Frequently Asked Questions

Academic Coaching

What is academic coaching?
Academic coaching looks at each student’s academic and extracurricular activities to create an individualized plan to achieve personal goals. Students find that academic coaching helps to reduce anxiety and stress, and helps students prioritize and achieve their academic and extracurricular goals.

How does academic coaching differ from subject tutoring?
Our consultants are incredibly familiar with the high school curriculums, and feel comfortable assisting students with chemistry, trigonometry and English assignments all in one session. Instead of simply teaching students how to do their homework and study for tests, we show students how to effectively manage their time and juggle multiple extracurricular activities with a rigorous academic curriculum.

SAT Preparation

When should my student plan on taking the SAT Reasoning Test?
Each student’s situation varies; however, most students take the SAT Reasoning test in the spring of their junior year at least once. Oftentimes, students will re-take the SAT Reasoning Test in the fall of their senior year.

How many times should my student plan on taking the SAT?
Again, it depends on your individual student’s situation. Usually we recommend a student take the SAT Reasoning Test three times, twice in the junior year and once in the fall of the senior year.

When do you offer your SAT workshop?
We offer the SAT workshops in August and January, and juniors find that the workshops are an excellent way to begin their SAT preparation. After the workshop, students often continue their SAT preparation with one-on-one tutoring sessions to focus on their individual challenges.

College Advising

Should we plan a trip to look at colleges? When should we go?
It is always helpful for students to see a wide variety of schools so that they can get a sense of what different types of college settings are available. Visiting colleges and universities when school is in session gives high school students a better feel for the schools’ atmosphere. Instead of packing twenty colleges into a seven day mega-tour, an incredibly effective (and much less stressful) way to see schools is to visit a college or two whenever your family goes on a trip. For instance, if your family is going to Boston for a cousin’s wedding, go a day or two ahead and see a few schools throughout the Boston area. 

When do we begin the college counseling process?
Though we sometimes have an initial consultation early in the junior year, our formal work with the student generally begins after the winter holidays of your student’s junior year.

Organizational and Time-Management Workshops

What age(s) are the workshops geared towards?
We have designed three different workshops – one geared towards junior high students, another specifically designed for incoming high school freshmen, and a third for high school students.

Can I arrange for an individual organizational workshop for my child?
Absolutely.  During the school year, students find that our organizational workshop gives them a fresh start and helps them refocus after a tough few weeks or grading period. Feel free to contact us if you would like to arrange an individual session.