The Studyhall Blog

We've been working with a company called Top Test Prep - at (http://toptestprep.com) for the past year and a half;  Top Test Prep provides private tutors, test preparation, and admissions counseling to help students get into the best boarding schools, best colleges, and best medical schools.  

Here's how our program worked at Top Test Prep Reviews:

-Our office called the TTP team and inquired about adding some of the private tutors and admissions experts to our growing website.  Our focus would be tutoring, but we wanted some of our tutors to be in the top 1%. 

-After speaking with their test prep experts, we made it clear that we could only justify charging clients higher prices if we could offer the best tutors.

-Within 2 days, the Top Test Prep team provided us with several of their best tutors; additionally, we were given the option to work with admissions counselors who could guide parents on their kid's applications to private schools, colleges and graduate school programs.

-After a month working with this company, we decided to expand our program and have families at StudyHall work with several more of their tutors.

-Our reluctance to initially signing our students up with Top Test Prep, was the cost of the program.... but if your scores are important to you - and you only want to work with the best... it's worth it - 100%.  They focus on the best of the best schools and nothing can replace your education!

Here are the results from working with Top Test Prep:

-94% of our students saw an average 360+ point increase within 30 days on the SAT and ACT.   The remaining 6% saw an increase of at least 150 to 200 points on these exams.

-92% of our students got an average 12 to 15 point score increase on the MCAT.  The remaining 8% saw an increase of at least 7 points.

-93% of our students improved their SSAT and ISEE score by 200 to 300 points within 30 days.

-ALL Grad schools exam students (out of 100 in our program) for MCAT, GRE, LSAT and GMAT - increased their score;  only 3 did not complete their program as they decided to stay in current jobs.

-ALL private school applicants (boarding schools primarily) increased their scores (out of 45 in our program) - that's 100% improvement.

Our Review of Top Test Prep

StudyHall is looking for a talented PHP developer skilled in all aspects of web development.

We are uber passionate about education, and want a developer who can share our mission for connecting students to the best instructors.  We're based in Washington DC, near Sidwell Friends School.

The position:

PHP Developer at StudyHall

Proficiency in PHP 5 and object-oriented patterns

Proficiency in HTML, CSS, XML, CSV

Proficiency in Javascript and AJAX

Working knowledge of Zend Framework

Knowledge of HTML5 and Zurb Foundation (SASS)

Knowledge of SQL syntax and database set-up

Other skills:

Experience working with plugins and WordPress/Expression Engine

SEO hacks and sitemap capabilities

Experience working with Drupal and other open-source frameworks

Experience with third-party payment APIs, Stripe, Balanced - API working knowledge

Experience in developing web services (REST, RPC, JSON, XML, SOAP)

Experience with Github

Experience with unit testing and security checks

Experience with iOS and Mobile development (SDKs)

StudyHall was a TechCrunch Finalist (2012); StudyHall is a company dedicated to reimagining how students find the best talent to help them succeed. 

We're building an education platform that provides students with a marketplace for connecting with top instructors.  

How can you apply? 

  Email your resume to by May 15, 2013:

Our friends at Top Test Prep just posted a very interesting review on the company The Site Slinger, http://thesiteslinger.com/ and two people responsible for the company:  Nate McGuire and Connor Hood.  As we're also a startup, it is sad that our friends there had to deal with these unprofessional people. 

We would also recommend NOT using The Site Slinger, and further that the Capital Factory think twice before having them associated with your co-working space.

They said this about Nate McGuire and Connor Hood (of The Site Slinger):

"To give you examples of why we would not recommend the SiteSlinger, we contacted both Nate McGuire and Connor Hood in early 2013.  After setting clear expectations about the length and level of our site re-design, we were promised professional and prompt service.  After paying a significant amount up front, which is something we also recommend you do not do, we were told the project would be completed within a two-week period.  The problem with Site Slinger was that these guys decided not to contact our team up until a couple days before the project was to be completed."

This was also very interesting that Top Test Prep noted:

"SiteSlinger does not respond to customers.

Further, when we would call, every one of our phone calls went straight to voice mail.  We wouldn't hear back for days.  Totally unprofessional.  Our staff each called and left several messages - and would get an email back, not a phone call.  They have no decency."

It's also important to note that The Site Slinger - and Nate McGuire and Connor Hood- are affiliated with the Austin, TX based co-working space and incubator - http://www.capitalfactory.com/

We are going to include contact information for both Nate McGuire and Connor Hood - and hope they get this message loud and clear.

Connor Hood  ([email protected])

Nate McGuire ([email protected])

They are connected with The Capital Factory.

It's never too early to start planning when it comes to a job search.

You want an A. The best way to get an A is go to your professors. After all, they’re the ones who give you your grade.

It’s like having the best, most applicable one-on-one tutor at no additional cost! Go introduce yourself, ask questions, get any confusion cleared up, and, if you’re lucky, get a few tips on how to best prepare for your next exam.

Now that the professor knows you, you’re more likely to stay awake in class, since you wouldn’t want him/her to notice you dozing off. That would certainly put a damper on your efforts to get that A. Because you’ll be more alert in class, you’re bound to do better.

Recommendations. You will need them. Whether for law school, med school, or a scholarship application, having a professor you can go to for one is vital. You don’t want to find yourself in a tight spot with an application due in a few weeks and no professor who knows you well enough to write you a good rec. Going to office hours is the answer.

Who knows, you may actually really like your professors and make a new friend! Getting to know them may also help you find what interests you about the subject they teach.

There is a lot of content on the web, most of which is great at distracting students from their studies. 

There are quite a few hidden gems, though, whose creators have really put time into making engaging tools and resources for students.

Here are a few of my favorites in science and English:

1. Need some extra help in English? The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) has a bunch of tools to help you hone your skills, as well as handy reference guides.

2. Poetry 180 is a site put together by the Library of Congress to increase high school students' exposure to poetry, with a poem for each day of the school year.

3. Vocabulary.com has a very useful dictionary-- always a great tool to have when reading something new.

4. The CIA's World Factbook is a great resource for your social studies or geography class. You and your teach can both agree on it's reliability, unlike everyone's pal Wikipedia.

5. If you need help memorizing elements or an explanation of a theory in physics, Jefferson Lab is your place. Chock full of flashcards, study games, and useful information, this site will assuage anyone's fear of science.

It's no secret that helping others can inspire you in your own life. But most college students are so busy trying to juggle everything, they may feel that they don't have time to work with others. Nevertheless, in the past ten years, interest in volunteering has increased among college students.

Here's a great infographic from our friends at Open Colleges about teaching compassion:

We all know that academic performance can be enhanced by healthy eating. Often, though, college students are too busy studying and writing papers to read up on nutrition. Here are some great resources that offer quick and healthy solutions!

- The Dorm Room Diet: This awesome guidebook written by the brilliant daughter of TV's Doctor Oz offers nutrition and other healthy living tips for college students. See an interview with the author here.

- This detailed list of healthy study snacks from Her Campus.

- The College section of the awesome blog Big Girls Small Kitchen offers great, healthy recipes for students.

  We have been talking to students the past few months, and realized that we had missed something. You all don't want to just be able to connect with your peers, you want to be able to connect with people who can help you with your questions quickly.

With that in mind, we have some exciting announcements to make!

Simplifying Your Life

Where StudyHall is going next includes more on-demand features and a greater ability to get academic help when you need it most. We're going to empower students to take control of their academic lives through smart, simple classroom and course management.

Online Tutoring Your Way

We'll now be offering expert online tutoring and the ability to ask questions of top tutors on your course pages. If you don't already have your membership, get it today.

The Team Working for You

The StudyHall team is looking forward to tackling new challenges and making the student experience much more seamless. After all, you deserve the academic tools to do better.

All college students know that staying focused while studying can sometimes be more difficult than the actual work! Here are some tips to keep you focused.

- Take breaks. This one speaks for itself. Let's be clear, though, a break does not entail watching an entire series of a TV show or taking a four hour nap. Short breaks will work just fine.

- Chew gum. Besides keeping your breath fresh, chewing gum helps you keep focused. It's science, guys.

- Take advantage of productivity apps. One of our favorites is SelfControl, a Mac app that lets you block certain websites for predetermined periods of time. 

- Get some rest! This may seem counterintuitive, but you're actually more focused when you're well-rested. Even a short power nap can make a big difference!

How do you keep focused while studying? Let us know!

Sometimes, on a college campus, the only thing harder than cramming for an exam or writing a paper is finding a place to do it. Here are some of our favorites:

- A coffee shop. Not only can you get caffeinated while you work, you benefit from the nice vibes and chill music, not to mention the coffee-smell wafting around you. A multi sensory experience! Here's an app that locates coffee shops near you.

- Department rooms and specialized libraries. At a lot of schools, some departments have conference rooms or libraries for their students to work in. You'll probably have to keep it down when your professors walk by, though.

- Speaking of keeping it down while studying, the university library is also a good place to study (duh). Look out for silent reading rooms, which are great for when you need to buckle down.

- If you're looking for another place to study right on campus, why not stay in the dining hall to get some work done? If it's noisy, it might be worth investing in some good headphones so that you can stay focused while snacking on a never-ending supply of cereal and soda.

Here are some more great tips on finding a study spot from College Corner.

Where do you do your best studying? Let us know!

It’s the beginning of a new year and a new school semester: time to start thinking about resolutions.

Instead of the usual "lose weight, learn Italian" plan, I'm thinking about my resolutions in relation to college. Here's a couple things I've thought up so far:

- Always eat breakfast. I know that sounds simple and cliche, but there's scientific proof that breakfast helps college students.

- Have a bedtime. More science, more sleep, more good.

- Get an exercise partner. Exercise can be essential to good academic performance, and having a friend to go to the gym or run with can make things that much easier.

Here's a great piece from USA Today College with some suggestions for resolutions. I'm going to add a few to my own list!