The confluence of some troubling news, and a piece of direct mail a few days later, led me to the topic of this blog post.
You may have heard about the goings on at Great Neck North High School, a high school very similar to ones in our area. A ring of students were paid thousands of dollars to sit through - and deliver top scores - on SAT and ACT exams for their middling peers. The perpetrators were arrested and investigations continue. As a result, security on exam day has intensified: students are asked for ID when they enter the school building and when they enter the exam room. Soon, they will be fingerprinted.
Not soon afterwards, I received a direct mail piece from a major test prep company that said, “Many students are not accepted into their top choice school: they fail to meet college admissions test scores.” Do letters like these cause widespread panic?
The college admissions process is made up of a multitude of factors. Yes, SAT and ACT scores are important. But, the single most important factor is the academic transcript. Strong grades in challenging courses can – and in many instances will – overshadow less than optimal test scores. However, the converse is not true. A student with mediocre grades and strong test scores causes admission officers to dig deeper: did the student slack off? Will Chase or Sophie thrive in our intense academic community?
While my practice is built on successful results from motivated students (and goading parents), keep in mind the following: to any admissions officer, your child is more than his or her SAT score. And cheating on the exam never pays off.
As for the "pricey" SAT courses....funny you should mention that, because there are so many good, reasonably priced programs (like mine!). Some of my clientele tell me that they spend upwards of $10,000 to get their children ready for the SATs and ACTs, and it was a waste of money. A program - or a tutor - is as good as the reinforcement provided. When working with someone, be sure that the student is accountable and that there is Chemistry. Now, I don't charge minimum wage for my services: I spend a lot of time researching the SAT, developing materials, and marketing. I do expect to be paid as a professional. I would be happy to talk with you about my programs, and my results. You can E-Mail me at sheptintutoring@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading and posting.
Loved it, even.
The problem with AQOTWF is that it's of its time. It doesn't translate well now, especially with a generation of Americans that only know war through the laser shows they see on CNN or what's on their video games. Even if you have a firsthand knowledge of combat, it still seems like a dated book. Still, the opening "dedication" by the author and the closing paragraphs are very chilling.
They have come up with a more contemporary book, or two, on the horrors of war, but still I am not sure that the schools can adequately address the gulf between the young reader's natural repulsion and the need to understand more about our human condition and man's continuing inhumanity to man, occasional redemptive acts, etc. I actually have not read nor watched much Dickens. I should, I know. I really should.