Tutortestprep - Blog

FAFSA Tips You Can Use Now

1/9/2019

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application for the 2019-2020 academic year became available on October 1, 2018. Many students and parents are completing the form now to apply for grants, scholarships, loans, and work study opportunities. You can access the FAFSA here: https://studentaid.ed.gov.

Here are several tips and items to note as you prepare to fill out the FAFSA.
1. Get your FSA ID first. This is your username and password combination that you will need to sign the FAFSA form. Both students and parents need their own FSA IDs. Getting this first, before starting the application, saves time when you are ready to submit your application.

2. FAFSA has a new mobile app for added convenience. You can complete the 2019–20 FAFSA form using the myStudentAid app. Download the myStudentAid app in the Apple App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android). The app is secure, and you are able to begin, complete, or submit a new or renewal FAFSA from the app.3. You can automatically transfer your tax information using the Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT). The IRS DRT takes you to the IRS website, and then imports that information into the FAFSA. This makes it simple, fast, and ensures your financial information matches what you reported to the IRS.

3. Worried you won’t qualify for financial aid? In fact, most students qualify for some type of financial aid. There is no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. Many factors—such as the size of your family and your year in school—are taken into account. By completing the FAFSA form, students can make sure they are taking advantage of the best options, and not just relying on private student loans with higher interest rates.

4. The sooner the better! It is best to fill it out as early as you can because some aid is first come, first served.
If you feel overwhelmed by the FAFSA or just need someone to walk you through the process, John and Amy at Christianson Tutorials are happy to offer assistance. We can calculate your Expected Family Contribution, determine your scholarship and college loan options, assist you in completing the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and institutional forms, and educate you on the priority of each type of financial aid. Call us at (610) 457-5288 to schedule a consultation today.

3 New Year's Resolutions You Can Keep

1/9/2019

By Amy Johnson

Here are three New Year's resolutions that you can keep. You'll be better prepared for college and for any upcoming SAT and ACT tests.

1. Read more: Studies show that students who read for pleasure and on their on volition tend to do better in their academic pursuits and on standardized tests. So, pick up that novel and enjoy reading!

2. Prepare for the SAT/ACT: Take a look at the test dates this year (https://www.tutortestprep.com/sat--act-dates.html). Decide what test(s) you will take and then think about tutoring, cram courses, or practice tests. Give Christianson Tutorials a call to talk about how we can help.

3. Beef up your extracurriculars: Now is the time to seek out a leadership position, plan a fundraiser, or put in some extra time with your organizations. Find your passion and let that show to make an impact on your school and community and to improve your college applications.

Extracurricular Activities Advice

10/16/2018

By Amy Johnson

High school students that are looking to boost their college admissions chances may want to look at what extracurricular activities they pursue.

Many students and parents think that quantity and variety are the most important factors regarding extracurricular activities on the student’s application. Think “well-rounded.” However, that is a misconception. College admissions counselors are much more concerned with what students do with those activities, not how many. In short, quality is much more important than quantity.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

It doesn’t matter what extracurriculars the student selects.

What is most important is that the students are passionate and involved in those activities. Did they join the hunger awareness club just to add it to their resume, or are they organizing activities, raising funds, and volunteering their time to make a difference?

Low-threshold activities versus high-threshold activities:

Shirag Shemmassian, an educational consultant in San Diego, says that low-threshold activities are easy to join and easy to explain. They are less impressive to a college admissions counselor.

“Let’s take the typical student who wants to go for well-rounded,” Shemmassian said. “Science quiz bowl, model UN, decathlon, track team, five AP course. All of this is very easy to explain.”

Instead, students should focus on high-threshold extracurriculars, which are by their very nature hard to explain easily.

“If I told you that there is a student who started a statewide network of art kit distribution to cancer centers, explain that,” Shemmassian said.

“Work backwards and put together those steps. You may be able to, but at various points you’re going to stop and you’re going to think, I don’t know, what’s the next step? How do they do that? If the activity sticks together in your mind, it’s not impressive, but if it’s harder to explain and think through, that becomes more impressive.”

For example, Shemmassian is working with a high school student, who loves both teaching children and art. She combined those two loves by creating an art kit for young children with cancer. She working with local hospitals to distribute these kits to children. Impressive, right?

How much time is the student devoting to the activity?

Extracurriculars that matter take time. The extracurricular activities a student lists on their application should be those that require the student to attend a meeting or contribute his or her time and energy. The student should not feel pressured to list every activity that he or she has ever signed up for in order to impress admissions counselors. In fact, they will see right through this false padding.

Keep in mind the amount of time you have available to commit to the organization, but don’t let it have an impact on your grades, test scores, or your health. Time management is also a character trait that admissions counselors look for in your application.

Take a leadership role:

Taking a leadership role or founding a new organization shows that you are invested in the activity and took on some real responsibility. Propose a new project within the organization, volunteer to head up a committee, or organize a fundraiser. These all show that you have passion for the organization.

How do you use the Common Application to explain your activities? The Common App has room to briefly include a long list of activities, but you should focus more on the quality of activities by using the comments section to share what the student did and how that shows the students’ involvement, passion, values, and character.

If you need further help organizing your high school activities and setting goals for the future, conduct us to schedule a college planning consultation.

References:
The College Solution
College Vine

The Common Application Essay Prompts

10/16/2018

By Amy Johnson

If you, as a student, are applying to a college or university using The Common Application, you will be using their essay prompts when submitting your application.

The Common Application is a not-for-profit, member organization comprised of over 800 colleges and universities. Each year, more than 1 million students use the Common App’s free online application to apply to college. The Common App allows students to input much of their college application information (background, education, activities, test scores, etc) into one place and use it to apply to multiple schools.

Some area schools using the Common App are Penn State, Bryn Mawr College, Drexel University, Swarthmore College, Cornell University, New York University, and Princeton University.

Within the Common App, there are personal essay writing prompts. The prompts are reviewed each year and may or may not change from year to year. For 2018-2019 the essay prompts will remain unchanged from the 2017-2018 cycle. The 2018-2019 prompts can be found here: https://www.commonapp.org/whats-appening/application-updates/2018-2019-common-application-essay-prompts

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

The most important thing to keep in mind as you are writing your essay is that you need to show the college admissions counselors who you are as a person and how will your experiences help you succeed at their college or university. You only have 650 words to express who you are, so you want to be effective.

And this helpful tip may save you a big headache: When typing your essay into the text box within the Common App website, the system does not see this as activity, and can timeout before you are finished typing (timeout occurs in one hour). To prevent losing your work, we recommend typing your essay into a word processor and then pasting it into the application's text box when you are finished.

Our tutors can provide assistance with your college essay by reviewing and editing your writing, offering suggestions on organizing your essay, or helping you brainstorm topics to write about. Call or email us to schedule your essay assistance session. We can meet in-person or assist you remotely.

References: Common App

Narrowing Down the College List

8/3/2018

By Amy Johnson

The main factors that a student needs to consider when choosing what colleges to put on their short list are financial cost, social environment, academic programs, and geographic location.

None of these factors is necessarily more important than the others, but each needs to be carefully evaluated. The summer and early fall going into a student's senior year are the most important times to narrow down the college list, before applying for schools. Here are several questions to ask yourself, as a parent or student, in each area:

Financial:
How much money do I have available for college? What amount has been saved in a college savings plan or will the student be working to pay for college expenses?

How much debt am I willing to take on? What student loans or parent loans are available and how much, if any, debt am I willing to acquire?

What is the Net Price of the colleges that I am considering? The sticker price of a university is not what you will pay. Many universities offer scholarships based on income or academics, so ensure you are looking at the net price before making a decision.

Social:
Do you prefer a large university or a small university?

Have you visited the college or university to get a feel for campus?

What types of activities are you interested in joining? Does the school offer those organizations or extracurricular activities?

What is the student to professor ratio?

Academic:
What is your intended major and intended career choice? Does the college have your desired program and, if so, does it have a history of success?

What are the admissions guidelines? How does my SAT, ACT, or GPA stack up to the average score or GPA that the university generally admits?

Geography:
Do you want to stay close to home or attend college farther away?

Is an in-state college or university a better fit or does a college out-of-state meet your needs better?

Does the location of the school suit you? Is it in an urban environment or more of a neighborhood, rural feel?

Need help deciding?
If these questions seem overwhelming to you, let us help. We offer a free consultation to talk to you about our college planning services. One of the ways we can help is by input your student’s information (academic performance, preferences, location, etc) into our personalized software, GuidedPath. This ensures that all the important factors are considered before building the perfect college list. Call John at (610)457-5288 or Amy at (308)760-0746, and we’ll be happy to answer your questions or provide more information.

Watches on the SAT & ACT

8/3/2018

By Amy Johnson

The SAT and ACT tests are intense and require you to pay close attention to the time and pacing of the exam. You want to keep track of time for yourself on the SAT or ACT and not rely solely on the clock in the room, but what are the rules?

According to College Board (the SAT folks), you can bring a watch, but it cannot have an audible alarm or make any “beeping” noises. All digital watches or watches with alarms need to be turned off. Essentially, your watch cannot make any noise. In addition, you are not allowed to bring a separate timer of any kind.

The ACT policy is: “Bring a watch to pace yourself, but do not bring a watch with an alarm. If your alarm sounds during testing, you’ll be dismissed and your answers will not be scored.”

So, how can you keep track of time during the individual sections of the test without a timer and without a digital watch (that you might risk beeping)? You can, of course, rely on the clock that might be in the room or wait for the test administrator to say “5 minutes left!”, but we would like you to have more control over your time.

Here is our best advice for keeping track of your time on the SAT and ACT:

Use an analog (non-digital) watch and before each section begins, reset your watch to 12:00.

Using this method, you do not have to mentally calculate the time remaining before the end of the test. The minute hand will tell you how long you have been working. During the exam, you don’t need to know what hour it is, so you can focus on the minute hand to time each section.

For example, even if your first section is starting at 8:41am, set your watch to 12:00. You’ll know that you have 45 minutes before the end of the section or 12:45 is your stop time. You do not have to mentally remember that 45 minutes after 8:41am is 9:26am. Do not spend your time doing math problems on your watch, save your time and brain power for the test.
Here are the sections and times of each test:

ACT
English is 45 minutes
Math is 60 minutes
Reading is 35 minutes
Science is 35 minutes
Optional essay is 40 minutes

SAT
Reading is 65 minutes
Writing and Language is 35 minutes
Math No Calculator is 25 minutes
Math Calculator is 55 minutes
Optional essay is 50 minutes

You don’t have to memorize these. The test administrator will announce the time limit before each section begins.

You can purchase a basic analog watch on Amazon for less than $20. Here are two options that would work well:
Analog Watch #1
Analog Watch #2

You want to look for an analog watch that has minutes marked on the watch face, like this one (pictured).

When you are doing practice tests, you should monitor your time and pace yourself. Proper pacing and being aware of how much time you have in each section is an important part of being successful on the ACT and SAT. If you would like help with pacing, and other test taking strategies, please contact us. Our tutors are experts who will personalize the tutoring sessions to your needs.

References:
SAT policy:  https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/taking-the-test/test-day-checklist
ACT policy:  https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/test-day.html

Make the Most of Your Summer: Checklist for Junior Year (June to August)

6/6/2018

High school juniors who are preparing to become seniors in the fall need to prepare for their last year of high school and upcoming work that goes into applying to colleges. Here is a list of things they can do this summer.

Visit a few colleges: If possible, travel to a few top target colleges the summer after junior year to visit dorms, classes, and recreation centers. Make sure you contact the school first to schedule your visit. It isn’t the most ideal time, since normal classes aren’t in session, but it will give you some idea of whether or not the school should stay on your list.

Know the deadlines for each of your target schools: Go to your target schools’ websites and start browsing the applications and find out the deadlines. Early decision and early action applications are typically due in November of your senior year, while most regular admissions applications are due between January 1 and March 1. Some colleges also have rolling admissions.

Create a resume: Start recording a record of your academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities, and work experience. This will help you have everything ready when you begin applying for scholarships and filling out those college applications.

Begin drafting college application essays: Your senior year can be very busy, so start drafting your college application essays now.

Work with a tutor to improve your SAT & ACT scores:  Did you take an SAT or ACT test in the spring and would like to get a higher score in the fall? Working with a tutor one-on-one this summer is a great way to boost your scores. Christianson Tutorials can set you up with personalized tutoring at times that are convenient for you.

Get your FSA ID: Before you can fill out your FAFSA in October, you need your username and password. So, request that now at:  https://fsaid.ed.gov

Outline your financial aid plan: Visit your target schools websites and use their financial aid calculators to find the net price for that school. Hint: It isn't the sticker price you usually see on the admissions site. Or, talk to Christianson Tutorials, we can run a list of multiple schools at one time. The "net price" determines how much your family will need to contribute for your college education. Create a list of all the financial aid options you plan to pursue along with the deadlines for each.

Apply for local and national scholarships: Many seniors apply to more than 30 scholarships. That can take time, but is worth every penny. Don't forget about local options or ones that require essays. Fewer students apply for these, so you often have a better chance. Begin applying between junior and senior year continue throughout the school year.

Begin drafting college application essays: Senior year is very busy, so the summer after junior year is a great time to begin college application essays. At least take a few notes of what your target schools are looking for in their essays, and how you may want to respond.

References:  College Admissions Timeline and Planning Calendar - Juniors

Meet our Tutors: Jessica

6/6/2018

Jessica

Jessica was born and raised in Chappaqua, New York. The daughter of an immigrant mother who arrived in the U.S. with nothing but a mission to escape poverty and a scholarship to attend college, Jessica has long understood the value and power of higher education. As we face an increasingly competitive, global economy, having access to a solid education and the opportunities it presents is more important now than ever.

Jessica moved to Pennsylvania in 2004 to attend Swarthmore College, where she received her undergraduate degree in Economics and worked as an SAT/ACT tutor during her junior and senior years. After graduating in 2008, Jessica obtained her Series 7 securities registration and worked for Vanguard in Malvern as a licensed financial representative. Though it was a tumultuous time in the financial world, Jessica embraced the opportunity to educate clients in order to help them achieve their financial objectives. In 2011, she attended Temple University's Beasley School of Law and passed both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey bar exams upon graduating in 2014. She subsequently worked in a compliance role for JP Morgan for over a year and a half, before deciding to make a major change in her path, both personally and professionally. This quest led her back to her alma mater, where she currently works in Advancement, helping to manage their charitable planned giving and stewardship program. The highlights of this multi-faceted role are her regular interactions with alumni, parents, and friends of the college, who all share a deep appreciation for the skills and experiences afforded them or their loved ones by the college, and who wish to pay it forward to current and future generations of talented students.

Shortly before settling in her position at Swarthmore, Jessica connected with fellow Swarthmore alum, John Christianson, and made a return to tutoring. She enjoys the unique connection and bond with each of her students, discovering their interests, and doing a deep-dive to ascertain their strengths and weaknesses. She is a strong proponent of testing strategies combined with honing strengths and shoring up weaknesses in order to maximize their results. Jessica is results-oriented, has worked with students of wide-ranging skills, and has never had a student do worse in a round of testing after working with her. In short, she lets the scores speak for themselves. All of these concepts are part of the added value Christianson Tutorials offers, setting it apart from a generic SAT/ACT prep course.

A self-admitted foodie, Jessica spends her free time cooking, traveling, visiting with family, and board games. She is also an animal lover and always enjoys meeting her students’ four-legged friends. Regarding the path she has taken, Jessica has no regrets and is most proud of the fact that she overcame the fear of leaving her comfort zone and changing course. She has since achieved her highest levels of personal and professional satisfaction and fulfillment. Her advice to students is: “Discover your passions and what you're good at, then you won’t feel like you're working. It's also never too late to make a change and chart your own path.”

If you are interested in working with Jessica or any of our other tutors, please contact us at (610)457-5288 or (308)760-0746.

Financial Aid Terms You Should Know

5/4/2018

Adapted from Speak the Language: Financial Assistance/Cappex
©2013 and Federal Student Aid Glossary https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/glossary.

Created by the IECA College Affordability Subcommittee

College Consulting Can Help Students with Admissions and Financial Aid Options

5/4/2018

By Amy Johnson

Do all the college choices overwhelm you and your high school student? Do you wish that you had someone to help narrow down your options and assist with figuring out the best financial aid package? An Independent Educational Consultant can help. The Independent Educational Consultant Association (IECA) is a not-for-profit, international professional association representing experienced independent educational consultants.

An IECA member educational consultant is a skilled professional who provides counseling to help students and families choose a school, college, or other program that is a good personal match: one that will foster the student’s academic and social growth. Independent Educational Consultants can provide a student and family with individual attention, firsthand knowledge of hundreds of educational opportunities, and the time to explore all of the options. Because they are not tied to any specific school or college, IECA member consultants are not burdened with unrelated duties, and are available at the family’s convenience - not just during school hours during the school year.

John Christianson, the Executive Director of Christianson Tutorials, is an IECA Associate Member. He and his team can help you and your students:

narrow down college choices based on the student's specific academic performance, campus desires, and financial situation
Provide advice on appealing the financial aid package offered by the student's selected college
Give a complimentary second opinion or consultation on available college planning services

Give John or Amy a call to discuss how we can help you and your student with the college process.

John: (610) 427-5288
Amy: (308) 760-0746

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