How to Choose a Good SAT or ACT Prep Course
“How can I choose a good test prep class? I hear this question frequently at family and social gatherings. It’s a dilemma for a lot of people. How do you choose any good service: a dentist, chiropractor, accountant, or lawyer? Of course, word of mouth is an excellent way to track down a reputable company or individual. You may be wondering why I would post a blog discussing how to find the right [...]
Reclaiming the Conversation
The Art of Communication by Dr. Aimee Weinstein Researcher, M.I.T. Professor and writer Sherry Turkle recently reported in her new book, Reclaiming Conversation, that 89% of people admit to taking their phones out during social situations and 82% of people think it’s wrong to do it. She claims that we, Americans, have had enough of our moment with technology and the time has come to take back and re-value our [...]
Show, Don’t Tell, on Your College Applications
The College Essay: Best Advice by Aimee Weinstein* Most seniors feel a huge amount of pressure when sitting down to write that college essay and staring at a blank screen. While this is true for any writing assignment, it is particularly painful for students since the topic of the essay is very close to home: YOU. Your job, in writing the essays for the college application – be it the Common [...]
The New ACT Essay
by Natalie Villacorta Starting September 2015, the ACT will have a new optional writing test. The essay is still a demonstration of a student’s ability to make an argument, but the prompt has been revised to resemble more closely real-world argumentation. Previously, the prompts all focused on school issues, such as whether students should be required to wear uniforms or maintain a “C” average in order to obtain a driver’s [...]
Katie Fawcett on Common TJ Essay Errors
Essay instructor Mrs. Katie Fawcett makes the following recommendations for and observations of students’ essays. These comments refer to practice essays and Student Information Sheet (SIS) responses written by students wanting to gain admissions to Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology (TJ). Most of these comments can be applied to any essay situation such as college applications. She say major problems are: […]
Online Results Are Equally Good!
Dear Mrs. Dalby- Our son leaves for the college of his choice in six months. Your SAT-prep and general guidance on college admissions helped him make it to the Ivy League. When I first called you in the spring of Coy’s sophomore year, we weren’t sure how SAT-prep with you might work out. You had come highly recommended, but we live a few hours’ drive away from the D.C. area. I [...]
How to Prepare on Your Own for the TJ Test
Roughly, there are four hurdles to tackle to get into TJ. The multiple-choice TJ exam given in December Teacher recommendations/Science and math course work/grades . The Student Information Sheet (SIS) The timed essay written on the same day as the SIS in January. Consult TJ admissions for a clear idea of the weighting of these components. Read TJ’s website thoroughly. See what courses are offered and what clubs exist. […]
Class of 2019 TJ Results
Class of 2019 TJ Test Prep Results Here are the 2nd cut results for Kate Dalby's fall 2014 TJ prep classes. This past fall 2014, Ms. Dalby taught four TJ admissions prep classes. Altogether 25 students prepared and sat for the TJHSST admissions test in early December. She had three students in the Tuesday evening class, six in the Saturday 11am class, eight in the 2pm class, and eight in [...]