Pathways to Elite Colleges

Editor's note: I asked Noodle Pros to explain how tutoring works and how it might benefit private high school students. Their professional tutors provided the answers to the questions below. ~Rob Kennedy

Noodle Pros is an exclusive group of experienced, professional tutors who work in all tests and subjects from pre-kindergarten to graduate school. Tutors are available in 11 major U.S. cities, internationally, and online.

1. At what age should parents consider having their children tutored? What are the warning signs that some remediation is necessary?

Kalen Lister, Pre K-8 Expert: Parents can begin tutoring their children at four years of age to prepare their youngsters for the Pre-K admissions exams and interview readiness. While it seems surprisingly early to some, it can be a positive experience, one that helps kids forge an enthusiastic relationship with learning. Most children enjoy the special time and attention that the one-on-one format provides. Furthermore, they will be more calm and confident on test day if they have been exposed to critical concepts and the various test formats which they will encounter. This usually translates to better scores. Also, a good tutor can provide guidance to the parents about the types of games that will help deepen spatial, phonetic, arithmetic, and aural reasoning.

Many families, however, start incorporating tutoring when their children are in elementary school for any range of remedial needs, test preparation, executive functioning skills, application and interview coaching, and enrichment. If your child exhibits any of

10 Things To Do Before You Graduate

As you journey through high school, it's easy to get caught up in the daily routine of classes, homework, and extracurricular activities. However, there are certain experiences and skills that can greatly enhance your educational experience and prepare you for success beyond graduation.

Have you seen some of those lists with titles like 50 Things You Must Do Before You Graduate From College?

• I like the idea of lists. It keeps me focused. However, some of those lists I read made me wonder what on earth they were thinking.
• With tuition and fees running $80,000 or more at a private college, I thought that most of the items were a total waste of time and effort.
• Consequently, I offer the following 10 worthwhile things to do before you graduate from private school.

1. Earn strong SAT scores.

This assumes that you are attending a school that prepares you for the SAT, one of the standardized tests that you take as part of getting admitted to college.

• The SAT, just like other standardized tests, tests your knowledge gained over several years.
• While you can certainly take a couple of practice teststo get a feel for the test and work to the clock, really, the best preparation for the SAT is your day-by-day conscientious learning.
• You cannot cram preparation for the SAT.

This video offers some strategies for critical reading.

Add things up, and you’ll quickly find the answer – math is crucial both in academics and the real world.

To progress through high school to college and beyond, you better make sure your math skills are strong enough to face the gauntlet of exams, SATs, and more. Mathematics opens up career opportunities and helps students develop critical problem-solving skills that they can use for the rest of their lives.

We spoke with some experts in mathematics and learning to get some quick tips on improving your math skills. “Math is used in almost all parts of our lives, from sciences and computers to music and art,” states Tanya Mitchell, the Vice President of Research and Development for brain training company LearningRx. Tanya says that math struggles often relate to weak cognitive skills, not genetics, gender, age, or study habits. Students can uncover their weaknesses and conquer math by following these strategies and following personal training programs.

1. Write out your work.

It may be basic, but writing out your work is an essential rule to doing great math. Alison Dillard, Owner, is a huge proponent of “show your work.” “Writing out your work will help you take complicated questions and break them down into logical pieces and steps. This will cut down on careless errors, which will improve your test scores and grades. Being able to write down step-by-step how to solve a question will inherently increase your understanding of it.” Good old-fashioned pencil

A couple of years ago I wrote 5 Ways to Support Your School in which I examined the ways you can support your school financially. That article was aimed at private school graduates and discussed how they could support the school which had given them such a good start. Now let's look at how parents can get involved with their child's school.

The old standbys still exist. Helping chaperone a field trip and bringing in a plate of cookies or cupcakes are still welcomed. Mind you, these days you have to make sure that you have liability insurance for the trips and must take care to avoid ingredients that might cause an allergic reaction, such as peanuts. Once those matters have been dealt with trips and cookies are always popular.

Why get involved?

Aren't you busy enough? You have a full-time career. Your wife's job requires her to travel frequently. How on earth are you going to find time to be involved with your child's school? Practical excuses aside, you want to be involved with your child's school to show your support for the school and its programs.

This event at The Hockaday School, Dallas Texas, was made very memorable because of all the parents who attended.

I served on my youngest daughter's class parents committee. If I remember correctly, we met once a month. We were charged with raising money to buy

The two main college admissions tests are SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and ACT (American College Testing). Each of these tests generates a high degree of angst for juniors and seniors. I suppose a certain amount of concern is justified especially if you have not been a good student during your middle and high school.

What is the purpose of these tests?

Both SAT and ACT are designed to assess a student's readiness for college-level academic work.

"The SAT and SAT Subject Tests are designed to assess your academic readiness for college. These exams provide a path to opportunities, financial support, and scholarships, in a way that's fair to all students. The SAT and SAT Subject Tests keep pace with what colleges are looking for today, measuring the skills required for success in the 21st century."

This clip from the College Board explains the SAT.

Here is a brief description of what the ACT test comprises:

"The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject area tests in English, Mathematics, Reading &Science

The ACT Plus Writing includes the four subject area tests plus a 30-minute Writing Test.

ACT results are accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the US.

The ACT includes 215 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes to complete, including a short break (or just over four hours if you are taking