While it is true that, all other things being equal, the better one’s academic credentials, the better one’s chances for admission, it is simply not true that every student admitted to a given college will have higher test scores or a higher grade point average than those who are not offered admission. (more…)

I think it helps to understand that the context within which a college views a particular applicant generally (say, as one of a large number of applicants from across the country) is bound to be different from the context within which such applicant is viewed locally (say, as one of a small number of applicants from a particular high school or geographic region). Moreover, the context within which an applicant is viewed by one college is also bound to be different from the context within which that same applicant is viewed by another college, given not only that applicant groups are not completely identical from one college to another but also that the sizes of their respective freshman classes may vary considerably. Context can often explain why an applicant is offered admission by one college and not another. (more…)

Many students wonder how the SAT essay can be graded consistently across tests. Certainly, they understand how a machine can read the bubbled in answers on a data sheet, but what about a hand written essay? Rest assured there is a method to the SAT’s essay madness.

Your SAT essay will be reviewed and graded by two readers. All readers are thoroughly trained before they are actually permitted to review and grade real SAT essays. Most readers are professionals with backgrounds in English, writing, composition and/or the language arts in general.

The readers use a grading rubric and sample essays to guide them in their work. As mentioned above, your essay will be reviewed by two readers. Each will grade your essay using a 1 to 6 scoring scale (more…)

Do you know the difference between a “speeded” and a “power” test? Sounds kind of silly, right? You might even be asking what is the SSAT, which stands for The Secondary School Admission Test. In this prepcast, I’ll explain the difference and why it’s important to understand for you and your parents to understand, particularly in the case of the SSAT Test.
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I’d now like to share some thoughts on the topic of applying for admission. What you will quickly learn over the next few months is that, for many of the questions you are likely to raise about various aspects of the admission process, there is no single set of answers that apply for all colleges. Do colleges require personal interviews? Some do and some don’t. Do colleges treat your SAT and Test results as a combined score or do they treat the subject scores separately? Some do the former, some the latter. The list of questions goes on and on.

You are likely to find these differences frustrating in at least two respects. First, (more…)

Welcome to the first installment of ePrep’s coverage of college financial aid. I am excited to introduce Don Betterton as the site’s most recent guest expert. Don was the director of financial aid at Princeton University for thirty (30) years. During his time at Princeton, aid awards increased from $3.4 million in 1973-74 to $65 million in 2005-06. In this video, Don discusses the simple things you can do now, while your children are young, to help make paying for college easier when they are older and ready to enroll. (more…)

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Neither you nor your parents will be able to ignore the fact that some colleges (including Princeton) are more expensive than others. Nonetheless, I don’t think it is wise to cross any college off your list just because it appears to cost a small fortune to attend. In the first place, (more…)

In this prepcast, I’ll discuss sentence completion SAT questions. Ultimately, if you started early and developed a great vocabulary for the SAT, you’ll be in great shape answering questions on this section of the test. If you’re a little late developing your vocabulary and the SAT test is in two weeks, don’t panic! I’ll discuss how you can still prepare and the overall strategy on when to guess. If you’re new to ePrep, I encourage you to visit our earlier series on SAT vocabulary:

SAT Vocabulary – Lesson 1
SAT Vocabulary – Lesson 2
SAT Vocabulary – Lesson 3
SAT Vocabulary – Lesson 4

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You need to be realistic during the college planning process. There is no “perfect” college. I’ve never met a student for whom every classroom experience, every faculty member interaction, and/or every out-of-class experience turned out to be ideal. A good way to approach the colleges you are looking into is to (more…)

By either reading the college’s written materials on financial aid or speaking with one of the college’s aid counselors, you should get clear and decisive answers to the following fifteen questions:

1. Can I get an early estimate of the type and amount of aid I might receive?

2. Do I have to fill out a school-specific aid application in addition to the FAFSA?

3. Do you give both need and merit aid or are you a need-only school?

4. If you give merit aid, what are the eligibility standards for your scholarships? (more…)