Not sure what kinds of and how many schools to put on your college list? Drawing lessons from the high school Class of 2025, Dr. P. shares her advice on balancing “reach,” “target,” and “likely” college to build your dream list.
Read More
Deciding which path to take is often difficult. That’s especially true for students and families weighing college acceptances. Dr. P. offers three concrete steps to take on your way to deciding which college to attend this fall!
Read More
The best college lists should include at least one rejection, Dr P advises. But how do you help your child weather the sadness that might come with it? Inside, she offers three common-sense tips for parents of high school seniors.
Read More
Extracurriculars should be fun -- but they also play a key role in the admissions process. Dr P offers tips for finding your passion and becoming a leader beyond your high school — both rewarded during admissions.
Read More
Not sure of what to do if you’ve been deferred by your dream school? In this post — the second in a two-part series — Dr P has three tips to turn deferral into acceptance.
Read More
Getting deferred from your dream college in December might feel lonely and confusing. In this post — Part I of a two-part series — Dr P explains why colleges defer the early decision (ED) applications of so many excellent candidates.
Read More
Outside college scholarship guru Dave Peterson explains how merit aid, need-based aid, and student loans are all difficult to get — and how outside college scholarships can make up the difference.
Read More
The digital SAT’s Reading Writing section has changed MUCH more than the Math. Its emphases on vocabulary and poetry are new — at a time when students are reading less varied, less complex texts in school. But fear not! Dr. P.’s got three tips to help students begin to build these key skills.
Read More
Dr. P. has some advice to the parents of teens heading out to college interviews this fall and winter. And it’s not what you might expect!
Read More
From advising on course selection to choosing best fit colleges, independent college counselors like Dr P can make your child's journey from high school to college happier and smoother.
Read More
Is your teen starting to panic about college apps? Are you? Inside Dr. P. has three strategies to start and finish the Common App and other college applications on time, with everyone's sanity intact.
Read More
This month, Dr. P. lays out what rising seniors need to do during the summer in order to produce the best essays and applications possible.
Read More
Americans love the idea that we’re all created equal — especially around July 4. But not every 4.0 GPA was created equal — especially when that comes to math. In this post, Dr. P. takes a look at how our embrace of equality has flattened teens’ grades to the upper tier — and why this might be a bad thing for those applying to college.
Read More
Improving your score on the reading section of the SAT or ACT is often more difficult than on any other section. But, with Dr. P.’s three tips, it just got a little easier.
Read More
Students have many options when preparing for the ACT. Group classes. Self study. Private tutor. If you're looking for real results, one-on-one tutoring is the most efficient way to achieve them. In this post, Dr. P. lists the qualities that make for a great ACT coach.
Read More
OK, maybe summer learning is not quite as much fun as these kids are having. But, summer can be the perfect time to fill in gaps created during the past school year, to build skills needed for the next, and to leapfrog into an advanced course.
Read More
Ever wonder how many SATs or ACTs you should take? Or when you should take them? Or how you should prepare? Dr. P.’s got all that — and more! — covered in three easy steps!
Read More
Longtime algebra tutor Dr. P. explains that there are important intellectual, academic, and psychoemotional benefits waiting for students who master algebra's challenges.
Read More
Test anxiety can cripple students' performance on the SAT, ACT, APs, and other high-stakes exams. But it doesn't have to be this way. In this short post, Dr. P. (Dominique Padurano, Ph.D.) provides three actionable strategies to tame test anxiety.
Read More
Many students have great expectations for their standardized test scores. But they’re sometimes unrealistic about the amount of time and work it takes to achieve them. After thirty years in the test prep industry, Dr. P. supplies three, common sense rules to scheduling effective test prep.
Read More