The Fordham Institute of Reading Development

Fordham College of Liberal Studies has an Institute of Reading Development that may be of interest to many high school students. From their website: "Students in these programs double reading speed, improve comprehension, and learn a step-by-step approach to reading, studying, and taking notes in fiction and non-fiction. They also develop the ability to become fully absorbed in books, which makes reading enjoyable and supports the habit of reading for pleasure."

Find out more:

Click here if you are entering 9th, 10th or 11th grade


(Oh, and this year's book? Yep, the book pictured here, lucky students!)

Click if you are entering the 12th grade.

Some classes in some locations are already booked; a few spots remain open. Class are usually in the evenings, and meet once a week in a workshop type setting, for two and a half hours for five weeks, starting in late June. Cost is around $335, which includes materials and tax and is an excellent price for something that will help with PSAT/SAT/ACT skills.

Why PSAT?

Q: What do

John G. Roberts (Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court)

Manoj "M. Night" Shyamalan (Director, filmmaker, two-time Academy Award nominee, known for films such as The Sixth Sense and Signs)

and

Benjamin A. "B. Alvin" Drew (Colonel in the United States Air Force, Air Force pilot, NASA astronaut)

all have in common?

A: They are all National Merit Scholarship winners.

Dear Parents,

Each year, some 50,000 students chosen from a pool of 1.5 million PSAT test-takers are invited to compete for National Merit Scholarships. The first step in qualifying for this competition is attaining a high combined score on the PSAT.

As you'll note in the Student Entry Requirements below, the competition is open to third-year students in high school only. Of course this most often refers to students in their junior year, but other times, age alone does not necessarily determine a student's grade-level status. Incoming first-year students and second-year students can look forward to the competition in their third year. (Taking the PSAT as a freshman / sophomore and again as a junior does not constitute grounds for disqualification.)

Your son or daughter will be able to enter this competition by registering for the PSAT in October and by answering four qualifying questions on the answer sheet.

We therefore encourage our rising juniors to begin studying for the PSAT and SAT this summer and to keep reaching for the stars!

Yours in Christ,
John Pilsner
______________________________
National Merit Scholarship Program

The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®)–a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year–and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.

Student Entry Requirements

To participate in the National Merit® Scholarship Program, a student must:

-take the PSAT/NMSQT® in the specified year of the high school program and no later than the third year in grades 9 through 12, regardless of grade classification or educational pattern;

-be enrolled as a high school student, progressing normally toward graduation or completion of high school, and planning to enroll full time in college no later than the fall following completion of high school; and

-be a citizen of the United States; or be a U.S. lawful permanent resident (or have applied for permanent residence, the application for which has not been denied) and intend to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law.

For more information on qualifications and the NMS competition, please see their web site.