Versed Editors's blog

By: Valerie Erde

 

While it’s true that colleges want to create a well-rounded class that brings together a mix of artists, athletes, and leaders in a range of areas, they also want students who, when they arrive on campus, are able to do the work and who will graduate in four years — not six or eight. 

It may be good for colleges’ wallets to have students attend for more than four years, but it’s not good for their rankings nor their reputation.  This is due in large part to the way the college rankings work. One of the areas measured by the U.S. News and World Report rankings, for example, is the percentage of students who graduate in four years. If you’ve taken a college tour recently, you’ve probably noticed that this information is often featured in the presentation, and it’s also important for the Department of Education College Scorecard.

Beyond rankings, the truth is that colleges really do want students to succeed:  admitting academically strong students — the ones who are ready to succeed from Day One — is the best way both to keep the rankings number up and to ensure their students will succeed academically and thrive intellectually once on campus.

For the majority of colleges and universities, especially the “most selective” ones that accept fewer than 20% of applicants, it’s your academic profile  - not your extracurricular endeavors - that is going to be paramount in their decision on whether or not to accept you.

But there’s a problem: grade inflation.

GRADE INFLATION IS ON THE RISE

Not all “straight A students” are created equal. That would seem obvious, right? Honors English, social studies or science at one high school can be vastly different from the same honors course at another high school. Sometimes, the courses can even vary widely between teachers at the same school! Anyone who’s been through high school knows that some teachers are tough while others are easy.

The same is true for AP courses, though the variation isn’t as severe. That’s because the course material is dictated by the College Board and is therefore relatively standard across the country. And, of course, the culminating AP test is standardized.

Even “objective” subjects such as math include plenty of room for subjectivity in the grading.   The quadratic equation is the quadratic equation, but how much time is spent on it, how it’s taught, and how many homework problems you’re assigned for practice can vary greatly.

Beyond that, some students—particularly affluent and self-advocating ones—get better grades simply because they’re perceived to be “good kids.” I’ve had many conversations about this with fellow tutors, and we’ve all had the experience of working with a student whose PSAT/P-ACT scores revealed serious deficits in math (or English), despite having straight A’s in the subject since middle school. Kids who are extroverted and build good relationships with their teachers can—often with the help of an involved parent—talk their way into extra credit, makeup work, or the dropping of a low test score. 

Research shows that grade inflation is strong and on rise. Before the pandemic, 47% percent of high school students graduated with an A-minus to an A-plus average—an increase of nearly 10 percentage points over a 20-year period. And some of the biggest increases are coming from “resourced” schools, especially independent private schools. This has the effect of creating a growing pool of competitive (on paper) applicants, especially in affluent communities. 

That’s a lot of kids competing for very few spots at elite colleges—many with the same high GPAs.

 

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

As you build a list of colleges to apply to, it’s important to have an accurate view of yourself and where you stand in relation to other applicants. It’s not helpful to have an inflated — or deflated! — sense of yourself. When it comes to applying to highly selective schools, don’t assume that a good GPA alone is going to get you in. It also depends on the rigor of your high school, whether your school is known as a grade inflator, and your standardized test scores, which serve as a crucial “validator” of your grades. If your AP test scores are much lower than your grade in the course, for example, that won’t instill confidence in the rigor of your school’s program. 

 

BE INFORMED: KNOW WHERE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STANDS

How can you know if your A is really an A? 

It helps to understand where your high school ranks compared to others. I find that many of the parents and students with whom I work generally have a decent sense about which schools are rigorous and which ones tend to hand out top grades more easily. But if you’re not certain where your school falls on the continuum, you can find out. Just as there are college ranking lists, there are also high school ranking lists. 

Writer Jay Matthews initially developed the Jay Matthews High School Challenge Index  as a publicity stunt to promote a book he was writing, but it was such a hit that he’s kept it going. He studied many school’s practices in depth to see which ones were really challenging their students to take risks, try harder courses, and earn accurate grades by mastering the material. (He also has some illuminating thoughts about the role of affluence and gatekeeping for AP courses.) The upshot of his rankings is that rigor is not determined by zip code, even though grades can often be tracked along socio-economic lines.

Other groups have sought to rank high schools not by rigor, but by their college admittance outcomes. For example, lists such as Polaris and Ivy League Feeders rank high schools by the percentage of students admitted to the ivy league. So, sure, if you attend certain schools such as Horace Mann, Brunswick, Harvard Westlake, or Exeter, a greater percentage of you will be admitted to ivy league and other selective colleges. But at same time, if your high school is more competitive to get into and/or also is a massive grade inflator, the competition from your peers is also going to be greater. 

 

KNOW WHERE YOU STAND  

Above, I talked about knowing where your high school stands relative to other schools in terms of rigor, but even more important is knowing where you stand within your peer group because as I’ve mentioned before, admissions officers begin by evaluating and comparing students within the context of their own high school (i.e., the school profile provided by the high school’s guidance department), and then expand those comparisons to include additional students from the broader region.

Most of us appropriately focus on our local level. After all, the school science fair, divisional soccer championship, and regional chorus are what we know. But zoom out, and the field gets far more crowded with talent. For example, I remember my child, a clarinetist, thinking that as first chair in her high school band and in her local youth orchestra, she was “all that.”  But when it came time to audition for a pre-college music program, she quickly learned that competing against students from around the region was a much different ballgame!  She didn’t get in everywhere she applied, and the program she did get accepted to was far more challenging than anything she had done up to that point.

It can be difficult to learn how we stack up on a state, national, or even international level. This is largely because most private high schools and a growing number of public ones have dropped class rank as a metric, instead reporting only grades. There are more than 26,000 public high schools in the U.S. and at least another 2,800 private schools, which means that your child will be competing against tens of thousands of applicants. 

“Here, the authors find that the proportion of students with A averages (including A-minus and A-plus) increased from 38.9 percent of the graduating class of 1998 to 47 percent of the graduating class of 2016. Those gains came from the B and C ranges.

Of course, the authors acknowledge in their study, there could be a reason for the grade inflation that would make educators celebrate. What if students are smarter or are being better educated, and so are earning their better grades? The authors reject these possibilities, and cite SAT scores to do so. If students were learning more, their SATs should be going up, or at the very least remaining stable. But during the period studied, SAT averages (math and verbal, 1,600-point scale) fell from 1,026 to 1,002.”

Compare that to the number of students who get a 4 or 5 on the English Literature AP Exam: 

Only 7.4% of students earned a 5 on the AP English Lit. exam — a far cry from the 47% of students who have an A- to A+ average. (Another interesting takeaway is the number of total students earning a 5 on the AP Lit. exam — 30,000+ —  is greater than the number of first-year slots at all of the Ivies combined.)

If you feel overwhelmed by this process, take a deep breath. There are some concrete steps you can take to make sure your application is as strong as it can be in a world of rampant grade inflation.

 

PARENTS: DON’T HELICOPTER, BUT DON’T DISAPPEAR

Your high school student needs you more than they think — and more than you think, even in terms of their high school academics.

A 2018 survey published by Learning Heroes, a parent information group, found a big disconnect, especially among parents of high school students, between how they feel their child is performing and teachers’ reports of student performance.  Interestingly (interestingly to me at least!), there was also a disconnect between how involved parents felt they needed to be in their high school student’s academic performance and the level of parental involvement teachers attributed to student success – especially earlier on in high school (9th and 10th grades). 

 

PLAN YOUR COURSE SELECTIONS BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL

If you’re reading this as a parent of a junior, unfortunately, it’s a bit late, but senior-year courses are still very important and not a time to slack off!  If you think you may want to apply to the most selective schools, please go to the admissions websites and check their high school curriculum requirements.  For the ivies, for example, not taking all three core lab sciences (bio, chem, physics), or not taking four years of a foreign language, is frowned upon and may put you at a competitive disadvantage.

For parents of younger students, remember, certain courses, you won’t be able to get to the honors or AP level in high school if you don’t think about where you’re headed early on. This is true if your high school has minimum grade requirements or if they have a hard-and-fast rule about course sequencing. Math, in particular, can require good choices as early as seventh grade. 

 

DON’T OVERDO IT, BUT DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF

I really like this line from a U.S. News article about high school class rigor: “Find Your Magic Number Of Advanced Classes.”  This number will be different for everyone.

Note for athletes:  A few of my student athletes have reported coaches advising them not to take AP and other challenging courses.  I’m writing a whole separate article on athletics in high school, but remember, while it may be in your coach’s interest for you to take less challenging classes so you have more time to focus on your sport, it is not necessarily (and not usually) in your interest to do so.

 

TAKE MORE “STANDARDIZED” AP & IB COURSES IF YOU CAN

In addition to showing your willingness to take challenging classes, AP and IB courses have a standardized curriculum and assessment, which provides a measure of your learning that allows colleges to accurately compare your achievements with students from around the country. Don’t blow off the exam — it’s the best way to know where you stand.  

 

CHOOSE AP COURSES WISELY

AP Psychology, AP Comparative Government & Politics, and AP Environmental Science (APES) are considered to be among the easiest AP classes. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them if those subjects interest you! It just means that if you are aiming for Stanford or MIT, for example, APES may not be thought of as highly as AP Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. 

STANDARDIZED TESTS(AP, ACT, SAT) “CORROBORATE” YOUR GRADE

I’ve said this over and over again, and just yesterday, as I was doing a last edit on this blog post, MIT announced that for 2022 applicants, it will be joining Georgetown University in reinstating the ACT or SAT requirement.  Here’s a quote from MIT’s announcement about the academic rationale for reinstating the tests.  (There’s also an important equity reason.)

“In short: Our research has shown that, in most cases, we cannot reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors. These findings are statistically robust and stable over time, and hold when you control for socioeconomic factors and look across demographic groups. And the math component of the testing turns out to be most important. ”

— STUART SCHMILL, MIT DEAN OF ADMISSIONS

 

About Valerie Erde of Veridian Prep:

VeridianPrep is an academic tutoring and test prep company that combines years of subject expertise and experience with evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning.  VeridianPrep’s strengths lie in quickly determining each student’s strengths and gaps to offer a personalized, and results-oriented approach that builds skills and confidence to help teens succeed not only in a single class or test, but also in their next journey -- college.    Currently, VeridianPrep covers all levels of Math, English, Chemistry, and Physics including AP/ACT/SAT/SAT II, meeting one-on-one with students at home, in offices in Greenwich, CT/NYC, or online. https://www.veridianprep.com

 

If you are interested in speaking with Valerie Erde, or other advisors at Versed about helping students discover their interests and pursue meaningful activities, please contact us.

 

For addition insights, read:

6 Steps to Better Grades

How to Guarantee Academic Success

Tips For Motivating Your Teen

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: Valerie Erde

GRADE INFLATION AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS 

While it’s true that colleges want to create a well-rounded class that brings together a mix of artists, athletes, and leaders in a range of areas, they also want students who, when they arrive on campus, are able to do the work and who will graduate in four years — not six or eight. 

It may be good for colleges’ wallets to have students attend for more than four years, but it’s not good for their rankings nor their reputation.  This is due in large part to the way the college rankings work. One of the areas measured by the U.S. News and World Report rankings, for example, is the percentage of students who graduate in four years. If you’ve taken a college tour recently, you’ve probably noticed that this information is often featured in the presentation, and it’s also important for the Department of Education College Scorecard.

Beyond rankings, the truth is that colleges really do want students to succeed:  admitting academically strong students — the ones who are ready to succeed from Day One — is the best way both to keep the rankings number up and to ensure their students will succeed academically and thrive intellectually once on campus.

For the majority of colleges and universities, especially the “most selective” ones that accept fewer than 20% of applicants, it’s your academic profile  - not your extracurricular endeavors - that is going to be paramount in their decision on whether or not to accept you.

But there’s a problem: grade inflation.

 

GRADE INFLATION IS ON THE RISE

Not all “straight A students” are created equal. That would seem obvious, right? Honors English, social studies or science at one high school can be vastly different from the same honors course at another high school. Sometimes, the courses can even vary widely between teachers at the same school! Anyone who’s been through high school knows that some teachers are tough while others are easy.

The same is true for AP courses, though the variation isn’t as severe. That’s because the course material is dictated by the College Board and is therefore relatively standard across the country. And, of course, the culminating AP test is standardized.

Even “objective” subjects such as math include plenty of room for subjectivity in the grading.   The quadratic equation is the quadratic equation, but how much time is spent on it, how it’s taught, and how many homework problems you’re assigned for practice can vary greatly.

Beyond that, some students—particularly affluent and self-advocating ones—get better grades simply because they’re perceived to be “good kids.” I’ve had many conversations about this with fellow tutors, and we’ve all had the experience of working with a student whose PSAT/P-ACT scores revealed serious deficits in math (or English), despite having straight A’s in the subject since middle school. Kids who are extroverted and build good relationships with their teachers can—often with the help of an involved parent—talk their way into extra credit, makeup work, or the dropping of a low test score. 

Research shows that grade inflation is strong and on rise. Before the pandemic, 47% percent of high school students graduated with an A-minus to an A-plus average—an increase of nearly 10 percentage points over a 20-year period. And some of the biggest increases are coming from “resourced” schools, especially independent private schools. This has the effect of creating a growing pool of competitive (on paper) applicants, especially in affluent communities. 

That’s a lot of kids competing for very few spots at elite colleges—many with the same high GPAs.

 

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

As you build a list of colleges to apply to, it’s important to have an accurate view of yourself and where you stand in relation to other applicants. It’s not helpful to have an inflated — or deflated! — sense of yourself. When it comes to applying to highly selective schools, don’t assume that a good GPA alone is going to get you in. It also depends on the rigor of your high school, whether your school is known as a grade inflator, and your standardized test scores, which serve as a crucial “validator” of your grades. If your AP test scores are much lower than your grade in the course, for example, that won’t instill confidence in the rigor of your school’s program. 

 

BE INFORMED: KNOW WHERE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STANDS

How can you know if your A is really an A? 

It helps to understand where your high school ranks compared to others. I find that many of the parents and students with whom I work generally have a decent sense about which schools are rigorous and which ones tend to hand out top grades more easily. But if you’re not certain where your school falls on the continuum, you can find out. Just as there are college ranking lists, there are also high school ranking lists. 

Writer Jay Matthews initially developed the Jay Matthews High School Challenge Index  as a publicity stunt to promote a book he was writing, but it was such a hit that he’s kept it going. He studied many school’s practices in depth to see which ones were really challenging their students to take risks, try harder courses, and earn accurate grades by mastering the material. (He also has some illuminating thoughts about the role of affluence and gatekeeping for AP courses.) The upshot of his rankings is that rigor is not determined by zip code, even though grades can often be tracked along socio-economic lines.

Other groups have sought to rank high schools not by rigor, but by their college admittance outcomes. For example, lists such as Polaris and Ivy League Feeders rank high schools by the percentage of students admitted to the ivy league. So, sure, if you attend certain schools such as Horace Mann, Brunswick, Harvard Westlake, or Exeter, a greater percentage of you will be admitted to ivy league and other selective colleges. But at same time, if your high school is more competitive to get into and/or also is a massive grade inflator, the competition from your peers is also going to be greater. 

 

KNOW WHERE YOU STAND  

Above, I talked about knowing where your high school stands relative to other schools in terms of rigor, but even more important is knowing where you stand within your peer group because as I’ve mentioned before, admissions officers begin by evaluating and comparing students within the context of their own high school (i.e., the school profile provided by the high school’s guidance department), and then expand those comparisons to include additional students from the broader region.

Most of us appropriately focus on our local level. After all, the school science fair, divisional soccer championship, and regional chorus are what we know. But zoom out, and the field gets far more crowded with talent. For example, I remember my child, a clarinetist, thinking that as first chair in her high school band and in her local youth orchestra, she was “all that.”  But when it came time to audition for a pre-college music program, she quickly learned that competing against students from around the region was a much different ballgame!  She didn’t get in everywhere she applied, and the program she did get accepted to was far more challenging than anything she had done up to that point.

It can be difficult to learn how we stack up on a state, national, or even international level. This is largely because most private high schools and a growing number of public ones have dropped class rank as a metric, instead reporting only grades. There are more than 26,000 public high schools in the U.S. and at least another 2,800 private schools, which means that your child will be competing against tens of thousands of applicants. 

“Here, the authors find that the proportion of students with A averages (including A-minus and A-plus) increased from 38.9 percent of the graduating class of 1998 to 47 percent of the graduating class of 2016. Those gains came from the B and C ranges.

Of course, the authors acknowledge in their study, there could be a reason for the grade inflation that would make educators celebrate. What if students are smarter or are being better educated, and so are earning their better grades? The authors reject these possibilities, and cite SAT scores to do so. If students were learning more, their SATs should be going up, or at the very least remaining stable. But during the period studied, SAT averages (math and verbal, 1,600-point scale) fell from 1,026 to 1,002.”

Compare that to the number of students who get a 4 or 5 on the English Literature AP Exam: 

Only 7.4% of students earned a 5 on the AP English Lit. exam — a far cry from the 47% of students who have an A- to A+ average. (Another interesting takeaway the number of total students earning a 5 on the AP Lit. exam — 30,000+ —  is greater than the number of first-year slots at all of the ivies combined.)

If you feel overwhelmed by this process, take a deep breath. There are some concrete steps you can take to make sure your application is as strong as it can be in a world of rampant grade inflation.

 

PARENTS: DON’T HELICOPTER, BUT DON’T DISAPPEAR

Your high school student needs you more than they think — and more than you think, even in terms of their high school academics.

A 2018 survey published by Learning Heroes, a parent information group, found a big disconnect, especially among parents of high school students, between how they feel their child is performing and teachers’ reports of student performance.  Interestingly (interestingly to me at least!), there was also a disconnect between how involved parents felt they needed to be in their high school student’s academic performance and the level of parental involvement teachers attributed to student success – especially earlier on in high school (9th and 10th grades). 

 

PLAN YOUR COURSE SELECTIONS BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL

If you’re reading this as a parent of a junior, unfortunately, it’s a bit late, but senior-year courses are still very important and not a time to slack off!  If you think you may want to apply to the most selective schools, please go to the admissions websites and check their high school curriculum requirements.  For the ivies, for example, not taking all three core lab sciences (bio, chem, physics), or not taking four years of a foreign language, is frowned upon and may put you at a competitive disadvantage.

For parents of younger students, remember, certain courses, you won’t be able to get to the honors or AP level in high school if you don’t think about where you’re headed early on. This is true if your high school has minimum grade requirements or if they have a hard-and-fast rule about course sequencing. Math, in particular, can require good choices as early as seventh grade. 

 

DON’T OVERDO IT, BUT DON’T BE AFRAID TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF

I really like this line from a U.S. News article about high school class rigor: “Find Your Magic Number Of Advanced Classes.”  This number will be different for everyone. 

Note for athletes:  A few of my student athletes have reported coaches advising them not to take AP and other challenigng courses.  I’m writing a whole separate article on athletics in high school, but remember, while it may be in your coach’s interest for you to take less challenging classes so you have more time to focus on your sport, it is not necessarily (and not usually) in your interest to do so.

 

TAKE MORE “STANDARDIZED” AP & IB COURSES IF YOU CAN

In addition to showing your willingness to take challenging classes, AP and IB courses have a standardized curriculum and assessment, which provides a measure of your learning that allows colleges to accurately compare your achievements with students from around the country. Don’t blow off the exam — it’s the best way to know where you stand.  

 

CHOOSE AP COURSES WISELY

AP Psychology, AP Comparative Government & Politics, and AP Environmental Science (APES) are considered to be among the easiest AP classes. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them if those subjects interest you! It just means that if you are aiming for Stanford or MIT, for example, APES may not be thought of as highly as AP Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. 

 

STANDARDIZED TESTS(AP, ACT, SAT) “CORROBORATE” YOUR GRADE

I’ve said this over and over again, and just yesterday, as I was doing a last edit on this blog post, MIT announced that for 2022 applicants, it will be joining Georgetown University and in reinstating the ACT or SAT requirement.  Here’s a quote from MIT’s announcement about the academic rationale for reinstating the tests.  (There’s also an important equity reason.)

 

“In short: Our research has shown that, in most cases, we cannot reliably predict students will do well at MIT unless we consider standardized test results alongside grades, coursework, and other factors. These findings are statistically robust and stable over time, and hold when you control for socioeconomic factors and look across demographic groups. And the math component of the testing turns out to be most important. ”

— STUART SCHMILL, MIT DEAN OF ADMISSIONS

 

Valerie Erde, founder of VeridianPrep, is one of only two ACT/SAT/AP tutors trained by Erica Meltzer, author of the highly-acclaimed Critical Reader ACT/SAT prep books.  Ms. Erde has developed a strong track record of improved ACT and SAT scores (including multiple SAT 800’s and ACT 36’s), along with an impressive list of college acceptances.  But what she’s most proud of is watching her students grow as readers, writers – and thinkers.  Prior to VeridianPrep, Valerie developed digital AP test prep materials for Brainscape, Inc. Through additional experiences as an NYU alumni interviewer, a parent who shepherded her own kids (Yale & Harvard acceptances) through the college process, and member of several college counseling groups, Valerie has developed a much broader perspective about standardized testing generally, and its role in the college admissions process. Visit https://www.veridianprep.com to learn more.

 

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Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: Larry Liu, The Spike Lab

We all know how it feels to be motivated. It’s a state characterized by clarity, focus, and boundless energy. We’re willing to run through brick walls to achieve our goals. Yet for many high schoolers, it can be hard to tap into this feeling. And many parents who want to help operate under false beliefs about motivation. These beliefs can lead to actions that are counterproductive and ultimately de-motivating. And yet, self-motivation for students is important.

During my work at The Spike Lab, I’ve seen firsthand the huge benefits available to students who can successfully self-motivate. The good news is that the ability to self-motivate is a superpower that any student can learn and practice. Whether the goal is launching a Spike or earning a stellar GPA, high schoolers can improve their odds of success by understanding the basics of motivation.

In this article, I’ll dispel some common misconceptions about self-motivation for students, use an example from science to help us better understand motivation, and offer practical tips for young people looking to stay motivated.

 

What motivation is…and what it isn’t

Because motivation is something we feel, a precise definition can be hard to pin down. Just because we know how it feels to be motivated doesn’t mean we know what causes this feeling.

Generally speaking, motivation is a force that wills a person to do a task. It’s the drive that underlies most of our behavior. More specifically, Nir Eyal claims that motivation springs from a desire to avoid discomfort. Echoing this idea, writer Steven Pressfield (paraphrased in this article by James Clear) defines motivation by saying that “at some point, the pain of not doing something becomes greater than the pain of doing it.”

Before getting more specific on our definition of motivation (and discussing strategies for conquering discomfort), let’s start by clearing the air on what motivation isn’t.

BECOMING A MOTIVATED PERSON ISN’T AN END GOAL IN ITSELF.

Being motivated isn’t like being a certified scuba instructor or being a tennis champ. There’s no course you can take to become motivated. It’s not the final destination of a trip – it’s the fuel that powers many cars.

BEING “MOTIVATED” ISN’T A CONSTANT STATE.

Even in high-performers, motivation can wax and wane over the course of a project. Motivation definitely isn’t something that some people are just born with.

MOTIVATION CAN’T BE IMPOSED.

Rewards and punishments (extrinsic motivation) can be especially dangerous because they often work in the short term. But studies have found that too much extrinsic motivation can leave kids unprepared for the real world.

Any of these misconceptions can lead to unproductive behavior. With regard to the last point, you may wonder, “is all extrinsic motivation bad?” The answer is no. It’s unrealistic to deny extrinsic motivation as a major factor in our world, as many of us work hard to pursue the school or career of our dreams. Good self-motivation practices for students should balance extrinsic and intrinsic forces.

 

The basic mechanics of self-motivation for students

How can parents tell if their student is motivated? Physics gives us a useful metaphor for understanding how motivation acts upon a person. According to Newton’s laws, all bodies in motion have direction, speed, and acceleration. Each of these three properties reveals a basic truth about motivation.

Direction. For an object to move, it needs to travel in a generally consistent direction for a sustained amount of time. Any object that is constantly changing directions will ultimately not travel very far. Likewise, any motivated person will be able to tell you what single goal they’re working toward.

Speed. Unsurprisingly, a moving object must also move toward its goal. The change in position over time is known as the object’s speed. How quickly is the person approaching their goal? Are they closer today than they were last week? Simply describing the goal isn’t enough. A student who can self-motivate will demonstrate progress toward that goal over time.

Acceleration. Direction and speed are crucial, but the most important property of self-motivation is acceleration. This is also known as the rate of change. We can know a person’s acceleration by asking a simple question: is their speed increasing or decreasing over time?

People who are feeling motivated will usually be able to tell you where they’re headed, how fast they’re going, and how quickly they’re speeding up. So how do we master this superpower?

 

Self-determination and self-motivation for students

When we talk about motivation (especially for students) we should always talk about self-motivation. This framing turns motivation into an ability that we can practice through specific techniques, just like time management. Becoming a great self-motivator requires an understanding of the basic conditions that cause someone to become…yes, motivated.

According to Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory, deep down we are all motivated by a desire for growth and fulfillment in life. We want to improve. Deci and Ryan argue that growth happens when we practice self-determination. We can become more intrinsically motivated, more self-motivated, by increasing our self-determination.

We cultivate our self-determination when we pursue goals that meet our needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy is our perceived ability to exercise freedom and control over our work. Competence means feeling like we have the skills required to get a job done. Finally, a task’s relatedness is its perceived connection to our social circles and the broader community.

Let’s return to discomfort for a moment. If motivation springs from self-determination and from discomfort, then the two things must be related. For high school students, discomfort often arises when trying new things or doing work in subjects that they’re not “good at.” These moments can motivate students to retreat from new experiences. But instead of shrinking away, these are moments when students can flip the script and own their self-determination. Discomfort should come from staying stagnant, from not increasing self-determination, from not growing.

So, how does one increase their self-determination? Students who want to increase their self-determination should focus on their goals, attitudes, and habits.

 

Goals on self-motivation for students

Because motivation is the means to an end, one of the most important things we can do is choose the end that’s right for us. The best goals are the ones that align with the principles of self-determination. We must choose the goal for ourselves, the goal must make use of our specific competencies, and we must believe the goal will have some impact on the world around us.

Sometimes we don’t know if a specific goal is right for us. In many cases, we hesitate to start because we don’t know if we’ll be sufficiently motivated. The best thing to do is set a general direction, and just get going. Then, ask yourself why certain aspects of the project are more motivating than others and use findings to hone down on a specific direction.

 

Attitudes and habits to build self-motivation for students

Just having the right goal isn’t enough. The truth is that many of our tasks aren’t directly related to our goals in life (chores, perhaps?). And even if we have an excellent goal, the path won’t be entirely smooth. Therefore, it’s important to adopt the corresponding attitudes and habits in order to increase motivation.

Having the right attitude can simply mean shifting your perspective. Dr. Tsz Lun Chu suggests that we can help motivate ourselves to perform tasks that are low in relatedness and autonomy by framing them in a new light. Great examples of this shift include expressing gratitude for having the opportunity to do something.

Good habits can also dramatically increase our chances of staying motivated. James Clear writes that “motivation is often the result of action, not the cause of it.” When things get tough, we can fall back on habits as basic as waking up at the same time every morning. Often, all we need to do is start a task in order to follow through.

 

More strategies on self-motivation for students

Ultimately, motivation is a feeling that arises from certain behaviors. In my career as a teacher and cofounder of The Spike Lab, I’ve noticed some common strategies that can help students motivate themselves. Use these tips to break through discomfort and become more self-motivated.

 

Have more “why” conversations.

Self-motivated people are willing to assess their motivation. They take an honest, nuanced view and figure out which aspects of their current project they’re motivated to work on and which aspects they aren’t. If your motivation to learn a skill or take a step forward is low, you can help yourself understand the bigger picture.

 

Be intentional and specific with your goals.

Another example from James Clear. Saying that you’ll go for a run tomorrow is one thing, but saying you’ll go for a run tomorrow at 6:00 AM through the Maple St trail is another. People who set the second kind of goal are more likely to follow through.

 

Break goals into subgoals.

Sometimes we lose motivation because we’ve broken off more than we can chew. If a goal seems too big, break it down into a smaller task and set your sights on that.

 

Recruit allies.

Using peers, family, or a coach for support can also be incredibly powerful. These people can hold you accountable and help you when motivation inevitably starts to drop.

 

Practice.

Practice different self-motivation techniques and figure out what’s right for you. In addition to the techniques I’ve mentioned, some people like to reward themselves for completing different goals.

 

Rest.

Don’t forget to rest. You don’t have to burn the candle at both ends all the time. If you have a plan, trust that it will carry you to success. If you know how to manage your time and self-motivate, victory is assured.

 

For parents: How to motivate your child

Just like misconceptions about motivation can damage a student’s ability to self-motivate, healthy involvement from parents can make a big impact for the better. Rather than imposing extrinsic motivation, help your child practice self-motivation. Parents can do this by providing support rather than criticism, and inspiring rather than controlling. One of the best things parents can do is to model the curiosity and wonder that leads us to form new interests and hobbies.

At The Spike Lab, we’ve noticed that strong social connectivity can make a world of difference in a student’s Spike. Students benefit from having a person around them to spark curiosity and provide encouragement.

 

Reprinted with permission from the Spike Lab. The original article can be found here.

 

About Larry Liu and The Spike Lab

 

Larry is an educator and co-founder of The Spike Lab. He was a high school teacher for six years, during which he taught AP Psychology, AP English, IB Physics, Robotics, Game Design, and Special Ed English. He has designed and run student leadership programs in the US, China, Mexico, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Larry is an expert on growth mindset and founded an education consulting company that coaches school leaders throughout the US.

 

Before The Spike Lab, Larry became an experienced entrepreneurship coach, mentoring the founders of early stage startups through recognized startup accelerator programs like 4.0 Schools, the CUNY Student Accelerator, and The New School’s New Challenge. Larry speaks English and Mandarin fluently and currently lives in Taipei.

 

The Spike Lab is dedicated to helping students across the world find their passions and build a “Spike,” a project that has real-world impact and is uniquely impressive.Our coaches are top college graduates and world-class experts at teaching entrepreneurship. Students work 1-1 with a coach to develop skills to succeed in the modern world, through high school, college, and their careers after.

 

For additional insights, check out:

Do High School Students Need a Focus?

Build A Person, Not A Resume™

6 Steps to Better Grades

How to Help Your Teens Manage Their Time

 

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Most high schools offer multiple levels in the courses they offer. Usually the courses are standard, accelerated or honors, and AP (Advanced Placement). The conventional wisdom is that academically motivated students looking to apply to highly selective schools should take the most rigorous course load that is offered by their high schools. While this is true, and this is what college admissions officers say, it could be a conundrum for students that attend schools offering honors and AP courses in every subject. Is it necessary to take 8+ AP courses and all other honors courses? Are 4 to 5 AP courses enough? On the flip side, what if the student is not on the honors track coming into freshman year? Academic tracking starts as early as elementary school, and some families are surprised to find that their student cannot take honors courses during freshman year which leads to other honors and AP courses in the future.

 

High performing students on the honors track:

There is no set number of AP courses a student must take during high school. However, colleges look to see how much of the offered AP courses students take advantage of in their schools. It is therefore advisable for students to take several of these advanced courses in the areas of interest, if offered in their schools. Colleges like to not just see good grades, but to see students take the opportunity to challenge and push themselves. This is more so if you are applying to more selective colleges.

While aiming to take AP courses, students should not go overboard or force themselves to follow in the footsteps of other students around them at all times. In some schools, many students take 8-9 AP courses during highschool. In other schools, students might generally do 4 to 5. However, just because other students are taking a said number of courses, not everyone needs to do it. A student with 8 AP courses is not automatically seen as a better candidate than a student with 5 AP courses. Beyond a certain level of rigor and grades, other aspects of the application matter more than additional AP courses.  Students should do as many as they personally can push themselves to do, focusing on taking these courses in their areas of interest. This shows the college admissions teams that the student has chosen courses that advance their area of interest. 

 

Students that are not on the honors track:

It is true that every student develops at a different pace. Some students blossom towards the end of middle school or even beginning of high school, and if they have been in a school system where tracking began early, the student may not be on the honors track coming into high school. However it is still important that students take challenging courses if they want to be considered for selective colleges. In this case, students should identify one or two subjects that they enjoy and do well in, and find a path to get into honors courses. In math and sciences, this may entail taking summer school that will allow them to skip a grade on math, or go into honors/AP science courses. In the humanities, students should explore placement exams that they can prepare for and take to move into higher level courses. There are also electives with AP and high level courses to consider where none of the students coming into freshman year necessarily had an advantage - for example, AP Computer Science, AP Art, AP Music, and AP Languages. The students can start with Intro classes as a freshman and build up to those courses. Students should sit down with their guidance counselors and explore options that the school offers for moving up, and also research opportunities outside of school.

It is not required that students take honors and AP courses in ALL subjects. This applies to both students that are qualified to take 12 AP courses as well as those that only qualify to take 2-3 APs.

 

While AP courses are the most popular form of advanced classes in American high schools, some schools also follow other models. For example, they might offer IB or honors courses. No matter what the system is, the essence remains the same. Students should find their strength and find ways to challenge themselves and take high level classes in those areas.  

 

Contact Us to learn more about high school course planning and how our advisors can help you uncover options that you may not have thought about.

 

 

For additional insights:

Understanding Advanced Placement (AP) Courses and Exams

6 Steps to Better Grades

How to Guarantee Academic Success

High School Extracurriculars that Matter for College Admissions

 

 

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“Tracking" is a process in middle school wherein students are set on trajectories based on their grades and perceived abilities. Traditionally, students are broken into two or three different tracks. The tracking system is meant to provide students with a curriculum that matches their needs as a student. 

However, it can also cause a student to be slowed down due to a misconception in middle school. For example, a student may perform poorly in a math examination because they're used to the slower pace of learning in elementary school, not because they fundamentally struggle or don't understand the material. Regardless, their poor grade may set them on a path that steers them away from the more challenging math courses simply because of an assumption made about that initial performance.

Since there are only so many assessments in a school year and a large number of kids, it's easy to understand how these assumptions can be made. However, tracking causes students with long-term goals, such as AP courses and standardized tests in mind to suffer. Parents and students alike must be proactive about placement and advocating for the curriculum your students need to succeed.

There are some things that you can do to help your middle schooler be placed on the right track. Middle schoolers should make school a priority at this point as the practices they establish here will affect what kind of student they become in high school and later in college. It is paramount that parents help students lay a strong foundation on which to build their academic careers.

 

What can you encourage in your child to make sure  they are placed on the right “track”? 

 

Regular Attendance

The first and most important way to be on top of grades in middle school is regular attendance. Missing classes will cause your student to fall behind on work, miss out on crucial concepts and discussions in class, and not be able to effectively engage with the academic material. Regular attendance, while causing them to stay in touch with the material and class, is also crucial in reminding your child the importance of education and how they need to make it their priority.

Additionally, attendance should not be perceived as merely being present in the class, but making active efforts to pay attention and participate in the classes. Too many students zone out in class, and spend unnecessary time learning the materials on their own to do homework or to study for exams. What can students do to pay attention in class?

• Sit in the front of the class (if this is an option). If class is taking place virtually, make sure that their camera remains on.
• Come to class prepared - do any pre-assigned reading.
• Take notes.
• Speak up and participate - for those that have difficulty with this, make it a goal to speak up at least once a class, and doing it early in the class before other answers/questions have been given is less stressful.

 

Building Rapport with Teachers

Cultivating a healthy relationship with their teachers is a great way for students to ensure that they are effectively engaging with their material, receive constructive feedback, and know where they stand academically. Additionally, this may help your school see your actual skills and potential, and that you may not have been put on the right “track,” to facilitate your move to one that is more challenging. How do you establish a good rapport with your teacher?

• Establish communication early - you do not want the first communication with your teacher to be about grades. Participate in class and show your interest in the subject.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions about things you don’t know - If you don’t understand something, chances are, other students are in the same boat. 
• Take advantage of office hours - this is free tutoring.
• Address poor grades early on, do not wait until half of the semester is over - If you are doing poorly in assignments and tests, meet with the teacher to understand how you can do better next time. 

Read more about how to help students succeed academically in 6 Steps to Better Grades.

 

Tutoring

If you feel your child is finding it difficult to grapple with certain concepts but is keen on pushing themselves to get into a higher track, you can consider outside tutoring services to help them hone their academic skills. Learn more about tutoring options for your child at our Versed Guide to Tutoring Services. Also read Free and Inexpensive Tutoring to look at some great free and low-cost options that every student can take advantage of. Keep in mind that for some students, it may be worth it to retain a more expensive tutor with expertise in very high-level subject matters or with experience working with students with learning differences or test anxiety. 

 

Summer School & Other Options

If you feel that your child is not at the “right” level and want to have them skip ahead in a subject, for example moving from pre-algebra to algebra , students can also consider summer school. Some school districts and private schools give students the option to skip a grade ahead, especially in math, through summer school.  This gives students an opportunity to move up a level if you feel that your student is on the wrong track or get a head start on more advanced classes at an earlier age if you feel that your student is not adequately challenged. Get in touch with your child’s school and explore the possibility of their doing summer school. In case your child’s school does not offer this option of summer school, look at other ways that they might be able to skip ahead. Ask the school whether your child would be able to skip ahead by taking an exam. In this scenario, your child will have to prepare on their own outside of school. Get the syllabus for the subject ahead of time along with the appropriate textbooks and materials they will need in order to prepare for the class and study for the exam. You can enlist a tutor to help with their studies or even your student’s current teachers for help in any capacity!

If getting ahead during middle school is not an option, consider studying ahead outside of school, as there will certainly be opportunities to test into higher level courses in High School. This is often done in subjects such as foreign language, math, and science. 

 

Be sure to download The Versed Middle School Guide below for insights into how to help your child get the most out of middle school years.

 

As every child and every school is unique, if you would like to speak to one of our advisors about helping your child with academic and extracurricular planning, summer options, and high school choices, please schedule a free consultation with us.

 

For additional insights, check out our blog posts:

 

Guide to Gifted and Talented Programs and Are They Worth It?

7 Things Every Middle School Parents Should Know 

Parenting Advice: How to Help Guide Your Child to Find an Interest

 

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Rather than adding more useless things to stockings that no one really needs, why not give teens something useful but with a twist? We have compiled a list of 25 items (likely to fit most large stockings that we have these days) that will help teens make studying, writing papers, and doing assignments more fun.

 

Fun Desk Toys

 

Speks Magnetic Balls - Mashable Smashable Buildable Fun Stress Relief Desk Toy

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073XWLZBV

 

Infinity Cube prime for Stress and Anxiety relief/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074J6KPWD

 

Everyday Study Tools (but better and more fun)

 

5-in-1 Tool Pen

https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/5-in-1-tool-pen

 

SUCK UK Origami Sticky Notes

https://www.amazon.com/SUCK-UK-Origami-Sticky-Notes/dp/B0030XG9R2

 

Rettacy Graph Paper Notebook

https://www.amazon.com/RETTACY-Graph-Paper-Notebook-Pack/dp/B07WZLFWP6

 

Best Felt-tip Pen - Prismacolor Premier Fine Line

https://www.amazon.com/Prismacolor-Premier-Illustration-Markers-Black/dp/B0026HJGDW

 

Best Ballpoint Pen - Schneider Slider Memo

https://www.amazon.com/Schneider-Slider-Ballpoint-Black-150201/dp/B0040K7OOG

 

Best Mechanical Pencil - rOtring Mechanical Pencil

https://www.amazon.com/rOtring-Barrel-Mechanical-Pencil-1904443/dp/B00AZWYUA

 

Best Eraser - Prismacolor Scholar Latex-Free Eraser

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004F9QBGY

 

USB Rechargeable Book Light for Reading in Bed

https://www.amazon.com/DEWENWILS-Rechargeable-Brightness-Adjustable-Bookworms/dp/B07N2W2FRZ

 

Koogel Study Cards

https://www.amazon.com/Koogel-Multicolor-Scratch-Bookmark-Greeting/dp/B074VYYWNW

 

Mini Vacuum Cleaner for Desk and Keyboards

https://www.amazon.com/ODISTAR-Endurance-Cordless-Rotatable-Keyboard/dp/B07Q128V6W

 

Screen Cleaner Kit

https://www.amazon.com/Calyptus-Cleaner-Cleaning-Digital-Non-Toxic/dp/B07PHVDTDW

 

Mr Pen Geometry Set

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Compass-Protractor-Geometry-Students/dp/B01F4HU076

 

Books to Help with Vocabulary, Math, and Keeping Your Mind Sharp

 

365 New Words-A-Year Page-A-Day Calendar 2021

https://www.amazon.com/Words-Year-Page-Day-Calendar/dp/1523509155

 

Secrets of Mental Math: The Mathemagician's Guide to Lightning Calculation and Amazing Math Tricks

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Mental-Math-Mathemagicians-Calculation-ebook/dp/B000Q80SM6

 

Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life 

https://www.amazon.com/Limitless-Upgrade-Anything-Faster-Exceptional/dp/1401958230

 

Unlimited Memory: How to Use Advanced Learning Strategies to Learn Faster, Remember More and be More Productive

https://www.amazon.com/Unlimited-Memory-Advanced-Strategies-Productive-ebook/dp/B00I3QS1XQ

 

Books to Help You Be a Better Student

 

How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less (written for college students, but very applicable to high school students)

https://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Straight-Student-Unconventional/dp/0767922719

 

How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out)

https://www.amazon.com/How-High-School-Superstar-Revolutionary/dp/0767932587

 

Old Style Puzzle Books That Stood the Test of Time

 

Perplexing Puzzles and Tantalizing Teasers

https://www.amazon.com/Perplexing-Puzzles-Tantalizing-Childrens-Activity/dp/0486256375

 

The Moscow Puzzles: 359 Mathematical Recreations

https://www.amazon.com/Moscow-Puzzles-Mathematical-Recreations-Recreational/dp/0486270785

 

For Artsy Teens

 

Kikkerland Make Your Own Music Box Kit

https://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Make-Your-Own-Music/dp/B000HAUEFY

 

For instrumentalists, there are many small items you can add to stockings including strings, dampits, rosins, etc. The following are few suggestions that you may not have thought of:

 

This nifty device will revolutionize practicing IN TUNE

 

Korg Orchestral Clip On Tuner

https://www.amazon.com/Korg-Orchestral-Clip-On-Tuner-Black/dp/B072KFB5G6

 

Basic but essential

Seiko Metronome

https://www.amazon.com/SEIKO-SQ50V-SQ50-V-Quartz-Metronome/dp/B000LFCXL8

 

Instrument Cleaning Kit (this one is for trumpet, but google it for any instrument)

https://www.amazon.com/Libretto-Trumpet-Care-Kit/dp/B07DR9Z128

 

For artists, there are many things to add including tubes of paint, drawing pencils, pain brushes, etc. Below are few additional items to consider:

 

Micron Drawing Pens

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0008G8G8Y

 

Tombow Mono Eraser

A slim pencil like eraser great for erasing in tight spaces.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GMRMCBA

 

Hands down, the best markers out there on the market - but they are expensive. You can buy 1-3 markers in favorite colors.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Copic-Markers-E29-Sketch-Burnt-Umber/dp/B004BPNLCO

 

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Following up on our blogs about improving academic performance, we have teamed up with Mindprint Learning to go into the science of learning to help parents understand that there isn’t one learning trait shared by all students. This blog post by Mindprint will go through 10 different traits that drive learning.  Be sure to join us for our live webinar in January where Nancy Weinstein, the founder of Mindprint, will share how parents can identify where student’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and use that information to improve learning and help students succeed academically. 

 

10 Learning Traits that Drive Academic Outcomes

 

The following is a brief summary of the learning traits that drive most academic learning. Everyone has their own unique combination of these traits, just as we all have our own unique fingerprint. It’s what makes each of us special but can also make learning confusing or challenging at times.

The 10 skills are organized in four key domains. Click on the links for more in-depth information on each skill.

 

Complex Reasoning

Complex reasoning is the ability to analyze information and solve complicated problems. When students use reasoning skills, they are thinking through ideas in a logical way to arrive at a conclusion. This is often referred to as “higher order thinking.” Don’t be surprised if you have a student who is strong in one area of reasoning but not in another. Most students show a significant difference in these skills and that inconsistency can be the biggest source of confusion and frustration for teachers, parents, and students alike.

Verbal reasoning is the ability to understand language-based information. Biggest impact: all subjects when reading, writing or speaking. Greatest predictor of overall academic achievement. Learn more about verbal reasoning.

Abstract reasoning is the ability to understand non-language-based information, including numbers, shapes and patterns. Biggest impact: math and science, particularly in higher grades. Learn more about abstract reasoning.

Spatial perception is the ability to visualize how objects relate in space. Biggest impact: specific areas of math and science, especially geometry and physics; hands-on activities; fine and performing arts. Learn more about spatial skills.

 

Executive Functions

Executive functions are the traits that involve thinking in an organized and efficient way. Abilities such as purposeful goal-directed activity, paying attention, evaluating, decision-making, planning, organizing, implementing, and following through. Not surprisingly, executive functions are getting a lot more priority in school.

Attention is the ability to sustain focus, even for tasks that you might not find interesting. Biggest impact: All subjects, particularly those a student finds least interesting and longer assignments. Learn more about attention.

Working memory is the ability to mentally juggle multiple bits of information in short-term memory. Biggest impact: Multi-step problem solving in math and science, reading fluency, and following directions. Learn more about working memory.

Flexible thinking is openness to taking feedback and adapting to solve novel problems. Biggest impact: Math and science in middle and high school and behavior. Learn more about flexible thinking.

 

Memory

Memory is the mind’s storage and retrieval system. How a student takes in and organizes information in memory has a big impact on how easily that student is able to recall information under specific circumstances. It is common for students have one memory skill that is significantly stronger than another. Once you understand which is stronger, you can use that skill to make learning more efficient.

Verbal memory is the ability to remember and recall language-based information. Biggest impact: All subjects, particularly in earlier grades when foundational skills are most important. Learn more about verbal memory.

Visual memory refers to how efficiently you remember and recall objects, pictures, patterns, formulas and other visual information. Biggest impact: Math facts, math and science more generally, and visual arts. Learn more about visual memory.

 

Speed/Efficiency

How fast students work has a bigger impact on test performance and student confidence than many adults like. Students who work at a slower pace might find that they sometimes cannot get all their work done in the allotted time. These students might not be able to finish tests or they might take a long time to complete homework and feel like they can’t do the work when they really just need more time. In contrast, students who work efficiently are able to complete thoughtful work within the expected time. They can use any extra time to check their work, take on more challenges, or relax before the next task.

Visual motor speed is how efficiently your eyes and hands work together. Biggest impact: Handwriting, keyboarding, note taking, and hands-on activities. Learn more about visual motor speed.

Processing speed is how efficiently you process and respond to new information. Processing has several sub-categories, including auditory, verbal, and visual. There are also quick thinking processing tasks and slower processing tasks. Biggest impact: Class participation, standardized tests, reading efficiency and homework efficiency. Learn more about processing speed.

 

Bringing it Together

The most successful learning happens when teachers, parents and students understand the complex intersection of these skills. They know when they can excel with a bit of nurturing and when to provide more supports. Use the summary in your student’s Mindprint to understand these intersections and provide the just right level of supports.

 

About Mindprint Learning 

Mindprint is the worldwide leader in formative cognitive assessment that enables educators to effectively differentiate academic instruction and social-emotional learning. Mindprint's one hour screener identifies the root cause of learning struggles, elevates students' strengths and guides teachers and parents to use individualized instructional strategies based on each student's unique needs. 

Learn more at: https://mindprintlearning.com/

 

Read the following blogs to learn more about supporting your students academically:

6 Steps to Better Grades

How to Guarantee Academic Success

How to Prep for the SAT/ACT

How to Help Your Teens Manage Their Time

 

Subscribe to our Newsletter 

Receive inside track information on college admissions process, high school and middle school planning, general pre-college guidance, and be the first to know about our events and announcements.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each May, millions of students around the world sit down to take one or more of the 38 Advanced Placement Exams. Administered by the CollegeBoard, each exam in America costs nearly $100. Notable for their rigor, a good score on these exams actually may result in saving thousands of dollars in college courses (at some schools) and boosting a student’s college application. In this blog post, we will be going over what AP courses are, what they mean for college admissions, and whether they are worth the money. We will also discuss the option of “self-studying,” for students that are not offered AP Courses in their high school curriculum.

 

What are AP courses?

Advanced Placement (AP Courses) offer college-level curriculum to high school students in dozens of subjects. For this reason, these courses are often taken by the more high-achieving students at each high school, and look excellent on the transcript because of their difficulty. At the end of the school year, in May, students take the exams for all of their AP courses in a span of two weeks. Most exams are between 2 - 3 hours long, and the results of these exams are traditionally released in July. Each test is graded on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest possible score.

 

Do students have to take the AP Exam?

While it is possible for students to take an AP course without taking the exam, many high school teachers actually exempt students from the final for a course if they take the AP exam. Not only that, if your teen excels in the course, a good score on the exam can have many benefits, including college credit. 

 

Benefits of taking the AP Exam

At most public universities, a 3 or above on an AP exam usually offers some type of college credit. More elite private universities tend to require at least a 4 for some type of credit, and may limit the number of AP credits accepted. The credits that a college accepts drastically varies by whether they are private or public and the different majors and courses at the university. The requirements for transferable AP credits are often listed on each college’s website. Taking enough AP Exams and excelling in them could potentially save a semester, or even a year, of college. Different AP Courses have various curves and difficulties, so you can take a look at the AP Score Distribution for 2020 to see which exams have students scoring the highest and lowest.

While college credit is an added benefit, the real value of AP courses is their impact in college admissions. The University of Southern California, for example, lists on their admissions website that "Students should pursue Advanced Placement . . . whenever possible and if offered by high school." Essentially, if an AP course is offered by your teen’s high school, taking the course will improve their chances of being accepted into elite universities. Even if a student only takes AP courses in their career choice of interest, it exemplifies their passion and commitment to the subject.

For example, students that want to go on to pursue engineering or go into medical school often take AP Biology, Chemistry, Physics and/or Calculus. Political science or history majors benefit from taking AP Government, AP European History, or AP US History. These exams may fulfill some of their future major requirements. They will also demonstrate a student’s academic excellence and interest if they do well in the course or exam. AP Exams are offered for 6 different foreign languages including French, Spanish, and Chinese, and scoring at least a 4 or 5 on these exams exhibits fluency and may even fulfill future foreign language requirements in college. For students interested in music, AP Music Theory is an excellent choice. Art students can learn about art history in AP Art History, and can create an art portfolio that will be graded in the AP Drawing and AP Art & Design exams. As a reminder, a full list of available AP Exams is available here.

Students are not required to submit their AP scores on their college application, but some universities allow students to submit AP scores as standardized tests alongside or in replacement of the ACT/SAT. If your teen struggled with their AP course in school but scored well on the exam, a 4 or 5 may also make up for a subpar grade on their transcript for that subject.

AP courses, however, are not for everyone. The curriculum moves quickly, and students often have prerequisite courses they must complete so that they do not fall behind. Homework per night for each AP class usually follows the rule of thumb of 1 - 3 hours per night, and could be difficult to manage, especially for students heavily involved in extracurriculars or sports. 

 

Are AP exams worth taking for students that do not take the course? 

It depends. AP teachers spend an entire year of lecturing, testing and assigning homework to prepare students specifically for a test. Not only that, college admissions officers do not expect students to have taken AP courses that are not offered at their high school. Instead, they simply expect a student to take the most rigorous courses they can. If AP courses are not offered at your teen’s high school, it will not be held against them when they apply to colleges.

However, if your student does not feel challenged by their school curriculum, self-studying for an exam may be impressive. For example, if your student would like to be an economics major, but AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics are not offered at their high school, self-studying can show initiative. If the student scores well on the AP exam anyways, their passion for economics, enough for them to learn it at a high level on their own, may shine through. This also works for students that cannot get into the AP courses at their school due to schedule conflicts or full classes. Taking an AP exam for a subject related to their prospective major helps students who have a clear academic passion build a narrative for college applications. 

 

How do you score well on an AP exam?

The best way to self-study or review for AP exams is by purchasing a review book. Barron’s and Princeton Review tend to be popular brands, but students may look around and find one recommended with excellent reviews. Albert.io is a website often used for AP prep, complete with practice questions and answer key breakdowns. Princeton Review has free practice quizzes and study guides, Khan Academy has free instructional videos, and AP Practice Exams website has a free compilation of official and unofficial practice tests. Timing is one of the biggest issues students face during AP exams, so make sure your teen takes a couple of timed practice tests. Reviewing their wrong answers and those sections to identify their strengths and weaknesses will help them improve their score. There are countless free and paid resources and videos available online to help make the self-study process easier, and if your teen makes proper use of them, they will have no problem scoring well on the exam.

In the end, AP exams are worth it for students that can handle it and have the time and motivation to do the work. They will be competitive in college admissions and be predictive of how well the student will handle coursework in college. AP exams may save entire semesters of college expenses, especially for students planning on attending a public university. For students that cannot afford the cost of AP exams, high schools usually have funds to provide financial aid. Information on federal and state fee reductions can be found here, on the official CollegeBoard Website. 

 

 

For additional insights, check out:

ACT/SAT Scores Still Matter In College Admissions

Best of Online Learning: SAT/ACT Prep

Guide to the Common Application

Are Pre-College Summer Programs Worth It?

 

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By: Valerie Erde

In my work as a tutor, many teens have walked through my door reluctantly, to say the least. They weren't interested in studying for the ACT or SAT, and at times weren't even interested in college at all. Sure, they knew that it was important for their future in a general way, but they definitely wanted to do something more fun than ACT/SAT practice tests with their limited free time.

I'm also a parent, so I know just how frustrating it can be to watch your child fritter away time and talent and fail to reach success or mastery of a skill. Of course you want to motivate your child to do well, but here's the thing:

True motivation, just like true learning, must come from within. It can't be forced upon anyone. 

You know what they say about leading a horse to water, and as a parent you've probably provided so many opportunities that you've lost count. But you can't force kids to be passionate about something that doesn't move them any more than you can get that ornery horse to drink the water you've so lovingly provided.

 

The Two Types of Motivation Explained

In educational psychology, researchers identify two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is an impulse to do something that comes from outside of oneself. Most often, extrinsic motivation comes in the form of punishments and rewards that someone else provides.

For example, all those behavior charts and gold stars that you used to get your child to eat vegetables, practice piano, or walk the dog are extrinsic motivators. You set up a reward system to encourage the behavior you wanted to see. And any time you punish your child by taking away video games or the car keys, you've also provided extrinsic motivation to extinguish a less desirable behavior.

Rewards and punishment can be effective, but you've probably noticed that these external motivators worked better when your child was younger. With age comes complexity, and motivation just isn't so simple anymore.

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, comes from within. This can arise when you study a subject because it fascinates you, or when you volunteer for a cause you believe in. When people describe having a calling in life, they're talking about the feeling of intrinsic motivation that leads them to pursue a passion for the sheer joy of it.

 

Intrinsic Motivation Is More Empowering

Parents who want the best for their children understandably set up systems of extrinsic motivation by offering rewards and punishments to get students to complete homework and get good grades. After all, these are the keys to the kingdom when it comes to college admissions and future success. 

Unfortunately, extrinsic motivation just isn't as powerful as intrinsic motivation, which researchers have found leads students to engage more deeply with learning and face challenges with more persistence. When it comes to college admissions and test prep, kids get much more out of the process when they're motivated from within to do well — not because you forced them to come. I've seen this over and over in my career, and the research bears it out.

 

So how can you help your child shift from doing well because you want it and doing well because he/she/they want it? When it comes to schoolwork, there are three main ways to flip the switch on intrinsic motivation:

• Autonomy: Give your child plenty of choice about what to study and how to spend time, making sure to allow for unique interests in addition to academics. 
• Social connection: Make sure your child feels connected and cared for during learning, whether in school or through extra-curriculars. Relationships are everything!
• Competence: When students feel confident and capable, they're more likely to continue exploring a subject. Make sure your child gets time to focus on strengths in addition to shoring up weaknesses

As an adult with a fully functioning frontal lobe, it's easy for you to see the connection between great test scores and college options, but your teen may struggle to connect these dots. You won't get anywhere by forcing your child to do test prep with constant nagging and dire warnings about not getting into a good college — no one learns well under that kind of stress. 

Instead, try shifting the conversation away from test scores and towards the future. What does your child want to study? What does an exciting future look like? What brings the most joy and deep interest? 

From there, you can encourage your child to look at colleges that allow for a deep exploration into these preferred activities, and you can help your child begin to envision the next four years there. If you have real buy-in about a career and a great college to get there, making a plan to get accepted should fall into place more naturally — and your child will be ready to hear how test scores will help make the big dream come true.

 

5 Tips To Foster Intrinsic Motivation Right Now

It takes patience and plenty of time to guide your child to a fulfilling future, and it's not always easy to step back and let your teen take the reins. Here are some ways to help kids discover their real passions and take charge of their learning:

• Build on Strengths: Everyone loves a personality quiz, so have your child take the VIA Character Strengths Survey. This is designed to reveal personality strengths, not assess skills. Encourage your teen to explore activities and subjects that let those strengths shine. This is especially helpful if academics haven't ignited a passion yet — most strengths aren't school-related at all.
• Encourage Mentoring: If your teen has a favorite teacher or other adult, see if you can facilitate extra time together, perhaps working on a shared project. For example, there may be opportunities for an in-school internship with that teacher, or to help a favorite adult with a work project. This is more about building relationships than diving into a career, but remember that connecting with others is hugely motivating.
• Design Independent Learning: Now more than ever, colleges are looking for students who are self-motivated and able to learn independently. In this summer of social distancing, there's never been a better time to let your child run with an independent project, whether it's organizing a protest for social justice or selling homemade face coverings. 
• Follow Curiosity Wherever It Leads: Give your teen time to explore an interest with some deep reading or by loading up a YouTube playlist with informative videos. Then ask all about it, and pay attention to the details. Your conversations can spark further questions and even deeper exploration, ultimately leading to a field of study.
• Foster a Growth Mindset: Nothing kills motivation like the idea that you're just not good at something, so resilience is key. You can shift your home into one that values growth by praising hard work, focusing on learning from mistakes, and moving away from the idea of natural talent in the way to talk about school (and everything else, for that matter). 

 

Once your teen has developed some intrinsic motivation to learn and to do well, that’s when we can get the most out ACT and SAT tutoring and college advising — especially the college essay writing process. Everything  just becomes much easier.  I also work hard to find out what makes your teen tick and personalize my work to make the process more meaningful. Together, we can build on your student's natural interests and inclinations to boost test scores and get into the college that best aligns with his/her/their future goals. 

Intrinsic motivation is just one key to success. For a look at other important traits to encourage in your child, check out Valerie’s post about how to Build a Person, Not a Resume™. 

 

About Valerie Erde of Veridian Prep:

VeridianPrep is an academic tutoring and test prep company that combines years of subject expertise and experience with evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning.  VeridianPrep’s strengths lie in quickly determining each student’s strengths and gaps to offer a personalized, and results-oriented approach that builds skills and confidence to help teens succeed not only in a single class or test, but also in their next journey -- college.    Currently, VeridianPrep covers all levels of Math, English, Chemistry, and Physics including AP/ACT/SAT/SAT II, meeting one-on-one with students at home, in offices in Greenwich, CT/NYC, or online. https://www.veridianprep.com

 

If you are interested in speaking with Valerie Erde, or other advisors at Versed about helping students discover their interests and pursue meaningful activities, please contact us.

 

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Fall is here, and many families have heard the news that their schools will be conducted 100% online or will take a hybrid approach where each portion of the student body will attend school 1-3 days a week. A compilation of reopening plans from Education Week, a trade publication focusing on K-12 education, shows that more than 80 school districts including Los Angeles, Houston, Fairfax VA, and Montgomery MD are reopening or have reopended with remote learning only. Families that were incredibly disappointed (an exhausted!) by the spring distance learning experience are looking for alternative options to make sure that their children do not fall behind even further than they did in the spring. As reported by the New York Times, families are scrambling to form learning pods, micro schools, and tutor supported learnings, while news of the $25,000 learning pod has certainly reignited the debate on how educational inequity is again at the forefront of this pandemic.

For families with children of an age where independent learning is not possible (these are elementary and preschool age children), considering a learning pod or some form of instructor/caregiver led learning environment is absolutely valid, and critical for working parents. After all, these children need caregiver attention at all times. For Middle and High School students, who do not need caregivers, it is important to understand what aspects of the online learning environment was challenging this past spring, and find ways to support each student to the extent possible under COVID restrictions.

This may come as a surprise to some families, but many students did very well academically this past spring. We have heard from many families that reported that students (especially high school students), with new found time on their hand (without the commute and heavy extracurricular commitments) thrived and got better grades. Also they were able to get more sleep which was helpful to the student’s overall well being. New York Times explores this phenomenon in What if Some Kids Are Better Off at Home?  

 

The families that reported the opposite effects frequently cited issues related to:

• Quality of instruction: Lower quality of instruction / No instruction (many school districts were unable to offer live streamed lessons, only offering assignments)
• Lack of interactive learning: A significant contributor to learning, and to student happiness overall
• Time management: Inability of students to manage their time / stick to a schedule without parent/teacher supervision
• Motivation/ stamina: Difficulty concentrating in home environment / inability to focus on task at hand
• Isolation: Social distancing has placed stress on students who may withdraw even further
• General malaise/stress involving pandemic: The psychological and emotional toll on students cannot be underestimated

 

On quality of instruction, in most school districts, we will definitely see an uptick in live streamed instruction this fall. Many families fortunate enough to send their students to private schools and public schools that were able to provide zoom based instructions were overall happy with the quality of the lessons. Most public schools will adapt to a zoom based live streaming model at least some of the time, and assuming that the same teachers are teaching the same subjects, but now virtually, we should expect the quality of instruction to be higher than what most students had in the spring. Zoom based learning will also help with students that crave interaction. Teachers and students will be able to participate in active discussions and debates online. Online learning has been around for many years with many schools run entirely online very successfully (many universities, but high schools and middle schools as well). Read our blog 12 Online High Schools to Consider for more information.

 

Some tips gleaned from families that have made online learning successful includes:

• Find a quiet place designated as school: Many students found virtual learning in their bedrooms or in common spaces in their homes, with a myriad of distractions, less than optimal. Most students will benefit from a clear delineation in space designated for school work. Setting up a separate study space is critical, even if it is within a bedroom (being sure to assign beds as a no go zone).
• Create a schedule and build concrete limits and deliverables into them: When time is relatively fluid, and there is no deadline to finish a particular assignment in a day, students have a tendency to take more time than needed to finish a task. Perhaps break time up into 20 or 30 min. increments, and make sure that the student finishes to the best of their ability one subject/task within that time frame (with catch up time at the end of the day for anything missed).
• Make optional office hours scheduled mandatory check-ins: Almost every teacher has the same gripe - students not taking advantage of office hours. Almost all teachers will provide office hours, and now that they are virtual, there is even less excuse for students to not attend and get the personalized attention that they need. This is FREE tutoring!
• Supplement with Online Learning: If your student is not getting the optimal education that s/he needs from school, or on a specific class/subject, there is a plethora of online resources to help your student, from getting simple topics clarified on youtube video to supplementing with an entire online class.
• Create virtual study groups: Students craving inspiration and interaction from other students should create virtual study groups. Even if it is just a time to have zoom or facetime on with friends, while each student is studying quietly and independently, having a set time and routine with fellow students can help with time management and/or motivation issues. Parents should monitor how effective this is, as some groups can become a distraction.
• Make use of planning tools: There are many wonderful tools available online to help students set up manageable to-do lists, budget time, study in small chunks, and limit distraction. How to Help Your Teens Manage Time lists all the latest technological tools to help students get organized and stay focused.
• Monitor student progress: Even the brightest and most organized students could use parental guidance to make sure that any negative trends are caught early and addressed. Parents need to be sure they are familiar with all of the online tools that schools provide to be on top of grades, assignments, deliverables, etc. Parents should not be fretting over every assignment, but they should schedule in monthly or quarterly check ins with online tools, or better yet directly with students.
• Make social time: It is critical that students socialize with their peers to the extent that they can -  going out for walks, getting together to work on an academic or creative project (offline socially distanced or online), and watching a movie together (again possible remotely!). How to Help Teens be Social Again will provide good ideas on how to make sure that teens have the social and emotional support network needed to thrive. Feelings of isolation and stress over events beyond their control is real, and must be addressed. 
• Encourage movement and schedule in fun: Make sure students make time to go outside, exercise, get fresh air, and engage in fun activities outside of school.

 

There is much that students and parents can do to make virtual learning this fall a success, and perhaps even an enriching experience. That being said, there are instances where students can absolutely use additional resources and guidance when classes are not taught well, or students are struggling to thrive.

• Subject matter tutoring
• Goal setting and time management
• Academic monitoring
• Enrichment and Extracurricular planning
• Third party professionals focusing on psychological and emotional health of the student
• Students with learning difference or special education needs 

 

Parents are being asked to shoulder a tremendous amount during COVID-19 and through the ever changing educational landscape. We are here to help.

 

Versed Advisors provides parents with personalized guidance on optimizing student success in all school environments. Whether your school has gone virtual, or you are opting to homeschool your child, or are very happy with your school, but are looking to have an advisor manage academic enrichment and extracurricular activities, we are here to provide your family with the personalized guidance and the heavy lifting to make sure your students are well on their way to success.

 

Book a free consultation to learn more.

 

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