In a favorite book of mine, The Phantom Tollbooth, one of the delightful characters the reader meets up with is Dodecahedron (named after a mathematical shape with twelve sides). He introduces himself in the following manner: “My angles are many. My sides are not few.” Those words have always struck me as a pretty good description of the admissions process not only at Princeton, but at many similar colleges and universities as well. In any event, as you approach the college admissions process, with its many angles and sides, I’ve been thinking about what advice might be useful to share with you were we able to have a conversation. While a printed letter may be a poor substitute for a conversation, I’ve nevertheless jotted down a few of things I’d say if given the opportunity to meet with you in person. (more…)

I can’t tell you how many students I’ve tutored over the years blame their incorrect answers, particularly in the SAT math section, on having missed school “on the day the teacher reviewed that material”. Don’t blame the Chicken Pox. The fact is most SAT math questions test your tenacity and ability to problem solve more than basic math principles. In this prepcast video, I explain the strategy of envisioning your SAT math problems. (more…)

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