Admissions Consulting Archives

Short-Term Tutoring and Targeted Skill Building

October 18, 2024 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Short-term tutoring is intended to build specific skills and ultimately lead to improved effectiveness and independence. The effort scope — frequency, duration and total instructional time — is driven by a family’s specific goals and benchmarking data.

At My Learning Springboard, our approach to short-term tutoring is quite different. We work in small teaching teams and closely partner with parents and any other professionals with whom a family might want involved.

Every family benefits from a minimum of three (3) educators: Brad Hoffman and Faya Hoffman, who are both Learning Specialists and the co-founders, as well as the tutor who meets in person or remotely with students per a family’s preference. This approach ensures collaboration, shared expertise, and privacy. Checks and balances are built into the process to be sure that the work is focused and targeted. All engagements are at will and incremental decision making is encouraged.

Key Questions To Inform Short-Term Tutoring Planning

What is currently observed at home and at school?
How is my student performing now?
What is the desired outcome?

Through discussion and close partnership, meaningful planning unfolds. Tutoring efforts range from a single session, to a multi-week engagement, to a longer-term engagement depending on the specific needs and situation.

Short-term tutoring efforts include but are not limited to the following areas:

Language Arts

Reading support targeting decoding, comprehension, and fluency.
Developing a 5-paragraph persuasive essay.
Effectively writing at the paragraph and multi-paragraph level in a way that demonstrates strong organization, varied sentence structure (sentence fluency), and word choice as well as the integration of text evidence and/or supporting details to demonstrate comprehension and/or make compelling arguments.
Effectively proofreading and editing for proper syntax (grammar), accurate spelling, and punctuation.
Incorporating dialogue and quotations with correct punctuation usage.
Studying grammar and applying techniques in order to achieve varied sentence structure. For example, what is a preposition and how does that help me to open with prepositional phrases? What is a noun, a verb and, specifically, a present participle, and how does that help me to start with a gerund? What is a conjunction and how do I combine sentences with correct comma usage? Let’s not rely entirely on tools like Grammarly without an underlying understanding of grammar rules!
Making use of student statements and personal statements for middle school, high school, and college admissions processes to teach the above described writing skills.
Effectively summarizing fiction text to include the title, author, setting (time and place), major characters, theme, rising action, climax, and resolution.
Effectively summarizing non-fiction text to include the source, author, date, main idea, and relevant details that justify the stated main idea.
Creating a structure to build vocabulary at any age.
Writing legibly in manuscript or cursive, which we still believe has an incredible value even in an age of keyboarding and dictation.

Mathematics

Automaticity of basic facts in all four (4) number operations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Multiplication with multi-digit numbers and decimals.
Long division with multi-digit numbers and decimals.
Effectively working with fractions, including common fractions, decimal fractions, and percentages.
Algebraic reasoning from an introductory level at the elementary grades and progressing through middle school.
Math problem solving at the elementary and middle school levels that emphasizes universal problem-solving strategies, such as “working backwards,” “making a diagram”, “looking for a pattern”, or “using logical reasoning”.
Reasoning through multi-step word problems that integrate various concepts and skills.

Technology

Developing typing skills with fingers on the home keys and eyes on the monitor
Effectively organizing an email inbox by using labels, filters, color coding, and archiving
Effectively using Google Calendar in conjunction with school-based portals and making use of advanced functionality, including sub calendars, color coding, and accepting and sending calendar invitations
Effectively organizing Google Drive using specific and intentional file names and subfolders, adding shortcuts, and moving files within a student’s “My Drive” main folder or from a student’s “Shared With Me” folder and into their “My Drive”
Effectively formatting and editing a Google Sheet using text wrapping, freezing rows and columns, inserting hard returns for visual tracking, and applying a spelling check within a Google Sheet and its worksheet tabs
Effectively formatting a Google Drive document using horizontal and vertical text alignment, page margins, tables, bullets and numbered lists, indenting features, and applying a spelling and grammar check
Managing sharing settings for Google Drive folders, subfolders, and individual documents and sheets

Organizational and Study Skills

Developing tactics for improved time management, goal setting, and self assessment.
Organizational coaching leading up to midterms, final exams, or surrounding specific project efforts.
Making use of a specific research project to teach students how to determine reputable sources, aggregate information across sources, and strategically use these sources to defend their thesis statement? How can a student more effectively take advantage of office hours and in-school resources to support their drafting process?
Taking advantage of an upcoming assessment to scaffold what it means to study for this subject matter. How should a student backmap their studying from an expected test date? How should a student make use of class notes, previous quizzes and homework assignments, and other classroom resources to effectively study? How can a student more effectively self-advocate and take advantage of office hours and in-school resources in preparation for an assessment?
Preparing for standardized tests, including the ISEE, SSAT, ACT, or SAT among other tests.
College essay coaching and related project management and organizational skill building.

Enrichment Teaching, Internships, and Career Readiness

Independent study with a faculty mentor in any discipline, including but not limited to STEM, creative writing, humanities, or the arts
Researching internship opportunities at the high school or college level while developing specific skills related to drafting cover letters and resumes as well as interview preparation
Creating and enhancing LinkedIn profiles for professional endeavors

These links below provide more information about our differentiated approach and value proposition with regard to short-term tutoring:

To learn more about short-term tutoring for your student, please contact us to schedule a planning meeting so that we can better understand your needs and priorities and further discuss an approach that will work best for your family.

By Brad Hoffman and Faya Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planners and Learning Specialists

Navigating Test-Optional Policies

March 30, 2024 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Over the last several school years, we’ve seen an increase in the number of colleges and independent schools adopting test-optional policies. Moreover, some schools adopted a test-blind policy, which is different from a test-optional policy. The intention is good, but the practical navigation is complicated and often more stressful because we’re living in a gray zone. And notably many independent schools and colleges have already started to reverse their test-optional policy.

In theory, doing away with standardized testing seems like a welcome change, but — in effect — it has upended the application cycle and resulted in a HUGE increase of applications and stiffer competition for spots. Moreover, many private schools have just developed their own assessments and placement tests in lieu of standardized testing, and many colleges have required testing later in the process in order to secure certain majors or to opt into more advanced coursework during a student’s first year. Therefore, the majority of competitive applicants continue to submit standardized test scores in an effort to exceed admissions standards and differentiate themselves from their equally competitive peers while keeping all doors open and avoiding unwelcome surprises later in the application process.

While families should consider a number of factors in deciding whether their child should take a standardized test or which test is the best fit, in the vast majority of instances, we recommend that families pursue testing, even in the current climate with test-optional policies in place. Choosing to test makes sense for a number of reasons:

Test scores are a useful data point.

We believe that there are no “false positives” with test scores. A strong score on a given test section, or across the board, indicates that the student has achieved facility with the skills tested, whether they be math, reading, or a subject area such as those assessed by the AP exams. Because tests are generally timed, a strong score also illustrates the student’s ability to perform under pressure. This is helpful data that, combined with the other pieces of information in a student’s application package, helps admissions officers envision how that applicant will fit in at their school. This data can be advantageous and differentiate applicants in a test-optional environment. Moreover, strong test scores help to demonstrate academic mastery in a climate where there is some concern about grade inflation.

Testing sharpens students’ time management techniques.

It is true that, in many situations, a timed closed-book test is not the best way to measure a student’s abilities. However, it is equally true that timed closed-book tests remain popular on the middle school, high school, and college levels. Good test preparation helps students learn to stay focused and to use their time wisely. These techniques can help them perform better and reduce stress as they take exams and various classroom assessments.

Test preparation is a vehicle for skills enrichment.

The SAT asks students to read seminal historic documents. The ACT asks students to think analytically about charts, graphs, and scientific experiment design. The ISEE and SSAT asks students to expand their working vocabularies and enhance their math skills and problem solving strategies. As students undertake test preparation for a specific assessment, the work they do helps them excel in their broader academic pursuits. A test-optional policy helps to reduce the pressure around high stakes testing, but the preparation itself is leveraged well beyond the official testing.

Test scores can clear the path to advanced classes.

In the case of Advanced Placement tests (and previously the SAT subject tests, which were abruptly “retired” by the College Board in January 2021), a high enough score in high school can vault a new college student over the introductory courses and straight into higher-level work. In a test-optional environment, and with distance learning changing the nature of course-based assessment, these strong data points help to further differentiate a candidate.

Test scores keep students’ options open.

After a student takes the ACT or SAT, the scores are generally considered current for at least three years. If a student who took the test in high school later wants to transfer colleges, they only need to focus on keeping their grades up and applying to new colleges. However, if they never took the ACT or SAT, they might have to add test preparation to their already busy schedule. It’s difficult to predict if a future college consideration may have (or maintain) a test-optional policy.

We recommend students begin preparing for their tests well ahead of time, although we recognize that many juniors are getting a later start again this year. That’s okay, we believe any time can be the right time to start becoming a stronger tester. Ideally, we work with students over a longer period of time so that test preparation does not feel like cramming. We find that extended periods of time for preparation help students to significantly reduce test anxiety, master content, and internalize strategies.

As a general process, our students applying to grades 5 through 12 (ISEE/SSAT) and college (ACT, SAT, and/or APs) begin by taking a practice test that serves as a benchmark a year or more in advance of actually taking an official test. Based on this performance, we recommend a plan to maximize preparation time. For the ISEE, SSAT, ACT, and SAT, we most often have an English teacher and a math teacher working with a student as the math, reading, and verbal reasoning sections require specialized expertise. Often they require different efforts, too. With all the changes surrounding test-optional policies, it’s more confusing than ever for parents and students to navigate. We can help.

Brad Hoffman and Faya Hoffman, Board Certified Educational Planners and Learning Specialists

Start Your College Essays Early

February 28, 2024 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

The process of applying to colleges is an arduous one. Standardized tests, campus visits, alumni interviews, and navigating the complexities of Naviance and SCIOR all add up to hours of work, on top of the time students must spend actually doing their schoolwork. The biggest task, however, is writing the many essays universities require for admission – not just the Common App, but the countless supplemental essays and short answers, each with their own twists on “Why us?” Most students, when faced with the yawning chasm of work and the high stakes of completing it “perfectly,” choose to put off this part of the college admissions process until the fall of their senior year, or the summer before it. This is a mistake. Start your college essays early!

While these essays are meant to persuade the admissions committee to accept a student into their school, they are not driven by argument so much as feeling, tone of voice, and narrative. Students trained in the craft of building a sturdy five-paragraph essay or writing a research paper are not well prepared to do this kind of writing, and they won’t learn it formally in school.

The earlier a student starts the process of ideation, composition, and revision, the better off they will be. Because this writing is both uncharted and high stakes, students need time to experiment, possibly fail, and begin again. Often, ideas that don’t work for a Common App essay can be recycled into supplemental essays. The lesson being that the effort of writing, no matter the result, is rarely wasted.

Some students may object to the idea of writing their college essays before the summer of their senior year, banking on the hope that they will do something really interesting in July and August that will provide them with just the right material for an essay. Others will spin their wheels in an effort to find a dramatic tale of hardship overcome or lives radically altered. None of this is necessary to begin writing. As my colleague, Liz Walters says, the best college essays are “vivid, memorable, and a pleasure to read.”

To arrive at such an essay requires work, beginning with students choosing prompts that interest them from the Common App website. Though the portal doesn’t typically become available for rising seniors until early August, the prompts for 2024-2025 are already confirmed and posted. Year to year, the prompts don’t change much, and this year there are no changes at all; the final, open-ended prompt means that if a student has an idea that doesn’t fit into any of the boxes offered, they shouldn’t reject it. Remember that prompts are not assignments; they are springboards meant to help students craft essays that will tell the admissions committee something interesting about this person that isn’t reflected in grades, test scores, recommendation letters, or a CV.

During this initial period, it can be helpful to read examples of past students’ essays, which are usually available on a college or university’s admissions page. They may reveal unconventional approaches to familiar subjects, offer a model of pacing and structure, or show a student that it’s OK to be funny on the page (if that’s their inclination). More importantly, careful reading and analysis will show that these texts did not spring wholly formed from their authors’ minds. Many drafts will be required.

Once a prompt has been selected, students should just start writing. Sometimes a brainstorming session is useful to come up with a list of potential ideas, but don’t let too much time elapse between ideation and composition. It’s best to run with an idea while it’s still fresh. Some students will find they can write through to a completed first draft without help, but others will need prompting after the first or second paragraph. This is where a skillful writing coach can help a student turn a topic into a story, finding ways to dramatize a change that might otherwise seem internal. Always, students should expect to write at least two or three drafts, ideally with some amount of time between rounds to give them a fresh perspective.

Conversely, other students may write a gripping story, but leave out any reflection on what the story means to them or how the event shaped their character or outlook. A common student objection is a fear of sounding “cheesy.” The capacity for self-reflection is a sign of maturity, and simply put, many high school students haven’t had to really examine themselves in a sustained and honest manner. Others may allow that this self-analysis is a necessary ingredient but show a resistance to the idea that they can apply knowledge retrospectively–hinting at things they only knew later.

What is central to all personal college essays is that the author allows themselves to think on the page, thoughts that Columbia professor Phillip Lopate calls “quicksilver and spontaneous” in his book on creative nonfiction To Show and To Tell. “There is nothing more exciting than following a live, candid mind thinking on the page, exploring uncharted waters,” writes Lopate. A great personal essay will exhibit this quality, giving readers insight into not just what the author has done, but how they think about the world and their place in it.

Written by Daniel Penny, an educator and writer with an MFA in creative nonfiction from Columbia University, a BA in English from Grinnell College, and an AA in liberal arts from Bard High School Early College, Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed., Board Certified Educational Planner, and Faya Hoffman, M.A., Board Certified Educational Planner.

Math Specialists

January 24, 2024

At My Learning Springboard, our Math Specialists and Learning Specialists support students of all ages from preschool through high school and beyond. We focus on developing conceptual understanding, logical reasoning, and problem solving strategies along with strong number sense, mental math skills, and mathematical reasonableness. Moreover, we tailor instruction to the meet the needs of all types of learners, including students with learning challenges, such as ADHD or dyscalculia, and/or anxiety related to math performance.

We help students achieve success by taking an individual’s learning profile into careful consideration in order to differentiate our instructional approach while also choosing materials that complement the existing school program. For younger learners, we typically find success by first introducing concepts concretely, then progressing to pictorial representations, and finally moving into the abstract representation of math problems. We may employ a similar sequence for older learners if they encounter conceptual challenges in more advanced math.

Our Math Specialists often conduct comprehensive math diagnostic assessments at the beginning of our work together in order to fully assess a student’s performance level. We use these types of diagnostic tools when addressing both remediation and acceleration in order to develop an appropriate and targeted instructional plan. Our approach to diagnostic work is differentiated depending on the particular circumstance and purpose.

Our diagnostic tools, preK through 12, are informed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Principles and Standards, Common Core State Standards, and NYS Next Generation Learning Standards; and we utilize materials and research from known math experts, including Kathy Richardson, Marilyn Burns, and Dr. John A. Van de Walle. Our math work is also informed by the CTP content standards from the Educational Records Bureau (ERB) and IB Standards, as appropriate, for students at schools making use of these assessment tools and/or curricula.

Popular Math Programs

Remediation or Acceleration: preK-5

Counting and Cardinality
Basic Facts and Computation (math fluency), including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division
Number Operations and Algebraic Thinking, including fractions and long division
Measurement and Data (representation and analysis), including graphing
Geometry
Problem Solving and Reasoning

Standards for Mathematical Practice

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Model with mathematics.
Use appropriate tools strategically.
Attend to precision.
Look for and make use of structure.
Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

$Math Center Manipulatives$

We also help families to create math centers in their homes. We select age-appropriate math manipulatives and resources that support classroom and tutoring instruction. We also teach parents and/or caregivers how to use these resources more comfortably. Since students are used to accessing these materials in their classrooms, it makes sense to have them available at home when completing homework or exploring mathematical ideas. Materials are divided by primary grades (K-2) and intermediate grades (3-5), and these materials may benefit older learners as well. Having a complete math center in your home is a strategic investment in your child’s math education.

Please contact our office for more information.

What is A Holistic Review For College Admissions?

December 3, 2023 Brad Hoffman

Grappling With College Admissions: Test-Optional Policies And Holistic Reviews

We’re observing that many families are feeling overwhelmed and/or confused by the state of college admissions (e.g. test-optional policies, holistic reviews) and what they should be doing. We’re here to help you make sense of it.

If we had to boil it down to one sentence, we’d say: Do everything within your control from grades 9 to 12 – including standardized test preparation – and cast a wide enough net (12-15 applications).

But unpacking what a holistic review means for your student cannot properly be boiled down to one sentence, and it keeps changing, so here’s quite a lot of information that’s important to carefully consider and digest. Go make an espresso or a cup of tea and settle in!

Common App Research Brief: Application Trends Through November 1, 2023

To better understand the state of college applications, here’s some interesting data recently published by Common App in this research brief dated November 15, 2023. It reveals application trends through November 1, 2023 benchmarked against pre-pandemic norms from the 2019-20 admissions cycle. NOTE: the UC system is NOT part of Common App.

Key Findings:

65% increase in total application volume (3,353,516) to 834 institutions that have been part of the Common App membership since 2019-20 (last application season not affected by Covid).
41% increase in distinct first-year applicants (836,639) planning to enroll for the 2024-25 academic year.
About 68% of domestic applicants (565,045) live in ZIP codes with family incomes above the national median; students early to the application cycle are often targeting Early Decision and Early Action programs.
34% (421,161) of applicants submitted standardized test scores. However, Common App member institutions requiring standardized testing is just 4% in comparison to 55% in 2019-20.
Applications to public members grew more than those to private members since 2019-20 (82% vs. 47%). Growth in applications since 2019-20 was slowest for those most selective institutions (admit rates below 25%) and highest for more selective institutions (admit rates between 50% and 74%).

Demographic Trends:

67% increase for applicants identifying as an underrepresented minority race/ethnicity (URM) in comparison to the 2019-20 season, driven largely by an 86% increase for applicants identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native, and a 70% increase for applicants identifying as Black or African American.
30% increase in applications by non-URM students
67% increase for first-generation applicants, about twice the rate of continuing-generation applicants over the same period.
Increase in applicants from lower-income ZIP codes (52%) was substantially greater than by their peers from higher-income areas (34%).
Domestically, the ten highest volume states for first-year applicants include: New York (#1 with 50% growth since 2019-20), Florida, Texas, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Domestically, growth in applicants is roughly equal across urbanicity levels, though growth was by far the fastest in the Southwestern regions (109%). Nebraska, Texas, South Carolina, Alabama, and North Dakota were the fastest growing states.
International applicants increased by more than twice the rate of domestic applicants since the 2019-20 admissions cycle (87% vs. 38%). This growth is fastest among applicants with citizenship in Ghana (1,066%), Bangladesh (514%), Nepal (470%), Ethiopia (369%, and Nigeria (347%).

What does it take to be a “competitive” applicant?

From our perspective, competitive applicants should NOT be giving up any ground. We urge all parents to be more skeptical about the messages they may be hearing from well-intended school faculty, admissions representatives, and the national media about holistic reviews and admissions criteria. The hard truth is that college admissions criteria are more subjective than ever, and families ought to apply control where they can; the opportunities to shine aren’t even across all colleges, and the goal is to keep as many doors open as possible.

When high school seniors ultimately submit applications for college, they have the following ways to differentiate themselves from their peers:

Academic achievement via grades, class ranking, and GPA
Academic achievement via standardized testing, including ACT, SAT, APs, and IBs
Extracurricular activities, including clubs, sports, and volunteer work
Independent study and/or college coursework
Awards and accolades
Internship or part-time job
Art or music portfolio
Auditions
Sports recruitment
Demonstrated interest of a particular college(s) through ongoing engagement, summer programming, and early application processes
Successful interviewing with admissions officers, alumni, and/or student representatives

For good reason, institutions are working to ensure they receive more diverse applicants – broadly defined – which has necessitated the disruption of standardized testing as a barrier to entry, but students are now subject to holistic review relative to the context of their circumstances. Not all of the items above are attainable or manageable for every student, especially with the demands of a rigorous and selective high school program, so families have to realistically assess what they’ll be able to bring to the table when it comes time for college admissions.

What is an “Individualized Holistic Review” for admissions?

The College Board published a 28-page document titled “Understanding Holistic Review in Higher Education Admissions”. Optimally, three common characteristics are included:

Mission alignment, which is focused on advancing the institution’s core educational goals through the admissions process.
A two-part inquiry for assessing applicants, which considers: a) their likely ability to succeed and thrive at a given institution, AND b) their ability to enhance the educational experience of their peers in and out of the classroom.
Consideration of multiple, often intersecting, factors – academic, nonacademic, and contextual – that, in combination, uniquely define and reflect accomplishments and potential contributions of each applicant in light of their background and circumstances.

Here’s an example of this language in practice at Stanford.

Stanford: Holistic Admission

At Stanford, we practice holistic admission. This means that each piece in your application is reviewed as part of an integrated and comprehensive whole.

One piece tells us about your background and life experiences, another about your school and your academic achievement. We learn from others about your character and intellectual contributions. In your essays, we learn about your ideas and interests, and what is meaningful to you.

Each year (and in conformance with the law) we aim to enroll a class of diverse backgrounds and experiences, talents, academic interests, and ways of viewing the world.

In a holistic review, we seek to understand how you, as a whole person, would grow, contribute and thrive at Stanford, and how Stanford would, in turn, be changed by you.

Context

Just as no two Stanford students are the same, each applicant to Stanford is unique. This means that as we review each application, we pay careful attention to unique circumstances. We take into account your background, educational pathway, and work and family responsibilities. By focusing on your achievements in context, we evaluate how you have excelled in your school environment and how you have taken advantage of what is available to you in your school and community.

Considering Your Own Circumstances

Therefore, if students are undergoing a holistic review during the application process, families must logically consider their own circumstances:

At which school is your child enrolled? Which type of school is it (e.g. mainstream, specialized, therapeutic)? Private? Public?
Which colleges and majors are you most interested in?
Which class levels has your child opted into (e.g honors, advanced, regular)? Is AP testing available to showcase subject-matter knowledge?
Can your student manage standardized testing based on their learning profile?
In which ZIP code does your family reside?
Who is your child’s direct peer competition?
What other evidence might differentiate your child (academic and nonacademic)?

To Test or Not To Test?

Depending on your answers to these questions, we would argue that opting out of standardized testing isn’t a good strategy for everyone as part of a holistic review. And proceeding without standardized testing may create friction following an acceptance with regards to accessing certain majors or avoiding certain courses, particularly math. Anecdotally, almost all of our students continue to apply with standardized test scores, and this hasn’t changed since the 2019-20 academic year. As a result, we continue to experience tremendous success with college admissions, and our students continue to secure multiple acceptances to desired schools. Exceeding expectations has always mattered, and it still does.

Especially for families at selective private and public schools, nothing about a holistic review and the current admissions landscape makes things any easier than they were before the pandemic started. Though many school administrators, college counselors, advisors, and college admissions representatives may appear to emphasize and rally around eased admissions criteria with regard to test-optional policies, we worry tremendously that many families are misunderstanding and giving up considerable control in a high stakes process.

School faculty can’t roll out different messages for different students. There has to be a single message (which, ironically, runs counter to the notion of differentiation and individualization). So if an auditorium full of parents from diverse backgrounds are all brought together for a level setting conversation about college admissions and holistic review, it’s not surprising that a school would message that standardized testing isn’t that important anymore. Doing so diminishes short-term stress and frustration among their constituents while aligning with the heavy marketing push from colleges; and college representatives are keen to drive up application numbers and boast more selective acceptance rates.

In order to sufficiently rack up experiences and accomplishments to shine in a climate of “holistic review”, students need help making the most of their entire high school experience both in and out of school. Therefore, this planning should really start in late 8th grade or the beginning of 9th grade in order to avoid a scramble; it’s stressful enough with a solid and actively managed plan in place! In this article, we backmap this planning to 7th grade.

For standardized test preparation, we currently lean heavily in favor of the ACT while monitoring seriously big changes with the newly established digital-only SAT set to roll out in March 2024. We recommend formalizing test preparation with diagnostic work as early as January of 10th grade; and if you’ve passed that point already for your 11th grader, it’s not too late. We have always valued standardized test preparation as a vehicle for auditing prerequisite skills and bolstering college readiness, which is proving more important than ever with diminished academic performance and reported grade inflation as a result of continuous disruptions over the past several years. Notably, the national average for the ACT has plummeted to a 30-year low of 19.5.

Take Action And Make A Plan

Please contact us with your questions and wonders so that we can have a more cogent discussion by phone or by Zoom. We urge each family to put on blinders to those around them and focus discussions on your needs and goals, based on your particular circumstances, with an eye towards your student’s holistic review and application process.

By Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed. and Board Certified Educational Planner, and Faya Hoffman, M.A. and Board Certified Educational Planner