Insights on admissions, testing, and academic life.

No matter what schools they apply to or when they submit their applications, all students applying to American universities will need to write a personal statement essay: 650 words that sum up their life experiences and why a college would want to admit them. This is a tall order, and there are many different ways…

May brings with it the third month of COVID-19 lockdown and online learning for students in the United States. Most schools have severely reduced students’ workloads. Many have cancelled final exams, and some have even taken the ultimate step of moving to a pass/fail grading system. Like students since the beginning of time, many met…

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, more and more students are finding themselves adrift with no plans for the summer. An increasing number of summer programs are being cancelled or, in the case of Yale Young Global Scholars and other elite programs, cut down to accommodate a smaller number of students than were originally admitted. If…

One of the most crucial elements of a high school student’s education is seeking help from teachers. Modern secondary education recognizes that students should not be expected to go it alone, and so every teacher is expected to make themselves available to their students for assistance. Seeking out teachers in this way can be the…

Reading is the most fundamental skill students will develop during their early years, and even throughout the rest of school up to and including college. At all levels, students perform the weakest on the reading sections of standardized tests, and reading consistently takes the most time and effort to improve if students slip behind. Weak…

COVID-19 has brought with it more challenges than simply keeping up with schooling as education moves online. Bereft of the traditional routine of school and activities, students are by now beginning to show signs of serious mental strain and even depression and anxiety. What can students do to prevent these adverse effects of remote learning?…