NO SAT!?! NO ACT!?! UChicago’s Curve Ball

Testing is not the be-all and the end-all, said James G. Nondorf, U-Chicago’s dean of admissions and financial aid. He said he didn’t want “one little test score” to end up “scaring students off” who are otherwise qualified. From The Washington Post,  June 14, 2018 On June 14, 2018, the University of Chicago’s John W. Boyer, dean of the college,…

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“I Forgot My Calculator for the ACT!”

About the author: I’m Karli Ching and I graduated with C.K. McClatchy High School’s Class of 2015.  I attend University of California, Davis as a biological sciences major pre-med student. ____________________________________________________ When I was taking the ACT for the second time during my senior year in October, I was taking it to improve my math score because I was applying to…

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Guest Post: SAT: Stressful Anxiety Time

About the Author: After being accepted to four year college, but choosing to postpone going to college in favor of pursing a career as a cyclist, David in his spare time works at Hubbubbaloo Creative.  In the following, he offers insights to the challenges in taking the SAT or ACT.   __________________________________________________ It’s a cold Saturday morning. You pull your car into a foreign…

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Changes to the ACT Writing Section

The ACT will be changing the Writing portion of the test, starting in September 2015.  The following outlines the changes: Extended Writing Time: Students will have 40 minutes to craft an essay response, rather than the previous 30 minutes. Changed Prompt Style: Test takers will be presented a contemporary issue and three perspectives regarding the issue.   Students are expected to…

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Ahead of the Curve: August 9, 2014

Inspired by CMC Clients: OMG College ESSAYS! College essays are often feared. Topic selection can confound students, who’re under the impression that a traumatic-dramatic-life-altering experience makes a compelling college essay. However, choosing the “perfect” topic is not necessary to begin writing.  Simply start putting words on the page.  Then, students will have some thoughts to edit and refine. Knowing that the first…

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Test Taking Tips

As high school Juniors prepare for the SAT and ACT this spring, some test taking tips from Creative Marbles favorite, eight-year old commentator, who offers his thoughts about getting ready for exam time.  As an added bonus, his advice can help with everyday classroom tests as well. [powerpress url=”https://6c80ac.a2cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Padma-Test-Taking-Tips.mp3″]  

Ahead of the Curve: January 5, 2014

From Our Clients:  More Common App Problems: January 1 is one of the common college application due dates for popular and highly selective colleges, like Stanford, Harvard, Rice, Brown, Notre Dame, Claremont McKenna, Northwestern – just to name a few.  In the midnight hours starting on the East Coast and moving West, the Common Application website, slowed considerably and created several…

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Ahead of the Curve: October 29, 2013

From the News: College Financial Aid Drops – Families Pinched, San Francicso Chronicle October 23, 2013 Is College Tuition Too High? Of Course (Not), Higher Education Data Stories Blog October 15, 2013 So Many Students – So Little (Counseling) Time, Sacramento Bee October 28, 2013 From Clients: On-going Common Application Technical Issues:  From recommenders not being able to submit forms…

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