NOTES FROM THE PEAK

     Please, notice, neither of those reasons involve dramatically increasing your chances of getting into a school. Make the decision based on what you want for the next four years.

A familiar issue, especially with #ISEE students. Study habits are crucial (and very learnable).  We approach it knowing that every student is different -- and we build the plan from there.  

Stay tuned for more. 

We pride ourselves on our track record. And we want to continue it even as we grow. Our commitment to not hiring anyone but the best may keep us smaller than some places, but we’ve never wanted to herd kids in and out. That’s what these tests do. We won’t treat kids like a number. That’s not how we work. At Mulholland Prep, we truly treat every student as if he or she was one of our own kids. Plainly, what would we want for our own is what we strive to give to yours.

The goal of the Mulholland Prep College Counseling Team is two-fold: to help our students find the perfect fit school, and to help them present themselves in the best way possible. Only by building the strongest applications can students maximize their chances of being accepted to top universities. There are always ways to improve an application; some ways are obvious like increasing test scores and writing compelling essays and other ways are more subtle.  We assess each student and show them unique ways to develop and improve their application.  The Mulholland Prep team helps students, at every stage of the process, be the most competitive applicants they can be. 

- Dov Engelberg

So, we've been hearing from (and reading about) a number of students who took the March 8th SAT who say they had some odd experimental sections in their exams, specifically an 18-question reading/writing section that could be an early preview of the new Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section that will appear on the new, revamped SAT in 2016. This comes after reports of similar odd-looking sections appearing back on the January SAT as well. This is what the College Board uses the experimental sections for, of course - to test out new material on students before it goes live. They need lab rats! It all goes back to ensuring that every test they offer creates the bell curve we talk so much about. But one thing to keep in mind, especially for students prepping to take the SAT before 2016, is that coming up against problems and sections that are vastly different from what you've prepared for could be disconcerting, especially in the heat of the test-taking moment.  Bottom line for now: if you're taking an upcoming SAT (the next tests are May 3rd and June 7th), it's very important to be psychologically prepared for the possibility of problems and sections that look vastly different from what you've seen up to this point. We're here to help you stay focused. Drop us a line if you have any questions! 

Two days ago, the College Board officially announced what it has been hinting at for several months - that the SAT will change significantly in the spring of 2016. Given the bombardment of phone calls and emails we've received this week, I'd like to get a few facts out there for those with questions, and also put down some thoughts of my own about what these changes are going to mean.  First, the most important fact, for now : if you are a sophomore or junior, or parent thereof, these changes will not affect you in any way. Should you choose to take the SAT, you will take the test in its current form. If you are a freshman, you will take the new test in 2016 (again, assuming you choose the SAT over the ACT). Second, there will be more detail available soon on all of the changes, but here are the biggies: there will no longer be a required essay, the test will no longer penalize guessing, the test will endeavor to more properly reflect core curriculum, the "new" perfect score will revert back to the "old" 1,600, and the sentence completions, the last bastion of "pure" vocabulary on the test, will be abandoned as an anachronism. Most of the students and parents that immediately contacted me have focused on two things: no essay and no arcane vocabulary.  But, guess what? The essay isn't gone, it's now optional. That's going to confuse things. It's almost a guarantee that top colleges will say that they will require you to do the essay. And the information we have so far on the new version of the essay indicates that it will be an easily coached exercise. The vocabulary? Well, that's true. More "mainstream" vocabulary will be a part of the test, and, as a test prep expert, I love it. Studying the vocabulary words is always the hardest part of my job. I can coach and teach students all about the test, but can't force them to study vocabulary. Now I won't have to. I can just focus on coaching the test. SAT NOW THE UNDERDOG? Bottom line: The SAT has lost a LOT of ground to the ACT in recent years. This is for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the ACT has an optional essay, no guessing penalty, and a greatly reduced emphasis on vocabulary. Any of these ring a bell? "New SAT", anyone?  Though the Vice-President of the College Board said publicly, "this is not some grab for market share", it sure feels like it. As the test became more and more dated, the ACT's viability increased to the point where, two years ago, for the first time, more people across the country took the ACT than the SAT. The College Board couldn't stand for this. Still, I applaud the introduction of a new SAT. It's about time. Two questions must be asked, though. First, will this solve the problems inherent in the testing process? And second, will the biases inherent in the test itself be a thing of the past? I think that the answer to these two questions is a clear one - of course not. Standardized tests will always be just that - standardized. They will always benefit those who either inherently "test well" or have quality coaching. And anyone who is waiting for college admissions decisions right now (most seniors) can attest that the culture of competitiveness that exists around college admissions isn't going away. If anything, introducing something new like this will only increase competition as people and companies will pop up promising that they have the keys to the new test. Trust me, all you have to do is work with a few students to see that the test isn't fair. Brilliant kids often score lower than they would like, and kids who do not perform well in school often score very high. It's not predictive of much outside of the test itself. The problem is that people who decry the SAT and standardized admission testing don't offer many alternatives. They scream and cry foul about tests like these, but offer little in the way of an alternative, other than to simply say that it's unfair, and so it must be abolished.  We teach all of our students, in the very first session with them, about the bell curve that results when you look at a distribution of test scores on the SAT. We want our students to be aware of what the College Board is trying to do. Only a few people can score high on the test, only a few can score low, and most need to be grouped in stages in the middle, because otherwise the test would cease to serve its function -- separating people out so colleges can justify and speed admissions decisions. As long as college admissions remain selective, the exact number of questions and the content of the test can change all it wants, but the College Board's raison-d'etre will remain to administer a standardized admissions test. That's not going to change any time soon. I was already several years into my test prep expertise when the College Board changed the SAT ten years ago to much fanfare. At that point, they re-aligned the math section to be more in line with curriculum standards, got rid of the ancient analogies section because of its emphasis on vocabulary, and added the essay as a crucial new part of the exam. Sound familiar? Did things really change? I'm always available to answer questions, and Mulholland Prep will continue to offer the best test preparation tutoring and classes available. - Dov Engelberg, President

Changes to the SAT exam that were expected to be unveiled in 2015 have been delayed to 2016. David Coleman, the President of the College Board, the organization that owns and runs the SAT, has stated he hopes to have the exam rewritten so that it "better meets the needs of students, schools, and colleges at all levels." While there's been no word as to what changes we'll see on the new test, Coleman has said he has a number of issues with the current exam, specifically its essay and vocabulary words. Changes to the PSAT will be unveiled in the fall of 2015, which will allow students to take the new exam before changes to the new SAT are finalized in 2016. The exam was last changed in 2004. It looks like the class of 2016 won't have to deal with the changes, as many will take the SAT in its current form at some point in 2015. But for students and parents of the 2017 class, make sure to keep up with us for updates on changes to the exam as they're announced.

There is no embarrassment in not knowing what a word means. It's only embarrassing to not want to know what it means.  There is a common misconception that not knowing a word means you're not smart. For some reason, vocabulary is the popular method of knowing whether or not people are intelligent. Let's think about this for a second: Can you walk out of the room, go outside and, given the materials, construct a rocket? Or put together a car if you have all the parts? We'd put money on the answer being no. So why aren't you embarrassed about that, huh? Come on, you can't build a car or a rocket! Isn't that knowledge you don't have? Still, you don't feel that this lack of knowledge makes you dumb, do you? For some reason, and we challenge you to say why, if you don't know what incontrovertible means, you feel stupid.  This is simply not true. There are well over a million words in the English language. Still embarrassed about not knowing what that silly little SAT word means? You shouldn't be. So what's the most effective way of improving vocabulary?  1. Make flash cards. Many people believe that a good flash card has a word on one side, and a definition on the other. But this is not always true. Our memories work visually. Without getting into the multitude of ways our brains receive input, let's think of this as taking little mental pictures of what you see. The trouble with normal flash cards is that you never see the word and its definition together on the same card, and so you never get to take that mental picture.  So, make flash cards with the word on one side, and the word again AND the definition on the other side.  Don't respond well to flash cards? Too bad, make them anyway! Regular, disciplined study key to learning vocabulary. Nothing else will substitute.  2. Read. Read everything. Fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, magazines, blogs, Twitter, the ingredients on your cereal box. Even when you don't know it's happening, you're taking those mental pictures.  3. Think long term. Yes, we've all been guilty of cramming. We do everything we can to quickly upload a bunch of info into our heads just to get us by for an upcoming quiz or test. Problem is, cramming means we're sure forget that info within days or hours after the test is over. Make a commitment to really absorb the words you read and see. This won't only lead to a stronger SAT/ACT score, but invariably helps performance in college and beyond.

As we continue our discussion of the similarities and differences between the two exams, we'd like to touch on a couple of different personality traits and approaches to learning that can have a great affect on scores: the attention span of the student, and whether the student is an overachiever or an underachiever. Attention Span There are several factors that suggest students with shorter attention spans, or those who have trouble focusing for extended periods of time, may be more successful on the ACT. First, the ACT is simply the shorter exam, lasting two hours, 55 minutes plus an optional 30-minute writing test, whereas the SAT lasts three hours, 45 minutes. Additionally, ACT questions are generally more to-the-point, straightforward and "knowledge based," where the SAT can be "trickier," both in the wording of its questions and the illusive answer choices that are often included to fool students into picking an answer that simply "sounds good." Under and Overachievers There is also some evidence that suggests students who underachieve in school - those who are very bright but less motivated or invested in school than others - often have the reasoning skills that are better suited for the SAT. And those students who overachieve - bright students to be sure, but those who work hard in school, often go the extra mile and succeed in the toughest classes due to that work ethic - are often more successful on the ACT. This is because the ACT feels more like a regular school-based test than the SAT. Though there are examples proving both sides of the argument, one thing we like to remind students of is this: successful test takers will be successful test takers, regardless of the format. Which test is best for you often boils down to simple preference. And if you're still not sure, take our free diagnostic. Stay tuned. We've got new SAT/ACT diagnostic dates coming very soon.

The Sunday Before Make sure you've read and understand the test directions completely. This is often a good day to take your last full practice test before the real thing. And make it a full dress rehearsal. This means carve out four good, uninterrupted hours from your day (ideally in the morning), time each section appropriately, and be honest with yourself. Then have someone you trust grade the exam.  The Week Of Review your practice test and go over any mistakes and questions you missed. Keep studying your math and grammar rules, and continue hitting the vocab. At this point it should be all review, review, review.  If you have any questions or concerns, call or email your tutor. A good tutor is always available, but should be even more so the week before the exam. They do what they do because they want you to crush the test -- so don't be afraid to lean on them a little more this week if you need to.  We recommend getting into a good sleep routine four to five days before the SAT. This means get eight full hours, and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Sleeping eight hours the night before the test won't matter if you've pulled all-nighters during the week.  As for food: eat well. Try to steer clear of the Twinkies and Coke. Enough said.  The Day Before You're sleeping 8 hours. You're eating like a champ. You're prepared for the test. We don't recommend doing many practice problems today. Keep reviewing math and grammar rules if you want, and refresh the examples and ideas you've prepared for your essay. At this point, you either know it or you don't, so don't spend more than an hour or two prepping the night before. Make sure you've got your admission ticket, pencils, calculator and anything else you need laid out and ready for tomorrow.  The Morning Of Give yourself enough time to wake up before you have to go. We usually recommend setting the alarm to ring an hour or two before the train leaves the station.  Eating well is especially important today. No overeating. No greasy food. Grease means more blood to your stomach, which means less blood to your brain. While you eat, feel free to do a quick review of math/grammar rules. Also, spending five to ten minutes reading the news, doing a crossword puzzle or playing Words With Friends while you eat is also a good way to get the brain working. That way, the first complex thing your brain will read this morning is not an SAT comprehension passage.  When You Get to the Test Relax. Breathe. Know you've worked hard for this. Remember, practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent. Do exactly what you've done leading up to the exam and work with a clear, focused mind. If you've put in the work, the results will come.

Many Seniors who took the test during their Junior year have a chance to re-take the exam for a second time when the upcoming exams are offered on October 5th, November 2nd and December 7th. Now that you've done it once and gotten a lay of the land for the exam experience, it's time to buckle down, start prepping and score as high as you possibly can this time around.  Yes, you can take the SAT as many times as you'd like -- but we often don't recommend it. First of all, we know you don't want to take the SAT a bunch of different times. And secondly, imagine you're a highly selective school admissions officer sorting through a comically tall pile of applications. Would you rather say yes to an applicant who had to take the SAT five times to get a certain score, or an applicant who only needed to take it once or twice to score just as high? While it's true that many of the big state universities don't care as much about these kinds of things, this is also equally true: You never, ever want to give them a reason to turn you down.  So if you've taken the exam once already and know you can do better before applications come due, this is your chance to get it done. We're still five weeks out from the November exam and ten weeks out from the December exam. That's more than enough time to get ready. Sure, you'll have to put in the work, but you'll be glad you did when you finish those applications knowing you've put your best foot forward.

Many colleges accept scores from both. Some students will score higher on the SAT, others have the ACT's number. So which test is right for you? This one or that?  We offer a free diagnostic test with real problems from real exams that will help determine which direction you should lean.  Contact us at [email protected] for more details on the diagnostic. (Did we mention it's free?)  Okay -- some key differences between the two exams:  Length The SAT has 140 questions over 3 hours and 45 minutes. The ACT has 215 questions over 3 hours and 25 minutes.  Sections The ACT questions all come mixed together, blending concepts from Math, Science, English and Reading, with the essay at the beginning. The SAT test breaks its concepts up into ten different sections, with the essay at the end.  Vocab Sure, having a big lexicon is always helpful, but vocabulary is emphasized even more on the SAT than it is on the ACT.  ACT Science Simply put, the ACT exam has a science section, and the SAT does not. And if science isn't your thing, rest easy. There are no beakers or field studies involved. The ACT science section is geared more to test your ability to read and understand hypotheses, summaries, and graphs.  ACT Math - Trig The SAT tests arithmetic, algebra and geometry. The ACT tests those concepts too, but also includes a handful of questions that require knowledge of trigonometry.  ACT Writing - Optional The SAT essay is 25 minutes long and is required. The ACT essay is 30 minutes long, and is optional. Bear in mind, however, that while the ACT doesn't require you to write the essay, many colleges will.  Sectional vs. Composite Scores The SAT breaks scores down by section (Reading & Writing, Math, Essay). The ACT offers a "composite score." This means if you are especially weak in one area but strong in the others, your SAT score could be affected to a greater degree than your ACT score.  Still want to know more? Call us!

While many schools offer creative writing in one form or another, it often comes as a "fun exercise" or an elective class. We believe that creative writing can have a profound impact on student development. Among other things, creative writing can:  Foster Imagination and Originality Okay -- a lot of kids have GREAT imaginations. We already know that. But practice in creative writing while you're young also helps broaden horizons, and teaches kids to think outside the box of their normal worlds and routines.  Develop Language Skills We love English and Language Arts. Love grammar, too. Creative writing is an excellent way for students to hone and take command of those concepts they've already learned in school -- and in a fun, comfortable way.  Open the Door for All-Important Self-Expression Maybe they don't always realize it, but kids' ideas are important and need to be recognized as such. Creative writing -- be it stories, plays, songs -- is a perfect way for kids to get their ideas and inner voices out into the world, and be praised! High self-esteem is hugely important in development.  Broaden Skills in Other Subjects Studies show that kids who write creatively are generally better in other subjects as well, such as science, math and foreign languages. The many disciplines that encompass Creative Writing -- analytical thinking, logic, sequencing and individuality, among others -- help build foundations for the skills that are becoming increasingly important in today's marketplace.  Oh, and one last thing. It's also ridiculously fun.  For more info on Mulholland Prep's Creative Writing classes for kids, check out http://mulhollandprep.com/#CreativeWriting.

The peasants were the least ____ of all people, bound by tradition and ____ by superstitions. A. free - fettered  B. enfranchised - rejected  C. enthralled - tied  D. pinioned - limited  E. conventional - encumbered Normal people read the sentence (or at least some of it), then look at the answer choices and see which one fits. That might be easy to do on this question. But that is what ETS is depending on. This is what you would do if you were thinking like a predictable person - a predictable test-taker - the kind that ends up on the bell curve. The first thing to remember about Sentence Completions is that THE SENTENCE TELLS YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. If you were walking down the street, talking with a friend, and she turned to you and started to say something and just then, a plane flew overhead and the engine was so loud that you couldn't hear one word of what your friend said. Did your friend stop and give you answer choices to go through? No - you filled it in yourself. You didn't need choices to go through. Remember, these are open book tests, and you need not - should not - bring in what you know about the world. You need only two things - your vocabulary and your ability to read. Here are the steps for Sentence Completions: 1. Read the WHOLE sentence. This cannot be overstated. 2. Ask yourself: "What is this sentence talking about?" Now ask yourself, "What comment does the sentence make about the subject?" 3. The answer to step #2 is usually the focal point of the sentence. You want to use this... and decide whether the blank is asking you for something similar... or different. This is the hardest part of the process. Once you have decided... 4. So, now you have to FILL IN YOUR OWN WORD. The word doesn't have to be one of your SAT words. In fact, the easier the word is, the better off you are. 5. Now, cross off answers that do not match the meaning of the word you have chosen. Remember, you are looking to cross of incorrect answers, not looking for right ones. So, we go back to the question: The peasants were the least ____ of all people, bound by tradition and ____ by superstitions. A. free - fettered  B. enfranchised - rejected  C. enthralled - tied D. pinioned - limited E. conventional - encumbered  Since this is a two-blank question, we'll do everything twice, starting with what we feel is the easiest. The second blank seems like the easier of the two - so let's fill in a word similar to "bound" - How about "tied?"  Now we eliminate all of the answer choices where the second word is not close to "tied." This allows us to cross off answer choice B. rejected, since "rejected" is nothing like tied. Now we've got 4 answer choices left, so we go back to the first blank. Let's fill in the word "liberated" for that one.  This lets us eliminate choices C. enthralled, D. pinioned, and E. conventional, since none of these choices are anywhere close to meaning "liberated." What are we left with? Answer choice A. free - fettered.  Now -- do you feel free or fettered by Friday the 13th? Discuss.

The SAT is a general aptitude test. The subject tests are just that -- tests on a specific subject. They are designed to be taken after a year or more of study in that subject area. In other words -- DO NOT take the US History test if you haven't taken US History! While the SAT is the most widely used college admission test, the SAT Subject Tests allow you to differentiate yourself in the admission process and provide a more complete picture of your academic goals and skills. Bottom line: be sure to know exactly what tests are required by the colleges that you're interested in. Oh, and getting into a solid test prep class doesn't hurt, either...