Pathways to Elite Colleges

4 Best Studying Apps for Students and Teachers

The game has changed- studying is no longer relegated to just pen and paper but technology like mobile and online apps. Today, students can learn both in and out of the classroom better than ever before. Ubiquitous platforms like email, Gchat, and Skype have crossed the boundary from personal tools to media that provide practical means to complete academic work.

Brad Zomick, Content Manager at killedUp, says these changes have already become engrained in education. Now, technology and apps are simply a way of life for matriculating students. "A virtual whiteboard is something that's becoming increasingly popular for teachers and students. You're able to access whiteboard notes from wherever you are. Textbooks, once a hallmark of high school and college students alike, are disappearing. Buying electronic textbooks is huge for students. Not only does it cut down on costs, but it saves you from carrying around a heavy backpack all day."

Don't forget about online courses from ultra-comprehensive providers like SkilledUp. "Now anyone can learn what they want through an online course. Some don't necessarily give you a degree at the end of it, but it does make you more valuable for employers. And, you get to learn something new!"

4 Top Apps for Students and Teachers

We've polled veteran educators and students to find some of the most excellent apps for studying. Check out the

The National Tutoring Association has crafted a fine Code of Ethics for its members. While I am well aware that most tutors do not belong to a national organization such as the NTA, nonetheless the NTA's Code of Ethics presents a set of guidelines by which you and I as parents can evaluate the tutors we hire for our children. For sake of this discussion, I also include any teacher who primarily works on a 1 on 1 basis as a tutor. For example, piano, art, and dance instructors, as well as the math and English tutors you will expect to encounter.

Using the NTA's Code of Ethics I have offered comments on each of their tenets. Use these comments to help you assess and evaluate any tutor you hire.

Code of Ethics

The National Tutoring Association is dedicated to providing its members with opportunities to achieve and maintain high professional standards for tutors and administrators of tutoring programs and services.

I understand that my role as a tutor is to enable students to do their own work using the best learning approach possible.

RK: The extra time and attention which a tutor affords his students make it possible for them to understand the material presented. More importantly, a tutor can take time to explain the variations and possibilities inherent in the original problem so that his student is able to recognize them when they do occur. Equipping students to do their own work is

Ever wish you could pick the brain of A+ students? Well, we did it for you — we spoke with dozens of students and educators to find out their secrets for success.

Everything they had to say is compiled here. There’s short term techniques to get you started on your way as well as long term tips to maintain your achievements.

Happy studying! And remember — grades aren’t everything. Use them as a tool to measure your learning, not as a goal in and of themselves.

1. Know your learning style.

Different study strategies work better for different people, and knowing your learning style will help you understand which study methods work best for you. Take this 20 question quiz to find out your learning style!

- Aaron Harris, Harvard alum and CEO of Tutorspree

2. Color code your notes.

If you write notes by hand, have a black pen, red pen, blue pen, and green pen handy. If you take notes on the computer be prepared to change the color of the text. When the teacher gets to a number or date you need to remember, write the numbers in red. If your professor throws out an important term or definition, put the term in blue. And if you need to remember places or famous names, put them in green. Everything else, keep in black.

When you study, memorize the

College Counseling in Private High Schools

"Which colleges should I apply to, Mom?" That question will be very much on your child's mind as she begins her junior year of high school. Of course, you have been worrying about which college she should attend since she was a toddler. But now, this critical question is very much on her radar. Fortunately for both of you, this is another instance where sending your child to a private school will give her an advantage over most public high schools. Why? College counseling is a function and job responsibility that private schools take seriously. Private schools are not likely to cut staff in this area. Remember when you were choosing a private school for your child? You reviewed the colleges where various schools' graduates had been accepted and were attending. You remember thinking that the colleges listed for the graduates of the school where you decided to send your child were pretty much the kind of tertiary-level institutions you had in mind for her anyway.

There are several advantages a private school can offer over most public schools. For example, small class sizes and individual attention are given. Sports programs and extracurricular activities also make the list. But what about college advising? In the first place, getting a solid college education is probably one of the reasons you sent your child to a private school. You read the course catalog and approved of the breadth and depth of the school's

The Safety Factor

As you well know, there are several reasons why you are considering private school for your child. Her safety is on your list, albeit somewhere below other considerations such as the academics, athletics, and extracurricular activities when you first start thinking about schools. Safety is not usually an issue in private schools. Indeed, school violence is not often found in private schools. In fact, the only examples of which I am aware in recent years consist of a few scattered incidents of hazing and cyber-bullying. I won't scare you with examples of school violence in public schools. You see and read about these incidents every day, both at home and abroad. Instead, let's explore some of the reasons and factors that make private schools safe places for your child. You can check that box on your list of questions about private schools.

Discipline Codes

One of the most important reasons why private schools tend to be safe places for your children is because they all have discipline codes. These discipline codes are enforceable and, indeed, are enforced simply because you and your child entered into a legal contract with the school when you agreed to send your child to the school. As a result, when a student violates the code, there will be consequences, including expulsion. In a public school, students have constitutional rights. In a public school, due process must be followed before serious disciplinary consequences occur. That due process can take weeks