We’d like to share a number of opportunities for students who are interested in group test-prep sessions for the upcoming ACT and SAT administrations. The complete ACT and College Board test dates and deadlines are available here. There are a variety of test-prep opportunities both off-campus (day students) and on-campus (day or boarding students).  The following opportunities will be offered on campus at Williston:

On-campus offerings through Summit Educational Group

• 3-session ACT Prep Workshop beginning Sunday, January 14. $275 www.mytutor.com/product/wn-feb18act-ws Space is limited. Please register by January 5.
• 6-session SAT Prep Class beginning Sunday, January 28. $550 www.mytutor.com/product/wn-may18sat Space is limited. Please register by January 19.
• 6-session ACT Prep Class beginning Sunday, February 11. $550 www.mytutor.com/product/wn-apr18act Space is limited. Please register by February 2.
• 3-session SAT Prep Workshop beginning Sunday, April 8. $275 www.mytutor.com/product/wn-may18sat-ws Space is limited. Please register by March 30.

 Please note: Financial aid is available for the Summit 6-session classes only.  All prices include materials. Each class and workshop begins with a four-hour diagnostic practice test.  Please see each registration form above for specific dates and times.

 On-campus offerings through Brian Leaf

• Full-day ACT Intensive, Sunday, February 11, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $350 all materials included.  Register at www.brianleaf.com
• Full-day SAT Intensive, Sunday, April 8, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. $350 all materials included.  Register at www.brianleaf.com

Brian Leaf at the Leaf Learning Center in Northampton is offering the following off-campus opportunities:

8-Week Prep Class for the NEW SAT
When: Eight Wednesday Nights, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., January 10 through March 7
(No Class 2/14)
Where: New Leaf Learning Center, 269 Main St, Northampton
Cost: $750, all materials included
REGISTER/PAY ONLINE NOW

Full-day ACT Intensive
When: Saturday, January 27, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: New Leaf Learning Center, 269 Main St, Northampton
Cost: $350, all materials included
REGISTER/PAY ONLINE NOW

8-Week SAT Prep Class
When: Eight Wednesday Nights, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., March 14 through May 2
Where: New Leaf Learning Center, 269 Main St, Northampton
Cost: $750, all materials included
REGISTER/PAY ONLINE NOW

Full-day ACT Intensive
When: Saturday, March 31, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: New Leaf Learning Center, 269 Main St, Northampton
Cost: $350, all materials included
REGISTER/PAY ONLINE NOW

Please be in touch with Molly Ward in the College Counseling office with any questions.

With the ACT at Williston coming up on April 18, here’s a tip directly from the ACT about something that could get your scores cancelled: using an unapproved calculator. Click on the link below for more information.

Using the TI-89 is the most common reason students are dismissed from the ACT for prohibited calculator use. More: http://t.co/VotiA8l1Fx

— ACTStudent (@ACTStudent) April 6, 2015

For those looking to get in a little more practice, click the link below for access to more practice questions, directly from the ACT. Enjoy!

Hundreds of practice ?s for each area of the ACT, all with explanations of why your answer is right or wrong: http://t.co/yqWpKF8VWp

— ACTStudent (@ACTStudent) April 6, 2015

Welcome back, seniors! Below is a link to an interesting and timely piece by Frank Bruni of the New York Times that hopes to alleviate the stress and pressure involved in deciding where to go to college. Enjoy!

How to Survive the College Admissions Madness

Choosing a topic to write about is not always easy. What you think may be unique could possibly be run- of-the-mill for the admissions officer who has read thousands of essays. Here some common essay topic pitfalls to potentially avoid:

RT @ACTStudent: 7 positive things that can look bad on a college application: http://t.co/vAHWzvdJjh pic.twitter.com/7a5pykqZXk

— Dana Einfeld (@DanaEinfeld) February 24, 2015

Internships can be be helpful in a lot of ways. They can give you insight into certain professions and that exposure can help you figure out if you remain interested in that field. Getting an internship shows initiative and drive, two attributes that colleges are looking for in candidates. Below is an article I found on the Colleges That Change Lives website that shows companies that offer internships. Worth a look:

Know someone looking for an internship?… http://t.co/pZiLTyJC2Z

— CTCLColleges (@CTCLColleges) February 25, 2015

Our Class of 2016 College Kick-Off event was Thursday, February 5 and featured talks by the Directors of Admission from Boston College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Yale University. This event got our juniors thinking about the college admission process. As they go into March break, juniors might be starting to ask more questions about the process.

Here’s a great article that juniors should read and think about:

College planning – Three Questions High School Juniors Should Ask Themselves http://t.co/6zcDpcm9wU

— Common Application (@CommonApp) February 20, 2015

FAFSA stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid” and is the first step for students who want to apply to most federal-, state-, or college-level aid. It’s not only for federal aid, although it is filed with the U.S. Department of Education. Here are two links that will help explain some of the process, which is particularly useful if you’re applying to quite a few schools.

Check out the link below to see what to do:

You can add up to 10 schools to your #FAFSA! http://t.co/V5D3WbuCy2. If you’re applying to more than 10, do this: http://t.co/DOs7rf9cgW

— Federal Student Aid (@FAFSA) February 22, 2015

If you’re an international student looking to study in the U.S. and are looking to receive some scholarships, the link below takes you to a very helpful article posted recently in US News and World Report that can point you in the right direction:

Click here for more info.

Planning to take the April 18th ACT? Have you registered?

Just a friendly reminder that if you haven’t registered yet, I would do so sooner rather than later. The link below takes you directly to the ACT website where you can register:

Avoid paying a late fee, register today for The ACT scheduled for April 18. Register here.

Avoid paying a late fee, register today for The ACT scheduled for April 18. Register here: http://t.co/RUYCj2tuuv pic.twitter.com/PUo3ilCM82

— ACTStudent (@ACTStudent) February 24, 2015

So for those taking the ACT at Williston on April 18, I thought it would be a good idea to post some links straight from the ACT itself. Click here to get some tips from the ACT for test day.

Taking The ACT? Here are 9 tips for test day: http://t.co/yuhquKW7b6 — ACTStudent (@ACTStudent) February 25, 2015