Smarter Test Prep

Yes some students "buy" admission, but the absolute numbers are small and the consequences are severe if caught. Better to earn it.

Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin among dozens charged by FBI in an alleged scheme to get students into elite colleges The scandal allegedly involved parents having their children pose as athletes regardless of athletic abilities to get accepted into Division-1 universities.

How can parents help students adopt the right mindset about school? One surprising finding is that it's not enough for parents to have that mindset themselves. Check out my latest blog for some easy-to-apply insights that can help children get the most out of school (and life)!

Parents Can Unwittingly Reward the Wrong Mindset What can you, as a parent, do to help? Carol Dweck's evidence-based strategies have implications far beyond test prep. Click to learn more.

Early Decision vs Regular Admission
Class of 2022

Harvard admitted 1,962 students out of a pool of 42,749 applicants (4.6%). Within the total applicant pool, 6,648 students applied early and 964 were admitted (14.5%). That means that only 2.8% of students were admitted through regular admission. Ultimately, just under half of the incoming freshmen will be early decision students.

Yale admitted 2,229 students out of 35,306 applicants (6.3%). Within the total applicant pool, 5,733 students applied early and 842 were admitted (14.7%). That means that only 4.7% of students were admitted through regular admission. Ultimately, 38% of the incoming freshmen will be early decision students.

UPenn admitted 3,731 students out of 44,482 applicants (8.4%). Within the total applicant pool, 7,074 students applied early and 1,308 were admitted (18.5%). That means that only 6.5% of students were admitted through regular admission. Ultimately, 2,445 students will matriculate, which means that 53% of incoming freshmen will be early decision students.

Stanford admitted 2,040 students out of 47,450 applicants (4.3%). Within the total applicant pool, 750 students were admitted through the early decision program. Stanford did not release the number of early applicants, but for the class of 2020 that number was 7,882, so we can approximate an early decision acceptance rate of just under 10%. That means that only about 2.7% of students were admitted through regular decision. Ultimately, 36.7% of the incoming freshmen will be early decision students.

The list goes on with slight variations at each campus, but the message is clear: If you want to gain admission to one of the most prestigious universities in the country, identify your top choice and apply early.

Penn, Princeton, other Ivies were harder to get into. Did higher scores on the new SAT convince more students to apply? - Philly Nearly 8.4 percent of applicants were admitted to the University of Pennsylvania this year, a record low. Other Ivies were harder to get into as well. Schools reported record applicant pools for regular decision.

Two Thoughts:

1) Yes, standardized tests are equalizers. Anyone from any public school has a chance to show that they can perform just as well (or better) than students who hail from the most prestigious schools in the nation. That's awesome!

2) If your coach only helps you improve by 20 points, you need a new coach.

The Progressive Case for the SAT If you believe in equality, you should defend the SAT.

Choosing to apply early can make a big difference if you know where you want to go. While, overall, Princeton only admitted 5.5% of applicants this year, the university admitted 14.7% of those who applied early (799 of 5,402). (Only 3.8% of students who applied during regular admission were accepted!) Thus, more than 40% of the 1,941 incoming freshmen are students from the early applicant pool. Research your top choices and apply strategically to increase your odds of success.

Princeton offers admission to 5.5 percent of Class of 2022 applicants Princeton University has offered admission to 1,941 students, or 5.5 percent of the record 35,370 applicants for the Class of 2022, in what is the University’s most selective admission process to date. Last year, the University’s admission rate was 6.1 percent. The class size is expected to be 1...

Actively engaging while studying - which necessarily involves quizzing yourself rather than simply taking notes - is the most efficient way to learn. The advice in this article is on point.

Before You Study, Ask for Help That’s one of several ways students can better prepare themselves for tests in the new school year.

While not yet recognized as a diagnosable mental health issue in the US, burnout is an empirically identifiable condition with serious consequences. Learn about the tell tale signs and possible antidotes in this article. My favorite: laughter.

How to Recognize Burnout Before You’re Burned Out https://nyti.ms/2xLF0mW

How to Recognize Burnout Before You’re Burned Out Being tired, ambivalent, stressed, cynical and overextended has become a normal part of a working professional life.

Motivation makes a big difference, always.

Effort, not ability, may explain the gap between American and Chinese pupils When greenbacks are on offer, American schoolchildren seem to try harder

"Putting things off is the biggest waste of life: it snatches away each day as it comes, and denies us the present by promising the future. The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today. You are arranging what lies in Fortune’s control, and abandoning what lies in yours. What are you looking at? To what goal are you straining? The whole future lies in uncertainty: live immediately."

The top 10% now allocate almost four times as much of their spending to school and university as they did in 1996, whereas for other groups the figure has hardly budged.

https://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21725751-new-book-looks-how-expenditure-has-changed-among-americas-affluent-modern-american

Modern American elites have come to favour inconspicuous consumption A new book looks at how expenditure has changed among America’s affluent

"In 2015 a vast study of 1,200 education meta-analyses found that, of the 20 most effective ways of boosting learning, nearly all relied on the craft of a teacher."

The Economist | Education technology: Brain gains http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21725313-how-science-learning-can-get-best-out-edtech-together-technology-and-teachers-can?frsc=dg%7Cd

Together, technology and teachers can revamp schools How the science of learning can get the best out of edtech