LogicPrep FAQ

 

WHO ARE LOGICPREP’S INSTRUCTORS?

Our instructors come from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Most hold degrees from prestigious universities such as Harvard, Duke, Princeton, and Yale, and all have scored in the 99th percentile on every test section they teach. Aside from demonstrating high levels of personal success, our instructors are extensively trained in LogicPrep’s curriculum and teaching methods before they begin working with students.

 

HOW LONG DOES THE LOGICPREP TEST PREP PROCESS USUALLY TAKE?

The following factors determine the length of the prep process:

  • Student aptitude

  • Prior knowledge

  • Anxiety

  • Work ethic and emotional maturity

The initial 70% of score improvement generally happens within the first 3-4 months, while the final 30% may take an additional season. Most errors on standardized tests come from careless errors — the errors that come from disorganized problem-solving — or insufficient grasp of the test material. Many beginning students also have trouble with the time constraints of the ACT® and SAT®, so they may end a test section without having seen many questions. Eliminating the incidence of careless errors depends mostly on a student’s work ethic and willingness to adopt new methods. Our students also come in with a wide range of levels of exposure to the test material, which in turn affects the speed at which they are able to learn.

 

HOW CAN MY CHILD MAXIMIZE HIS/HER INVESTMENT IN TEST PREP?

  • Make sure that your child is able to devote 2-6 hours per week to studying. Students are encouraged to schedule time to study in the LogicPrep Mind Gym. The faster a student is able to learn the fundamentals of algebra and geometry — which comprise the majority of ACT and SAT math material — as well as gain fluency in English grammar, writing mechanics and reading comprehension, the less time it will take to reach his/her target scores.

  • Encourage your child to attend weekend practice tests at the LogicPrep office. Year after year, our students who attend the most practice tests show the most overall improvement and end the process with the highest scores.

  • Have your child begin lessons in their weaker subjects first. Getting a head start on the most challenging test sections will not only reduce the total number of hours spent preparing, but it will ensure a manageable workload throughout the whole ACT®/SAT® prep process.

 

WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO ATTEND LOGICPREP’S PRACTICE TESTS?

Simply put, there is a direct correlation between number of test our students attend and their overall score improvement. In addition to helping students learn how to strategize under time constraints, the tests help students, instructors, parents, and test prep advisors track students’ progress. The practice tests can also help alleviate test anxiety by familiarizing students with official testing conditions.

When should I be taking practice tests?

Every student is an individual, so to get an answer that takes into consideration where you are in your process, your commitments outside SAT/ACT prep, whether you have extra time, and more, talk to your Tutors and Academic Advisor.

That said, our general advice is as follows:

  • Paper SAT students and ACT students: Most students take their first practice test ~1 month after they start regular lessons and then increase their lesson frequency from there, first to every 2-3 weeks, then eventually to weekly leading up to their first real test.

  • Digital SAT students: Generally, we recommend practice tests once a month so that you can check in on your progress without exhausting your practice materials.

Finally, we recommend that students take their practice tests in a proctored environment (preferably in person) whenever possible to better simulate the real-test environment.

 

DOES LOGICPREP HAVE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES?

Yes. At LogicPrep, several of our instructors have trained to deal specifically with students that require extra attention. We know how to teach content in a diversity of styles to improve memory encoding, and we help students develop the “metacognitive” skills necessary to understanding how they learn, so they can practice techniques that minimize distraction, maximize attention, and optimize working memory. Whether we’re working with students on curricular subjects or material for standardized tests, our instructors are well-experienced and excited to help.

Test Preparation FAQ

 

HOW DO I REGISTER FOR THE ACT/SAT? HOW CAN I SEE WHERE/WHEN THE TESTS ARE OFFERED?

SAT® Test Dates
Click here to look at the College Board calendar and find out when the SAT is being administered.

SAT® Registration
Click here to register for the SAT. The earlier you sign up, the better chance you have of being able to take the test at the location of your choice.

ACT® Test Dates
Click here to look at the ACT calendar and find out when the test is being administered.

ACT® Registration
Click here to register for the ACT. The earlier you sign up, the better chance you have of being able to take the test at the location of your choice.

WHAT IS SCORE CHOICE?

ACT®/SAT® Score Choice allows students to take official tests multiple times and share with colleges scores from test dates of their choosing. This does not mean students can send individual sections from each of their tests: the results of an entire exam are either submitted or withheld. Colleges have always allowed Score Choice for the ACT®, and while most allow the same for the SAT®, there are some exceptions. Each college makes public its Score Choice policy on its admissions page.

 

HOW MANY TIMES DO MOST PEOPLE TAKE THE SAT OR ACT?

Students usually take the SAT® or ACT® two or three times. However, in rare cases, a student may take the exam four times, or only once.

 

HOW IS EACH TEST SCORED?

SAT® scores are first determined by totaling the number of questions a student has answered correctly in each test section (all questions are worth 1 point, and there is no penalty for incorrect or omitted answers). The raw scores on the two Math sections, as well as the Reading and Writing sections, are then combined and converted to a scale of 200-800, summing to a total of 1600 possible points.

ACT® scores are determined by totaling the number of questions a student has answered correctly in each of the English, Math, Reading, and Science sections (all questions are worth 1 point, and there is no penalty for incorrect or omitted answers). These raw scores for each section are then placed on a scale from 1-36, which are averaged for a composite score of 36 possible points.

 

WHAT IS “SUPERSCORING”? HOW DO I KNOW IF MY COLLEGES SUPERSCORE?

If a college superscores, it means the admissions staff evaluate your ACT®/SAT® scores based on the best section of each exam you’ve taken, combining them to form a new composite score. Colleges should make their superscoring policy clear on the admissions page of their website, or an admissions officer should be able to tell you over the phone.

 

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TAKE THE SAT OR ACT?

Students most commonly take the SAT® and/or ACT® during the spring of their junior year. Stronger students may choose to take these tests slightly earlier (in the late fall and winter of their junior year) so they can focus on AP® exams in the spring. Although a number of students will take their final standardized tests in the beginning of their senior year, we recommend students leave this time open to focus on college applications.

 

HOW CAN I GET A COPY OF MY TEST BOOKLET?

SAT®: College Board only releases SAT® tests taken in October, January, and May. The easiest way to receive your test booklet is to order Student Answer Service during test registration. However, test booklets can be requested up to five months after the day of the exam. To order a copy of your test after registration, log into your College Board account, select ‘Order Verification’ within ‘My Scores,’ and click to order Student Answer Service.

ACT®: Test booklets are available from the April, June, and December tests for $18. You can order them upon registration or by visiting www.actstudent.org/scores/release.html within three months of the actual test date.

 

I’M WORRIED ABOUT MY UPCOMING REGENTS EXAMS. HOW CAN I PREPARE?

The best way to get comfortable with the tested material is to look at tests that have been given out in recent years. You can find NY State Regents past exams here. LogicPrep is also experienced in teaching for Regents exams, so we’re also happy to set you up with one of our tutors.

 

I WANT TO TAKE AP COURSES TO MAKE MY COLLEGE APPLICATION MORE COMPETITIVE. HOW DO I KNOW WHICH ONES MY SCHOOL OFFERS?

AP® courses are a great way to make a transcript more compelling. Visit this list to see which of the full span of AP® courses your school has to offer, and consult your school guidance counselor to find out which courses are available to take at each grade level.

College Consulting FAQ

 

WHY ARE JUNIOR YEAR GRADES SO IMPORTANT? ARE THEY REALLY AS BIG A DEAL AS PEOPLE MAKE THEM OUT TO BE?

Foremost, colleges place the greatest emphasis on students’ junior year academic performances. For students who struggled in the first two years of high school, 11th grade provides an opportunity to show intellectual growth and increased maturity. For students who have done well in the first two years, it is equally important to avoid a drop in performance as the academic rigor increases.

Equally important, junior year is when students tend to take ACT® or SAT® exams. Many schools value these scores as much as a high school transcript, so students will devote much of  their extracurricular time to studying.

 

HOW MANY COLLEGES DO MOST STUDENTS APPLY TO?

Most students apply to between 9 and 13 colleges: 3-4 safeties, 4-5 targets, and 2-4 reaches.

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EARLY DECISION (ED) AND EARLY ACTION (EA)?

An Early Decision (ED) plan asks the student to apply months before the Regular Decision deadline, generally in the first two weeks of November. This is a binding decision: if accepted under an ED plan, the student must attend the school. As a result, a student may only apply to one school under an ED plan. However, unless otherwise stated, a student can apply Early Decision to one school and Early Action or Rolling to others. Admissions decisions are normally made by the end of December. If accepted, the student is required to withdraw his/her applications from all other colleges or decline any acceptances already received.

An Early Action (EA) plan also asks students to submit their applications before the Regular Decision deadline. The distinction is that EA is non-binding, so if a student is accepted to a school under an EA plan, he/she is not obligated to attend. Unless otherwise stated, a student may apply to more than one school, and may also participate in ED/Rolling plans. This is not the case, however, for Single Choice or Restricted Early Action, which prohibit simultaneous applications.

 

WHAT IS THE STUDENT RESPONSIBLE FOR SUBMITTING? WHAT ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL?

Students are responsible for submitting their applications (including any supplements), the application fees, as well as official reports of their standardized test scores. Students may also choose to submit an art portfolio or athletic supplement. Early Decision applicants must also sign the ED Agreement online (along with their parents and guidance counselor).

High schools are responsible for sending a student’s transcript, secondary school report, midyear report, and teacher/counselor recommendations. When applicable, guidance counselors must also send a signed ED agreement.

It is also incumbent upon students to keep an up-to-date Naviance page and ensure their guidance counselors have access to their full college application lists.

 

WHAT IS THE COMMON APPLICATION?

The Common Application is an online portal that allows students to submit applications to over 400 member institutions. Through the Common Application, students will enter their background information once, as well write an essay in response to one of seven prompts (this is what’s often called the “college essay”). Individual supplements for all member schools are accessible through the Common Application as well.

 

WHAT ARE THE COMMON APPLICATION ESSAY PROMPTS?

You can view the 2018-2019 questions here.

 

WHAT KINDS OF SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS CAN I EXPECT TO WRITE?

Most often, colleges will ask you to write about why you’re interested in attending the school. This is your opportunity to show off – you want to demonstrate that you did your research and that you understand why the school would be a good fit intellectually and socially. Think beyond the generic reasons a school is appealing (the beautiful campus, school spirit, etc.) and really hone in on how you can take advantage of its academic and extracurricular offerings.

 

WHAT OTHER KINDS OF ESSAY QUESTIONS CAN A COLLEGE ASK ME?

Schools also commonly ask you to write a short personal essay that shows off your ability to think critically and creatively. These essays range from the more straightforward (e.g. “tell us something about yourself that has not otherwise been conveyed in your application,” or “what books have you read in the past year?”) to the more open-ended and unconventional (e.g. “find x,” or “what fictional or historical character would you choose to be your roommate?”).

 

DO COLLEGES OFFER INTERVIEWS? IF SO, WHAT KINDS OF QUESTIONS CAN I ANTICIPATE?

Some schools offer on-campus interviews, and others will arrange for you to interview with local members of the alumni community. It’s your responsibility to check each school’s policy: most often, an interviewer will contact you application has been submitted, but occasionally, it will be your responsibility to schedule a meeting. Some schools also require you submit your application by a certain date in order to be eligible for an interview.

In any college interview, you should be prepared to talk about your interests, why you want to attend the school, and how you feel you can take advantage of the opportunities it offers. Interviews are also great opportunities to ask any questions you might have about the school.

 

WHERE CAN I SEARCH FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COLLEGES?

Check out the CollegeBoard’s college search feature to discover schools by location, size, selectivity, athletics, and more.

Click here to see US News and World Report’s 2018 college rankings.

 

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS?

AcademicInfo provides links to free academic resources and offers insight into the college process. It also aggregates information about distance-learning, online education, and links to several education blogs.

The New York Times College Blog, though no longer updated, also features pertinent articles and commentary about the college application and financial aid process.

 

HOW CAN I GET STARTED ON MY COLLEGE APPLICATIONS?

Visit The Common Application to see the latest updates on college essay prompts, create a college list, and check out your colleges’ supplement essays. If any of your colleges do not that the Common App (UC Schools, Georgetown, and MIT, to name a few) visit their admissions websites and follow the links to their proprietary applications.

Online Lessons FAQ

How do I connect with LogicPrep for online lessons?

At LogicPrep, we use GoogleMeet for online lessons. Below are some tips for getting started:

  • Make sure you’re using an up-to-date version of Chrome as your web browser.

  • If you’re having trouble, sometimes opening an Incognito window in Chrome helps (especially if you have a school email address that might be blocking you from joining).

  • Make sure you follow the hyperlink from your Student Dashboard (e.g. DON’T just type in “meet.google.com” into your browser).

  • Once you open the link, type in your name and click the “Ask to Join” button. When it’s time for your meeting to begin, your instructor or advisor will let you into the virtual room.

Can I use GoogleMeet on my phone?

If you’re meeting for an online lesson, we strongly encourage you to use a computer instead of your phone. Because your instructor will likely be screen sharing with you, joining the meeting on a bigger screen will ensure that you have the best online lesson experience.

If you need to use your phone to connect for another type of meeting (like a meeting with your advisor or a remote-proctored practice test), then yes, you can still access GoogleMeet. You’ll need to download an app by Google and log in using a Google account, but it’s super simple to do so following the prompts that come up on your phone when you try to follow the link. We simply recommend that you connect a few minutes early so that you don’t end up late because of these two steps!