Score At The Top Blog

We understand that Return On Investment can go hand-in-hand with risk: no pain, no gain. But how would you respond to a proposed investment of $2,000 that could result in saving between $7,392 (a 370% return on your money) and $28,416 (a 1,421% return on your money) over roughly four years? While this investment isn’t risk-free, it is low risk, assuming you have a student willing to work hard and follow instruction. Simply put, this investment is in test preparation for the SAT and ACT! When paired with a motivated student (and the right test-prep tutor), the result is a hefty scholarship from Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarships (BFSs).

Topics: ACT/SAT, Test-Prep, Financial Aid

Most people experience some amount of stress when taking a test - which is often why they choose to get tutored in the first place. According to Brain Connection, the increase in standardized testing may actually be adding to the level of stress many students experience in the classroom. Excessive stress can be harmful in a variety of ways, including reduced test scores.

This makes proper diet all the more important for students facing important exams. When your student is focused, well-nourished, and satisfied, they can focus on the task at-hand far better. 

Topics: Test-Prep

Based on our personal and corporate experiences, the data, and published statements from students, it’s highly likely that the correct answer is, “Way.” The perfect crime needs motive, means, and opportunity, and there’s never been a more perfect confluence of the three relative to cheating as the one that was created by Covid-19.

The answer to “So, what?” is that the act of cheating raises important issues for students, the vast majority of whom will be back in classroom environments next fall and no longer able to use the opportunities for cheating in online testing environments.

Topics: Cheating, Virtual School

With summer just about here in South Florida, we at Score At The Top have already started working with students to help them recover last year’s courses or get a head start on next year’s core schedule. And because late summer and early fall test dates are just around the corner, we’ve also opened enrollment for our summer SAT and ACT workshops! The relatively relaxed summer months are a great time to prepare. Below, you’ll find some of our tips for testing plans and for academic preparation at all grade levels to help you take advantage of the summer break.

Topics: ACT, ACT/SAT, SAT

School can be a challenging, scary place for students with dyslexia. Still, anxiety can be significantly reduced by teaching dyslexic learners to understand their strengths and by working with teachers who appreciate the specific ways that dyslexic students learn. Encouragement and the right type of support work wonders.

Topics: Tutoring, Florida School Choice, LD

There’s no other way around it when it comes to prepping for the SAT or ACT Tests. To properly prepare, you have to practice — and most importantly, practice properly. What we do mean?

If you were an actor, you wouldn’t show up on opening night without first having rehearsed the script and completely familiarized yourself with the play’s staging, lights, and sound issues. Similarly, by taking several practice SAT or ACT tests and simulating the testing environment and timing as closely as you can, you will walk onto the testing “stage” feeling more confident and prepared. Sure, there are always jitters on test day, but with proper practice, you minimize the unknown and maximize your chances for doing your best.

Topics: ACT/SAT, Test-Prep, Simulations

After scrambling last year to find ways to administer AP exams during the unfolding pandemic, the College Board has now had some time to review that experience and plan for this year’s upcoming tests. Realizing that every school district around the country has different needs and capabilities, the College Board is implementing several changes for 2021. Overall, they’ve added more options and additional support for teachers and students, hoping to accommodate the wide-ranging circumstances.

Topics: AP Exams, College Counseling

With news of the recent demise of SAT Subject Tests, many students were thrilled to find out they could scratch those additional test sittings off their long list of college preparation to-do’s. Ultimately, however, colleges still want to know that students have mastered academic subjects, so the College Board (CB) has merely shifted the emphasis to their other testing tools – AP exams. As a result, we are predicting that taking rigorous AP courses and scoring well on the exams are going to be more important than ever for students who hope to be admitted to top universities. Here’s what you need to know about AP exams and how they can impact your college planning process, as well as your college career. 

Topics: AP Exams, College Admission, Subject Test

Amid the sea of challenges that rocked the world of college admissions this past year, College Board is riding the wave of changing times. The organization announced on Tuesday, January 19, that it will no longer administer SAT Subject Tests and will drop the optional essay portion of the SAT.

Topics: College Admission, Subject Test, SAT

As the months slip by during which virtually everyone has been affected and shaped by the pandemic, it’s wise to cast a critical eye on the college admissions scene. Our focus in this post is the entrance testing. Some testing information has remained the same during this fraught period, while some aspects of these two tests have changed. Let’s take a look.