They’ve written tests and exams.

They’ve handed in countless projects and assignments.

They studied hours upon hours.

They’ve written and passed entrance exams.

They’ve applied to schools and have been accepted.

But, just how ready is your teen for College or University?

Well, according to the US-based Alliance for Excellent Education, about one-third of college freshmen need to take a catch up course in reading, math or English. Other sources say that number of teens who are unprepared is as high as 75%.

The US is not alone; Some 55% of Ontario professors think that first-year university students are not as prepared as they should be, and are  lacking in critical thinking skills.

And many students themselves share similar sentiments, worrying about handling the increased workload and academic demands of university.

So, what can be done to ensure that teens are ready for higher education and  will be able to avoid the first year drop out crises?

If necessary, take a victory lap to review key subjects.  Or, consider taking a year off to renew school motivation.  Better yet, contact Oxford Learning to take a course that develops top-notch study skills, teaches test-taking techniques, perfects time management abilities, and improves critical thinking abilities.

Contact your local Oxford Learning centre to find out more about our College and University Prep Courses.

Jan 13th is the application deadline for university and colleges in Ontario. There may be various application processes and deadlines across Canada and the US, but one thing is always the same—applying to college or university is competitive and stressful! So, with that in mind, we’ve complied 8 tips for stress-free college and university application.

1. Don’t know what you want to study? Don’t worry! A general arts and sciences program is a great way to get a better feel for what your interests are. Colleges and universities have departments in place to help you make the best decisions for you. Be sure to take advantage of these resources—that’s what they’re there for.

2. Pick up the phone. Haven’t heard anything yet? Wondering if your application was received? If possible, find out the expected date when acceptance letters will be sent out to reduce waiting-related stress. Call the registrar’s office. Remember that there is no such thing as a stupid question. Getting answers is better than the stress of wondering.

3. Submit before deadline. Different schools have different regulations and deadlines, but applying before the deadline never hurts.

4. Have a plan/Do your research. Talk to guidance counselors and friends. Request catalogues, visit campuses, and join university and college social media groups. Even after you’ve applied, keep researching and continue to find out as much about the school, the campus, and the departments as possible.

5. Be realistic. If you have a 70% average, applying to schools that have an 85% acceptance averages is not the best strategy. If you know the school’s acceptance averages beforehand, and applied to schools in your range, your acceptance chances increase, which decreases stress levels.

6. Be organized. Keep track of submission dates and expected offer dates. Use an agenda or wall calendar. That way, you’ll know when to start watching for those big envelopes in the mail! Keep all your required submission materials such as student records, essays, and other forms in one place in case you need to refer to them later.

7. Have a back up plan in place. This is not negative—it’s realistic. Didn’t get in? Money fell through? What’s your plan B?

8. Breathe! Once the forms are submitted, relax. Take a deep breath. Take a night off. Then get back to work! High School isn’t over yet and there’s still time to pull up your average and increase your chance of admission!

Hello Head Office!

We just wanted to share the joy. We enrolled Aaron last December, and he will no longer need anymore help from Oxford Learning. How do we know? Well, it turns out that Aaron has just been accepted into the University of Hartford!

This former C student, who is now on the honor roll has what it takes to go onto higher education – and early admission no less! Aaron’s SAT score reflected his new abilities and new skills, thanks to all the preparation that he did with us!

Aaron came to us because he had very few college prospects with a 2.0 GPA, and less than 750 SAT score. His new GPA is 3.2 and his new and improved SAT score? Over 1000!

We cried when he showed us his acceptance letter — we were just so proud of him!

We know that all students have this potential. It is possible. To find out more about our SAT Plus program click here, or to find a location near you, click here.

Dear Oxford Learning,

My name is Lynn Sampson. I have been studying at Oxford Learning for almost a year now, and have been seeing great changes in my work habits. I’m receiving a lot of school support as well as developing extended study skills. These skills have helped me through the past year at school. They have helped to organize my time, study for tests, write an essay and remember important information.

I’m really grateful to have come across such a great program, especially in my last year of high school. I’m not even worried about taking the SAT. And, these important life tools that I’ve been taught will be carried with me into university and used throughout the rest of my life.

I recommend Oxford for anyone who is seeking not only the right answers, but for carefully thought-out skills that can be used in any aspect of life.

Thanks so much!

Lynn Sampson
Fruit Cove, Florida

Regardless of whether you’re writing the SAT, the ACT, or another important test or exam, here are several important tips from Oxford Learning and the American School Counselor Associationto help you achieve your best score:

Get your tools together

On the evening prior to the test or exam, gather all the tools needed: the admission ticket and a valid form of photo identification (for the SAT and ACT), several sharpened #2 pencils, an eraser, a calculator with fresh batteries (for the SAT only), a watch, and a high-energy snack.

Sleep on it

Hopefully, you’ve already done the hard work of studying. The night before before the test, the best thing to is to get a good night’s rest. You’ve read and re-read the content and perfected the skills. Now it’s time to get calm, rested, confident, and ready to write.

That layered look

The temperature in testing rooms can vary from too warm to too cool, and you need to be comfortable to do your best. Be prepared by dressing in layers so you can add or remove a layer or two if necessary.

Get there early

You don’t want to stress yourself before the test by getting there with little time to spare or not being able to find the test location. In fact, you may wish to visit your test location before test day to confirm that you know where you’re going.

Budget your time wisely

Because each SAT and ACT question is worth the same number of points, you should try and allot the same amount of time for each question. If a question confuses you, don’t panic. Progress to a question you can do, and come back to more difficult questions if you have time at the end of a section. And don’t fret about experimental questions on the SAT and ACT. They can be well-hidden and scattered throughout the sections. Doing your best on every question is the best strategy.

Beware of traps

On the SAT, obvious answer choices early in a set may be correct. Obvious choices near the end of a set are often booby traps.

Take a guess

On the SAT, if you can eliminate one answer choice, you should always guess. The test penalizes you 1/4 of a point for multiple-choice questions. Therefore. if you eliminate one wrong answer choice, your odds of success are better than the penalty of failure. The more wrong answers you can eliminate, the better that ratio shifts in your favor! And, you should always guess on grid-ins, since a wrong answer and a blank answer are scored the same.

On the ACT, there is no penalty for wrong answers, so never leave a question unanswered.

Fill in carefully

When completing the answer grid, make sure you’re filling in answers next to the right numbers.

Relax

Your attitude and outlook are most important to how you perform on test-day performance. Be confident and do your best.

Get help if you need it

If you needs help preparing for the SAT or ACT, remember that Oxford Learning can help. To find out more about our innovative SAT Plus program that prepares every student to get the highest test score, plus teaches advanced learning and study skills to succeed in college or university, please click here.

Your teenager is headed to college soon with the aim of getting a high test score on the SAT or the ACT. But which test will provide your son or daughter with the best opportunity to be admitted to the best schools?

Historically, geography plays a major role in whether students take the SAT or the ACT. Students who live in the midwestern U.S. normally take the ACT. Students who live on the east and west coasts usually write the SAT.

That said, it’s important to note, that regardless of where an applicant lives, many colleges accept scores from both the ACT and the SAT. In addition, there is a current trend for students from SAT-dominant areas to take the ACT (and vice versa). Some students are hedging their bets by choosing to take both tests.

Which test a student should take really depends on his or her strengths. You and your teen should remember that the SAT is considered to be a “reasoning” test. It measures a student’s critical reading, math, and writing skills, while not requiring that student to draw upon specific content from his or her high school courses.

Conversely, the ACT is an “assessment” test. It measures your student’s academic readiness for college with test sections on English, math, reading, and science.

Differences also exist in the way the SAT and the ACT test math. While the new SAT includes more challenging math, it still only tests up to Algebra II. The ACT has always included trigonometry.

Additional differences exist in regards to the ways the SAT and the ACT are scored and how the scores get reported to colleges.

To help you decide which test your teen should take, find out the details of each test and which test is required by the schools being applied to. You should also discuss the tests with with a guidance counselor.

Whichever test your teen takes, the key thing is to make sure he or she has everything needed to prepare for the tests. If your child needs help preparing for the SAT or ACT, remember that Oxford Learning can help.

To find out more about our innovative SAT Plus program that prepares every student to get the highest test score, plus teaches advanced learning and study skills to succeed in college, please click here.