Category Archives: Opinion

What is the 2011 PSAT cutoff Score for National Merit Scholarships?

Posted on January 6, 2012 by Compass
National Merit Cutoffs

A Timetable for Receiving October 2011 PSAT Scores You took the PSAT in October and have probably received your scores back by now. Hopefully, the burning questions in your mind at present are centered around the National Merit Scholarship competition: How well did I do? What is the PSAT cut-off score for National Merit Scholars this year? When will I know what the PSAT cutoff is? The answers to these questions, fortunately, are simple enough, although many require patience. As a start, here is a link to the PSAT Test Dates and Deadlines on the College Board website: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/psat/deadlines Here … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Juniors, Advice for Sophomores, Opinion, Standardized Tests | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

College Interview Advice

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Dave G

You may be considering interviewing with the college of your dreams, or maybe you still have time to think about where you want to go. Either way, one thing within the college applications process that tends to be underlooked is the college interview. Read our tips on how to have a successful interview. BE ORGANIZED This is your time to shine! Make sure you have kept up with the correct date and time. Show up at least 15 minutes early. Make sure you have everything together. This includes any documents such as test scores, transcripts, resume, etc. There will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Advice for Seniors, Opinion | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Mid-Semester College Update

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Dave G

Okay guys and gals, as we head into the second half of the school year, we want to remind you of where you should be during this point in your college preparation process. So here is a friendly reminder for every grade level, which means that everybody should read this! FRESHMAN By now you guys should have a firm grasp on how to keep yourself organized amidst all the craziness that your teachers have thrown at you. Organization is crucial to getting those desirable grades, and it better have started now! Did you find an extracurricular activity that interests you? … Continue reading →

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Advice for the Juniors

Posted on October 31, 2011 by Dave G

Welcome to the upper class. You’ve moved up in status, congratulations! With that said, you now have more responsibilities. Can you handle it? Of course you can. Follow these tips and you will be smoothly sailin’ into your senior year. Get Ready For College. It’s Time! Make a list of colleges that you want to apply to. Meet with your counselor to talk about which schools you have the best chances of getting into. And don’t be conservative either. Come up with about 10-15 different schools that match your interests. Find the schools that will help you reach your long … Continue reading →

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Tips for 10th Grade

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Dave G

Alright sophomores, freshman initiation has long been over. Congratulations, you survived. Now it’s time to kick it up a notch. Here are some things that you need to take into consideration from here on out: Keep up the grades! So you did very well during your freshman year, that’s wonderful, pat yourself on the back. That’s it, now let’s keep it going! There will be no break time and there will definitely be no slackin’ off! Remember that NOTHING matters more than your academic record. Any low grade that you earn from here on out can easily put a damper … Continue reading →

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A PSAT Afterthought – What of that “intended major” bubble?

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Jessica

Last year, I decided that the hardest thing about taking the PSAT was filling out the student information sheet. You know, where you put in your name, school, etc. This may seem rather strange if you’ve never taken the PSAT, particularly since my score left a fair bit of room for improvement. However, if you have taken the test, as all sophomores at my school are required to, you might recall that the information sheet is long, exceptionally complex, covered in long columns of bubbles. Additionally, there is an entire sheet of codes for your “intended major.” I found this … Continue reading →

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“Senioritis” is Not Allowed!

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Dave G
got senioritis?

The season is here! Not football season, not holiday season, oh yes…college application season! That’s right seniors, get pumped. Senior year can easily be your best year of high school by far. With that said, it is by no means a “slack-off” year. “Senioritis” will not be tolerated. Your previous years of high school have led up to this moment. You’ve made it this far, but the game is far from over. This is your “make or break” semester. The one that separates the men from the boys. Welcome to the fourth quarter. Now, there is no need to panic … Continue reading →

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The 5 Most Unusual SAT Tips

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Compass

1. Stretch your hands during the essay. You have 25 minutes to write the flipping thing, and you have to write for the heavy majority of those 25 minutes. Stretching your hand while the proctor blah blah blahs about something you already know from reading the manual yourself during the moments before the essay will decrease your chances of momentary and miniature carpel tunnel syndrome. 2. Give your eyes a rest, especially during critical reading. It’s bad enough that they’re open at 8 AM on a Saturday, much less staring at something academic. The SAT is four hours long and … Continue reading →

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How To Survive The First Week Of School (And Those Icebreakers)

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Jessica
Zombie Farm: What to talk about when you have nothing else to talk about with those people you've just met or forgotten from last year

Upon arriving back to school after a long and glorious summer in years past, I’ve found that, despite the fact that everybody did something different over the summer and they should all have exciting stories to tell upon reunion, there are really only types of first day of school reunion conversations. For example: “I did nothing except eat my pillow and weep tears of regret for my lost unicorn.” “I travelled to over one hundred foreign countries, studied at seven prestigious universities, and enrolled in a dozen internships.” “I played Zombie Farm on my IPhone.” “I became a crazed serial … Continue reading →

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The ABCs of Choosing Courses

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Jessica
If only choosing courses were as easy as opening the door...

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a high school student stressing about the SAT, or double AP Ultracalculus ABCD-III, or maybe gym class. We all have our worries about the various things we have to do, pass, or ace if we want to succeed in life. Now, when you haven’t started the glorious journey, and you’re planning your courses from your low-vantage point seat of an eighth grader, you occasionally make some mistakes. Like, major mistakes. At least at my middle school, eighth graders are required, before graduating middle school, to: Choose all courses for your freshman year Choose all … Continue reading →

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