Author Archive: jmaroneyct@gmail.com

Some people are naturally early, detailed planners. Others are procrastinators who get everything done at the last minute. Regardless of which type of person you are, it’s important to keep deadlines in mind when you’re applying to college. While regular decision deadlines aren’t until the middle of the school year, there are two deadlines that come up much earlier and mean you might need to have your application ready before those regular deadlines: Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA). In this article, we’re going to delve into what the differences are and how to know what’s best for you.

Early Decision and Early Action are two different early admission programs of applying for a college. The deadlines [...]

The results of your SAT scores decide how ready you are to study at a college or university level. They also affect your standing with most universities and colleges in the United States, giving them the low-down on your academic performance thus far.
In this article we will explore the importance of SAT tests and what different colleges look for in a student in getting those all-important college scholarships.

SATs have changed over the years and their importance growing (the latest changes come into effect March 2016).

SATs are the most common form of college-readiness test (to be distinguished from ACT). SATs (previously known as Scholastic Aptitude/Assessment Test) are designed to be up-to-date assessments reflecting what you have learned at school; because of this they are [...]

The soaring cost of student loans, which seriously hinder graduates in later life, are exceptionally bad in Connecticut. Recent reports, place the state third worst in the nation for student loan debts.

What does this mean for students studying in CT? More importantly, what can you do to reduce the size of your debt? You want and need a college degree. It’s an important asset that opens up many opportunities. On the other hand, you don’t want an enormous student loan hanging round your neck like a shackle. So here are a few tips on how to save a bit of money for when you need it. Remember, you don’t need a degree in accountancy to be able to save pennies here and there – common [...]

A person once wrote that “We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them”.  Writing a college admission essay is probably one of the most stressful events of high school, rivalled perhaps only by the SAT or the prom.   “There’s nothing interesting about me”, “I’m no good at writing” or “I don’t know where to start” are common refrains heard from today’s high school students.

However, the college essay doesn’t have to be this awful, stressful experience. This article is designed to assuage those fears by giving 10 practical tips for writing a memorable college essay.

1. Answer the question the being asked.  When a college has a specific essay topic, there’s a reason for it. Answer it.
2. Tell a story.  Good college essays have a complete emotional arc, with a beginning, middle, and end.
3. Write the essay about you.  No matter what [...]

There is something that every college applicant can do to improve their chances of getting into the first choice college.  According to college admission counselors, beyond improving SAT scores this activity is more important to the admission decision than guidance counselor recommendations, teacher recommendations, or even extracurricular activities.  It is called “demonstrated interest”.   So let’s discuss the concept of demonstrated interest and describe how one goes about showing it.

Basically, demonstrated interest is showing some form of formal interest in a college.  The main ways are through taking an official campus tour and interviewing on the campus.  However, at some colleges, any contact you make with a school goes in your file, and the more “touches” you make the more serious of an applicant they feel that you are.  “Touches” are activities like contacting [...]

The SAT test you took in high school remains one of the primary means by which institutions of

higher learning assess a student’s readiness for college.  However, that same SAT test is being dramatically redesigned. For one, it will now have a maximum score of 1600.  What’s that you say? The SAT test maximum score was always 1600.   Well almost.  Ten years ago, a written essay was added to the SAT and the maximum score was increased to 2400.  Other than reinstating the “old” 1600 score, the new SAT may be hard to recognize.

Future articles will describe 1) how the revised SAT is being brought into alignment with the Common Core standards being used throughout Connecticut’s schools and 2) how the new SAT test may replace the mandatory SBAC test currently administered to our 11th graders.  This article will focus on the structural changes to the test.

The new SAT actually more closely resembles [...]

Should I take the current SAT or the new SAT?  Should I take the ACT?  Do I need to take the SAT II Subject Tests?  Which Subject Tests should I take?  The class of 2017 is faced with more questions than past high school sophomores.  While these choices may seem like challenges, they also create opportunities for students to position themselves with the best chance for success.  In this article we will examine these opportunities and help class of 2017 students develop effective test taking plans.

The last time the College Board revised the SAT, colleges accepted both the old test and the revised test for a few years.  Subsequently, It is widely believed that most colleges will accept either the old score or the new score for the class of 2017, though it is uncertain after that.  This means students may want to [...]

By now, you may have heard that the SAT is going to change.  Just over one year from now the new test will be administered.  At some point within the next month, the college board will release full sample tests.  Back in January they released sample questions.  There are a number of changes that have the overall effect of making the SAT more similar to the current ACT.

• The score returns to being considered out of 1600 points

• The essay is optional

• There is no longer a “guessing penalty,” that is you will not get a ¼ deducted for a wrong answer

• There will be science and social science reading passages that require analysis.

• There will be a math section where a calculator is permissible and [...]