Jessie's Blog
Testing — Tie a String on Your Finger
The Spring testing season is upon us. Each student's testing schedule is unique. Some have chosen to only prep for the SAT or ACT. That said, if your student is planning on applying to highly selective schools, your student's AP and SAT Subject Test scores matter more than you may suspect. Schools with admissions rates 30{475f6e8ad7be3161114314a988b7e8f491719bdeedead1da50322e1eadee8259} or less fall into these categories. The more competitive the admissions rate, the more these additional test s…Whatever you do, don't ask about my major.
A few years out of college and newly married, David and I headed back to South Mountain for the annual Lehigh-Lafayette Football Game (in this century this tradition is known as LeLaf). Following the game we went to a cocktail reception at Theta Chi, and the brick exterior, white columns, and pungent odor of beer long-seeped into the parquet floors greeted us — almost as if we had never left. As the crowd gathered and the volume rose a couple of drinks in, I overheard a question posed by one of …
ACT or SAT? — Three Considerations for Each
The landscape of standardized testing shifts more often than the faults running beneath California.
Like it or not, standardized tests play a significant role in an applicant’s file. In 2015 the ACT underwent “quiet” changes and in a few short weeks the new SAT will go live, in a “loud” way. Sometimes less information is more, so here are three considerations for each of the tests.
Knowing your students strengths will go a long way when deciding which standardized test is right.
Boredom, Questions & Zombies
Zombies. They are an official "thing."
One Saturday evening, I was walking through the living room with a load of laundry in my hands. A commercial for a new movie flew across the screen. I exclaimed, startling everyone including Pickles, our evil cat: “Zombies! Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.”
I don’t know how you feel about it, but the term zombies is creepy to me. It sounds creepy. It looks creepy (I know they are just letters, but they're both visually and audibly grating.). And the image…
The New SAT and Your Student
Illustration by Roger Chouinard, NYTimes
THE NEW SAT AND YOUR STUDENT
These Venn Diagrams Compare Colleges, Happy Picking
“How To Choose A College, In 5 Venn Diagrams,” an article published by Huff Post, creatively compared colleges on various attributes. Diagram categories included: Happiest v. Most Religious, Best Dorms v. Best Food, and Reefer Madness v. Least Religious. Choosing a college comes down to finding a fit academically, socially and financially. Given the thousands of choices and plethora of information available, you’ll find few who find the process less than overwhelming. You are not alone. IECA mem…
Success Stories: Anna — University of Pittsburgh
Jessie and the future dentist, Anna Lackey, visit Lehigh University.“Not only was our daughter overwhelmed by the college application process but so were we! Jessie made us all take nice, long, deep breaths and then in her kind and gentle manner, explained exactly how we were going to get through it together. Jessie’s knowledge, organizational style, time management skills and good-natured humor made the experience not only totally doable, but produced on-time applications that our daughter was…
EA Success Stories: Justin — Middlebury College
Justin had a long list of schools including UChicago, Brown, Amherst and Tufts. His visit to Middlebury, an exceptional school in VT, clinched his decision to become a "Midd." The college thought so too, and accepted him Early Decision.
“When my oldest son graduated near the top of his class at Blair Academy, with test scores in the 99th percentile, my wife and I felt very comfortable that he would have a number of top colleges from which to choose. As it turns out, we didn’t have a clue how …
Success Stories: Grace — Marist College, Presidential Scholar
Grace, Class of 2015, is an accomplished rider. Grace was also Park Scholar Finalist at Ithaca College, but felt Marist to be a better fit.“Jessie's work with my daughter was exceptional and the results where not just acceptance letters and merit scholarships, but self esteem and a morale boast when many of her friends were frustrated and feeling defeated. I have first hand experience with the positive results of working with Jessie and would encourage and applaud all parents tot expose their c…
Success Stories: Sophie — University of Wisconsin - Madison
Sophie, Class of 2015, with Jessie. #graduationdayselfie“Our daughter attended a small, private elite prep school. The idea of hiring an independent educational consultant seemed absurd to me. Wasn’t she getting all of the support she needed from the school I was writing a hefty check to? The reality is that college admissions just isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. And, it’s a lot more completive. Our daughter had to write 18 different essays and she didn’t apply to a single Ivy League…