Best SAT Score BOOSTING Tip: READ, READ, READ

There is one immutable truth in my time working with students. The students who read, score highest on the SAT. Of course reading doesn't necessarily help on the math section. But the students who read well (finish books, peruse good periodicals and are just curious) score well on the English portions of the test and tend to have the discipline to prepare adequately for the math section. My advice to you this summer.... READ.

I wish I read more when I was in junior high and high school. Reading only caught on for me once I got to college. I started reading John Grisham and Mitch Albom and slowly progressed to more philosophical things like Henri Nouwen and Freidrich Nietzsche. I also read Andre Agassi's autobiography recently. CRAZY stuff; I couldn't believe his wig was going to fly off during the 1990 French Open finals! Whatever it is, start a plan and get reading!

A few tips for creating a good reading list:

• Continue reading in genres you like (sci-fi, historical fiction, etc.), but read books that are more challenging with vocabulary, syntax and style. How do you find them? Tip: AMAZON.

• Read good periodicals like the New York Times, The New Yorker Magazine and The Atlantic. Read up on what's going on in the world. The new SAT will test more on critical thinking and historical contexts. You'll be better prepared by understanding the problems in our world and how people are solving those problems. 

• Set goals! At last two articles a day! At least three books a semester! Whatever it is, set a goal and shoot for it. 

Need more help putting together a good reading plan? Contact us here at ILUMIN! Read on!

COLLEGE LISTS: SCHOOLS THAT ARE TEST OPTIONAL

A lot of you are considering what schools to apply for next year. A few of you have your sights set on the big guns: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc. But there are a bunch of you out there that may feel held back by poor test scores. You worked hard, have decent grades and good extracurriculars, but you just don't do well on tests. Don't worry, it happens to a lot of us. You're not alone!

There's a growing number of (good) schools that are electing to be test optional. Here are a few really awesome schools that do NOT require standardized tests:

Bowdoin College - GREAT school and super selective. Ranked 4th on US News National Liberal Arts list. Small classes and students love their professors. You have to be stellar to apply, but at least you don't need to send in your test scores.

George Mason University - In 2009, US News ranked GMU the #1 ranked up and coming college. Great for engineering and business (even if you bombed it on the SAT Math 2).

Pitzer College - Part of the Claremont Colleges. You can take classes and take part in any activities throughout the Claremont network of schools (yes, that includes Pomona College and Harvey Mudd). AND nobody needs to know that you're not great with the SAT.

I'll list out a few more schools in another post. Feel free to contact us with any questions or post a comment below! 

Summer Plans: Taking Classes at Community Colleges

Thinking of taking classes at your local community or junior college this summer? Here are a few reasons you should do it:

• Community colleges normally have classes you can't get at your high school. You can explore your interests or take more classes in an area of strength (math focused students taking higher levels of math; history students studying different eras of history, etc.). 

• If you get an A, it may give your GPA a little boost!

• If you do well, it can signal to universities that you're ready for college-level study.

• It can demonstrate to colleges your interest in the subject.

• You can takes classes almost anytime morning, noon and night. You can take classes online through your community college as well!

• It's a good complement to a part-time job.

A few things to be mindful of when taking community or junior college classes:

• You have to WORK! Summer classes are accelerated so you need to stay on top of it. 

• Teachers won't pay as much attention to you, so you NEED to be pro-active with asking questions and seeking help.

• You need approval forms signed by your high school before you register. Start all this paperwork in April and search for the high school enrollment info on each individual community college website. 

• High school students register last... so have a few backup class choices ready!

• California students applying to UCs or CSUs - try to choose UC-approved courses so you'll definitely get the course transferred later on.

Hope that helps! Questions? Comment below or contact us!

5 Great Activities You Can Do This Summer

Students (and parents) often ask me how they should spend their summers. Should I go to summer programs? Should I take SAT courses? Can I just play video games and watch TV? Uh, no, to the last one for sure. 

Summers are important because it provides colleges a glimpse of how you spend your free time. It's also a great time to do things you didn't have time for during the school year. Here are five great options for the summer:

1. University Summer Programs

Yes, lots of students are going to them. No, you won't automatically get accepted to USC if you go to USC's summer program (or any other university's summer program for that matter). However, university summer programs are a great way to focus on a specific interest area (business, engineering, art, etc.). Since most high schools don't focus on career exploration, studying engineering at Johns Hopkins Engineering Innovation program or business at Georgetown's Fundamentals Summer Program may help you learn more about those careers. 

Living on campus will also help you see if you really like the school and have what it takes to handle college life. I had a student whose dream was to go to NYU. But after a summer in New York City, he realized he hated city life and applied elsewhere. I also have many students come back from summer programs way more motivated because they got a better taste of the hard work needed to succeed. Whatever the reason, summer programs might be the way to go.

2. SAT or ACT Study

Yeah it's a little boring, but it's the best time to get it in. You can take an expensive training class or study on your own. Either way, you should do it before your junior year (when you need to be taking them). What's the best way to study? That's another post for another time. All I can say is every good test prep plan requires taking plenty of practice tests.

3. Volunteering (with ONE non profit)

That might seem boring too, but summer is the best opportunity to commit more time to ONE local non-profit or cause you're interested in. Focus more on deep than wide. When you commit more time, you'll develop stronger relationships with the leaders and the community the organization is serving. You'll learn more, have a richer experience and may even help with leading big events or new projects. Summer is a great time to invest more deeply in the organizations you're passionate about. 

4. Independent Projects

Start a cooking class out of your house! Start a weekly fitness group with your friends! Make Youtube videos on how to dance! Do something, anything... but find something you're interested in, set a goal and then go for it. Don't be afraid. There's plenty of time to be scared when you're an adult (401k's, osteoporosis, etc.). Do something fun and challenging and set an awesome goal for the end of the summer. Yes, it demonstrates leadership, personality and all that stuff (blah, blah, blah) to colleges. But more importantly you'll have a great time and accomplish way more than you ever think you could. 

5. READ

You're thinking, "YUCK." But wait. Reading is the easiest way to build your English foundation for the SAT or ACT. The more you read, the easier it will be to fly through those reading comprehension passages. If you read good stuff, you'll pick up good vocabulary and you'll intuitively learn how to formulate good arguments. AND you might just fall in LOVE with reading (your English teacher's wildest dream!). Don't just read anything. Read good, classic literature. Read the New York Times. Read the New Yorker Magazine. Read about what's going on in the news right now and what's happening all over the world. Don't make it chore. Read on your smart phone when you're in the bathroom in the morning. Read on the way home from school. Read when you're waiting for mom to finish her manicure at the spa. It's OK to read what you like, but also read widely and deeply. Set a goal for reading 3 or 4 books over the summer and go for it. I promise you won't regret it. You'll do better on the SAT and you'll discover a world you may never have seen before.

I've got other suggestions including part-time jobs and internships. But that's another post for another time. Develop a plan and go for it. And make your summer both fun and productive. Questions? Comment below. Thanks!