When I was in elementary school, academics, especially reading, did not come easily for me. I needed to see the speech and language teacher for help with my school work on a weekly basis. The guidance that I received in elementary school was invaluable and assisted me substantially when entering middle school. I specifically recall my parents meeting with the School Board prior to my first year of middle school. The School Board felt that I had improved so much my final year in elementary school that extra help was no longer required. My parents implored the Board to recognize that the help that they approved earlier allowed me to improve academically. My parents further explained that the Board should take credit for their accomplishment and understand that, by taking away my extra help, the possibility existed that I might regress. The Board finally agreed to continue providing me with extra help while in middle school. When I was a freshman in high school, I decided to undertake my school work without the extra help for which I still had approval. It became clear to me quickly that I would need to focus more conscientiously on my studies in order to maintain a good academic record. My diligence was rewarded as I improved academically in each year of high school. In my junior year, I was elected to the National Honor Society.

      Upon reflecting as to what may have been instrumental in helping me to achieve my goals academically, one detail seemed to stand out in my mind. Prior to the beginning of my junior year, I was fortunate enough to meet a young entrepreneur, Scott Farber. He had graduated from Harvard and had started his own education learning center. He made a lasting first impression. I discussed with him the anxieties that I felt knowing my junior year would be challenging academically. We also spoke about preparing for the college application process. What struck me most was his candor and easy going personality. He made the idea of learning comfortable. To top it all off, he was a very “cool” guy, full of confidence and exuberance. As the school year began, I found myself feeling more confident about performing academically. In fact, I actually enjoyed the learning process. I realized, for the first time in my life, it is not only important to want to be educated, but “cool” to be smart. My junior year ended up being my best year academically, as I improved in every subject and raised my GPA. And my mentor? His company continues to grow as he has forged a number of successful partnerships with non-profit educational organizations. I aspire to be as successful as my mentor.

They say, “War is hell.”  For millions of students nationwide, so is the SAT.  But the truth is preparing for the SAT doesn’t have to be the painful, depressing, and terrifying experience you keep hearing about.  In fact, success on the mother of all tests is a lot easier than you think.  Here are 5 helpful tips from a Harvard guru who has taken more than a 100 SATs and PSATs, helped instruct thousands of students and experienced first hand what a great score can do for your future. 

Before you even begin to prepare for the SAT, remember that you are always more than a number on a piece of paper.  You are the sum of your life experiences, and the SAT is only one part of the admissions equation.  If you become obsessed with your score (or the scores of your friends), you are setting yourself up to go crazy.  Honestly, the world is full of crazy people already and a meltdown with a number two pencil is just no way to go.

Here are 5 tips to get you started:

1. Have a Plan – You have plenty of time to get ready for the SAT, but if you try to hide from it and pretend it’s not there, believe me it will sneak up behind you, beat you down and take your lunch money.  Mapping out a strategy early on that fits your schedule, your learning style and your goals is essential.
2. Make a Schedule – Choosing when to take your first SAT is an important decision.  If you have AP tests in May, you probably want to take your SAT earlier in the year to avoid stress; if you are an athlete^* with a winter sport, preparing during the season may be tough.  Be realistic about your time commitments.
3. READ  – Pick up a book.  Read the newspaper (box scores don’t count).  Stop relying on SparkNotes and read the Scarlet Letter for real (you can still use SparkNotes to help).  This isn’t just about improving vocabulary and reading comprehension for the SAT; YOU SPEAK ENGLISH, this will help you for the rest of your life.
4. Don’t Burn Out – Focusing too much on the SAT is a mistake.  To most colleges, your GPA is just as, if not more, important than your SAT scores.  If you are taking mountains of practice tests and sections without reviewing them thoroughly you are wasting your time.  If you are locking yourself in your room for hours doing nothing but SAT work, you are a weirdo.  And all too often you will burn out and get frustrated.  This is a marathon, so pace yourself.
5. Block out the Nonsense – When it comes to the SAT, suddenly everyone is an expert.  There is no “easy” or “hard” month to take the SAT.  The ACT isn’t the “easier” test.  Guessing “C” isn’t better than guessing “A” or “B”.  Ignore most of what you hear since it is usually anecdotal at best.  Sorting fact from fiction is sometimes difficult, so only trust those with a solid track record and experience.  Even then, a second opinion never hurts.

^* Athletes who are hoping to get recruited should start early to give coaches solid scores to work with.  In future posts I will discuss how the academic index is used in admissions decisions for recruited athletes.

It’s almost over.  I promise.

Seniors – you have spent your entire high school careers studying, taking tests and writing essays all in the hope of getting into that dream school.   And yet there are still SATs to take and scores to improve.  Before you throw up your hands in frustration, break down and cry into your pillow, or decide that being a 6^th year senior is actually a cool idea, here are 5 essential things you can do to increase your chances of nailing a top score this fall. 

Before we begin, you might want to know why on Earth you should take the advice of some guy you have never met.  Well that’s a good question; I’m impressed.  The funny thing is at this point I know many of you are desperate — if I said that the secret to a higher score was a diet of tarantulas and Red Bull some of you might just try it.  But before you run out in search of killer spiders or try to sprout your own set of wings, take a deep breath.  Trust me, I have worked with thousands of students, train teachers how to teach the SAT and still take the test myself (as sad as that may sound).

5 COMMANDMENTS FOR THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

1. Keep Studying – Hope alone will not raise your SAT score any more than it will win you the lottery.^*  Students who take practice tests, study vocabulary, and refine techniques are much more likely to see higher scores than those who are simply hoping to sit next to the smart kid and cheat.
2. Don’t Stress – Adding pressure to an SAT only hurts your problem solving abilities.  Taking a test in the fall is no more stressful than one in the spring, and to be honest, you are now a little older and little wiser (hopefully).  Many of my students have hit their top scores in October, November and December precisely because they went in stress-free.  If they got more points great.  If not, well, they had already submitted their scores and no one would ever know about this last attempt.^**
3. Don’t Give Up – Many students think they have little chance of scoring higher on a 2^nd or 3^rd SAT attempt.  True some students don’t improve, but even just the confidence that comes with experience can have an impact.  You are taking the test again for a reason, so if you don’t believe in yourself what’s the point?
4. Don’t Cheat – As the pressure builds, students sometimes feel the urge to find any advantage they can – even if it’s dishonest.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHEAT ON THE SAT.  It’s just not worth it.  You have spent years building an academic profile and thinking that a few stolen answers will be the difference between acceptance and rejection is ridiculous.  Colleges see your scores in a range anyway and if you get caught you aren’t getting in anywhere.  You don’t want to live in your parents’ basement for the next few years. 
5. Get a Grip on Reality – Taking the SAT may seem overwhelming at times, but it’s just a bunch of English and math questions with some bubbling thrown in.  True, bubbling can be hard and the reading passages may not be your idea of a good time, but it’s just a test.  Colleges look at the whole picture, and you should too. 

^* If you have already won the lottery you are definitely luckier than the rest of us so I hope your test bursts into flames to balance out the universe. 

^** Score Choice for the SAT functions differently for particular colleges so always check on collegeboard.com for details.  In some cases there is an ethical way to avoid sending a final score even to schools who want all scores.  Email me for details.

Vocab Videos Introduces Entertaining Videos to Improve Comprehension and Retention of Difficult SAT Vocabulary Words

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–A-List Education, experts in standardized test preparation, academic tutoring and college admissions advising, announced today the launch of Vocab Videos, an entertaining and effective learning system that brings vocabulary to life. Leveraging humor, pop culture and engaging characters, Vocab Videos helps increase student understanding and retention of vocabulary words through verbal, auditory and visual cues. Vocab Videos teaches students more than 500 of the most frequently tested vocabulary words found in advanced high school English classes and on college admissions tests such as the SAT and ACT.

Recognizing the difficulty many students have learning new words through conventional means, A-List created Vocab Videos after intense analysis and research. This unique teaching system employs proven educational methodologies and helps connect high school students with the content and expand their vocabulary, while entertaining them along the way.

Parodies of popular television shows such as Lost, The Office, 24 and Gossip Girl appeal to students by making the content relevant, memorable and compelling. Students develop a more sophisticated understanding of vocabulary words and usage through Vocab Videos as compared to traditional methods, such as flashcards, that only promote short-term memorization.

Scott Farber, President of A-List explains, “I’ve worked with thousands of students and have seen firsthand how beneficial it can be to infuse educational materials with elements of entertainment and multimedia. Vocab Videos gets students excited about learning and parents and teachers see the positive results. We provide the necessary tools for students to excel in the vocabulary sections of standardized tests, including the SAT, ISEE, ACT and GRE.”

Vocab Videos offers a Web-based service with subscriptions available for $9.99 per month or $49.99 for a six-month subscription. Subscribers have unlimited access to content on the Vocab Videos website, including quizzes, review materials and video clips. (DVDs of Vocab Videos will soon be available on Amazon.com.)

A-List also offers Web portal customization and licensing agreements for teachers, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations enabling them to incorporate Vocab Videos into existing curricula. Vocab Videos can be used to enhance daily curricula, assist with standardized test preparation and generally prepare students for college. Schools and non-profit educational organizations throughout the United States are successfully instituting the Vocab Videos system.

About Vocab Videos

Vocab Videos (www.vocabvideos.com) is an entertaining and effective learning system that brings vocabulary to life. Leveraging humor, pop culture and engaging characters, Vocab Videos helps increase student understanding and retention of vocabulary words through verbal, auditory and visual cues. Vocab Videos employs proven educational methodologies to help students learn more than 500 frequently tested words found in high school level English classes and on college admissions tests such as the SAT and ACT.

About A-List Education

A-List Education (www.alisteducation.com) is an innovative provider of educational services for students, schools, and non-profit organizations. The company is dedicated to helping students achieve their academic goals and successfully prepare for undergraduate and graduate studies. A-List’s services include standardized test preparation, academic tutoring and college admissions advising. Through private tutoring, classroom based programs and online services, such as Vocab Videos (www.vocabvideos.com) and College Essay Optimizer (www.collegeessayoptimizer.com), A-List has helped thousands of students through its unique and highly effective programs and services. Using customized curricula and proprietary materials, A-List prepares students for standardized tests such as the SAT, ISEE, ACT and GRE. A-List is also committed to helping underprivileged youth and works with several nationally recognized non-profit organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Graham Windham and Year Up.

Keywords: Vocab Videos, A-List Education, SAT, ICEE, ACT, GRE, Scott Farber, Test Preparation, Test Prep, Vocabulary

Welcome to the new A-List homepage! Please take some time and have a look at some of our new site features:

• Updated navigation with drop-down menus

• Extensive descriptions of A-List’s services old and new, including preparation for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, & LSAT. Look out for the details of our new hybrid SAT course that blends classroom instruction and one-on-one tutoring!

• Vast list of useful resources: Check them out! Some may help make the college admissions process a bit easier for you.

• Our Expanding A-List Team: Meet all of our new expert educational consultants—learn a little about them and their impressive academic backgrounds. Many have attended the country’s most prestigious schools including Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.

• A-List Training & Licensing for schools and non-profits: See what A-List has to offer your school with respect to our SAT teacher-training.

• Clients’ Success Stories: A-List prides itself on our exceptional results, and the relationships we develop with students. Please explore our comprehensive list of testimonials, SAT & ACT score improvements, and college acceptances from top schools including Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Emory, Georgetown, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, and UCLA.

• Get Ready for the New & Improved Vocab Videos Site: Have fun, learn vocabulary, and get SAT prep and ACT prep!

Enjoy the site!

If you are having trouble with Chemistry, click here to check out an interactive Periodic Table. It’s a free and dynmaic way to learn about the elements.

Interested in learning a foreign languiage? Join Livemocha, the world’s largest online community for language learners, with free lessons and a global community to help you learn a new language.

Click Here to Lean More About Live Mocha

In honor of Father’s Day this Sunday, President Obama visited Year-Up in order to promote the importance of guardians and mentors. Year Up is a non-profit program and A-List partner that trains 18-24 year olds from urban areas for college and professional work, and teaches personal skills like communication and conflict resolution.

President Obama toured the Washington D.C. Year Up site and spoke with students about the hardships facing young adults in this country today. Praising what works about the program, he expressed interest in learning more about the Year-Up model in order to help him ensure that all young people have a chance for successful careers. To read more about Obama’s visit to Year Up click Here.

The partnership between Year Up and A-List began in the spring of 2008 with a course intended to introduce young adults in the Year Up apprenticeship phase to the college application process. The course was expanded to include college advising workshops that begin during the learning and development phase and continuing through the apprenticeships. A-List’s college advisors have assisted Year Up students in selecting schools, completing applications, perfecting admissions essays, and securing scholarships and financial aid.

In the fall of 2008, Year Up NYC added another A-List course to its Professional Skills curriculum. In Business Math, students learn the fundamental math skills necessary for success in the professional world. The course was designed to meet the specific needs of Year Up students as they enter the workforce and focuses on the real-life applications of math concepts in personal and professional life.

Before the academic year comes to a close and the summer truly begins for your child, we are offering a chance for you and your student to get an early view of how he/she might perform on the SAT. We are offering two free practice PSATs on the following days:

• Thursday, June 25th, 5pm-8pm
• Sunday, August 30th, 2pm-5pm

These practice tests will offer a great snapshot of your student’s performance. When you meet with us after the test, your A-List tutor will provide a computerized analysis of the results that will pinpoint your student’s specific strengths and weaknesses. This is an invaluable tool to prepare for the upcoming year.

Please call our office (646) 216-9187 to let us know if your student plans to attend. If you cannot attend, don’t worry. Working with A-List gives your student plenty of our opportunities to take free practice tests.