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Practice makes perfect

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Many test prep centers are offering free SAT and ACT practice test sessions throughout the summer and there are many reasons why students should take advantage of this opportunity. Like a dress rehearsal, these sessions replicate the real testing environment as students sit in a room with other students and take the test following the standard protocol. Through exposure to real test questions, when the time comes for the official test, students should feel more confident going into their SAT or ACT. Each student will receive a detailed score report and analysis that breaks down performance and identifies strengths and areas for improvement which will help them be more focused in their SAT/ACT prep. Finally, for students contemplating whether to take the SAT or the ACT the practice tests will give thema chance to compare their scores to determine whether they have a natural strength/preference for one or the other.

Practice makes perfect - summer is the perfect time to take advantage of this opportunity.

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Finding the right balance

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Recalling when summer meant a break from stress Exams are finished, the next SAT isn't until the fall, and there's nothing to do for the next three months except sleep late, read trashy novels, and hang out with friends. Unless you're like many of our clients and have summer days filled with internships, college visits, and resume building volunteer work. Our message to you - keep busy, keep happy, and, above all, keep balanced. Summer is the time to explore new interest and try new experiences, but it's also an important time for rest and renewal.

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7 Life Lessons

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UC Riverside Commencement Speech Although I tend to find graduations to be rather tedious, drawn-out affairs, I do like to read commencement speeches. Usually erudite, often witty, a great graduation speaker is able to give important advice or perspective to the graduating class. In her commencement speech at UC Riverside, Lynda Resnick gives 7 suggestions for a life well-led.

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Summer is a great time to visit college campuses

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School is almost over and now is the time to plan those college visits. Summer can be a great time to visit colleges especially those that are a greater distance from home. Admissions offices are also now scheduling interviews as well. Without missing school or having to worry about school obligations you can take advantage of the summer to tour college campuses and interview.

The Personal Touch

A Campus Embraces Old School Admissions The admissions office at Hobart and William Smith Colleges is putting their efforts into making personal connections with prospective applicants. Their results - a higher yield. From our perspective - a better experience for the applicant.

A different perspective on the college search

A New Journey with my Daughter This summer I will begin the college search process with a student whom I am certain is going to be my all-time favorite client - my own daughter.

I have worked with many different types of students of widely varying abilities, talents and interests. I have enjoyed learning about them as discovering the right college match has lead them to learn new things about themselves.

Although I have known my daughter for much longer and much more intimately than any of my clients, I am eagerly looking forward to that same process of self-discovery with her.

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Why boys are underrepresented in gifted classrooms

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Gender Gap for the Gifted in City Schools I'm always disheartened to hear how gender gaps persist in schools, despite on-going research. It turns out that today's classrooms may favor girls because the emphasis is on literacy and testing - things girls tend to excell at, rather than on math and spatial relationships - those things that boys typically do better with.

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Now you can bring Fido to college with you

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Colleges Extend the Welcome Mat to Students' PetsAn increasing number of colleges are allowing students to bring their pets with them to school. After agreeing to some very strict rules, students can keep their cats, birds, dogs, and, in some cases, non-venemous snakes in their dorm rooms. Those colleges with designated dorms allowing pets believe that students who opt to bring their pet to school show greater responsibility and organization. Others worry that having a pet might keep those pet owners more isolated.

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How to increase your chances of acceptance

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The Dynamics of Demonstrated Interest As colleges are working to increase their yield, at many colleges, particulary the most selective ones, admissions officers are looking carefully at a student's demonstated interest in their school as a way of gauging how likely they are to yield.

Why students should continue with foreign language study

The Real Reasons to Support Language Study Occaisionally a student will tell us that they are finished studying foreign language. While they might have compelling reasons for this decision, there are good reasons why it is valuable for students to continue with the same foreign language throughout their high school years. Not only is this what colleges generally like to see, but there is evidence that foreign language study builds many other skills, besides communication.

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Summer: Time for new experiences

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by Allison Matlack/DAILY NEWS CORRESPONDENT Summer opportunities abound for high school students and this can be the perfect time to take classes, explore career interests, hone athletic skills or become involved in volunteer work.

As with all extracurricular activities, how a student chooses to spend their vacation time reveals a great deal about their passions, talents and leadership skills. Students should carefully choose what it is that they want to do with an eye not toward "resume building" but to finding fulfilling experiences that will nurture their passions and allow them to pursue their interests.

For those academics who would like to move ahead in their coursework or to take a class that isn't offered at their high school, many independent schools and colleges offer summer sessions. Through these programs, students can take classes in subjects ranging from calculus to archeology to glass blowing. Independent schools, vocational schools and colleges offer courses for high school students ranging from single course options to full residential programs.

For those students who are more career-focused, the 10 weeks of summer provide a unique opportunity to explore interests through internships. Besides lending credibility to a resume, a summer internship is the best way to learn more about a specific career.

For those with a more entrepreneurial spirit, the summer months allow time to run a small business mowing grass, selling handmade T-shirts or running a dog-walking business. The organizational, leadership and executive skills that are required to run a successful business are especially alluring to colleges as well as to future employers.

Volunteering is another way to explore career interests and develop skills while helping others. For students who want to combine work with travel there are several groups that organize volunteer opportunities overseas. Rather than giving an hour or so of time each week over the course of the year, a focused volunteer effort in the summer can lead to a more meaningful and rewarding experience.

Many students enroll in programs overseas where they do any combination of study, travel, language immersion and/or volunteer work. For many, this is their first time traveling without their family and the rewards of overcoming the challenges of learning how to adapt to and appreciate the traditions and routines of another culture are profound.

For the athlete, sports camps are offered at many independent schools and universities and provide a tremendous opportunity not only to train with some of the best coaches in the country but also to take advantage of state-of-the-art athletic facilities. If you plan to be a college athlete, attend camps where the coaches from the colleges you are interested in applying to will be in attendance.

While summer provides myriad opportunities to explore one's interests and passions, it is important to plan ahead as many of these camps and programs will enroll quickly.

And be sure to leave plenty of time for recreation and renewal!

To learn more about this topic, AHP Educational Consulting is offering a free seminar - "Summer Opportunities for High School Students" - on Wednesday, June 9, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at their offices at 490B Boston Post Road, Sudbury. To reserve a spot, call 978-261-1443.

Tim Lee and Allison Matlack are educational consultants at AHP Educational Consulting on Rte. 20 in Sudbury. For over 30 years, AHP has guided students through the college search and application process. For more information, call 978-443-0055 or visit www.ahpeducationalconsulting.com.

Copyright 2010 The MetroWest Daily News. Some rights reserved

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The Upside of Rejection

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I truly don't know what to say to my clients when they receive the dreaded letter telling them they've been denied admission to their first choice college. I know I could say that some wonderful schools have admitted them, that thousands of other students are sharing their pain, that years from now their misery will be a distant memory, or that they will come through this experience and be all the stronger for it. But, while all these things are true, I can hear my words ringing hollow in their ears - these are not the words they want to hear. It is anticipated that next year's freshman class will hit a record breaking 2.9 million students and colleges have received more applications than ever before. Harvard accepted a mere 6.9% of its undergraduate applications and Stanford's accepted only 7.2%. The University of Chicago saw a 42% increase in applications this year and accepted only 18% of those, down dramatically from the 27% of the applicant pool that received acceptance letters just last year. So, those finding themselves holding the "thin envelope" are in good company.

Few students seriously consider what they will do if they aren't accepted at their first choice school. While they will talk about the merits of their Plan B colleges, it is rarely with the passion or intensity with which they describe their dream school. So, after months of working hard to put together an application packet that seemed like the ticket to admission, it's hard not to ruminate on what could have been done differently or better. But a more productive response is to seize this opportunity to reconsider your options.

First choice schools aren't the only doorway to a bright future. Myriad opportunities await and chances are that you are holding acceptance letters from several wonderful colleges. Now that you must rethink where you want to go, give each of these schools the careful consideration they deserve. Don’t give undue weight to the school’s name or reputation – focus instead on defining your own educational values, priorities, and ideals to determine which school is the best match for you.

Don’t let this experience change your assessment of yourself. Those schools that accepted you value and recognize the ways that you will contribute to their communities. Colleges provide far more opportunities for internships, travel, research, athletics, social and extracurricular activities than any one student could ever exhaust. More important than the school you go to is what you make of your experience while you are there.

Where my words commonly fail, perhaps the oft quoted wisdom of Warren Buffet might bring some solace. Years after being rejected by Harvard Business School, Mr. Buffet reflected, "The truth is everything that has happened in my life... that I thought was a crushing event at the time, has turned out for the better."

So, congratulate yourself for getting a rejection letter. That means that you stuck your neck out, took a risk, and tested your upper limits. And some college is eagerly awaiting your arrival.

Reprinted with permission from Metrowest Daily News.