Juniors, are you ready?

The Common Application just announced the writing prompts for the 2016-2017 application.

2016-2017 Essay Prompts
1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

4. Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.

5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.Contact us if you need assistance in brainstorming, developing and editing your essays. Our 3-hour College Essay Workshops will begin in July. Register now for the Early-Bird deal.

We would like to advise you that the MCAT registration for the June - September MCAT exam dates will open on Wednesday, February 10, 2016.

And as a reminder, registration is currently open for the January, April and May dates.
 
Information on registration can be found at https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/register/.

For private MCAT test prep sessions, contact us for more information.

The last edition of the "Old SAT" is this Saturday, the New SAT is approaching, and test prep is on everyone's mind. Are you ready?

That being the case, we wanted to send along a few helpful and fun pieces of information in this article to get you squared away.

So far, we've worked on the "tangible" elements of your test prep - grammar facts, comprehension tricks, the math rules and strategies, and etc. necessary for top scores. But in this final week, you have a bigger job - making sure that your body and mind are fully ready for test day. The "intangibles" are equally as important. Your level of rest, relaxation, nutritional balance are all important when it comes to your overall test day performance.

This is why we never suggest that student pull "all-nighters" the week of his or her test. We have seen a student score 800 points lower than his predicted SAT score. But after getting plenty of sleep a month later, he scored a near perfect SAT score. 

We will show you exactly how to get your brain and body ready for the test - we even provided sessions on this throughout the year. Follow all the steps and you'll magnify your intelligence, memory, alertness, reasoning, reading speed, and awareness. We promise that it'll be worth your time!

A Week Before Your Test

Focus on SLEEP, NUTRITION and HYDRATION. Your body and mind needs to be optimally fueled and rested. 

1. Once you figure out where your SAT is, how to get there, when you need to be there and what time it starts, you should begin waking up at least two hours before the time of your test every morning. Your brain needs to transition from sleep to full awareness, and you want to give yourself time to snap out of it.

We recommend you get at least 8 hours of sleep every single night. Sleep is the biggest factor in your overall mental capacity. Learn to schedule your homework, school work, social obligations in advance.

Take a full-length, timed, graded practice test the weekend before your test day. Take away phones, TV, computers, etc. You need the absolute silence.

2. Cut the junk food. Eat plenty of healthy food on a regular basis. Focus on getting healthy proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, and mineral at every single meal. Examples of the good stuff that keeps your body running at full capacity are lean meats, fruits vegetables, eggs, nuts, lean dairy and such.

Don't skip breakfast, don't skip lunch. Stick to a regular fueling schedule. Remember, your body enjoys cycles, so stick with a routine, especially for the whole week and you will be much better off on test day.

3. Hydration is important for many reasons. Drink more water than you normally do.

First, water will keep you from getting sick, and it will enhance your mental clarity. You want your bodily functions to be well maintained and if you are dehydrated, there are a list of physiological effects that will make your body and mind fall apart.

Try to limit your stress the week of your test. So sleep, eat well and hydrate.

We hope this helps. Good luck on your test this week.
​Stay tuned for our articles about the New SAT.