Write your essay(s)

College applications may not be due until the late fall or early winter, but essays tend to pile up. It can be a lot of work to complete a few main essays plus a dozen supplementals for all the colleges you wish to apply to, especially on top of school work, sports, and other school year commitments. You can get a head start by completing the common application essay (and any others you know you’ll need) over the summer.

5.Start the scholarship search

Many students assume that they should first apply for colleges and then figure out how to pay for it. Nothing could be further from the truth! Many scholarships have deadlines that are early in senior year. Make sure they’re on your radar early or you may miss out!

With these things completed you’ll have a head start on senior year and be prepared for success in your college application process!

End to SAT Subject Tests and the SAT Essay, and Digital SAT Development

The College Board made some major announcements today. First, they are immediately discontinuing SAT Subject Tests (the one hour tests in subjects like Literature, Math Level 2, and Chemistry) for students in the United States. They will continue to offer SAT Subject Tests for International Students who wish to take them in May or June of 2021. Students may still be able to submit existing scores from SAT Subject tests, but should check with individual colleges on their policies. If you are registered to take an upcoming SAT Subject Test, the College Board will cancel your registration and give you a full refund.

Second, the College Board is phasing out the SAT Essay by June of 2021. Students who need to take the SAT Essay for their state’s school day administration will still be able to take it. All the other parts of the SAT–Reading, Writing & Language, and Math–will remain the same.

Third, the SAT is developing what they call a “more flexible SAT—a streamlined, digitally delivered test.” They will provide more details about this in the spring.

What does all this mean for high school students?

  1. The SAT and ACT will become more important. Students who previously could show their subject knowledge with multiple-choice SAT Subject Tests will no longer have that option. With fewer tests that colleges will consider, each test will become relatively more influential.
  2. AP and IB test results will become more important. One major reason that the College Board gave for eliminating the SAT Subject Tests was that students already have the opportunity to show subject knowledge with AP exams. Top AP test scores–like a 4 or 5–will be a critical component of college applications. If students are in the International Baccalaureate program, scores from those exams can also show college readiness.
  3. There will likely be a digitally adaptive SAT in the future. My best guess as to what the SAT has in store for the digital SAT is a test much like the current GRE. The GRE is adaptive–if you are performing well, you get more difficult questions, and if you are performing poorly, you get easier questions. By having an adaptive format, the digital GRE takes about half the time a paper version of the test would take. I believe that in the coming years, the SAT will be offered both as a longer paper test, and as a shorter digitally adaptive test. A digital version of the test would require much less time for a school-administered version, making it a popular option.

Stay tuned to our blog for the latest updates on SAT test changes.

Distance Learning and Homeschooling Tips

By Michal Strawn

As many students and parents contemplate another semester at home, the question has arisen in most houses as to how to ensure that students have their best optimal outcome despite the big changes that have occurred. I myself was fully homeschooled for eight years and so have a good idea of what some of the difficulties may be when students are expected to learn at home, and I’ve been teaching students online for a few years now, so I understand some of the stresses that teachers face as well. As a student or a parent, here are some ideas for making the most of the online classroom.

Note: most of these tips are best for middle and high school students

  1. Find the right space in your home

By now we’ve all read about a half dozen articles about tele-commuting. The first piece of advice most of them give is for the person working from home to find a space in the home that is just for work. The adult tele-commuter wants a space away from the rest of life where they can mentally be at the office. The same is true for students. I can’t tell you how many students I have who log in from their bedroom floor, or their kitchen counter. They try to learn with their pets crawling on them and their siblings and parents yelling in the background. For success they need a space in the home where when they sit down their mind clicks into school mode. This shouldn’t be a place that is completely private: students often need other people around to keep them on task. It shouldn’t be too comfortable (the couch) or too public (the kitchen counter). Students should look for a semi-private corner or nook where they can have a table or desk with a school-type chair, the possibility of a parent wandering by on a regular basis to check in, a good internet connection, and minimal outside distractions. With multiple siblings logging in, many families have done things like turning each corner of a dining room or rec room into a student space. Look for creative solutions to get each student their own school-only desk space.

2. Find the Right Equipment

Students need to ask their teachers what they will need. A computer and internet are crucial, but expensive. If students have a hard time finding those things, inquire at the school about support. Can you check out a chrome book for the semester? Are there companies offering deals on home Wi-Fi? After these crucial pieces fall into place, I would say the next most important thing is comfortable headphones, especially if the student will be expected to log into live classes on a regular basis (double especially if there are multiple students in the home that will be doing this). Students need to be able to focus on what their teachers are saying. This is very difficult if there is a lot else going on around like siblings trying to learn, mom and dad trying to work, and everyone just trying to live. Good noise cancelling headphones help students get in the school zone and deliver their lessons with high quality audio.

Other pieces of equipment that might be very helpful include a printer/scanner (so students can rest their eyes by doing thing on paper instead of a screen), a webcam to allow them to chat face-to-face with instructors (trust me, teaching is so much easier when you can see your students), and an extension cord so they aren’t tied to outlets when charging.

3. Set time limits

In school almost every activity has a time limit. Classes end, students have to pack up and move on. Having a set amount of time for things forces students to stay focused and gives them a more structured feeling. If they don’t finish the work in their assigned class time, they should make themselves do it for homework when everything else is done. It sounds strange, but it can really help students stay motivated and not end up working all day and getting nothing done.

4. Have a schedule!

Ok, this one should have been number one or two, but it’s been said so often that I feel like it’s obvious by now and it just piggybacks on setting time limits. People who are working or learning from home need to set a schedule and stick to it. Many teachers are not teaching live this fall. That means students don’t have any structure to their days at all! Make. A. Schedule. Set a wake-up time, a math time, a biology time, a lunch time and so on. Structure breeds success. Without structure, students will spend all day doing what could be done in a few hours.

5. Breaks

Speaking of lunch time, students should make sure their schedule includes the breaks that they’re used to. They can and should give themselves a five minute “passing period” every hour and at least half an hour for lunch. During these times they need to get up and actually do something. They shouldn’t spend the five minutes scrolling through Instagram while sitting at the school desk- the school desk is only for school. Instead, they should get up, stretch, grab some water, run out to the mailbox, and use the bathroom. In short–move!

6. Communicate!

Since students are at home and not seeing their teachers every day, the teachers won’t know as quickly if something is wrong. They won’t necessarily notice that the student is quieter than normal, or working slower than they normally would, or missing questions. Students need to be their own advocates this year; don’t wait for teachers to ask–tell! Students should get comfortable reaching out to teachers at least once each week to check in, ask questions, and make sure they aren’t missing anything.

Hopefully these tips will make distance learning a bit more manageable. If we can ever help, just let us know!

-Michal

Help with at-home education this year…

As more and more schools announce that they’ll be shifting students online for at least the first few weeks of the fall semester, parents are once again trying to find a way to balance their work schedules with their student’s at-home schooling. Many schools have switched their methods of distance learning from what they were doing in the spring to a more intensive program now that it seems apparent that distance learning may be necessary for quite some time. In addition, many parents who were working from home in the spring have now returned to their offices leaving older students to work on their own for large portions of the day.

For many students, this will prove a sizeable challenge. Middle and high school students often are not known for being able to self-pace, get ahead of a schedule, stay motivated, and reach out for help when it is needed. With distance learning many teachers may be less available to individual students for questions or concerns; students may fall behind in subjects they don’t enjoy or may slip through the cracks entirely until the end of the semester reveals that weren’t able to keep up.


What students ideally need is someone who can work with them fairly regularly to explain new content, check in on assignment progress, and communicate to parents where improvements need to be made. To that end, some parents and groups of parents across the country are hiring educators to come into their homes and monitor their students’ progress. However, many feel that bringing an outside person into their homes is unsafe and that hiring a full time educator is excessive when the school will be providing the content and lessons.


The solution, then, is check-up education, completed online, with a tutor or educator who can, from a distance, help students stay on track. BWS is offering online tutoring this fall to help with this need. We have tutors who can meet with students daily, weekly, or anything in between, to assist with content and pacing for students in middle and high school. Having these one-on-one meetings with someone besides a parent motivates students to stay on task; it establishes a regular schedule for them; it creates accountability in a system where there might otherwise be none; it ensures that students have their questions answered even when teachers are busy and parents are at work. Most importantly, it happens remotely to keep students safe.


If you’re interested in us setting up a program that would work for your student and his or her needs, please reach out to us at tutor@bwseducationconsulting.com.

Six Things To Do During the Coronavirus Shutdown

Students across the country are out of school for the next few weeks–the shutdown could last all the way until the summer.  While many students may be tempted to increase their video gaming and snapchatting, this downtime presents a golden opportunity to make independent progress on long-term academic and extracurricular goals.   Here are six ways to make that happen:

1.  Prepare for the modified AP Exams.  The College Board will offer at-home AP tests that are 45 minutes long and consist of only free response questions.  You will be able to take the tests in a way convenient for you: on a phone, tablet, computer, or even by hand.  Colleges will accept the results from the exam just as they have in years past.  Get ready for the AP exams by doing self-study and practicing for free response questions.  The College Board will provide updates here:  https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/coronavirus-updates .

2.  Build your online portfolio.  You can submit additional materials with your college application to showcase your unique talents.  Among the types of materials you can submit: recordings of music, videos of debate and theatrical performances, short stories you have written, art pieces, and samples of films you have made.  Take advantage of this down time to work on independent projects that you have not had time to focus on with the hustle and bustle of high school.

3.  Get ready for the June SAT and June ACT.   There is a national SAT test date on June 6th and a national ACT test date on June 13th.  There will be additional test dates throughout the summer and fall.  This is an excellent time to do test preparation work like practice tests, content review, and online tutoring.

4.  Earn college credit through independent study and examination.  Is there a college course you have always wanted to take, but have never had the time?  Humanities, world history, religion, astronomy, or statistics?  You can study independently and earn college credit on websites like https://study.com/  .

5.  Read some good books!  Students often complain that they never have time to read for fun; now you have plenty of time to work through that reading list.  Online books are freely available on library websites like https://www.columbuslibrary.org/ .  If you are wondering what types of books might be helpful to read in order to improve your reading comprehension for standardized tests, here is suggested list:

https://bwseducationconsulting.com/docs/ACT_SAT_Recommended_Reading_List.pdf .

6.  Get started on your college application essays.  Over 900 colleges accept the Common Application, and they have already announced what the common application essay prompts will be:  https://www.commonapp.org/apply/essay-prompts .  The fall of the senior year is extremely busy with college applications, school, and extracurriculars.  If you can get a head start on your college essays now, that will take a major task off of your plate.

We at BWS stand at the ready to help you with your independent work.  We have tutors available to meet you online to help with the SAT and ACT, college essay preparation, and AP exam review.  Please register to work with us at:

https://bwseducationconsulting.mypaysimple.com/s/bws-education-consulting-tutoring-registration .

 

 

 

Updates to the ACT

On October 8th, 2019, the ACT put out a press release announcing some big changes that they’re planning to implement in 2020. These three impactful changes have to do with how the test is proctored and how scores are reported. These changes may greatly alter the test taking and college application process for students who choose to focus on the ACT.

The first major change that the ACT is making is likely geared toward make the test more competitive with the SAT. The number of students who took the SAT last year hit an all time high, and the ACT is probably looking to gain back some of that market share. Historically, many colleges have allowed super scoring on the SAT while significantly fewer have allowed super scoring on the ACT. The ACT is trying to bridge that  gap for students.

Super scoring is the process by which colleges only look at the best scores for each section over multiple test dates. For example, if your best English score was on a test in June but your best math score was on a test in July, super scoring policies allow you to build a new score with your best from each. The press release makes it sounds like the ACT will now be doing this in house. Whereas previously you would have to pay to send all your tests in to the colleges who would then build your super score (and see your lower scores), it seems that the ACT will now do that for you. As long as they don’t charge a fee for this service this will likely save students a fair amount of money in score reporting fees. In addition, more colleges will likely accept super scoring for the ACT. Keep in mind that the rising tide lifts all boats. ACT scores for all students may increase with this new policy. While we aren’t sure on the details of the policy yet, it should be a time, stress, and money saver.

The second big change is probably the one that students will like the most. The ACT has announced that they will allow students to retake individual portions of the test. While details aren’t out yet on how this would work, this is a big change from the previous policy that forced students to retake the entire test even if they only wanted to improve one section score. Policy details will impact this greatly. They may only allow students to retake one portion, or have other restrictions. However, this is still a huge boon for several reasons: it will hopefully allow students to focus only on where they think needs improvement, it will give students who get worn out taking a three to four hour test the opportunity to break the test up into manageable portions, and it will allow students to take tests without less testing anxiety since their entire score won’t be dependent on one day’s work.

The final change seems to indicate that the ACT is moving to online testing. Whereas previously, the ACT only allowed students to take the test online if they were testing on a in-school test, they will soon have the online option on the national test dates as well. While online testing has its pros and cons as we discussed in our blog here, for some students (especially those who test with certain accommodations or who are on time crunch to get scores back) this will be an enormous help.

Altogether, these are positive changes. Test prep providers like BWS will be able to better tailor content to students who are focusing on just one part of the test, students will be able to get their scores back sooner through online testing, and students will have more control over the tests they take and the scores they send out. While some people feel that standardized tests are outdated and antiquated, the ACT is proving them wrong by continually listening to the needs of the students and adjusting their policies accordingly. Read the full press release on the ACT blog.

College Counseling with BWS

As many of you may have noticed, our blog has been a bit quiet lately. That’s because we have been gearing up to make big changes. We are happy to announce that BWS Education Consulting will now be offering college counseling! College counseling is a service that helps guide students through the process of applying for colleges. From creating a list to making a final decision, a college counselor is there to help. You may be wondering why you would want a counselor besides your school counselor: we can give you more support. Your school counselor is a wonderful resource but quite often you are simply not a priority because he or she has a couple hundred other students. With our private counselor you’ll be one of only a dozen students so you can know that you’ll get the help you need when you need it. Check back soon for the first blog from our new college counselor Michal; she’ll talk about what colleges want to see on your application!

Ten Resources to Help you Ace your School Tests

  1. Online Textbook Resources.  Virtually every major textbook has a companion website, complete with practice quizzes, chapter summaries, and multimedia learning tools.  Strangely, most teachers never have their students use these resources.  Use them yourself!   Try to find the exact companion website for your textbook through Google.  If that fails, try to find a textbook that covers the same topic as your class but which actually has a good companion website that you can use. Here are a couple of great examples:

https://www.mheonline.com/

http://www.thinkcentral.com/index.htm

  1. Khan Academy.  Khan is a wonderful website that has inspired much of what I have created and written.  Especially with Math and Science, Khan can give you in-depth instruction on topics that are giving you difficulty:

http://www.khanacademy.org/

  1. Youtube.   You will find tutorials on virtually any subject – when I taught high school, some of the “philosophy in 30 seconds” videos were remarkable in helping students quickly grasp a difficult concept.  Search for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/

  1. School Resources.  Your library may have access to fantastic subscription databases and study tools that you can use.  They probably paid hundreds or thousands of dollars for these, so put them to use!  If your school library doesn’t have them, check with your public library.  For an article detailing some of the changes that school libraries have made, please see here:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2012/04/01/high_school_libraries_more_than_just_a_place_to_study_these_days_1333162611/

  1. Past Tests.  Talk to your teacher about using past tests for practice, or try to borrow them from other students (without cheating of course!).  Using these will help you see how the teacher generally asks questions so that you will know how to focus your studying.
  2. Course-notes.org.  They have a great collection of subject notes, particularly for AP exams.  Great to use as a supplement to your textbook:

http://www.course-notes.org/

  1. Powerpoint Search.  There is no need for you to learn from a terrible powerpoint in class – there are PLENTY of powerpoints out there that you can use free of charge.  Simply go to google, type in the term for which you want a powerpoint, and then type in “ filetype:ppt ”.  When I taught high school, I often used this to save time in making lecture notes for my classes.
  2. College Help Sites for their students, (especially with writing).  Many top-notch colleges have compiled outstanding resources for their struggling students, and you can access them for yourself!  Here are two of my favorites:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/toc.shtml

  1. Ask students in same class at other schools to share what their teacher has done.  If you are in an Advanced Placement or Honors Course, reach out to your friends in other schools. Those schools may have teachers of the same course you are in is doing a much better job than your teacher.  See what resources, notes, and old tests you can check out from them.
  2. Purchase the teacher editions and AP resources yourself.  As long as you are not cheating by looking at a test bank that you know a teacher is using to generate test questions, I see nothing wrong with supplementing your learning by acquiring the textbook teacher editions and resources for yourself.  If several of your peers are in a similar situation, pool your money and purchase the book together.  You can find the teacher editions for most textbooks on amazon.com.  If you would like access to teacher resources for AP courses, here is where you can find them:

https://store.collegeboard.com/sto/enter.do

I hope you found this article helpful.  If so, please share it with your friends!  Thanks, Brian Stewart