What are the SAT Question and Answer Service and ACT Test Information Release ?
From time to time students will be confused by their performance on their SAT or ACT. They will say: "I don't understand why my English score dropped", or "I thought I aced the math, what happened"? To better understand test performance, both College Board and ACT provide a service that allows you to purchase a copy of the test you took. This service is not available for all test dates, [...]
TJ Student Portrait Sheet 2021
Well, we are having another exciting year helping students gain entry into Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology. There is no longer a math, reading, and science test that you have to pass to make first cut. There does seem to be some hoops to jump though: a math question and some essay questions. If you would like help preparing for the written essays for the TJ [...]
Score Results for 2020 Are Coming In
Wow. What a crazy year it has been. We started the new year moving from our McLean, VA office to a new location in Vienna, VA. We were so excited to be in a new space near so many of our clients; it was such a promising beginning . . . then Covid hit. Bam! We went from 60 to 0 over night. Students' SAT and ACT test dates [...]
Why Do My ACT Scores Fluctuate So Much?
Recently I received an inquiry about test preparation from a parent who said her daughter (not a student of mine) had scored a 32 composite the previous fall on the ACT. She was frustrated because the science sub score was only a 29, yet she had been scoring as high as a 36 in practice. Part of her problem on the real test was timing. [...]
SAT vs. ACT – Which test is right for you?
Now that it’s prime time to start studying for the SAT and ACT, we’ve had a lot of students ask us which test they should take. Nowadays, most colleges accept the SAT and ACT and weigh scores from both tests equally, so that’s no longer a reason to take one test over the other. The College Board recently redesigned the SAT and it is now [...]
New! Virtual Fireside Chat with Dr. Sybil Gohari, Founder of Admissions Company
Join Dr. Sybil Gohari, founder of Admissions Company, for a virtual Fireside Chat on College Admissions on Wednesday, December 2nd, 2020 at 7 pm. This event is sponsored by Kate Dalby, owner of Inspiring Test Preparation. Contact Dr. Gohari directly to sign up at info@admissions.company. Seating is limited. Dr. Gohari brings over a decade of experience as an educator and entrepreneur; she spends her time at the intersection [...]
May You Live in Interesting Times: TJ’s Merit Lottery
"May you live in interesting times": a blessing to some and a curse to others. But there is no doubt, we are living in interesting times. We are fortunate to live in a country with so many opportunities for people who take the initiative to prosper. And while our country is reeling under the challenges of Covid-19, quarantine, protests, riots, and economic turmoil, some in our own community [...]
Insight Into Yelp Reviews
Have you ever written a Yelp review and had Yelp refuse to post it as legitimate? Inspiring Test Preparation has had a number of reviews not approved and we have been mystified as to why some are approved and others rejected. We also have had some rejected and then mysteriously accepted later (most curious). I had an interesting conversation with a Yelp representative today who gave me insight into [...]
Introducing Flex Prep
WHAT IS FLEX PREP? Want to skip the classes and online group prep? Looking for a customized prep? Don’t despair! Flex prep is year-round tutoring ONLINE for the SAT and ACT. […]
TJ SIS Workshop 2021
SIS Workshops Will Be Online Via Zoom! […]
I Love Vienna!
We are excited to announce we are moving our offices to 226 Maple Avenue West; 402 Vienna, VA 22180 We are scheduled to start all classes and private tutoring on February 1, 2020 from this new location. While not convenient for everyone, hopefully our clients west of McLean will be happy with our new digs on Maple Ave. near Nutley St. Check out the Tom Yum Thai's scrumptious green curry. Yum yum.
A Thank You Note from a Client
To Dr Weinstein: From: MIA MCINERNEY <miaxxxxcom> Sent: Monday, October 7, 2019 7:53 AM To: Aimee Weinstein Subject: Amazing - we have progress and thank you Hi Aimee, I don’t know what magic potion you gave Alex when you met with him yesterday, in jut an hour no less but he came out of there more enthusiastic than ever!! He asked me not to talk on the way home [...]
Another Thank You Note
Dear Ms Dalby My daughter Bhuvana Pandalai was one of your students . She and I have been helping a lot of parents and students through college application process and preparation during high school. Most of these parents and students don't even know ACT tests agreed and they have been asking where Bhuvana did her ACT tutoring. I have recommended your center to multiple parents. [...]
At Home TJ Math Drills
When clients call for advice to get into TJ, the first thing I do is have them take a one hour at-home math test to see how strong the student's problem solving skills are. My test is extremely predictive: a poor score means acceptance to TJ is nil unless the student takes action to improve basic math skills. To address the deficit, we conduct math drills for 7th graders [...]
TJ 2nd round; class of 2023
We have heard from 39 students so far who made it to the 2nd round. Of those 39 students, 24 gained admissions (20) or were waitlisted (3). Of these 39 students, 25 prepared for the test/SIS, and 14 prepared only for the SIS with us. Of the 25 who prepared for the test, 14 were admitted/waitlisted. Of the 14 who took only the SIS, 10 were admitted/waitlisted. Many students want [...]
“Five Secrets to Boost Your SAT & ACT Test Scores Instantly”
Click Here for our Newsletter and to download a FREE Report "Five Secrets to Boost Your SAT & ACT Test Scores Instantly" (email is required). Make sure pop-ups aren't blocked!
Free ACT Diagnostic Test
SAT or ACT? Try a Free Diagnostic Test. If you are like many students, you are unclear which test is the right test for you: the redesigned SAT or the ACT. To help you figure out which test to take, you can come take a free, no obligation 3-hour ACT on select Saturdays at 11:00 am with Inspiring Test Preparation. This [...]
How to Get into TJ – Update
We posted a blog entitled How to Prepare on Your Own for the TJ Test several years ago. The general recommendations are still good, but it is time for an update. Here are the components for admission to TJJSST (Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology): Grades and course work Math, science, and reading test in November Teacher recommendations SIS essay with math prompt Grades and course work: [...]
Just Be Yourself
“Just be yourself” – arguably the most cliché, most useless, and most frustrating piece of “advice” handed out on a day-to-day basis. But if it’s so useless, why do we hear it constantly when setting out for first dates, readying for interviews, or sitting down to start that all-important college essay? A majority of college applicants know that the amount of time a reviewer spends poring over college applications is [...]
ACT/SAT Reveal Concordance Table
SAT vs. ACT - The classic battle between the two giants of standardized testing has long since been a concern for any student making their foray into preparation for college. After years of conflict, the SAT redesigned its test in 2015 to make it more similar to the ACT's model. Despite this, ACT did not allow convergence from the new SAT due to the lack of data. College Board [...]