Score At The Top Blog

The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on everyone! In addition to the fear of infection, we are also facing a mental health crisis that has affected both parents and their children. With the new school year rapidly approaching, we've teamed up with Therapeutic Oasis to address a different mental health topic every week so that everyone will be better prepared for the inevitability of a return to virtual schooling. In this series, we will focus on: 

Topics: Mental Health, Virtual, VirtualSchool

Topics: College Admission

One of the four STEM fields, engineering, is in vogue these days as a career destination for high schools students. Maybe you’ve already selected it or are leaning that way, but do you really know how you’re going to respond to the undergraduate regimen – what’s needed to make it through college from both an academic and mindset point of view?

Topics: College Admission, Course Selection, Summer

Every college or university has, or is in development of, some sort of virtual connection for admitted and prospective students and their families. All of them have campus visit pages on their websites, which is where you can find this information.

Topics: College Planning, College Visits, Coronavirus

The College Board just announced its plan for the 2020 AP exams on their AP website:

Topics: AP Exams, Coronavirus

Dream Dorm Decorators

I can recall the day Jonah K. came to my office to develop a community service project.  We considered various possibilities, but none ignited a spark in Jonah − until I said, “What about creating a project to help other kids?” His eyes brightened as we read about the work done by Best Foot Forward, a local organization that supports foster children. Jonah and I visited the founders of BFF, Debby Elman and Donna Biase, who told us that for the first time, they had 10 students who qualified to a

ttend Florida colleges. But the teens didn’t have the clothes or other items students typically bring with them to college. These foster children carried all their worldly possessions in black trash bags. 

Topics: College Admission, Extracurricular Activities, Barbara Leventhal

First, some definitions: Virtual tutoring differs from in-person tutoring because the tutor and student(s) will be communicating via the internet via Skype, Zoom, or some other, similar program; Synchronous means that the tutoring/teaching is happening in real time as opposed to, for example, the tutor responding to a student’s work at some later time with a grade and/or comments.

Topics: Test-Prep, Tutoring, Virtual

In a recent blog, we detailed ways to manage college visits in order to keep your sanity – and budget – in check. In today’s follow-up, we’ll share some tips for maximizing your time on campus and making a great first impression with the admission staff you’ll meet that day.

Topics: College Admission, College Visits

Topics: AP Exams, APUSH

2020 Changes to AP English Literature and Composition

The test this year will be 15 minutes shorter than it was in previous years, but the only substantive change is in the scoring of the free-response questions. The content of the free-response section remains unchanged from previous years, but the way that it’s scored will change.

Topics: AP Exams