As John Steinbeck sat down each day to the task of writing his epic novel East of Eden, he flexed his “mental arm” by writing a letter to his friend and editor Pascal Covici. These letters appear in the remarkable…
Whether a student is average and wants to become better, or is excellent and wants to become superior, “anyone who seeks to improve their critical thinking skills can benefit” from Scholar’s Secret’s academic coaching programs. That’s according to Indianapolis Woman’s…
Inside Higher Ed reported last week that Massachusetts Institute of Technology has decided to replace its 500-word application essay with several shorter questions, while the University of Pennsylvania has combined two essay questions into one, “saving students maybe 200 words.” Admissions…
At crunch time, high school students often find themselves staring at their assignment requirements in utter bewilderment: “Why do I have to do an outline,” they mumble, “and why won’t the teacher let me use this dot-com website as a…
There is nothing like the annual appearance of the list of America’s top colleges to get high-performing high school students reaching for the stars. But with the inspiration that “the best” might offer also comes the sobering possibility of the…
It never fails: the teacher announces during the first week that a 10-page term paper will be required as part of the class this semester. Some students heed the warning and (at least) begin to think about their topics; others,…
Customized instruction and guided practice in research, writing, and presentation skills help speed students’ learning of key collegiate-level skills, improve grades, build confidence, and give students the competitive edge. But the truth is, many students arrive at college without a clue…
Indiana may have made great strides since 1992 in terms of the number of high school students going on to college, but not enough of those students are graduating. That’s according to Teresa Lubbers, Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education, in a recent (August 1, 2009) IBJ.com…
Back-to-school means registering for new classes, seeing old friends, returning to the practice field… and buckling down in the classroom once again. And for those intending to go on to college, that means term papers, speeches, and other challenging research and writing assignments. …