All Articles tagged Testing

New Digital SAT

September 2, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

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 Leave a Comment

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

Building A Strong College Application

February 26, 2022 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

When it comes to building a strong college application, shifting policies have upended the college admissions process causing confusion and anxiety for many of our students and families. These changes also resulted in a swell of applications, making the competition for spots even more significant. During the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years, many elite universities made SAT and ACT scores optional, and many but not all continued this policy for the 2022-2023 school year—while the University of California system remains intent on phasing them out entirely. Moreover, in January 2021, the College Board announced that it will no longer offer SAT subject tests or the optional SAT Essay. However, it’s unclear what testing policies will be in place for the 2023-2024 school year.

For high achieving students who attend a rigorous high school and plan to submit stellar test scores to differentiate themselves from the pack, they should stay the course and exceed admissions requirements. Submitting strong test scores remains strategically advantageous. But having the option allows students to think more creatively about their application package, and there are other ways to build or enhance a strong college application with or without standardized test scores.

First, lean into your AP exams. In its announcement of the policy change, the College Board indicated that the increasing popularity of AP exams has made their own subject tests extraneous. While APs have always been used as an indication of students’ ability to excel in demanding, college-level classes, going forward, high scores will be even more important in helping applicants show their strengths.

Aside from studying for your APs, use the time you would have spent preparing for other standardized tests to work on a self-directed project. Nobody enjoys spending their Saturday afternoons on timed practice tests or staying up late to drill flashcards. If you have an idea of what you’d rather be working on—whether it’s developing an app or directing a short film—put your energy into that. Being able to design and execute a complex project is a much better indication of whether a student will succeed in the open environment of a university than their ability to take a standardized test. More importantly, your choice of project tells the admissions committee who you are, which makes for a strong college application.

Independent projects will give admissions officers greater insight into your character, especially if you have an artistic inclination. Spend your senior year honing your talent by doing enrichment activities. Many of the extracurriculars students would normally participate in have not been possible, but you can always play the piano or sketch the view outside your window. Applications with fine art portfolios, concert footage, and short films—even to schools where the arts are not the focus—round out your application and distinguish you from other students. Creative projects also more directly reflect your personality, and they make for great material when it comes time to write your Common App essay and supplements.

If you’re not the artistic type, consider opportunities in science, math, engineering, or business. These can be more structured, like participating in online summer courses offered through universities, like Columbia’s SHAPE program, or more open-ended, like creating and managing an investment portfolio. Even without access to a laboratory, young scientists can collaborate with other students from not just their school, but around the world to develop and implement advanced research projects. Johns Hopkins has put together a very thorough list of high school science competitions that can help build a strong college application (especially if you win!)

Lastly, if you want to build a strong college application, consider volunteering. Many high school students are required to complete some kind of volunteer work in order to graduate. However, the reality is that these activities are often rushed, and admissions officers can spot the difference between box-ticking and genuine commitment. The point of volunteer work is to serve a community you’re a member of or help a cause you care about. Long-term work at local animal shelters and food pantries, or with national groups, like Habitat for Humanity, tell admissions officers not just how you like to spend your free time—but how you aim to make the world a better place. During the era of COVID, there are even more opportunities for young people to help and to gain experience in the medical professions.

For students who have always been excellent test-takers, all of these announcements may come as a shock, but for others, the new admissions policies will be a welcome change. Your grades and AP exam scores will take on greater importance, but you will also have more freedom in how you want to individualize and build a strong college application. Instead of focusing on extra tests, use this time to think about what you really want to do—in college and beyond—and then try doing it!

Written by Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed. and Board Certified Educational Planner, and Faya Hoffman, M.S. and Board Certified Educational Planner.

Why Consider Boarding Schools?

October 5, 2021 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Boarding schools are an incredible option that not enough families are familiar with. Having grown up in the midwest, neither Faya nor I grew up in a boarding school culture. If referencing boarding programs, more often than not we would hear something like, “Oh, he was sent away to boarding,” implying that the student was a behavior problem. But moving to New York City greatly changed our perspective, and we’ve spent the last 10+ years immersing ourselves in boarding school programs across the United States as well as internationally. We’ve visited dozens of boarding schools to learn more, first hand, from students, faculty, school leadership, parents, and other educational professionals. Our school visits have ranged from the most competitive schools in the country to the premier specialized schools for students with learning disabilities to phenomenally successful therapeutic boarding schools and residential treatment centers providing a continuum of support. Now that I know what I know, I’m positive I would have benefitted from a boarding program! So what advantages do boarding schools offer?

Whether mainstream or specialized, boarding schools (and junior boarding schools) offer a completely integrated academic, athletic, artistic, and social experience designed specifically to meet the needs of adolescents and teenagers. Parents in New York City know all too well the challenges of schlepping students to/from school, to/from Roosevelt Island for athletics, to/from the dance studio or music classes, and to/from various appointments on one end of the city or the other. Our ambitious students regularly experience the serious time drain of managing all the logistics and transitions. At boarding schools, this time loss is better avoided. Everything happens on campus, or transportation is organized to compete against a nearby school. Many boarding schools have half-day Wednesdays to facilitate afternoon sports, which is offset by Saturday morning classes, followed by sports practices and competitions. Clubs and other extracurriculars are more easily managed after the school day and weekends. Study hall, advisory, and learning support with faculty is similarly managed within set hours. Homework conflict doesn’t really exist because all students have scheduled study hours. Technology use and access to wifi is also carefully managed so that all students in a particular grade level have the same parameters imposed, thus mitigating more serious issues with screen time, gaming, and video distractions. In this way, all students benefit from a structured, systematic approach that’s predictable, consistent, and supportive.

While prospective families worry about sustained time away from their children, our current and past families generally report enhanced relationships because of the boarding school calendar and structure. School breaks tend to be longer and usually come without intense homework expectations. Therefore, students are more present and available to engage in positive, constructive relationship building at home. Parents also have regular access to school faculty, learning management systems, campus events, and visitation. Moreover, our boarding school students benefit from incredible mentorship and guidance from advisors, dorm parents, classroom teachers, coaches, college counselors, and the school faculty at large. With this interlocking network of adult supports in place and collaboratively managing some of the most fraught work of raising a teenager, our boarding school parents experience less stress with their adolescents and teenagers.

When we visit boarding school campuses, we are very impressed by the overall level of engagement and genuine happiness among students and faculty. The facilities are usually pretty incredible, and students have much more time to dive deep with their coursework and independent study. There’s time for academic exploration, research, and trying new activities all while managing rigorous academics and an incredibly satisfying social experience. Specialized programs offer the pedagogical expertise, and/or clinical expertise, necessary to help each student succeed despite learning and/or emotional challenges, and again this support is fully integrated across campus.

For parents who are sure this option is NOT for their family, we strongly encourage them to visit at least one boarding school program as part of their school research, just for comparative purposes. There are so many ways to organize schooling, and boarding schools deserve serious consideration, especially in the New York City area where we’re limited by space, both in terms of facilities and the number of classroom seats. Adding boarding schools to the list creates many more great options. Faya and I are happy to help with this exploration as part of our admissions consulting support.

By Brad Hoffman, M.S.Ed.
Board Certified Educational Planner and Learning Specialist
My Learning Springboard, Inc.

Why Write A Five-Paragraph Essay?

September 16, 2021 Brad Hoffman Leave a Comment

Among the genres of writing projects that students experience in upper elementary, middle and high school, the five-paragraph essay is one of the most popular. Well, it’s popular with teachers. With students, just saying the phrase “five-paragraph essay” can evoke audible groans. For those writers, it calls to mind themes of dullness and standardization, a static formula. Yet the form is a valid one for a number of reasons, and in the right conditions, it can encourage creative thinking instead of stifling it. In fact, among the benefits of the five-paragraph essay are valuable opportunities for writers in terms of cognition, rhetoric, and culture.

There’s a reason that Bloom’s Taxonomy, a hierarchy of thinking processes, lists “creation” as its most complex category: whether a student is investigating a hypothesis, building a contraption, or writing an essay, creating something new is a difficult task. A major component of this difficulty is what educators and psychologists call cognitive load, the amount of working memory resources a task demands of the person performing it. In her widely cited article “A Capacity Theory of Writing: Working Memory in Composition,” the educational scholar Deborah McCutchen illustrates the cognitive load of writing: “to compose a text, skilled writers coordinate within working memory planning goals (e.g., plans for content, audience, overall tone, etc.) and product goals (e.g. requirements of grammaticality, plan fulfillment, etc.) while language generation processes retrieve words to express content and organize those words into appropriate text (see Flower and Hayes, 1980, 1981, 1984 McCutchen, 1994).” Understandably, it can be difficult for a writer to attend to all of these processes at once, and if the cognitive load is too high, the writer might not be able to complete the task. One way to lighten this load is to focus on different aspects of the writing process and product at different times; educators have adopted this principle in frameworks like the 6+1 Writing Traits or Judith Hochman’s Teaching Basic Writing Skills. Because it offers a consistent structure, one of the major benefits of the five-paragraph essay is that once a writer is familiar with it, using that framework for planning frees more of their cognitive load. With their basic organizational scheme already chosen, the writer can attend more fully to other aspects of their work, such as ideas, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation.

In thinking of the rhetorical power of the five-paragraph essay form, rather than the total number of paragraphs, we should consider a different number, a bit of a magical number: three. In his book Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, Roy Peter Clark discusses the hidden power of numbers in language. Citing examples such as “Moe, Larry, and Curly. Tinkers to Evers to Chance. A priest, a minister, and a rabbi. Executive, legislative, judicial,” he notes that “In our language and culture, three provides a sense of the whole.” There’s just something about a set of three things that resounds with people. In allowing the writer to use three body paragraphs to set forth three main points, the five-paragraph essay invites the writer to tap into this power. It is worth noting that three is not the only powerful number. For instance, before they learn the five-paragraph essay form, many students learn the four-paragraph essay, which reemerges occasionally in high school. This form allows students to graduate from three-paragraph essays, whose single body paragraph generally explores one major point, to use two body paragraphs to explore a duality within their topic.

The cultural argument for the five-paragraph essay may, at first, seem self-serving: It is useful because it is widely used. But just as it serves a purpose for writers, it serves a purpose for readers. Faced with this familiar form, readers know to look for a guiding claim or thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph. Anticipating how the structure works makes it easier for the reader to comprehend the piece. This is not to say that all five-paragraph essays work the exact same way. As we noted above, the advantage of a familiar structure is to let students concentrate on other aspects of writing, so as students progress, their ideas should grow more sophisticated even within this same form. Their order of body paragraphs should have a perceptible logic, their analyses should be complex, and rather than serving as a simple summary, their conclusion could emphasize the significance of their argument. Even after writers move on to longer and more complex forms, they may still find occasion to access the benefits of the five-paragraph essay. Two of the highest-stakes pieces in high school, the ACT or SAT essay and the main Common Application statement, lend themselves well to the form. In both the ACT and SAT, testers must compose a complete essay in less than an hour. If they enter the test already tentatively knowing what their structure will be, they will save valuable minutes of writing time. The urgency of time is also a factor for the essays’ audiences. Both the test essays and the Common Application essay are read by people who are consuming a high volume of pieces and consuming them quickly — in the case of the application essay, in just a few minutes. It is to the writer’s advantage to make the reader’s job easier by giving them a vivid, specific essay in a structure that is easy to follow.

The students who rail against five-paragraph essays might be surprised to hear that the form is controversial in academia as well; in fact, a new book by the college instructor John Warner, titled Why They Can’t Write, is subtitled Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities. While we don’t want to kill the five-paragraph essay, we agree that the form has at least one downside: the potential for overuse. If every piece a student composes is a five-paragraph essay, that’s a problem. No single structure, essay or otherwise, should encompass all of a student writer’s experiences in a school year, or even in a single class. Writers of all ages need opportunities to wrestle with form. We don’t want writers to believe, as even some first-year college students do, that big ideas always come in threes, or that one paragraph is always sufficient for sharing their thoughts on one of those ideas. Notably, hardly any pieces of “real world” writing, including published essays, take the form of a five-paragraph essay. That’s another downside: ultimately, the structure is too simple for public discourse. Even as we help students understand and access the benefits of the five-paragraph essay, we must emphasize that the form acts like a set of writerly training wheels. Eventually, with instructors’ guidance, students need to shift from letting form determine their ideas to letting their ideas determine form. At that point, the training wheels should fall away, and writers will zoom forward, perhaps a little wobbly at times, but entirely under their own power.

By Elizabeth Walters, Private Tutor and Writing Coach

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