By: Valerie Erde

While it’s true that colleges want to create a well-rounded class that brings together a mix of artists, athletes, and leaders in a range of areas, they also want students who, when they arrive on campus, are able to do the work and who will graduate in four years — not six or eight. 

It may be good for colleges’ wallets to have students attend for more than four years, but it’s not good for their rankings nor their reputation.  This is due in large part to the way the college rankings work. One of the areas measured by the U.S. News and World…

The grade point average (GPA) is an index of a student's academic performance and can be evaluated as a letter grade, percentage, or range. Traditionally, they are scored on a 4.0 scale. GPAs are good indicators of a student's classroom performance and academic aptitude during high school. Colleges consider academic performance the most important part of the application, looking at grades starting in freshman year. Therefore, it is in a student's best interest to work toward building a good GPA. 

To work toward a good GPA, it is essential to understand what qualifies as…

By: Valerie Erde

GRADE INFLATION AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS 

While it’s true that colleges want to create a well-rounded class that brings together a mix of artists, athletes, and leaders in a range of areas, they also want students who, when they arrive on campus, are able to do the work and who will graduate in four years — not six or eight. 

It may be good for colleges’ wallets to have students attend for more than four years, but it’s not good for their rankings nor their reputation.  This is due in large part to the way the college rankings work. One of…

By: Larry Liu, The Spike Lab

We all know how it feels to be motivated. It’s a state characterized by clarity, focus, and boundless energy. We’re willing to run through brick walls to achieve our goals. Yet for many high schoolers, it can be hard to tap into this feeling. And many parents who want to help operate under false beliefs about motivation. These beliefs can lead to actions that are counterproductive and ultimately de-motivating. And yet, self-motivation for students is important.

During my work at The Spike Lab, I’ve seen firsthand the huge benefits available to…

Most high schools offer multiple levels in the courses they offer. Usually the courses are standard, accelerated or honors, and AP (Advanced Placement). The conventional wisdom is that academically motivated students looking to apply to highly selective schools should take the most rigorous course load that is offered by their high schools. While this is true, and this is what college admissions officers say, it could be a conundrum for students that attend schools offering honors and AP courses in every subject. Is it necessary to take 8+ AP courses and all other honors courses? Are 4 to…

“Tracking" is a process in middle school wherein students are set on trajectories based on their grades and perceived abilities. Traditionally, students are broken into two or three different tracks. The tracking system is meant to provide students with a curriculum that matches their needs as a student. 

However, it can also cause a student to be slowed down due to a misconception in middle school. For example, a student may perform poorly in a math examination because they're used to the slower pace of learning in elementary school, not because they fundamentally struggle or don…

Rather than adding more useless things to stockings that no one really needs, why not give teens something useful but with a twist? We have compiled a list of 25 items (likely to fit most large stockings that we have these days) that will help teens make studying, writing papers, and doing assignments more fun.

Fun Desk Toys

Speks Magnetic Balls - Mashable Smashable Buildable Fun Stress Relief Desk Toy

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XWLZBV

Infinity Cube prime for Stress and Anxiety relief/

https://www.…

Following up on our blogs about improving academic performance, we have teamed up with Mindprint Learning to go into the science of learning to help parents understand that there isn’t one learning trait shared by all students. This blog post by Mindprint will go through 10 different traits that drive learning.  Be sure to join us for our live webinar in January where Nancy Weinstein, the founder of Mindprint, will share how parents can identify where student’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and use that information to improve learning and help students succeed academically. 

 …

Each May, millions of students around the world sit down to take one or more of the 38 Advanced Placement Exams. Administered by the CollegeBoard, each exam in America costs nearly $100. Notable for their rigor, a good score on these exams actually may result in saving thousands of dollars in college courses (at some schools) and boosting a student’s college application. In this blog post, we will be going over what AP courses are, what they mean for college admissions, and whether they are worth the money. We will also discuss the option of “self-studying,” for students that are not…

By: Valerie Erde

In my work as a tutor, many teens have walked through my door reluctantly, to say the least. They weren't interested in studying for the ACT or SAT, and at times weren't even interested in college at all. Sure, they knew that it was important for their future in a general way, but they definitely wanted to do something more fun than ACT/SAT practice tests with their limited free time.

I'm also a parent, so I know just how frustrating it can be to watch your child fritter away time and talent and fail to reach success or mastery of a skill. Of course you…