College Prep Blog

Great article on raising IQ

2009-04-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a sample from an article from the NY Times. The link is below.

"Another proven intervention is to tell junior-high-school students that I.Q. is expandable, and that their intelligence is something they can help shape. Students exposed to that idea work harder and get better grades. That’s particularly true of girls and math, apparently because some girls assume that they are genetically disadvantaged at numbers; deprived of an excuse for failure, they excel."
“Some of the things that work are very cheap,” Professor Nisbett noted. “Convincing junior-high kids that intelligence is under their control — you could argue that that should be in the junior-high curriculum right now.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/opinion/16kristof.html?_r=1

NYT blog answers questions parents have about admissions

2008-12-18T15:22:00.001-08:00

The following is an excerpt from a New York Times Blog on college admissions:

"For high school seniors scrambling to complete essays, collect recommendation letters and construct well-rounded packages, college application deadlines are looming, in a seemingly inscrutable admissions process. To get an inside perspective, we solicited advice from some gatekeepers. This week, a panel of admissions deans from Yale University, Pomona College, Lawrence University and the University of Texas at Austin will answer selected reader questions."

Here is the link to the blog: http://questions.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/qa-college-admissions/?hp

College Admission Planning Kit

2008-08-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

Parents in the DFW area are invited to request a free college admission planning kit. It includes a college search planner, an excerpt from my book("SAT or ACT: Which should your child take?"), tips on how to prepare for the writing section of the SAT, and a tool to practice essay pre-writing. Please send an email to teachco1@swbell.net if you are interested in receiving this free kit. Supplies limited.

Importance of pacing on standardized tests

2008-06-19T10:41:00.001-07:00

One of the most frequent issues that students have with standardized tests is how to pace themselves. Students typically are not used to timed tests; so when they have to take one, they freak out. Many students place too high a value on finishing and rush through the test. Others, though the number is less, tend to get stuck on certain questions and leave significant parts of the test unfinished.

What I train students to do on the SAT and ACT is to learn to work at a steady pace. They may or may not finish, but they are likely to at least complete most of the test and as long as they are accurate, they will do well. The goal is for students to learn to balance the urge to finish a timed test between spending enough time on individual questions to figure them out.

I advise students to take timed practice tests in order to practice pacing.

College Board Study on New SAT

2008-06-17T11:23:00.001-07:00

The College Board says that the New SAT is as reliable as the old with respect to predicting success in college. In fact, the writing section is "the most predictive."

"Officials at the College Board, the nonprofit organization that owns the test, say the research affirms that revisions to the exam — including the addition of a writing section — did not decrease its value to admissions offices. The research also found that the writing section was the most predictive of the three SAT sections. “This is very important and positive news for colleges,” said Gaston Caperton, the College Board’s president."

http://chronicle.com/news/article/4690/new-sat-is-as-predictive-as-old-sat-college-board-finds

A great article on college admissions

2008-05-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

The article below, from The Star-Telegram, accurately describes the increasing demands placed on students, and parents, as they conduct their college search. It portrays a process that can easily result in information overload.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

"A story in The New York Times in early April gave some statistics to back up what many seniors and their parents had already heard --"the number of high school graduates in the nation has grown each year over the last decade and a half" and is expected to peak either this year or next, making this the most competitive year in our lifetimes for college admissions.
Add to that other new factors in the admissions race, such as "the ease of online applications, expanded financial aid packages, aggressive recruiting of a broad range of young people, and ambitious students applying to ever more colleges," and you've got a blueprint for a superhighway of national Admissions Angst."

Here's the link to the entire article: http://www.star-telegram.com/408/story/649037.html

Here's a free college search site

2008-05-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a free college search site.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/includes/ice3/dn/news/localnews/education/hobsons.htm

Some elite colleges are trying hard to ease the burden of paying for college

2008-04-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

In the following New York Times article, a number of elite universities have initiated new programs to ease the financial burden of paying for college.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/education/edlife/essay.html?ref=edlife

My new book for parents

2008-04-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have written a book for parents that was published late last year. The book gives information on how parents can help their children prepare for college. It has information on how to prepare for the SAT and ACT. In addition, the book goes into detail about what skills people need in college and how to develop them. Feel free to comment or ask questions on the book.

Here is a link to the press release for the book: http://www.knowledgeguides.net/pipkin/Press%20Release.pdf

For information on ordering the book, go to http://www.upstreampress.com/

The title is "The Parent's Guide to the SAT and ACT; Preparing Your Child for College." by James Pipkin

Difference between A.D.D. and Kinesthetic Learners

2008-03-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

Do a google.com search on the web for "kinesthetic learners and a.d.d." and you will pull up numerous articles about how many kinesthetic learners have been misdiagnosed with A.D.D. This information is important to parents who are concerned that their child might have A.D.D. The following article is a good place to begin collecting information on this topic.

http://www.latitudes.org/articles/learn01.html

SAT score more important than ever

2008-03-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

Despite rumors to the contrary, the SAT score is still one of the most important criteria used to determine college admission.

The following link shows how much weight elite colleges put on test scores.

http://chronicle.com/news/article/4188/elite-colleges-scramble-to-enroll-high-sat-scorers-may-undermine-diversity

Ideas for long-term prep

2008-03-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

One great resource that many students take advantage of is the SAT Question of the Day from The College Board. I recommend that students begin doing this as early as their freshman or sophomore years. Over time, this will help them practice on relevant material but also help them develop a feel for SAT questions. Go to www.collegeboard.com for more information.

Stay tuned to this blog for other ideas.

Finding the right testing center

2008-03-02T09:47:00.001-08:00

Talk to other parents and students before you register your high schooler to take their SAT or ACT. Ask them what kinds of experiences their students have had. Make sure you get good reports on the locations you sign up for. Sometimes an extra 10 to 15 minutes of driving is worth it for a good test center. Ask about the testing environment such as what types of desks or tables the kids use. Are the desks the small college-types with little room to put your test booklet? Are students tightly packed into the room like sardines? These are important questions to answer so that your student has the best environment in which to take their test

What if a student takes an SAT or ACT and gets a lower score compared to a previous test?

2008-02-23T08:50:00.000-08:00

This is a question I get frequently from parents, and I have contacted a number of colleges to find an answer. The answer they give is that the school will take the higher score. This is great news for kids taking the test multiple times.

However, usually a score doesn't go down on a later test. Typically there will be a slight increase in their score on the 2nd or 3rd test regardless of prep. In my experience, students who do an intensive prep program are likely to see a significant improvement in their scores.

How many times should a student take the SAT and ACT?

2008-02-20T15:43:00.001-08:00

As many times as you can. Typically, there is slight improvement each additional time you take it. In my experience, if you prep between each test, you will be able to maximize your score. There is really now downside that I am aware of to taking these tests multiple times.

What is the best prep book for the SAT?

2008-02-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

The best prep book in my experience is the "Official SAT Study Guide" offered by the College Board, the company that makes the SAT. It contains questions from past tests and gives students a feel for what to expect when they take the test. Plus, it has practical test-taking exercises and strategies that the students can learn.

How long does a prep course take?

2008-02-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

Prep classes last any where from a week to several months. I think the one week courses are too short because the kids get barraged with too much information in a short period of time. A class that is 4 to 5 months long can get to be a grind for most kids. In my experience, 5-8 week courses are best because they give kids time to digest what they learn without becoming a grind.

Take the PLAN test in the 10th grade

2008-02-17T12:38:00.000-08:00

If you are a 10th grader or if you have a child in the 10th grade, make sure that you consider taking the PLAN test. The PLAN is a test given to 10th graders which closely resembles the ACT. Taking the PLAN is a great way to see how you would do on the ACT without taking the full-test. It is a great way to set a baseline to compare to when you take the ACT as a junior or senior. Contact your high school guidance counselor or go to http://www.actstudent.org/plan/index.html for information.

How early should students begin preparing for the SAT?

2008-02-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

It depends on the student. If the student is near the top of his class and is in honors math and English, I recommend having them begin prep during their sophomore year, preferably prior to the PSAT in the fall. Then, evaluate their PSAT results to determine any weaknesses. Future prep will need to focus partly on these weaknesses. For example, I was looking at a sophomore's PSAT results this week and noticed that he did much better on reading comprehension questions than he did on sentence completion questions. This indicates that he probably needs to strengthen his vocabulary. I suggest a program lasting anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months prior to the PSAT. Then, you might take a break for the remainder of the school year and then pick back up during the summer prior to their junior PSAT. This is the one that counts for National Merit Awards. After you get your child's PSAT results, have your child take a refresher course before taking the SAT.

For average college-bound students who make mostly B's in high school I suggest prepping before their junior PSAT. This can begin in the summer or early fall. The program should last anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months in length. After you get the results, evaluate for weaknesses and then focus on these as your child prepares to take the SAT in the Spring of their junior year. Make sure you have your child enrolled in SAT prep leading up to the SAT.

focus of blog

2008-02-15T09:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new blog. I created it to discuss matters which relate to preparing for and applying to college. Topics will range from preparing for admissions tests to how to develop college-ready skills. Other topics will include how to help your child get into their college of choice and how to help them qualify for scholarships. This blog is both for parents and students. Feel free to ask questions or make comments that relate to college prep.

SAT or ACT?

2008-02-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

I suggest taking both. The reason is that some students do significantly better on one test than they do on the other. For example, I had a student last year who scored at close to the 70th percentile on the ACT math but below the 40th percentile on the SAT math. Someone might suggest that she had a bad day when she took the SAT but she did fine on the reading section, just not on the math. Her results were unusual because scores on both tests are usually the same. So, take both tests and see which one your child does better on and prep intensely for that test. Most colleges will take either test. Check with the colleges you are looking to be sure.