All Articles tagged Testing

The Ivy League vs The Russell Group

April 26, 2023 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

The Ivy League vs the Russell Group and why educational quality is more than just branding.

The United States and the United Kingdom together dominate the world of higher education. At the uppermost levels, elite universities in the US and the UK have banded together to share information, lobby the government to protect their interests, and market their own prestige internally and abroad.

In the US, we have the Ivy League, and the UK, the Russell Group. According to US News and World Reports, 4 of the 10 Best Global Universities in 2022-2023 were in either the Ivy League or the Russell Group. According to the Times World University Rankings, schools from these two groups take six out of ten top spots. While universities from both the Ivy League and the Russell Group may be on the same list, these consortiums of top universities vary significantly in age, membership, and influence. So what’s the difference?

The older of the two, the Ivy League, is a group of eight American private research universities located in the American Northeast. Officially formed in 1954 as an athletic conference, the term Ivy League had been in use since at least the 1930s–when collegiate sports were first growing in national popularity. Members include, from smallest to largest student body: Dartmouth, Princeton, Brown, Yale, Cornell, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, and Columbia.

Larger than a small liberal arts college but smaller than the typical state school, these eight pre-colonial universities represent some of the oldest and most renowned institutions of learning in the United States. Their endowments range from the low billions at Dartmouth to over $50 billion at Harvard, and this money is used to fund cutting edge research, hire leading scholars, build immense campuses, and offer generous tuition assistance to qualifying students.

Applying to Ivy League schools is not much different from applying to other super-selective US schools, with acceptance rates ranging between 3.4 and 8%. Requirements include the Common App, plus a battery of supplemental essays, test scores (technically optional), recommendations, and top grades. A bevy of meaningful volunteer work or impressive accolades, plus athletic or artistic talent can all help move the needle.

However, admissions criteria at Ivies are in a state of unusual flux because of ongoing litigation. In October of 2022, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a suit against Harvard and other schools accusing them of “reverse racism” for race-conscious admissions programs that aim to improve educational access for historically disadvantaged students. What this means for the future of admissions is an open question, but many commentators believe top universities will find other proxies for race, such as zip-code, in order to increase student body diversity and meet their inclusion goals.

Today, the Ivy League has become synonymous not just with a high quality education, but with the alumni networks and professional opportunities that come with it. The Ivies dominate some measures of “degree value,” including prize-winning alumni and students, and research spending. But is this a reflection of the quality of the education students receive or merely a self-perpetuating system? Increasingly, some experts argue that Ivies are not all they’re cracked up to be. Some point to lower faculty-student ratios at other top research universities, like Cal-tech and University of Chicago, as indices of higher quality teaching. Others note that the Ivy League barely cracks the top 10 schools for producing PhDs in total quantity or adjusted by size.

But for many applicants, what matters are the opportunities these schools open up for alumni. When it comes to salaries earned in the first three years after graduation, median pay for Ivy Leaguers in 2022 was $86,025, compared to $58,643 for those who graduated from other American universities. Whether this career success can be attributed to the universities or the fact that many students are children of Ivy League alumni and enter these schools already having studied, perhaps, at the best prep programs is difficult to parse. Still, five of the last six US presidents have graduated from an Ivy League school, so that alumni network must be worth something. And while graduating with an Ivy League degree can greatly improve a student’s access to job opportunities (even the Oval Office), dropping out of an Ivy League school to start a tech company may confer even more prestige–at least according to Peter Thiel.

Such is the grip that the Ivy League has on our collective imaginations that in 1994, the UK felt compelled to create its own equivalent, known as the Russell Group. The Russell Group is a voluntary organization of twenty-four publicly funded research universities in the UK. Since its establishment in 1994 and subsequent incorporation in 2007, its main purpose is to advocate for the interests of its member institutions, particularly to the government and UK Parliament. Aside from Cambridge and Oxford, the UK’s two oldest and most prestigious universities, the Russell Group includes top “redbrick universities” and research powerhouses, such as London School of Economics and Imperial College London. While the group is commonly regarded as the best universities in the UK, some researchers and educators have challenged this idea.

Proponents argue that what sets these universities apart from competitors is the quality and quantity of their research output. According to the Research Excellence Framework, Russell Group universities account for 65% of world-leading research. Their research is considered an engine of British economic growth, with many inventions, patents, and technologies developed through government research grants that ultimately are spun out into valuable, even world-changing, businesses. The relationship between Cambridge and Astrazeneca to produce Covid vaccines and research epitomizes this three-way partnership between public, private, and university stakeholders. Given this reputation for success, many students are keen to study with its members; half (55%) of all postgraduate research students studying in the UK attend a Russell Group university.

However, some critics argue that the Russell Group is too broad a network to really be elite. Founded with 17 members, the Group has grown to 24–equivalent to combining the top 50 American schools into a single category. And some of the UK universities with the best reputations, such as St. Andrews (which counts Prince Harry among its alumni), are not included among its members. Even the former chief of UCAS (the British equivalent to the Common App and College Board) said that the performance of only four or five of the Russell Group’s members could really be called “outstanding,” going on to call the group “a self-selecting, hollow brand.”

Ultimately, both the Ivy League and the Russell Group offer obvious advantages to prospective students. Fantastic teaching, excellent facilities, opportunities to be involved in cutting edge research, and powerful alumni networks all add to their value. But would-be applicants should take these claims with a grain of salt. Increasingly, students and professors are beginning to probe data behind some university rankings, drawing into question just how exactly we evaluate the worth of a university education. While both groups include schools that will provide a world-class learning experience, students should not limit themselves to only applying to Ivies or Russell Group schools. There is a whole wide world of higher education, and students would be wise to seek out the most suitable universities for themselves, not the first ones that pop up first on a Google search of “best universities.”

For help with college planning, please contact our office.

Academic Achievement Isn’t the Only Way to Succeed

April 16, 2023 alla

By Becky Diamond
Original Source: Psychology Today
Originally posted in the April 11, 2023

KEY POINTS

An increasing number of students feel pressure to get straight A’s.
The pressure to excel turns toxic when students feel their self-worth is contingent upon constant academic achievement.
Kids are happier and healthier when they are motivated by their own interests.

Excerpt from the article:

The ISEE (EYE-see) is the Independent School Entrance Examination, a three-hour standardized test that kids take to get into private schools. Students who compete for spots at the most selective schools must learn 6^th and 7^th grade material by the middle of 5^th grade, according to several educators involved in the application process.

“ISEE test preparation for most students requires a tremendous amount of new instruction,” said Brad Hoffman, a board-certified educational planner who runs My Learning Springboard, a tutoring and education consulting firm. “We remind families who are wading into a private school process [that] it needs to be handled with appropriate balance.”

Stages of Learning

October 18, 2022 Brad Hoffman

As students set out to acquire new skills, understanding the stages of learning and how and where to recognize progress towards mastery can be difficult. The beginning and end of a particular learning process are generally quite clear, but learners often lack vocabulary for all of the micro-steps that occur between “not knowing” and “knowing.” Students regularly articulate thoughts like “I’m not good at this” or “this is easy for me,” but less commonly note nuances like “I’m getting the hang of this concept, though I’m still not able to work fluently” or “I can solve simple problems, but it’s difficult for me to apply this concept in unfamiliar settings.”

Without understanding learning as a continuum, students can be quick to judge themselves as either capable or incapable, and often do so inaccurately. The underconfident learner views mistakes as proof of ineptitude (and consequently give up), while the overconfident learner concludes mastery too early (and stops studying too soon). The truth, of course, usually lies somewhere in the middle, and expanding awareness about how learning works can center students in healthy non-judgement, motivate them to “stick with it,” and empower them to learn more efficiently in the future.

One useful framework to discuss is “The Four Stages of Learning” model, originally posited by Noel Burch in the 1970s during his work at Gordon Training International. Burch lays out steps that highlight two factors, awareness (consciousness) and skill level (competence):

Stage 1: Unconscious Incompetence. [Wrong Intuition]

In the first stage, students don’t yet know what they don’t know. They are unaware of the areas in which they are falling short, and they have not identified what they need to work on. It can be helpful to acknowledge this stage before any sort of diagnostic test; standardized assessments like the ISEE frequently test above grade level content, and providing a simple disclaimer about encountering unfamiliar material can often help mitigate testing anxiety. In this setting, when students normalize “not knowing” as a natural first stage of the learning process, coming across advanced concepts on the exam becomes less intimidating. Students are more likely to take challenges in stride, skip strategically, and better allocate their time towards the questions they do understand.

Teachers can assist in developing awareness of this stage by asking students to keep a log of their errors. When learners can track for themselves which questions were missed due to not yet knowing completely unfamiliar material – versus misapplying familiar concepts– they are gently guided to take initiative in their own learning process and also practice formulating stronger, more specific questions.

Stage 2: Conscious Incompetence. [Wrong Analysis]

Eventually, learners recognize what they do not know, and enter the “Conscious Incompetence” stage. This 2nd stage of the stages of learning model can be a particularly discouraging experience, as weaknesses have been identified but not yet remedied. During this time, it is important to remind students that there is a difference between lacking competence and being incapable; just because they cannot perform a task now doesn’t mean they will always fail at it in the future. Teachers and parents can also help learners reframe knowledge gaps as opportunities for improvement by embracing the word “yet.”

Progressing through Conscious Incompetence often requires a significant amount of trying and failing. As mistakes occur, mentors should encourage students to recognize errors as a natural and essential part of learning (in teaching sessions, a useful response to “Oh wait, I did that wrong” is “No problem, that’s what we’re here for!”). Getting even one or two questions correct is a concrete step forward from not knowing.

Stage 3: Conscious Competence. [Right Analysis]

Slowly but surely, the percentage of successful attempts will increase, and learners reach “Conscious Competence.” At this 3rd stage of the stages of learning model, students have gathered the tools they need to perform effectively, but exercising their new skill still takes significant effort and attention. Moving from Conscious Incompetence to Conscious Competence usually looks like inconsistently being able to implement the desired skill, and progress may even appear nonlinear.

It can be helpful to recognize how students compensate (counting out on their fingers, looking back at formula sheets or study guides, etc.) and track as students use those methods of compensation less often. Other progress signs include working through problems more quickly, occasionally applying the concept unprompted, or actively recognizing related question types. In some cases, a student’s willingness to practice may even be considered a progress sign; the more confident a student feels in a particular area, the less resistant they will be towards homework or additional skill-building exercises. Completing focused practice – and any step towards establishing a system for consistent review – also counts as a step forward, helping students advance towards working more fluently.

Stage 4: Unconscious Competence. [Right Intuition]

Finally, in the 4th stage of the stages of learning model, learners have effectively mastered their new skill and apply it easily, perhaps even automatically. They feel confident implementing the desired action over a wide range of scenarios and can execute their expertise in congruence with other tasks. Depending on the skill, Unconscious Competence may sometimes be achieved permanently, but more often it requires habitual upkeep in the form of regular use or review.

Considering the difference between Conscious Competence and Unconscious Competence can be a useful point of reference for students, especially in a standardized testing setting. For example, when there is a significant disconnect between a student’s grades and their performance on standardized assessments, it is possible that Conscious Competence was achieved in time for the classroom test, but then never progressed forward into Unconscious Competence. Additionally, standardized exams like the ISEE, SAT, or ACT require students to work not only accurately but quickly, applying multiple concepts at once. The sheer length of these multi-hour assessments also requires significant mental stamina, and students without Unconscious Competence in multiple skill sets will experience overbearing testing fatigue. Successfully distinguishing between stages three and four helps to explain these opportunities for improvement and motivates students to self monitor for deeper understanding.

Armed with the “Four Stages of Learning” framework, students and families can recognize progress in all forms. Thinking more about how learning occurs and becoming more knowledgeable about steps of the learning process can help to remind us that with consistent effort, growth and development are inevitable.

By Ali Stoner, Private Tutor, Brad Hoffman, MS.Ed. and Board Certified Educational Planner, and Faya Hoffman, M.A. and Board Certified Educational Planner.

New Digital SAT

September 2, 2022 Brad Hoffman

My Learning Springboard students all know the importance of studying for the SAT or ACT. And while there has been confusion for families about the expanded list of colleges adopting a test-optional policy and what this really means for the admissions process, there’s no question that doing well on the SAT or ACT is still strategically advantageous and a great way to demonstrate academic excellence to prospective colleges and universities. Adding to the confusion surrounding test preparation was the College Board’s announcement during the 2021-2022 school year that a new digital SAT would be launched in the spring of 2023 for international students, and the spring of 2024 for students in the US. In this article, we’ll explain the changes that are planned.

What Are The Main Changes To The New Digital SAT?

In January 2022, College Board, the organization that administers the SAT, announced that a new digital test would launch in spring 2023 for international students and in spring 2024 for US students. Testing will still occur at a test center or school, and students can use either their own devices or a device provided by the test center. The College Board will not be offering an at-home digital test. The test will be shorter and allows for graphing calculators throughout the math section. There will also be expedited score results.

Why Is College Board Making Changes To The SAT?

“The digital SAT will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant,” said Priscilla Rodriguez of the College Board in an interview with NPR. “With input from educators and students, we are adapting to ensure we continue to meet their evolving needs.”

SAT Changes In The Past

Before this new digital format, the SAT changed a number of times. In 2014, the College Board abandoned the penalty for wrong answers and made the essay optional. In June 2021, the essay portion was discontinued. In 2005, the SAT changed its score scale from 1600 to 2400. In March 2016, the SAT reverted back to the 1600 perfect score. The new digital SAT is still scored out of 1600.

Reception To The New Digital SAT

According to College Board, 80% of students who took the pilot test in November 2021 responded that they found the new digital test to be less stressful, and 100% of educators reported having a positive experience. They claim, “The SAT Suite will continue to measure the knowledge and skills that students are learning in high school and that matter most for college and career readiness.”

New SAT Test Length And Format

The current paper SAT is 3 hours long. The new digital SAT will be 2 hours and 14 minutes long. The current paper SAT Reading section is 65 minutes long and the current SAT Writing and Language section is 35 minutes long. The new digital SAT Reading and Writing timing will be 64 minutes total. The new digital SAT Reading and Writing format will consist of 54 multiple choice questions, each with a very short passage. There will be 2 modules with a short pause in between. The Reading and Writing questions will be combined into one section.

The current paper SAT Math timing consists of one math section with no calculator for 25 minutes and another math section with a calculator for 55 minutes. The new Digital SAT Math section will be 70 minutes total. It will consist of 44 questions. There will be 2 modules with a short pause in between. There will be about 33 multiple choice questions and 11 student-produced response questions intermixed. Approved calculators or the testing application’s built-in calculator can be used on all math questions. Reading, Writing, and Math questions will continue to ask students to interpret graphs.

Other Changes To The Digital SAT

With the current paper SAT, students often receive a fifth section of unscored questions that are used for testing out new questions. With the new digital SAT, both the Reading and Writing and the Math sections will have 4 unscored questions mixed in with the scored questions. There probably will not be a way to tell which of these questions are not going to be graded, so be sure to approach questions as you would have before.

With the current paper SAT, students can only write in the test booklet. With the new digital SAT, students can write on provided scratch paper that is collected at the end of the test. Misbubbling will no longer be possible because students may only answer one question at a time. The new digital SAT will also include a highlighting tool and a flagging tool, so you can say goodbye to circling and starring questions you would like to review. The new digital SAT will make cheating more difficult because each student will get a unique test as the app downloads question pools and employs an algorithm to build the second module of each section based on the student’s performance on the first module.

To further discuss college counseling and test preparation for your family, please contact our office.

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

The Gap Year: An Alternative Path to College

March 17, 2022 Brad Hoffman

Every year, more and more American students take a gap year as a transition into college. This concept is widely accepted in countries like England and Australia, and now Americans are embracing it too. College advisors, teachers, and even universities, notably Harvard and Princeton, are discussing the benefits of this option and encouraging students not to go to college right away!

The purpose of this blog post is to:
1) give you a better understanding of what a gap year is, its benefits and how it fits with college
2) the options available
3) how to make it meaningful. By the end, you should have a good sense of whether or not it may be the right path for you (or your child).

Let’s start by exploring the basics:

What Is A Gap Year?

It is any structured period of time that is intentionally taken away from formal education and/or employment to engage in a meaningful activity. Typically, this is done before proceeding to the next phase of life. So, the natural break between high school and college is a perfect time for a gap year!

The name is not what it seems as it is neither a GAP nor a YEAR. “Gap” implies emptiness and this is not a time to sit home on your couch playing video games. Rather, it is a fulfilling time to do something meaningful, structured, and constructive that is aligned with your strengths, values, and passions. This includes volunteering, interning, being immersed in a culture, developing a skill, taking non-academic courses, and more! The typical duration is nine months, the same as two semesters of college, though it can be as short as two months or as long as two years.

Who Takes A Gap Year?

It can benefit anyone but it might not be the right choice for everyone! This means that there is no right or wrong person to take a gap year. Academically high achieving students take gap years, and so do struggling students. Most students who take a gap year feel “burnt out” academically, are not sure what they want to study in college, need some time to mature, are not excited about their college options, and/or were granted spring admissions.

When it comes down to it, the ideal gap year student has an open mind, a willingness to step out of their comfort zone, and a desire to have a transformational experience.

Is A Gap Year Right For You (Or Your Child)?

Here are some questions to consider:

Do you feel burned out?
Are you feeling unprepared for college?
Do you want practical, real-world experience?
Are you unsure of what you’d like to study in college?
Do you want to pursue your passions and develop your strengths?

If you answered YES to one or more of the above, a gap year may be right for you.

By Deborah Friedman, Gap Year Coach