This week, Lee Academia's team gathered data from 2002-2013 and created this graph on the left. We can see the increased interest in U.S Colleges/Universities as more and more International students apply and seek LAEC's High School/College/Graduate School Counseling.

Lee Academia limits the number of students we work with, as we dedicate our expertise and professionalism in helping each and every one of our clients. In 2012-2013, we see a tremendous increase in our International Students (especially from China) applying to U.S. Colleges seeking our help during the Spring and early Summer term, thus limiting our availability for American students.

Here are sample services that we helped our International Students with:

• Choosing U.S. Boarding, Colleges & Graduate Schools
• College List - Selection 
• College Research
• College Tours & Visits
• ART & Visual Schools
• Art Portfolios
• Interview Training
• Building Resume / Brag Sheet
  
• Applying to High Schools/Colleges/Graduate Schools
• TOEFL / IELTS Preparation
• SAT / ACT Preparation
• MCAT/GRE/GMAT/LSAT and more
• Finding Interests / Extracurricular
• College Application Essays
• Transitions / Adapting to U.S. Colleges
• Scholarship Searches for International Students
• GAP Year / Conditional Year / Transfer Admissions
  

So don't hesitate and enroll now! LAEC is a first-come, first-serve based Educational Consulting center. We will do our best to accommodate all our interested students and parents from both the U.S and International countries. Contact us now.

With the big day arriving soon, students are also going to anticipate their standardized test score report to arrive when they finish. And lucky for them, instead of waiting for the hard paper copy of the score report to arrive, scores are available online. 

SAT Superscore

Now, let’s assume that on the SAT, you received a 560 in Critical Reading, a 740 in Mathematics, and a 630 in Writing. Your overall score would be an 1930 (out of 2400). Students might compare their score to the scores of admitted college applicants. This measure is somewhat helpful in determining what their scores mean, but what students really want to look at are their percentile ranks.

While our imaginary scores would place you above 78 percent of the students in the country for your reading score, above 96 percent of students for math, and above 82 percent of students in writing. Note that although you have a separate score reported for your essay (on a scale of 1-12), that score is already part of the complex calculation used to arrive at the 600. You will also see a writing subscore for the multiple choice questions (on a scale of 20-80). The score between 200 and 800 is what matters.

Keep in mind that your scores are estimates. And the many versions of the SAT all have the same level of difficulty among all the various questions; the SAT writers are only human. 

This is part of the reason that some colleges superscore the SAT. Many students take the SAT multiple times. We recommend that students take the SAT no more than two times. There are variations in the test content, thus the second time a student takes the SAT, he might do worse in reading but much better in math. And it would not be fair if your higher reading score from the first test was disregarded. So, some schools will look at all of the test scores you submit and use the highest score you achieved in each section. For example, they may take your reading score from your first test and your math and writing scores from your second test and then combine them to give you your highest score possible out of 2400. 

The College Board publishes data that tells us whether the schools we are interested in superscore or only look at the scores from the last time you took the test. If you have ever wondered how applicants at Ivy League schools seem to have near perfect SAT scores, this is how. Few applicants attending the elite institutions scored a perfect 2400 in a single attempt.

ACT Superscore

If students took the ACT, the percentile-based interpretation of their scores makes more sense than does the numbers-based interpretation. In terms of percentiles, if scores are 82% in English, 75% in Math, 85% in Reading, and 90% in Science. Again, that’s the percentage of students across the country that you performed better than. The composite score is the average of those four subscores. If you took the optional essay, a separate English score is also reported (on a scale of 1 – 36) that combines the multiple-choice writing with the essay score, but the composite score uses only the multiple choice subscore.

Similar to the SAT, there is some variation across the ACT tests (with some being noticeably harder than others). Again, this is why the percentiles matter more than the raw score. 

The difference between the tests, though, is that superscoring is not widely practiced with the ACT. ACT recommends that colleges use a single highest composite score for their admissions criteria and many schools abide by this recommendation. The ACT content is presented in a more straightforward way, which allows students to easily assess their errors, practice, and improve their scores, thus taking the ACT after studying is beneficial.

SAT and ACT Tutoring

If you are considering hiring an expert SAT tutor or ACT tutor to help your child prepare for the SAT or ACT, Lee Academia can help. Please call us at 646.266.6084, so we can begin to develop a personalized SAT tutoring and/or ACT tutoring program for your child.

Today is the deadline for first-year candidates to choose among their offers of admissions, financial aid and scholarships. Congratulations to all college-bound students and hopefully, you all deposited on time.

Remember:

While some colleges may offer an extension of the May 1 deadline, students need to call and/or email their admission counselor, and state the reason for the indecision, and many schools do not grant extensions.

Deposits are not refundable after May 1.

Also, after going through all the years of planning, researching, arguing, traveling, debating, analyzing, comparing, writing, thinking, fretting, and finishing strong, do not forget that getting accepted in to the college is FAR less important than staying in and successfully completing college.

As always, we welcome your comments and questions. Feel free to email us or call us at 646-266-6084. Join us on Facebook and Twitter.

Last week, top high school students from around the world found out whether they were attending one of the eight prestigious Ivy League universities Fall of 2014.

This year was extremely competitive for some of the Ivies, as Princeton University, Cornell University, and University of Pennsylvania had one of their most selective admissions classes ever recorded, and Brown University, Yale University also had a lower acceptance rate than last year's rate.

Princeton admitted 7.28% of applicants and accepted 1,939 students out of 26,641 applicants. This was down slightly from their 7.29% in 2013.

Cornell admitted 14% this year, taking 6,025 students from 43,041 applications. Cornell accepted 15.2% of applicants last year. While Cornell has the highest admissions rate in the Ivy League, the school dropped their admissions percentage point this year.

University of Penn admitted 9.9% applicants to the Class of 2018, where it was 12.1% for the Class of 2017. 3,551 of 35,788 applicants was accepted.

Brown University admitted 8.6% acceptance rate, with 2,619 of 30,291 applicants accepted. Last year, Brown had a 9.2% acceptance rate.

Yale University was the last to release their admissions data, and posted a lower acceptance rate than last year's 6.72% Yale admitted 6.26% acceptance rate this year, admitting 1,935 of 30,932 applicants.

The other Ivies saw their acceptance rate rise from last year.

Harvard University admitted 5.9% of applicants from last year's 5.8% admissions rate, accepting 2,023 of their 34,295 applications.

Columbia University admitted 6.94% of applicants, up from their record low of 6.89% acceptance rate for Class of 2017. Columbia accepted 2,291 of their 32,967 applicants.

Dartmouth College took 11.5% of applicants to the Class of 2018, which was up from last year's 10% admissions rate. Dartmouth received 19,235 applications and accepted 2,220 this year.

Other top colleges also released their admissions data this week. MIT took 7.7% of applications. Here's a summary of the data:

• Brown University — 30,291 applicants (2,619 accepted)
• Columbia University — 32,967 applicants (2,291 accepted)
• Cornell University — 43,041 applicants (6,025 accepted)
• Dartmouth College — 19,235 applicants (2,220 accepted)
• Harvard University — 34,295 applicants (2,023 accepted)
• University of Pennsylvania — 35,788 applicants (3,551 accepted)
• Princeton University — 26,607 applicants (1,939 accepted)
• Yale University — 30,922 applicants (1,935 accepted)

Today, College Board announced a fundamental rethinking of the SAT, eliminating essays, ending the penalty for guessing wrong and cutting the obscure vocabulary words.

David Coleman, president of the College Board, criticized his own test, the SAT, and its main rival, the ACT, saying that both “have become disconnected from the work of our high schools.”

The SAT’s vocabulary words will be replaced by words that are common in college courses, such as “empirical” and “synthesis.” The math questions, now scattered widely across many topics, will focus more narrowly on linear equations, functions and proportional thinking. The use of a calculator will no longer be allowed on some of the math sections. The new exam will be available on paper and computer, and the scoring will revert to the old 1600 scale, with a top score of 800 on math and what will now be called “Evidence-Based Reading and Writing.” The optional essay will have a separate score.

The new SAT will be introduced in the spring of 2016.
Starting in the spring of 2016, some of the changes to the SAT will include:

• Instead of arcane “SAT words” (“depreciatory,” “membranous”), the vocabulary words on the new exam will be ones commonly used in college courses, such as “synthesis” and “empirical.”

• The essay, required since 2005, will become optional. Those who choose to write an essay will be asked to read a passage and analyze how its author used evidence, reasoning and stylistic elements to build an argument.

• The guessing penalty, in which points are deducted for incorrect answers, will be eliminated.

• The overall scoring will return to the old 1600 scales, based on a top score of 800 in reading and math. The essay will have a separate score.

• Math questions will focus on three areas: linear equations; complex equations or functions; and ratios, percentages and proportional reasoning. Calculators will be permitted on only part of the math section.

• Every exam will include, in the reading and writing section, source documents from a broad range of disciplines, including science and social studies, and on some questions, students will be asked to select the quote from the text that supports the answer they have chosen.

• Every exam will include a reading passage from either one of the nation’s “founding documents,” such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, or from one of the important discussions of such texts, such as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

What are your thoughts about this new SAT in 2016? Feel free to share your thoughts and/or concerns.

Whether you've been studying for months, or just realized that your March SAT is only two weeks away, speak to us about our 2 week study calendar to help you study smarter.

Here are the three steps to ensure you get your dream SAT score on March 8th:

1. If you haven't already done so, sign up for our sample cram session. If you enjoy learning with Lee Academia then purchase our program!
2. Use the calendar below and work through the recommended modules, video concepts, and practice quizzes.
3. Wake up calm and relaxed on March 8th, and rock the SAT!

Since Lee Academia's Online SAT Program is completely online, you can prep for the SAT whenever you want, wherever you want. In fact after your test, continue to use Lee Academia to prepare for your next SAT. Good luck!

So now, ace the SAT!

As students are consulted by their Lee Academia Consultant and waiting to receive their College Athlete Game Report, here are the next 4 steps to prepare:

1. Develop your Initial Email correspondence.
2. Develop your Student Athlete profile.
3. Develop your Personal Video.
4. Organize your upcoming schedule to be included in your correspondence.

After receiving and understanding the College Athlete Game Report, here are next 4 steps to take:

1. Send out your finished email to your initial contact.
2. Be sure to respond to every correspondence you receive from the coaches.
3. Expand your contact list, as needed. Your College Athlete Game Report will only have 30-50 schools.
4. Master the college interview process... Be prepared to talk to college Face to Face.

Need Help developing your email, student athlete profile, and/or your video? Call Lee Academia @ 347-948-8863 for more details on these services. Get your College Athlete Game Report today!

As some students are taking their ACT exam this weekend, here are some tips and tricks to remember.

1. Keep calm and carry on.
On test day, relaxation is the key...but this is easier said than done, right? Take it easy and plan to give yourself plenty of time to wake up and get to the test center. Remember, breathe! Eat breakfast.

2. Stay positive.
Tests are boring, but think positively. Try smiling while you're taking your ACT test. Belief affects behavior, so it'll work if you stay positive.

3. Practice, Practice, Practice.
If you want to be good at something, you have to practice.

4. Come prepared.
Bring your admission ticket, cells phones are NOT allowed, bring a watch to keep track of time, your photo ID, calculator, and No.2 pencils.

5. No blanks.
You will not be penalized for guessing, but before you go crazy with that No.2 pencil, try to narrow down at least one or two answers that are definitely wrong.

For last minute ACT review, schedule a CRAM session (1-hour) now with an ACT expert today! Contact us for more information.

With approximately 450 boarding schools in 2012 and tuition at these schools ranging from free (yes, free!) to well over $50,000 per year, many parents and students choose to go to boarding schools.

There are plenty of reasons why attending an independent school is a great idea. With boarding school experiences adding another dimension because it involves the student 24/7 for weeks at a time; the academics, athletics and extracurricular activities are interwoven into a student's schedule in a remarkably balanced way. So whether a coed school or a boys' school or girls' school is chosen, you will find a boarding school which meets your requirements. Additionally, you can find boarding schools that offer military training, educating students with learning differences and special needs.

Financial aid is given at several boarding schools with general financial aid packages.

Everyone boarding school is unique so ranks do not matter there. What does matter is finding the school which best fits the child. Find the right boarding school for a child is one of the most important and expensive decisions you will ever have to make, similar to the college process.

Parents and students can research thoroughly on their own, only to find that most websites look alike and very few give information on the profile of typical accepted students. Families who want the guidance often turn to independent educational consultants, like Lee Academia's Educational Consultants, who have worked with over 50 students and parents this past admissions cycle.

These professionals are paid by the families to advise them on the boarding school search and admissions process. Many offer full service comprehensive packages that span over a year’s time, and others have shorter packages or an hourly rate.  A typical consultation will start with a focus on the student’s background and interest in boarding school; this includes a review of his transcript, testing, activities, interests, and academic successes and challenges of the past.  Lee Academia's professional consultant will talk with the student and parents about goals for the future and what they hope to get out of the boarding school experience.  We have given examples of schools that are nurturing or offer learning support, or those which give extra help to students when they need it. We discuss the pros and cons of the more rigorous schools, or might help a family decide whether to repeat a year.   Lee Academia's professionals know the inside scoop on boarding schools, and they get this through their campus visits, meetings with admissions officers, and by seeing the successes of the students who they place at schools.  We help families determine a list of schools to apply to, and this discussion customarily takes many months, but in certain cases can be done within one meeting.

For information or a consultation to see if boarding schools are right for you or your child, contact us.

Stay tuned to our success and admissions results, as they will be posted up on the website as we receive them.