Category Archives: College Planning

Visual Learners – In a Word-based Educational System

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Janis Adams

This week the New York Times Learning Network posed an interesting question: Do schools need to do more to support visual thinkers? Some people think in words; others in pictures. A professor argues that “society is failing visual thinkers, and that hurts … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Coaching, Early Learners, Los Angeles tutoring, Special Needs | Leave a comment

Is Test-Optional Really Optional?

Posted on January 7, 2022 by Janis Adams

In response to the Covid crisis, many colleges have temporarily adopted a test-optional admissions policy. However, we are told the overwhelming majority of the top-tier US and International colleges evaluating college applications still prefer to see an SAT or ACT … Continue reading →

Posted in ISEE, Private School Admission, SAT prep, Test Prep ACT or SAT | Leave a comment

How to Be a Better Test-Taker

Posted on March 25, 2019 by Janis Adams

The Reality Many capable, hard-working students perform poorly on exams because they’ve overtaxed their “working memory” – mental scratchpad on which we combine information from our long-term memory with the specific of the problem in front of us, in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Coaching, ACT, Executive Functioning, SAT prep, Study Skills, Test Prep ACT or SAT | Leave a comment

An Alternative: Academic Achievers Academy

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Janis Adams

In a perfect world, you send your child off to school and they return smiling, stimulated, curious, and capable. Because school is their job and they feel confident, accepted, and passionate about the work they are doing. As a parent, … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Coaching, Early Elementary, Early Learners, homeschool, Los Angeles tutoring | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Want to go to an Ivy League?

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Janis Adams

“The path to the Ivy League is most successfully traveled through exclusive private schools,” according to CBS Market Watch. In fact, their research showed that of the 100 U.S. high schools sending the highest percentage of students to Harvard, Yale … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Coaching, ACT, college applications, college essay, College Planning, ISEE, los angeles independent schools, Los Angeles tutoring, Parents, Private School Admission, SAT prep, Study Skills, Test Prep ACT or SAT, Tutoring, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Waiting for Private School Admissions

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Janis Adams

For many applying to Los Angeles Independent Schools, the anticipation of enrollment decisions is nerve-racking and daunting, or as the LA Times referred to it, “waiting for Black Friday”. After all the research, testing, applying, and interviewing, there is nothing … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Coaching, Early Elementary, ISEE, Kindergarten Prep, los angeles independent schools, Los Angeles tutoring, Private School Admission, Tutoring | Leave a comment

The New SAT is Gaining Ground for Test Takers

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Janis Adams

The new SAT made its appearance a year ago in March. Although all the data isn’t in yet, the new SAT seems to be gaining in appeal for many new test-takers. In the past few years, more students took the … Continue reading →

Posted in ACT, College Planning, Los Angeles tutoring, SAT prep, Test Prep ACT or SAT, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

New SAT or ACT…It’s Time to Choose!

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Janis Adams

You’ve taken the PSAT, so now it’s time to gear up for the SAT…or the ACT. No need to prep for both.  Virtually every college accepts both ACT and SAT equally and use the concordance tables to compare the score … Continue reading →

Posted in ACT, college applications, College Planning, SAT prep, Test Prep ACT or SAT, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Skills Every 18 Year Old Needs

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Janis Adams

As parents, when our child encounters frustration or anxiety, our first instinct is to swoop in and solve the problem. This need to protect, however well intended, has created a generation of children without coping skills. Let’s hear from an … Continue reading →

Posted in ACT, college applications, college essay, College Planning, Los Angeles tutoring, Parents, SAT prep, Study Skills, Tutoring | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Private Schools Road to Ivy Leagues

Posted on April 11, 2016 by Janis Adams

While it is true that fewer than 9% of applicants were accepted into an Ivy League school last year, some high schools sent over 46% of their students to an Ivy, Stanford or MIT. According to CBS Market Watch, “The … Continue reading →

Posted in college applications, College Planning, ISEE, Los Angeles tutoring, Private School Admission, SAT prep, Tutoring | Tagged | Leave a comment