Ivy Insiders Test Prep

Dear Parents,

Greetings! I hope you're all standing up to this summer's heat wave and that no one has melted or boiled away. Things just have to get better from here!

The SAT preparation course is coming up soon. Only 3 weeks, 3 days per week, can make a big difference in a student's language and math skills, testing ability, SAT scores, and scholarship offers down the road. The course is highly recommended for those who will be seniors or juniors next year, but sophomores are also welcome to advance themselves. With this in mind, please read Caitlyn's message below.

Wishing you a few happy and leisurely weeks ahead,
John Pilsner

_________________________________


Hello Montfort Students and Parents,

I hope the summer is going well for you! I am writing to let you know that Montfort's SAT course is starting soon on July 19th, and there are still spots open in the class. You can see the full course schedule by clicking here. "Details" at the right of the Montfort course listing here: .

Ivy Insiders is a relatively new company founded in 2003, with the mission to return Ivy League students back to their hometowns each summer to help younger students achieve the same success in the college admissions process. Our instructors consistently produce average score improvements of 250 points on the SAT, and my own students last year were just as successful. This is my second year with the company, and I am looking forward to helping another group of students reach their goals on the SAT!

Preparing for the SAT during the summer is an opportunity for students to get an edge in the college admissions process without adding to their academic year workload. Higher scores enable students to apply to more selective colleges, and also gain them more substantial merit-based scholarships after they are accepted. Mr. Pilsner and I are very excited to offer the Ivy Insiders course at Montfort this summer, and I hope to include your sons and daughters in the class. A few rising juniors and seniors from John Jay have already registered and I would like to limit the class size to 10, so please contact me if you would like to register your son or daughter for class. You can reach me any time by email at caitlyn_sommers@ivyinsiders.com or by phone at (914) 552-8573. I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,
Caitlyn Sommers

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.

Register now for the PSAT

Dear Parents,

First, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all new Montfort parents and students. I look forward to meeting all of you and sharing with you the journey of secondary education, national testing, and college preparation!

Believe it or not, the deadline is fast approaching for ordering the Preliminary SAT (PSAT), to be administered Wednesday, October 13, 2010. This test mirrors the SAT in its format, but with content suited to a second-year high school student. All rising sophomores are asked to participate in this test, which is a crucial step toward preparing for the SAT. Not only is the PSAT an essential practice tool, helpful in understanding individual strengths and deficiencies, but handsome scholarships are also offered to sophomores who score exceptionally well (that is, a fraction of the top one percent).

We also invite rising juniors and incoming freshmen to take the PSAT. For juniors, it provides a structured environment in anticipation of their first SAT trial; for freshmen, it provides a preliminary glimpse into the world of aptitude test-taking and helps them to assess the skills needed to succeed. Since the scores are not sent to prospective colleges and are not recorded on the student transcript, it is truly a low-stakes test.

The cost is a modest $15, which covers both scoring the test and mailing. Payment will be collected in September.

At this point, we need a show of participation. Would you like your daughter or son to take the PSAT? Please send an email confirmation to me by Tuesday, June 1st so that we can order enough copies of the test.

Thank you for your reply. We wish all our students the blessings of memory, intellectual acuity, and inspiration as they study for final exams and regents!


Yours sincerely in Christ,

John Pilsner
Testing Coordinator
Academic Guidance Counselor
Director of College Admissions

Ivy Insiders Test Prep

Dear Parents of Juniors and Sophomores,

Caitlyn Sommers, Branch Manager for Ivy Insiders and a U. Penn junior, will be teaching a three-week preparation course for a select group of students (limited to about 10) here at Montfort, from July 19th to August 9th. Classes will take place on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 9am to 1pm on Mondays and from 9am to 12pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. It is best to start early, before the temperature climbs to the hottest part of the day. Attached you will find impressive promotional literature from Ivy Insiders and a class calendar for Montfort. Caitlyn will visit Montfort before the year's end, so that parents and students can meet the teacher. You can also view Caitlyn's profile here.

Preparation is a must for juniors, and sophomores have a golden opportunity to overcome SAT jitters and get on the straight and narrow path to higher scores. This year once again it is evident that students with good SAT scores are offered more substantial merit scholarships - as much as several thousand dollars more per year - and are able to gain entry to colleges and universities with reputations for a higher standard of education. Surely this is an investment with a quick return!

The cost for the course is $599 ($100 less than last year), payable on the web site or by check. Click here to enroll on Caitlyn's Instructor page.

Here is also a link to the course schedule offered at Montfort.

I would happy to discuss this course or any other options with you. Whatever you do, please form a clear and definitive plan.

Sincerely,
John Pilsner

College Money Matters

Dear Parents,

If you are looking for some practical strategies of this nature, please see the "free," practical advice published by Simple Tuition, a partner of the Princeton Review (it's only 5 pages). Most of the ideas seem to me smart and sensible.

Yours in Christ,
John Pilsner

Go to
Get The Complete Guide to a Better Financial Aid Offer and click on the green "download" button on the lower left.

SAT insider info:

Dear Parents of Juniors and Sophomores,

Congratulations on the juniors' first expedition into the world of official SAT testing! Now they know the test is not a push-over. It requires specific academic skills and lots of practice. These skills are not simply test-related but are useful for life, ordinary and professional.

At many college institutions, SATs are weighted equally (or nearly equally) with academic average in the scholarship formulas. Therefore a good score will improve a student's chances for merit-based scholarships significantly.

The juniors learned that they will have to work harder if they want to improve their scores. This means we must act in a determined and concerted way to do better. When it comes to college scholarships, SAT preparation is one of the wisest investments you can make.

And so I propose that each and every junior (and ambitious sophomores too!) enroll in the SAT preparation course which will be offered at Montfort this summer by Caitlyn Sommers, a current junior at the University of Pennsylvania and branch manager for "Ivy Insiders," a top-tier SAT/ACT preparation service staffed by Ivy League students. (See Caitlyn's profile here).

Caitlyn, herself a high-achiever on the SAT, knows the ropes of the test and will be able to show our students how to get there step-by-step. We will make the course as affordable as possible for the students, well below the current rates for Kaplan and similar courses - and more effective at the same time.


ACTs

Juniors must also think seriously about taking the ACTs, a nationally recognized alternative to the SATs. Many students from our area have found that they can score better on the ACTs than the SATs. I myself have seen this work. When your ACT score reaches a higher national percentile than your SATs - bingo! - you make it into a better scholarship category, even though the college has both scores. (Admissions counselors do not "average" the two scores.)


SUBJECT TESTS

Next, we have to talk about SAT subject tests. There are several reasons to take them. First, they are required for applications to the better colleges. Second, they show your achievement in an areas not covered by the SAT general test. You should take two or more subject tests in the areas where you do best. Third, SAT subject tests demonstrate to a college that you are developing special interests, and they like that. It tells them more about you. It also gives you a chance to "show off." Even if your score is not off the charts, chances are your ability will shine through. Subjects tests are offered in: Literature, Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, U.S. History, World History, Mathematics (level 1 and 2), Italian, and Latin.


REGISTRATION

I have already encouraged juniors to enroll in subject tests for May 1st. Another opportunity is coming soon after, June 5th. Although this is Montfort's graduation day, you should not miss a valuable opportunity to show what you have learned this year, especially in Literature and US History, two courses with AP-approved curricula. You can register on the College Board web site.

Juniors: Don't wait, act now! Sophomores: Get ready to spring into action!
It's your future...and God has big plans for you!!!

Sincerely,
John Pilsner