Clayborne Education

For students taking the digital SAT, knowing the math content is only part of the equation. Knowing how to use Desmos well can make a real difference.

Clayborne CEO Lee Elberson walks through SAT practice questions and demonstrates practical ways students can use the built-in calculator to work more efficiently and confidently. More to come!

Watch the full video here:

How to Use Desmos on the SAT: Solve Digital SAT Math Questions Faster Learn how to use Desmos for Digital SAT math questions with Claybor...

Test-optional may still be listed on most college websites, but the admissions landscape is changing.

Six of the eight Ivy League schools have now reinstated SAT or ACT requirements, and more selective colleges are following the same path. At the same time, grade inflation has made transcripts harder to compare, which means test scores are becoming more important again for admissions, scholarships, and honors programs.

Following Yale's recent announcement, our latest blog article breaks down what families need to know and why students should think strategically before deciding not to test.

Read more:

Test-Optional Was Never the End of Testing. The Ivies Just Made It Official. - Clayborne Ivy League schools are moving away from test-optional admissions as grade inflation rises. Here’s what families need to know about SAT/ACT strategy, scholarships, honors programs, and the new ACT.

Phone bans may help students focus, but they do not answer the bigger question now facing schools: what happens when AI becomes part of the classroom?

Our latest blog explores the difference between distracting technology, instructional technology, and the tools some students rely on for accessibility and why schools need clearer policies as AI moves further into education.

Read more:

Schools Are Banning Phones. But What Happens When AI Fills the Screen-Time Gap? - Clayborne Schools are banning phones — but AI is already filling the gap. What parents and students need to know about the next wave of classroom technology policy.

When family budgets feel tighter, parents naturally start asking harder questions about what is worth keeping, delaying, or cutting.

A vacation can wait. A subscription can be paused. A restaurant meal can become dinner at home.

But for many families, test preparation sits in a different category because it may affect a student’s college options, confidence, and scholarship opportunities later.

Clayborne students receive, on average, approximately $25,000 more in merit-based scholarship aid than their peers.

In our latest blog, we look at why families often continue to invest in test prep during uncertain economic times, what kind of return parents should realistically consider, and why starting with a diagnostic can provide clarity before making a larger commitment.

Read the full article here:

In a Recession, Test Prep Is the Spend Families Don’t Cut - Clayborne Clayborne explores why families continue to invest in test preparation during economic uncertainty — and how tutoring, diagnostics, scholarships, and 529 funds can shape long-term educational value.

Reserve your spot: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe85XJrIpzufnkz4nXArPnBU7JSrJw49Gqeu5uhPUfUEPe-cQ/viewform

Summer can be an ideal time for focused test prep — fewer school-year demands, more consistent scheduling, and room to build confidence before fall testing.

Clayborne is offering families a summer prep opportunity: book ten tutoring sessions and receive two additional sessions at no cost.

Available for ACT, SAT, CLT, GMAT, GRE, and LSAT prep. Sessions are available online or in-person with limited capacity at our Charlottesville, VA offices.

Offer ends May 22.

Schedule a consultation to build the right plan for your student: https://clayborne.com/contact/

This past week, hundreds of thousands of seniors made their college decisions. Behind them, a much larger cohort, the Class of 2028, currently finishing sophomore year, is about to enter the stretch that matters most.

NACAC's annual report consistently finds that families who begin the college planning process before junior year report less stress and better outcomes. Yet most don't begin in earnest until the fall of junior year — which is, not coincidentally, when academic and testing pressure hits its peak. They start planning just as the calendar gets hardest to manage.

We've just published an interactive timeline built specifically for the Class of 2028. It maps every major milestone from 10th grade through Decision Day, with calibrated testing benchmarks and the rationale behind each one.

For the counselors, advisors, and parents trying to give a sophomore a clearer view of the road ahead, this is the resource we wished existed years ago.

Explore the full timeline →

The Clayborne Timeline: College Admissions Milestones & Test Prep for the Class of 2028 A year-by-year guide to SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP exams, college visits, and application deadlines — built for the Class of 2028.

You've probably been hearing about the Classic Learning Test a lot more in the news recently. As some of the original CLT test prep educators, we wanted to enter that conversation thoughtfully and honestly — and hopefully answer some of the questions you might have about this ACT/SAT alternative.

Read the full article:

We've Been Teaching the CLT Since Before Most People Had Heard of It. An Honest Take. - Clayborne The CLT is gaining national attention as more universities, state systems, and military academies begin accepting its scores. What this moment means for students and families.

Here Clayborne Education Founder Clay Daniel talk about the CLT, the rapidly growing alternative college entrance exam: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXJ0CEYkQ3x/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The CLT just made national news — and if you haven’t heard why, Clay breaks it down in this video. The Pentagon is now accepting CLT scores for service academy admissions. Indiana may mandate it statewide. UNC Chapel Hill and the University of Arkansas are expanding access. This isn’t a niche test anymore. Clay has been preparing students for the CLT for years. If you’re wondering whether it belongs in your student’s college prep plan, this is worth a watch. Questions? We’re happy to talk through it: https://clayborne.com/contact/ or email us at: [email protected] #CLT #ClassicalLearningTest #CollegeAdmissions #TestPrep #CLTprep

What would Aristotle think of the LSAT?

Clay Daniel, our founder, dug into that question — and found that the test’s obsession with logical precision is part of a tradition over two millennia old. One word really can change everything.

Read the full essay here: https://clayborne.com/blog/aristotle-and-the-lsat/

Aristotle and the LSAT - Clayborne A single word can change an entire argument. Explore the connection between Aristotle’s logic and the LSAT’s rigorous approach to reasoning and inference.