Learn how to ace the SAT/ACT/SSAT/ISEE!
Schools that some of our most recent students are attending:
What can I do to help your student and you through the college process?
My friends joke that I’ve never met a teenager I didn’t like, and it’s true. I love getting to know my students and their unique qualities. Teenagers tend to find me easy to talk to, which creates a great working relationship in which goals are met with minimized levels of stress.
Every year, top-tier colleges receive thousands of applications from students with essentially perfect grades and scores. While these are necessary application components, they alone will not grant your child admission to these schools. Yet, my role as Director of College Counseling at a NY private school enables me to talk to college representatives all the time, helping me to ascertain exactly what these schools are looking for. Would you believe that most colleges spend fewer than 10 minutes on their initial application reads? Always keeping that in mind, I help kids create and present compelling, organic narratives in which all facets of their application are aligned. This process takes time since it necessitates my working closely with students in order to help them self-reflect in ways that will help them to better understand their own passions and desires, including those related to academics, extracurriculars, and their social lives. With this knowledge, I can help students enhance their narratives to display their best selves. Years ago, colleges were looking for well-rounded generalists. Not anymore: colleges want thoughtful students with compelling interests and drive, elements that I will help your child key into and highlight so that their application reflects the achievements, depth, and passions that your child possesses.
The second part of my job involves the particulars:
- Help students throughout high school to choose rigorous classes and refine their coursework plans and testing schedules
- Work with students to Identify school-year extracurricular activities, brainstorm about ways to take academic interests outside of the classroom, and look for opportunities that enable students to take on leadership roles.
- Identify students’ current interests and recommend summer activities as well as internship and fellowship opportunities.
- Work with students to create college lists and help them revise priorities and choices as they move through the process
- Help put together itineraries for college visits, work with students on their interviewing skills and how to present themselves both in-person and online when meeting college reps or alums
- Discuss ways to facilitate relationships with teachers and help students decide on who to ask for recommendation letters.
- Utilize various written exercises in addition to discussion and brainstorming to help students come up with personal essay topics that organically and compellingly convey the student‛s unique story
- Create, draft, edit and revise supplemental essays in order to perfect them – Take on the role of go-between for you and your child to reduce tension in the household. Students react very differently to a parent checking in on how the essay/ common app/resume is progressing versus my checking in.
- Ensure that all students are able to perform to the best of their abilities on standardized tests, and refer to evaluators if accommodations are necessary.
- Explain the pros and cons of AP classes.
Press
The New York Times:
A Hamptons Summer: Surfing, Horses, and Hours of SAT Prep
Class Notes; Rejection? Pressure? Don’t get these tutors started: Actors work as coaches for S.A.T.’s.
Yale Daily News:
Universities nationwide reconsider standardized tests
New York Magazine:
Tutoring 101