The Chinese are Coming! This emphatic title lured me and dozens of fellow NACAC (National Association of College Admissions Counselors) conference attendees into a session exploring the expanding impact of Chinese nationals on college admissions in America. It turns out this title was only a setup for a punch line: The Chinese are Coming? The Chinese are here. And this is not news. The presence of China is now firmly established on the world stage. Anyone who happened to watch the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics, anyone who has stepped foot into a Walmart in the last decade, anyone who has taken a peek at the US trade balance or our list of national creditors knows unequivocally that the Chinese are here.

And it’s no surprise that Chinese nationals are entering our universities in record numbers. Our institutions of higher learning have always been the crown jewels of the US educational system. For decades highly talented and ambitious Chinese nationals have made their way to our shores to attend our graduate schools, and now they are coming with increasing numbers to our undergraduate schools.

Perhaps we should be flattered that our institutions of higher learning are so esteemed. Perhaps we should be a bit nervous, as the title of this session insinuated. Perhaps we simply need to adapt to the new reality. Other sessions at NACAC advocated this course of action, boasting titles such as: How to Recruit Chinese Nationals.

(read more…)

Starting January 2010, we will be offering our Signature SAT Small Groups in an online format. You will get the same great tutors, 20 hours of group tutoring, 4 hours of private mock test review and flash cards. In addition, you will be connected to your tutor and classmates using the latest online collaboration technology from Cisco™ Webex. With the included headset, webcam and digital writing tablet, students will get the group experience from the comfort of their own homes. Our online small groups come with the same Score Increase Guarantee that our in-person groups have.

For a limited time, all online small groups in January will have a special price of $695 (plus enrollment). Future groups will be priced at $795.

Check out our web site for more information about online tutoring and upcoming Signature SAT Small Group dates. We will be adding more dates for January and February in the next few days.

The most important thing to remember is that your junior-year grades are the most important grades on your transcript. The classes you will take in your junior year are the most similar to those you will see in college—assuming there are APs in the mix, and the schools you apply to will want to see academic strength at this level. Ideally, you’d like to show some sort of upward trend in your grades from previous years if your grades were not all A’s.

You should have taken the PSAT in October. You should take your first SAT any time from November to March. If your PSAT scores are not as high as you would like them to be, you should consider starting your SAT prep sooner rather than later. Take a little time to research the middle 50% of the incoming freshmen classes’ SAT scores (collegeboard.com) at colleges that interest you. If you start in January, you have about a year to achieve the scores you need. To estimate an SAT score from your PSAT score, use the table below:

(read more…)

A new year means new opportunities here at Appelrouth Tutoring in Atlanta! We have always prided ourselves in providing our students with exceptional tutors and the best curriculum and materials. 2010 will be no different! Our current tutors are the most experienced and highest performing tutors we have ever had. January will see the introduction of our newest version of the Fabulous Guide to the SAT, a brand new set of Writing Flash Cards and an online practice problem bank. To help retain our amazing staff, attract the most talented new tutors and continue to develop cutting-edge materials, new Atlanta clients will see a price increase of only $5/hr for all our private test prep tutoring beginning January 1, 2010. This does not affect currently enrolled clients or prospective clients that lock in their rate by paying your enrollment fee by January 1. Contact us for more information.