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This will Make You Smarter: 3 Learning Tools That You Need To Know

1/30/2017

 
Microsoft Surface Pro
1. Microsoft Surface Tablet: The Best Digital Pen & Paper​

We use Microsoft's Surface tablet, the closest emulation to a pen and paper. You can take faster notes, share material quickly, and organize more efficiently.

What ever happened to the classic pen and paper? The tactile experience of writing letters.
You can write directly on webpages with the Surface Pen, which is a delight to use. The Surface Pen feels like a real pen. We like the sensors on it and feels like you are using a real palm. It also recognizes your palm, so your palm does not interfere with writing. You can quickly switch between lines and graph paper. Cut and paste is seamless.

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How To Become More Attractive To Popular Schools

1/26/2017

 
How do you determine the popularity of a school? According to US News there is a concept called, 'yield'. The yield is the percentage of students who enroll at the school after being admitted. A higher yield typically indicates a school's popularity and desirability in a student's eyes and is often associated with a "first-choice school," experts say.
Not surprisingly, Stanford University had the highest yield among any National University for fall 2015, according to the data that 295 ranked National Universities submitted to U.S. News in an annual survey. Stanford University boasted a yield of 80.4 percent followed by Harvard University at 79.8 percent.

Here is a list of the top 10 most popular national universities.

  1. Stanford
  2. Harvard
  3. Brigham Young University
  4. MIT
  5. University of Alaska-Fairbanks
  6. Princeton
  7. Yale
  8. University of Pennsylvania
  9. Columbia
  10. University of Nebraska-Lincoln


Interested in learning more about these colleges? Hillview Prep thought leader Sean Massa recently shared his insights on thoughts on his educational journey at Penn and Yale. You can listen to his views below, and feel free to contact us to consult with him about your application.
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The Three Big Challenges of the SSAT Test

1/24/2017

 
​1. You are penalized for wrong answers.

On the Middle and Upper Levels, students receive one point for every correct answer, and they lose one-quarter point for each wrong answer for questions with five possible responses. No points are lost for skipping a question. (For this reason, it only makes sense to guess if one or more answers can be eliminated.) There is no penalty for incorrect answers on the Elementary Level. (In this case, guessing is advised.) Guess if you get it down to two possible answers. 
2. The language section is strongly inferential.

SSAT is all about strategies. The language section is much more inferential and more answers to choose from than the ISEE and the HSPT. Inference is using both inductive and deducting reasoning to come to an assumption or conclusion. So it comes down to how much of a versatile thinker you are. If you are too abstract, you have to practice being more literal, and vice-versa.

Learn Hillview Prep's method how to approach inferential problems. That is the key to do really well on the SSAT. Use Hillview Prep's Smart Scoring System to diagnose where what you need to be more versatile: how can you use your strengths to conquer your weaknesses.

3. The verbal section is grueling

The section is longer and fast paced. The SSAT includes one 30-minute verbal section, which is composed of 30 synonym questions and 30 analogy questions. Given the time limit and the number of questions, students have approximately 30 seconds to answer each question. There are more choices and again the presentation is inferential.

Contact us to help you prepare well for your SSAT test.

ISEE/SSAT Bootcamp

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  • Designed to teach the fundamentals of the ISEE/SSAT test
  • Classes in Downtown Saratoga
  • Smart Scoring System
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The Three Big Challenges of the ISEE Test

1/23/2017

 
​1. The test is fast-paced.

The ISEE is a standardized test administered over a three-hour period. Students have less than a minute to answer most questions, and on some sections they only have half a minute to answer each question.

The reading section is very fast-paced; students are given six minutes in total to read a passage (usually about 60 lines in length) and answer six questions related to the passage. The answers are not always easy to find in the passage; there are many inference questions, which require that students to learn deductive reasoning. Check out Hillview Prep's 'keyword' strategy to differentiate the answer choices.

And, of course, use Hillview Prep's proprietary Smart Scoring System to learn how to pace yourself for the test. 
2. Math requires more steps.

The math sections contain problems involving algebra, geometry, probability, metric conversions, fractions, decimals, percents, negative numbers, order of operations, mean, median, mode, averages and square roots. There are a lot of word problems that combine require multiple steps to solve making them quite challenging.

Learn Hillview Prep's method of consolidation to help you solve these challenging problems.

4. Essays are a challenge!

The essay portion of the test can be challenging for many students. The most important thing is writing the evidence to support your thesis. It is all about validation. In addition, students need to be careful with grammar, spelling, sentence structure and transitions between paragraphs. This is all very challenging to do in 30 minutes with a topic they have just been given.

Learn outlining and step by step sequential thinking skills to write excellent essays from our mentors here at Hillview Prep. Contact us to help you prepare well for your ISEE test. 

ISEE/SSAT Bootcamp

$899.00
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  • Designed to teach the fundamentals of the ISEE/SSAT test
  • Classes in Downtown Saratoga
  • Smart Scoring System
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How to Write an Essay that WILL make you Attractive to the College of your Dreams

1/19/2017

 
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You put in the hard work and have the grades and SAT/ACT scores to get into your dream college. So do tens of thousands of students from all over the world! How do you stand out?

The admission committee decisions and their processes are not in your control. You cannot change them. But you can stand out and influence them by using your personal statement to shine and demonstrate the value you will bring to the college. 

The key word is 'value'. It is not about your awesome grades and scores. That is a given and is used to filter out candidates. You have to figure out ways to stand out and get in. One way is take the subject SAT and demonstrate your interest in your field (assuming you know that). Another way is to write a great personal statement. We suggest you do both.

How do you communicate your value?


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