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Advice for Freshmen and Sophomores
What you do as freshmen & sophomores will influence these 5 parts of the college application… 1) High school courses (choice, level of difficulty, and grades), 2) Test prep (SAT, ACT, and AP/IB), 3) Activities in and out of school, including work and service, 4) Relationships with teachers and mentors, 5) College research
The SAT Is Going Digital
The SAT is going digital for the school year 2023-2024, and our CTK test prep tutors have been trying out the new software and planning for how to help students adapt to the digital format. Read on for answers to all your questions about the new digital PSAT and SAT; how to still take the SAT on paper; and whether you should take the SAT, ACT, or just go test optional.
Critical Reading Skills
Students who have been strong readers and writers are sometimes surprised to find that their previous coursework has not entirely prepared them for the kinds of texts they will be expected to understand in upper-level coursework, decoding SAT, ACT, and AP passages, college-level history, literature, writing, and yes, even science courses.
Juniors: Spring Checklist
It’s the end of your junior year and we know all you can think about right now are final exams and keeping your grades up, but when you pick your head up from your studies, take a moment to make sure you are on track for college admissions. Before the year ends, make sure you meet with counselor to ensure you have done what you need and understand how you will coordinate the college application process with your counselor in the fall. Next, you’ll want to request letters of recommendations from teachers in person.
Advice for Rising Juniors
Junior year is when the proverbial rubber hits the road. You may be taking more AP classes, moving up the ranks in your sport, and learning to run a meeting as a club officer. This blog covers my five tips for juniors. From whether to take the SAT/ACT, to what courses to choose… This blog is for you.
How Do I Pick the Right Courses for Next Year?
This blog post covers common questions that help you prepare to meet with your guidance counselor to select next year’s courses. But how do you know what to choose?? Is there a magical number of AP classes? Is it better to take harder classes and get lower grades or easier classes and get higher grades? How many classes do you really have to take senior year? And is Calculus really necessary?