April 2009 update
My seniors' latest acceptances: Yale (1 early action, 1 regular action), Stanford, Cornell, Duke, Amherst, Northwestern (2), Haverford, Johns Hopkins, Emory (four-year merit scholarship), Boston College, Vanderbilt, UNC-Chapel Hill, Univ. of Southern California, and Univ. of Michigan.
Congratulations to my juniors, who earned top scores on the March SAT:
- 2310 total (800 W, 760 M, 750 CR)
- 2200 total (740 M, 730 CR, 730 W)
- 2180 total (800 CR, 720 W, 660 M)
And an 8th grader scored 650 on CR!
March 2009 update
My juniors' February 2009 ACT scores include the following:
- English 34, Math 33, Reading 35, Science 30 (composite 33) -- excellent!
- Reading 36 (perfect score)
One of my 6th graders was accepted by the Latin School -- an impressive achievement, since Latin has hardly any places available for new 7th graders. Congratulations to her!
My 7th graders' February 2009 Iowa scores include the following reading and math percentiles, which will account for 300 of the 1,000 selective-enrollment points for each student:
- 99%, 99%
- 99%, 98%
- 98%, 95%
Their hard work paid off, and these students (who started working with me when they were in 6th grade) are in excellent position to apply to the top selective-enrollment high schools this fall. Well done!
February 2009 high-school acceptances
One of my eighth graders was accepted by Latin, St. Ignatius, and Whitney Young (her first-choice selective-enrollment high school). Congratulations! (She was the only 8th-grade student of mine who applied to St. Ignatius this year, and one of only two 8th-grade students of mine who plan to attend a different high school from their present school. The other student will receive news from a boarding school in March.)
January 2009 college acceptances
One of my seniors was admitted to the University of Southern California, and another to Emory. The student who was accepted by Emory is a semifinalist for a four-year, full-ride merit scholarship there. Congratulations to both students!
December 2008 college acceptances and PSAT results
One of my seniors was just admitted to Yale and another to Haverford. Two of my seniors were admitted to the University of Michigan (LSA). Congratulations to them!
One of my juniors scored 214 (out of 240) on the October 2008 PSAT -- an excellent score that qualifies her for National Merit recognition.
National Merit Semifinalists
Three of my students in the class of 2009 have been named National Merit Semifinalists, and a third student received a National Merit Letter of Commendation (she missed the semifinalist cutoff by one point). Congratulations to all of them! This represents an exceptionally high success rate (50%), since my PSAT prep course last fall (2007) included only six juniors.
September 2008 ACT scores
One of my students, a senior, just earned top scores on his recent ACT, including a perfect score in Reading: Composite 34 (34 English, 33 Math, 36 Reading, and 31 Science). Well done!
Test prep for freshmen and sophomores only
Starting in the fall of 2009 (one year from now), my SAT and ACT prep program will become an elite program for 9th and 10th graders only, with preference given to returning students and to new freshmen. I plan to teach only one section of SAT and ACT prep, on Saturday mornings. The class (maximum of 9 students) will be open to freshmen and returning sophomores only, and the goal will be to prepare all students to reach their highest potential scores on the ACT and SAT by the end of sophomore year.
My students' June 2008 SAT and ACT scores are coming in!
- SAT: 2,240 total (Critical Reading 730, Math 790, Writing 720)
- SAT: 2,150 total (Critical Reading 690, Math 680, Writing 780)
- ACT: English 36 (perfect!), Reading 35, Math 36 (perfect!), Science 34 -- composite 35
- ACT: English 35, Reading 34, Math 29, Science 29 -- composite 32 (sophomore)
- ACT: English 33, Reading 31, Math 33
Starting in March 2009, students can choose which SAT and SAT Subject Test scores to send to colleges
Go to the PSAT-SAT-ACT Resources page to learn more.
Recent press... and why I quit practicing law and started my own teaching business
See my Press page to view recent coverage, including a profile that explains why I left the practice of law four years ago and chose to teach instead.
April/May 2008 ACT and SAT scores
These strong scores are particularly impressive, given my open-admission policy (mixed-ability classes) and the small number of juniors in my class this year.
- ACT: English 36 (perfect!), Reading 36 (perfect!), Math 35, Science 34, Essay 10 -- composite 35
- ACT: English 34, Reading 35, Math 34, Science 31, Essay 10 (out of 12) -- composite 34
- ACT: English 34, Reading 35, Math 32, Science 35, Essay 10 -- composite 34
- ACT: English 35, Math 32, Essay 9
- ACT: English 31, Reading 34, Math 34, Science 33, Essay 9 -- composite 33
- SAT: 2,130 total (Critical Reading 730, Math 720, Writing 680, Essay 9)
- SAT: 2,070 total (Critical Reading 730, Math 670, Writing 670, Essay 9)
- SAT: Math 710
And one of my 8th graders just did an excellent job on her first SAT!
- Critical Reading 600, Math 580, Writing 620 (including 66 on multiple-choice grammar) (1800 total)
College acceptances for the class of 2008
- Cornell
- Amherst
- Vanderbilt
- University of Chicago (early action)
- University of Southern California (USC), with full 4-year merit scholarship (USC Presidential Scholarship plus National Merit Scholarship)
- Pomona College (early decision)
- University of Rochester (early decision, with merit scholarship)
- UIC-GPPA (1 pre-med, 1 pre-dental)
- University of Michigan (honors program)
- University of Wisconsin (Madison) (2 students)
- University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) (2 students: 1 College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, 1 School of Architecture)
2008-09 Saturday prep courses (PSAT, SAT, ACT)
The PSAT, SAT, and ACT courses are now open to new students (now that returning students have reserved their places, only a few spots remain). Priority goes to students who would like to enroll in all four courses, from September through May. E-mail me to request an application form.
Website updates (as of May 22)
- I have just updated the selective-enrollment resources page with fresh links and specific advice.
- On the Resources main page, I have added links to several websites that offer helpful advice on organization, time management, and study skills. I have also updated several of the Resources pages.
- I have just overhauled the reading room, adding sub-pages that organize articles by category and posting links to the most recent articles (May 2008) of note. I am continuing to post links to articles that caught my attention earlier this year, so keep checking back on a daily basis!
- I have added the PDF version of the Microsoft case study -- see the Press page.
- I will soon remove the 2007-08 homework pages from the menu (under "For current students," but the links will continue to work, so if you have bookmarked these pages, you will still be able to visit them.
Blog posts (May 20 & 21)
I have posted my thoughts on the benefits of being organized, as well as the importance of love and motivation. I welcome your comments!
One of my students in the class of 2008 was just named a National Merit Scholar. (He scored 2360 on the SAT, among other accomplishments.) Congratulations!
Website updates
- I have posted the list of all 2008-09 courses (including dates and course descriptions).
- I have posted preliminary information on the summer 2009 courses I plan to offer.
- I have written an in-depth blog post about the CPS selective-enrollment admission process.