More Important Than Grades or Money? Your Child’s College Future Depends On This

March 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

College GirlForbes magazine recently featured an article with the provocative title, “The Three Biggest Lies in College Admission.”  The article takes a close look at some of the factors involved in getting your child positioned for entrance into the best possible college.   The article is fairly stark.  It points out some of the discouraging factors encountered during the college admissions process, but there are also some concrete solutions offered.  Their number one misconception is that standardized tests like the SAT or ACT don’t count that much anymore.  The author provides compelling proof that the opposite is true.  Test scores are weighing more heavily than ever in the process.

The reasons behind this are easy to understand.  Over the past decade the applications to colleges have steadily increased.  There’s real competition for placement at the nation’s top colleges and universities.  Money always helps to get into a good college, but it may not be the most important factor.  The competition can be tipped in the favor of applicants that come in with the  best SAT or ACT scores.

Fortunately, students can take the tests multiple times, and most colleges accept an applicant’s highest score among the series of tests.  This benefits the students by allowing them to retry difficult areas, and colleges benefit from it by getting to tout the aggregate scores as indicative of a higher quality pool of applicants.

Filling in bubble testAt Academic Learning Labs, we have tutoring programs with flexibility to meet the needs of your child.  We’ve helped students throughout Orange County improve their test scores and better compete for college placement.  We have convenient SAT and ACT tutoring classes available at our Rancho Santa Margarita offices to work around your schedule.

We are one of Orange County’s leading tutoring services.  We specialize in helping students reach their academic goals through math tutoring, science tutoring, and SAT/ACT Prep programs.  We’re dedicated to helping your child fulfill their potential and partnering with you to propel them to success.  We have proven tutoring programs that will equip your child to excel from their earliest learning through high school and college as well.  Call us at 949-546-0800 for details on any of our learning programs from Pre-K through college preparation tutoring.

 

Filed Under: Academic Success, Orange County Tutoring, Rancho Santa Margarita SAT ACT Tutoring, SAT Prep Tagged With: , ,

The Value of Quality Tutoring

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Teacher and Student In A Classroom At SchoolA 2010 New York Times article (“As Private Tutoring Booms, Parents Look at the Returns“) takes a close look at tutoring and evaluates some of the benefits.  As you might imagine, there are a number of advantages noted.

For children struggling with keeping up at school, tutoring provides significant help that will show results in virtually all of their academic pursuits.  There are a number of dynamics at work with good tutoring that combine to produce results.  These benefits may start with better grades at  school, but extend also to increased self-esteem, better peer relationships, and a better home life.

One of the most significant advantages of tutoring is found in the relationship between your child and the tutor.  It’s frequently difficult for parents to offer significant help to a struggling child, because the scope of your relationships can actually serve to hinder the effectiveness.  An Academic Learning Labs tutoring relationship will be targeted to help your child overcome obstacles in specific areas of study and study habits.  Parents simply do not have that type of relationship.  You’re the one who chides them to clean their room, wash the dishes, and occasionally deny them the use of the car.  These elements are naturally part of your relationship, but they complicate the effectiveness of your schoolwork interactions.  And in a classroom setting, a teacher has dozens of other students competing for attention, so the specific needs of any individual frequently are sidelined in favor of teaching to the middle.

When your child works with one of our tutors, none of these issues cloud the task.  Many children quickly become enthusiastic about their tutoring sessions for these very reasons.  They are learning to overcome obstacles at school with someone who is sympathetic and dedicated to their success — without broader concerns that may be present at home or school.

School KidsBut tutoring is also vital for children on the other end of the spectrum.  Many children display superior talents in areas that quickly propel them to levels that are beyond the scope of a typical classroom and may quickly exceed their parents’ abilities.  These children can benefit greatly from targeted tutoring that will feed their talents and equip them to excel.  They are no longer bound by the limitations of a classroom setting that is incapable of meeting their specific needs.  We will provide tutoring that unleashes your child’s abilities giving them the challenge and satisfaction they are unable to find in school.

At Academic Learning Labs we have flexible tutoring plans designed to meet both your budget and schedule.  We are one of Orange County’s leading tutoring services.  We specialize in helping students reach their academic goals through math tutoring, science tutoring, and SAT/ACT Prep programs.  Located in Rancho Santa Margarita, we’re dedicated to helping your child fulfill their potential and partnering with you to propel them to success.  We have proven tutoring programs that will equip your child to excel in high school and succeed in college as well.  Call us at 949-546-0800 for details on our college preparation tutoring.

Filed Under: Academic Success, Rancho Santa Margarita SAT ACT Tutoring, SAT Prep Tagged With: , ,

Equip Your Child to Succeed During an Economic Downturn

March 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment

There are times as parents when we seem to be almost obsessed with the well being of our children.  We struggle with granting them increased independence as they grow and mature.  Our love for them compels us to want the best, and we’ll do what we can to help.  One of the most significant things you can do to ensure your child’s future success is to pave a strong path for them to college.  The benefits of a college education are significant.

A recent New York Times article took a look at a Pew study showing how different groups have fared during our current recession.  The findings are not surprising.  The recession’s impact is felt across all education levels, but the significant detail is exactly how much different groups were affected.  Who is best equipped to weather the storm?  College graduates.  And not by an insignificant amount, either.  Take a look at the graphic from the article.

The numbers show that workers with a bachelors degree not only maintained the best employment level, but also suffered the least impact in their actual earning.  From the article:

Those with a bachelor’s degree started off in the strongest position and weathered the downturn best, with employment slipping from 69 percent to 65 percent. … People with four-year college degrees saw a 5 percent drop in wages, compared with a 12 percent decrease for their peers with associate’s degrees, and a 10 percent decline for high school graduates.

Few of us need to be persuaded about the importance of a college education, but it’s helpful to keep in mind the long-term benefit it provides.  In addition to weathering economic downturns, those with college degrees can expect a significantly greater earning potential.  The Hamilton Project evaluated the lifetime earning differences expected for individuals with a college degree compared to those with a high school diploma.  It’s clear that the return on investing in a college education is dramatic.  College graduates can expect to earn nearly a half million dollars more in their lifetimes than their high-school-educated peers. Here’s a graph from the report:

Academic Learning Labs is Orange County’s premier tutoring service specializing in helping students reach their academic goals through math tutoring, science tutoring, and SAT/ACT Prep programs.  Located in Rancho Santa Margarita, we’re dedicated to helping your child fulfill their potential and partnering with you to propel them to success.  We have proven tutoring programs that will equip your child to excel in high school and succeed in college as well.  Call us at 949-546-0800 for details on our college preparation tutoring.

 

 

Filed Under: College, Preparing for College, Rancho Santa Margarita SAT ACT Tutoring, SAT Prep Tagged With: , , ,

College Prep Checklist

January 23, 2013 By Leave a Comment

The conversations often start among newlyweds long before they are expecting their first child.  The dreams of the future include new homes, new jobs, giggling kids, and eventually, college for those kids.  It’s become such a part of our personal dreams and the American Dream, that many families cannot imagine a future for their children that does not include a college education.  Many of these conversations revolve around the financial requirements involved.

But in the push to create a savings program to meet your child’s financial needs, it’s more important to be certain your child is excelling in both their academic pursuits and outside activities.  And the loftier your aspirations for a top-notch college, the greater the emphasis on academic excellence coupled with a passionate involvement in outside endeavors.

The website, http://mycollegeguide.org cites the following information about Duke University admissions:

Duke University receives approximately 23,800 undergraduate applications each year. Only about 1,720 of the applicants receive an acceptance letter. This is an astonishingly low percentage. As one of the top ranked universities in the country, Duke has to be choosey. One of its deans says the university denies more high school class valedictorians than it accepts. This illustrates that grades are not the end all and be all to getting into college.

Admission officers encourage students to find something they are passionate about—whether it’s sports, community service or working at a part-time job—and pursue it. This type of passion combined with good grades creates more of a well-rounded student, which is the type of student most of the top universities are seeking and accepting.

Second, it’s important that you maintain a balanced academic and extracurricular schedule throughout your schooling years. Many college applicants make the mistake of waiting until their junior and senior year to cram activities, clubs and other involvement into their student records for college. By then, it’s too late.

So to better prepare your child for a successful college career, be sure to help them discover their passion.  For some it may be found in volunteer activities, and for many it may be sports.

And be sure to equip your child for their best academic achievement with Academic Learning Labs.  We can help you round out your child’s college preparations.  We offer tutoring in every subject and personalized SAT preparation.  Call us at 949-546-0800 to learn more about how we can help your child prepare for their college career.

 

Filed Under: Academic Success, College, Community Involvement, SAT Prep Tagged With: ,

Starting the New Year Off Right

December 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As the beginning of a new year approaches, it is a chance for all of us to embrace a new start and develop new goals. The new year is also an opportunity to move past the challenges of the prior year and plan out a path toward improvement. Around this time students will likely be entering a new semester and phase in their education, and with this comes a new set of challenges to conquer. Maybe your child spent the last year struggling in school, or perhaps your high schooler would like to achieve a better score on the SAT. At Academic Learning Labs, we take the new year as an opportunity to face academic challenges head-on and change the course of your child’s education for the better.

In spring, many high school juniors will be taking the SAT for the first time. Most students do this with the intention of taking it again before graduating and improving their score. Even if this is your student’s plan, it is important to study and do well on the test the first time. It will be difficult to improve a score later if the original score is not an accurate representation of your student’s knowledge. The tutors at Academic Learning Labs can help students translate their knowledge into a good score on the SAT.

Moving into springtime brings graduating high schoolers closer to application deadlines for Fall admission to college. Many graduating seniors have already taken the SAT at least once, but will take it again before applying to colleges. Improving SAT scores is one of the final steps before embarking on a college career. In these upcoming months, many responsibilities can pile up and overwhelm students. SAT scores can determine which colleges your student is accepted to, what scholarships they are awarded, and what classes they will be required to take. Needless to say, it is important that high schoolers achieve their best possible score, and the new year is the perfect time to map out a plan for doing so.

 At Academic Learning Labs, we work with students individually to determine a plan of study that will maximize their abilities and allow them to achieve their best score on the SAT. We will work with your child to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and most importantly, we will help your child learn the information necessary to succeed on the SAT and their upcoming college career. Call us at 949-546-0800 to discuss plans for your child’s education in the upcoming year.

Filed Under: Academic Success, College, SAT Prep, Studying Tagged With: , , ,

When To Take the SAT

November 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Since 1900 the College Board has been administering tests to help colleges and universities identify deserving students through shared entrance exams, or “College Boards.”   Initially formed by a group of colleges to simplify and standardize admissions, over the years the tests and the College Board organization have gone through a number of transitions.  They are best known now for administering the SAT tests, and over 7 million students will take the test this year.  The SAT’s are a part of virtually every student’s road to college.

It’s likely that your child’s college education has been frequent topic of conversation at your home.  But it can be disastrous to wait too long to start the preparation in earnest.  Many parents and students find themselves limiting the available choices by making the mistake of waiting until their senior year in high school to begin series preparations.

According to the College Board, “most students take the SAT during their junior or senior year in high school. At least half of all students take the SAT twice — in the spring of their junior year and in the fall of their senior year. Most students also improve their score the second time around.

For the SAT Subject Tests™, most students take them toward the end of their junior year or at the beginning of their senior year. In general, you should take tests such as World History, Biology E/M, Chemistry or Physics as soon as possible after completing the course in the subject. Students tend to do better on other tests like languages after at least two years of study.”

Timing of the SAT testing is important for the best results.  One of the great helps that tutoring with Academic Learning Labs is the help we can offer in a variety of the test subjects in preparation for test day.  Keeping the information fresh has been shown to be a big help.  This is why the SAT testing offers the different subjects as individual tests to maximize on the timing of when students complete the individual classes.  Our specialized SAT tutoring works with sample tests and helps students target teh specific learning needed to complete the tests with the best results.

Call us at 949-546-0800, and we’ll work with you to give your student the preparation needed to get the best results on the SAT tests.  We offer tutoring in both individual and group settings.  We also offer our tutoring around your hours with evening and weekend sessions available.

 

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Why SAT Scores May Matter More Than GPA

October 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

As you prepare your child for college, you may face some competition for placement.  Good colleges naturally attract more applicants and must turn away many students.  It can be a real heartbreak for your child to work hard, get excellent grades, but still find themselves unable to attend the college of their choice. This is where the importance of SAT scores must be properly understood.

Consider the job of an admissions counselor at one of the country’s prestigious schools.  The counselor may have a dozen applications on their desk, and ultimately have slots available for only a few of these.  What will make the difference?  How will the choice be made?  This is where an excellent SAT score can trump a student with a higher GPA.  Here’s how:

Wider Horizons With Better SAT Scores

It’s no secret that local school districts are under tremendous pressure to produce higher test scores across all grade levels.  In some areas, a teacher’s tenure and salary are impacted by the grades produced by their classes.  And even in our personal experience, we’ve all likely seen examples from our school years where a teacher seemed to grade some students a bit more harshly than others despite a better academic performance.  The grades handed out by Mr. Brown in his English class will not be exactly equivalent to those handed out by Mrs. Green.  When you factor in regional differences in curriculum, you can see that it’s no easy task for an admissions counselor to differentiate between an A- handed out in Nashville, and a B+ awarded in Sacramento.  Are they almost the same?  Maybe, maybe not.

This is why SAT scores weigh so heavily in college admissions.  With SAT scores there are no personalities at work.  There are no regional differences in content or scoring.  No amount of fresh-baked cookies will sway an SAT score.  It’s a standardized test and perhaps the one objective measurement available among a huge amount of subjective data that becomes part of your child’s college application.  As such, it is becoming an ever-increasing benchmark that may have more impact than any other piece of your child’s academic history.  It may not be fair, and it is certainly nowhere near a global measurement of your child’s abilities, but it must be taken seriously.

At Academic Learning Labs, we understand the tremendous impact of the SAT scores, and we’re here to work with your child to equip them for their best possible performance.  We have tutoring available to do a comprehensive evaluation of your child’s proficiency in every SAT subject.  Based upon our initial testing, we create a customize tutoring plan to hone in on the subjects that need improvement, and augment your child’s strengths.  We have access to test versions of the SAT to acquaint your child with the process, and our sample tests are run in virtually the identical format and timing of the actual SAT.  By the time we complete our SAT tutoring, your child will be familiar with the process involved, the topics covered, and the tools they’ll need.

We have a number of options for our SAT tutoring from group classes, to more intensive one-on-one tutoring.  Students usually start taking the SAT tests during their sophomore and junior years in high school, but we have tutoring available to help prepare much earlier than that.  Please call us at 949-546-0800 for more details on upcoming classes.

 

Filed Under: College, SAT Prep, Tutoring Tagged With: , , ,

When and How To Start Planning For College

September 5, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Most of us are aware of studies that show the lifelong earning of college graduates far outdistances workers with a high school diploma, but there’s much more to the story than just the money involved.  People with college degrees usually have a better understanding of their world, are more well-rounded, and more engaged as citizens.  There are plenty of good reasons to encourage our children to follow a path that leads to college.  There are also good reasons to start them on this path early.

The College Board is a great resource for students of all ages.  They are known to most students as the not-for-profit organization that conducts the SAT test nationally. They also provide significant resources to energize students and equip families to prepare for college both academically and financially.  Here are a few great tips we found on their website:

1.  Have your student let everybody know their plans for college

The College Board has a great tool for college-bound students to create a personalized web page to tell the world about their personal pledge to attend college.  Have your student visit http://youcango.collegeboard.org/your-pledge and fill out the form.  They’ll receive a unique website address that they can post on their Facebook page or email to all the relatives.  There’s a real advantage to having your extended family involved in the college conversation with your child.  There are lots of decisions to be made and lots of great advice to be had from your family.

2.  Start early working on financial aid and scholarships

Plan for college

Send them to college with great study skills and a firm financial footing

College is expensive, but there are significant resources available.  It’s wise to start planning for your child’s college expenses when they are very young.  While it’s a bit premature to start touring college campuses with your 6-year-old, it’s definitely a great time to start a savings account.  Every parent hopes to see the day when their child walks forward to receive their college diploma, and the excitement of that day is maximized for a parent who helped their child achieve this goal without incurring any student debt.

There are a number of ways you can start preparing for the financial needs of your child’s college education, and the IRS has several methods of savings that offer tax benefits.  We encourage you to spend some time reviewing your options, and get started right away.  529 Savings Plans are especially popular and can be created by both parents and grand parents. SavingForCollege.com has lots of great advice and is currently offering a free downloadable book full of information on how best to chart the financial path for your child’s college education.  The State of California has also established the ScholarShare College Savings Plan.  Visit their website at  http://www.scholarshare.com for more details.

3.  Prepare your child academically

 There’s nothing like a good scholarship to warm the heart of parents and students alike.  There are many resources for college grants based upon a wide variety of factors, but students with the best grades always have more scholarship options available to them.  This is where Academic Learning Labs can join you in preparing your child for their college career.  We have a number of proven programs that will assess your child’s academic level and provide improvement needed to perform well both in SAT testing and in their school work.  Great high school grades combined with a great SAT score open up a much wider range of opportunities for your child in their choice of colleges and in the financial aid available.  Call us today at (949) 546-0800 for more details on how we can help your college plans.

Filed Under: College, Preparing for College, SAT Prep, Tutoring Tagged With: , , , ,

How to Prepare for College

December 22, 2011 By 4 Comments



At Academic Learning Labs, we work closely with students in selecting the right college, completing the application process, preparing for college tests and developing study skills for college level courses. Parents often inquire as to how early they should start preparing their child for college and what can they do to assist their child in this process. We believe starting the college prep process early is extremely important and here are a few guidelines on how parents can get involved:

Pre-High School

• Develop strong study skills.

• If you have a choice among high schools or different programs within a school, explore your options and determine which school and/or program will support your long-term academic goals.

• Start saving for college if you haven’t already!

High School: 9th Grade

• While your GPA is extremely important, it is also imperative that you take challenging classes. Don’t take classes for the easy A, colleges look for students who challenged themselves. Continue taking classes that are challenging throughout your high school career.

• Talk to people who work in a variety of professions so that you can determine what direction you may want to take and the education needed for your career.

• Meet your guidance counselor and familiarize yourself with the college resources your school offers.

High School: 10th Grade

• Get involved in extracurricular school and/or community activities that you find interesting or that allows you to explore career possibilities.

• Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss different colleges and what the requirements for each are so that you can make sure you stay on track.

• Take the Preliminary SAT (PSAT). These tests prepare you for what to expect with the SAT’s. Register early and if you have difficulty paying for the test registration work with your guidance counselor to get the fee waived.

• Take advantage of all opportunities to visit colleges and talk to students.

High School: 11th Grade

• Determine which colleges interests you and contact them to get additional information and an application. Ask about any special admission requirements, financial aid, and deadlines

• Attend college fairs and speak with the college representatives

• Consider who might give you a letter of recommendation. This can be your teacher, counselor, employer, etc.

• Research your financial options including financial aid from federal, state, local and private sources.

• Research scholarship options. These can be academic, sports, or minority based scholarships through corporations, professional associations, religious organization, and the university you are applying to.

• Register for and take the SAT and ACT test. Take any other tests required by the colleges you are interested in attending.

High School: 12th Grade

• Meet with your guidance counselor early on in the year to discuss your plans.

• Complete all forms for financial aid.

• Gather all the information and applications from colleges, and visit the colleges that you are most interested in.

• Prepare your college application. Ensure you follow all the instructions and make sure you get everything on time! Work with your counselor, teachers and your school at least two weeks prior to any deadlines to submit any documentation the college requires (transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.)

Filed Under: learning, SAT Prep, Tutoring, Uncategorized

SAT Study Tips and Test Dates

December 8, 2011 By 1 Comment
You are dreaming of college and it is closer than you think, but the one thing standing in your way is the SAT/ACT exam. Follow these Test Prep tips to help you prepare for the test while building your confidence in your test taking skills!

Take realistic practice tests

Taking at least a few mock SAT/ACT exams can help you prepare for the actual exam while also helping you develop your time management skills. A great way to do this is to simulate the actual testing environment as closely as possible. So skip the breaks, snacks, music or any other things you wouldn’t be able to do during the actual test.

Recognize the ascending order of difficulty

In the math section of the SAT/AT the questions become increasingly difficult as you move through the section. If you feel that you can’t figure out the answers to the last few questions don’t waste time trying to answer them. It is better to use that time to review your answers to the questions in the beginning and middle sections.

Read the questions carefully

Don’t rush through reading the questions because you feel the pressure of the time clock. Read the question and be sure you understand what it is asking before you answer. You are sure to encounter questions on the test that have incorrect answer choices that can often be misinterpreted because you didn’t understand the question because you didn’t take time to really read it.

Avoid random guessing in the multiple choice sections

The way the SAT is scored it penalizes you for incorrect answers. Therefore, it is not beneficial to random guess on questions. You actually lose more points if you answer a question incorrectly than if you were to not answer it at all. If you have no idea what the correct answer is skip it and move on. If, however, you can eliminate at least one answer choice as an incorrect one then it is advantageous for you to guess. If you can eliminate one answer as being the wrong one you improve your odds of choosing the correct answer. The exception to this rule is when there is a problem solving question that requires you to write in an answer. When this is the case you should solve the problem to the best of your ability and write in an answer.

The most important thing in preparing for theses tests is practice. Spend as much time as possible taking practice exams. It will help you understand the process, teach you to manage your time, and give you the confidence of knowing how to navigate through the instructions and the questions. It is encouraged that you use practice exams that have actual questions from previous exams. Another key is to spend more time on studying and practicing questions in your weakest subject area to help you gain the confidence you need to tackle the test.

Filed Under: learning, reading, SAT Prep, Studying, Uncategorized