Private boarding schools' admissions process can be competitive. Boarding schools now have a global focus and are accepting many international student. Students from all over the world has broadened the culture at boarding schools and has enriched the education of American and international students alike. However, this also meant that students from all over the world are vying for spots in U.S. boarding schools.

As private schools are more international and diverse than ever before, they are able to often have their pick of students. Here are some of the qualities schools are looking for:

Quality #1: Maturity and Independence
Living at boarding school requires a good deal of independence and maturity on students' parts. Students themselves must make sure they work with their teachers and ask for help when needed. Boarding schools encourage students to be self-starters rather than the kind of students who sit back and wait for teachers to help them.

Students must also be willing to meet new peers and be comfortable living with people they don't already know.

Quality #2: An Appreciation for Diversity and Global Awareness
Boarding school students have often become more diverse and students in these schools should embrace diversity and a global outlook. High school is a time for students to explore other cultures. Students who can embrace different cultures and ways of being are better able to take on not only the rigors of college studies but also life in an increasingly global and interconnected world, and boarding schools are looking for their students to be open to different cultures.

Quality #3: Interest Beyond the Classroom
As tomorrow's leaders will have a global focus, today's best students have a focus not only on the classroom but also on the world beyond. They also have extracurricular interests that go beyond studying. These interests will also help ensure that a student is a good fit with a school. The fit between the student and school is all-important. It means that the student is likely to do well and enjoy the school. Students who mesh well with their school will likely do well in the process of college admissions and beyond, so boarding schools are looking for students who are likely to fit in on their campus and enjoy their time there.

For more information about the Boarding Schools Admissions process, contact LeeAcademia.

A lot of work needs to be done to connect students with their highest achievements and purpose in high school, college—and especially life. 

Not too long ago, high school counselors and college admissions officers met up in a panel to discuss the gaps between what colleges are looking for in students’ applications and what students most often reveal. The discussion wasn’t so much about what colleges want, as how an increasingly outcomes driven admissions process has skewed students’ education and life choices:   

• Character: Recent cheating scandals at top high schools and colleges (ie. Stuyvesant, Harvard) echoed in the news from business, finance, and journalism.  Students live in a world where achievement trumps character. College Admissions, on the other hand is all about character. Colleges are looking for young people with character and especially integrity. Not the person who does generalized “community service,” but the person who is doing that work with a sense of purpose and commitment.

• Grit:  Colleges want students who will make the most of what college has to offer. So they look for students who have persevered through adversity and learned from real life challenges, rather than people who make excuses or who expect other people to solve life’s problems for them.

• And colleges want essays that sound like a high school student's essay: Colleges are looking for students who are authentic and real; no one else can do that work for you.
  

We've all been there - tapping our pencil, bouncing our knees- filled with test anxiety right before the big test. Sure, you can take some calming breaths while tensing and relaxing those muscles, but the toughest test anxiety war can be waged in your head.

The following five test anxiety tips will help get those nerves settled right before you take the big test. So read on!

Test Anxiety Tip #1: Set Realistic Expectations.

You may never score perfectly on the big PSAT, SAT, MCAT, APs and you know what? That's okay! Drop the image of who you think you should be.

Practice with a test booklet, so you know what you can and can't do. Part of your test anxiety may be coming from expectations.

Test Anxiety Tip #2: Say, "I choose to."

Instead of saying "I have to take this test," wrap your lips around this phrase: "I choose to take this test." By focusing on the fact that the test you're taking is set up by your own design, you take ownership of the stressor and that possession can have a relaxing effect, calming your test anxiety down a little bit.

Test Anxiety Tip #3: Use Positive Imagery

If you can mentally transport yourself to a place that is soothing to you from the comfort (or lack thereof) of your desk chair,  you can ease some of the test anxiety building inside of you. Bury your toes in imaginary sand. Feel the warmth of the sun on your shoulders. Listen for the lap of waves breaking against a warm beach. You'll be surprised how much test anxiety you can alleviate by just transporting yourself to a place without a ticking clock.

Test Anxiety Tip #4: Repeat an Uplifiting Phrase

Much of our test anxiety comes from our own lack of confidence, and since your cheering section can't sit with you during the test and root for you, you're going to have to boost your own morale. One good strategy? Repeat a positive mantra. Try a phrase like, "I can do this," or "I deserve to achieve my goals." Say something positive to yourself for a quick confidence boost, and who knows! You may just start believing it.

Test Anxiety Tip #5: Squash Negative Voices

We all have them in our lives – the naysayers. Those people who aren't happy with their own lives and want to pull us down. Maybe they've told you you'd never make it to grad school. Maybe they said you'd bomb the big test. Those thoughts can leave you burning with test anxiety.

Before testing, take a few moments to jot down the negative things you've heard on a scrap sheet of paper. Then, compose some rebuttals. If someone has always told you you'd never amount to much, then counter with the fact that you're sitting for this big test, one that could possibly alter your future for the better.

As an added test anxiety relief, wad up the entire piece of paper and toss it into the trash.

There are many more Test Anxiety Tips. Try these out first and for more information about our Coaching sessions, contact Lee Academia.

Paying for school is easy when you know how to search and apply for scholarships.

Check out Fastweb

Fill out your information and you will be matched to several scholarships. Apply to them!

For help with writing essays or applications, contact Lee Academia.

We've all been there, right? You forgot about a test (or procrastinated) and realized that you had less than an hour to cram in as much knowledge as you could. Learn how to cram for a test efficiently, and study for your test even if you only have minutes.

NOTE: These techniques will not work for tests like the SAT, or ACT. If you need help studying for those, contact Lee Academia.

1. Go somewhere quiet.

Head to the library if you're in school. If you're studying at home right before the test, turn off the TV, shut off your cell and computer. Tell your friends and family to leave you alone. You have less than an hour to cram, so you're going to need 100% of your focus.

2. Learn your study guide.

Most teachers pass out study guides for a major test. If your teacher is one of them, use it now. If you have to cram for a test, it is the only resource you have time to use. Memorize everything on it. Don't bother making flashcards at this point – you'll just be wasting time if you only have minutes.

3. Head to the book

Read the first two pages of every chapter that's being covered on the test, looking for major ideas, vocabulary, and concepts. Read the last page of every chapter, too, answering the review questions in your head. If you can't find an answer to a review question, then look it up in the book. It's probably a question on the test.

4. Review your notes/quizzes/assignments

Your teacher probably created your exam based on the notes, quizzes and assignments he or she gave out during the unit. Read through everything you can, memorizing the info on the pages.

5. Quiz yourself.

Now is NOT the time to hunt down your best friend and have him or her quiz you. This is a cram session! You'll waste time! Cover up the answers on the study guide and quiz yourself, instead.

Cram Tips

1. If you can't find any of your study materials, find the smartest kid in the class and ask to borrow his or her study guide. It's even better if you can get him or her to study with you.
2. Write down your mnemonic devices on your test as soon as the teacher gives it to you before you forget. Once you start testing, you may forget them!
3. Ask the teacher for help if you get stuck on something. Teachers will often lead you in the right direction if you're struggling. Sometimes, they might tell what they will be testing you on.
   

Tutors vary in terms of teaching styles and quality of instruction.  Thus, it is critical to interview a potential instructor before choosing one for yourself or your child. Here are some questions to be answered before entrusting your child's educational future with a tutor.

Whether you choose to enlist the help of a private tutor, a learning center, or other tutoring program, it is crucial that you take the time to interview the prospective instructor. Ensuring he or she is the right person for the job.

Important Questions to Ask the Tutor

• What learning styles are your methods most compatible with?

 A helpful session can become stressful and exhausting if your child simply does not understand the ideas his or her instructor is trying to convey. This frustration will impede the learning progress, hurting one's grades, happiness, and self-esteem.

• How many hours per week will you meet with my child?

Each child has his or her own needs and learning pace, so you must be sure the tutor you choose can meet them.

• Do you specialize in any particular subject?

Some tutors only help with one or two subjects, while others can provide support in all of your child's courses. Know your child's needs, and be sure to find a tutor who is skilled in those subject areas.

• Will you be available for special sessions before big tests?

It is best to find a tutor who works with your child's schedule.

• How and how often will you update me on my child's progress?

You need to be certain you can play an active role in your child's education., so remaining informed about his or her struggles and accomplishments is critical.

For centuries, the eight private colleges, known as the Ivy Leagues, have had common interests in academics as well as in athletics. In 1945, the first “Ivy Group Agreement” was signed and applied only to football. It established common practices of accepting talented students with superior academic achievements. To this day, scholarships are offered based only on financial need. The eight Ivy League Colleges do not offer any merit scholarships.

Just as a point of information, the Ivy League Colleges are:

Dartmouth
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
Brown
UPenn
Cornell
Columbia

Make your studies a little bit easier.  Sometimes, the things that lend a helping hand are more surprising than you’d think. For instance, trying a little music therapy on yourself might be the key to acing that next exam.

Have you noticed that music is all around us? From the stereo in your car to the music played at department stores or even in the elevators.

And you also may not be aware that music has a wide array of impacts on your health: Studies show that music has a strong effect on your mood levels and emotions, and also on how you think and your general intelligence. The music you listen to can have a profound effect on your test scores and your ability to quickly process information. And if you’ve ever played an instrument, studies show that you’re already ahead of the curve. Playing an instrument is a great way to test out your creative thinking and push your brain to process information in a new way.

Stephenie always encourages her students to play or listen to certain types of music to boost their test scores.  Having played musical instruments all her life, she is familiar with how music has profoundly impacted her mind,  life and studies.

For more information and to know more about the studies and test results of students who listen/play to specific types of music, contact Stephenie. See below recommendation.

Mozart for your Mind

Are you planning to take the MCAT in Spring 2015 or later?

Have you heard about the new MCAT format set to be released in Spring 2015 but still have questions about what it means for you?

Contact Stephenie for more information where she can give an overview of the new exam and answer any questions you have. She will help you understand the reasons behind the changes, provide an introduction to the new exam features including exam logistics, and explain how the MCAT figures into the larger medical school admissions process.