Danielle is a blogger and instructor for Victory Step. Danielle's contact's information - daniellecocanougher@gmail.com
New York University has its own type of notoriety. Although the school is known for its academic achievements, the university is more often singled out for it’s unbeatable location, celebrity attendees and unusual day-to-day realities. All of these factors make being a student at NYU unlike almost every other college experience, but the university still always ranks as one of students’ top “dream” schools in the Princeton Review’s annual College Hopes and Worries Survey (this year it ranked number three).
So with that in mind, I wanted to break down what it’s really like attending one of the most popular and most interesting universities in the nation. Then you can decide for yourself if NYU is your type of dream.
1. The people are amazing, and it’s a double-edged sword.
In general, every student, professor and staff member at NYU has an incredible story to tell. The professors are almost always big names in the industry or field that they teach and their personal accomplishments are beyond impressive.
As for the average NYU student, he or she is the type of student who did well in high school and took the time to study for the SAT – the middle score for students ranges from low-600’s to mid-700’s in each section. But most of the students also have a tendency to be unreasonably successful and interesting for their age. For example, one student was born in India but grew up in Japan and speaks five languages. The next published her first novel at the age of 16 and is now working on a degree in Biochemical Engineering, while balancing two part-time internships. And no, I’m not exaggerating.
In fact, I always liked to joke that at NYU, no matter how cool you think you are, the person sitting next to you is probably cooler – especially since there’s a pretty good chance you’re sitting next to Dakota Fanning. But like I said above, it’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, being constantly surrounded by a high-level of success and ambition can be intimidating and overwhelming. At the same time, it always drove me to work harder and improve my own credentials, which is something I know will serve me well in the professional world.
2. The city is your campus.
Technically, the main campus is located near Washington Square Park, where the largest cluster of NYU-owned buildings gives its students a relative degree of isolation. I say relative, because no matter how many purple flags you see flying over the buildings’ entrances, the truth is that Manhattan dominates. At other schools, students walk out of their classrooms and find more students, more classrooms. At NYU, as soon as you step outside the building you are not a student; you are a New Yorker.
And although there are certainly downsides to this sort of vulnerability – “I think that hobo just spit on me,” or “Mom, hold on I can’t hear you, there are five fire trucks driving by right now” – it does give you a special sort of spunk.
3. NYU is the school for students who wouldn’t quite fit in anywhere else.
NYU students are hard to categorize. They come from a variety of backgrounds and have a huge range of interests. Because of their many differences, it seems unlikely that the student body would ever willingly gel together to create the same sort of community one would see at a school like the University of Texas. This is partially due to a lack of huge, campus-wide events such as football games (NYU does not have a football team), and partially because the students are naturally independent.
But there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in the university on a smaller scale. NYU has a massive student body (over 19,000 students are currently enrolled in the undergraduate program alone), and it is made up of tons of tight-knit communities. Student life has a little something for everyone and 99% of the time there will be a club that fits you. If for some reason you can’t find a club celebrating your interests, NYU strongly encourages you to start one.
And no matter what, simply being a NYU student connects you to each and every one of your peers. There is a lot of common ground, from complaining about the subway traffic to bragging about which celebrity you saw on the way to class that day. At the very least, you can always chat about the crazy old man who directs student traffic and keeps everyone on schedule outside of Washington Square Park. Go visit the campus, and you’ll know exactly whom I’m talking about.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Should Students be Paid to Score Well on the SAT?
In 1996, a group called Advanced Placement Strategies had a radical idea: why not just pay students to do better on tests?
Thus the Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP) was born. APIP offers money to students and teachers for improving scores on AP tests. Under this program, students who score a 3 or above can receive between $100 and $500, and teachers can receive up to a $15,000 bonus if their students are successful.
Not surprisingly, some people are offended by the idea of paying students to get an education. In fact, when a Harvard economist named Roland Fryer tried to perform some of his own experiments, he received death threats. And even though more and more school districts are giving APIP, or something like it, a shot, many schools have rejected the idea outright.
It isn’t that this kind of solution isn’t effective; in fact, APIP seems to be very successful. It began in 10 schools in Dallas, and now exists in over 60 around the country. According to the APS website, school districts participating in this program have seen a 1089% increase in qualifying AP scores since the program began.
According to a research done at Cornell University, districts which have joined the APIP have seen improvements in other academic areas as well. Kirabo Jackson of Cornell writes that some of these schools have seen “a 30 percent increase in the number of students scoring above 1100 on the SAT or 24 on the ACT, and an 8 percent increase in the number of students who matriculate in college.”
Some people may object that they don’t want their tax money to contribute to this kind of thing, but most of the program’s funding doesn’t come from taxes: about 75% comes from private donors. Other people may argue that $500 is just too high a bonus for high school students, but the number is not entirely arbitrary. Part of its justification is that the money students receive helps to offset the cost of taking AP exams, which can run almost as high as $100 per test.
Some details of the APIP approach still need to be worked out. For instance, is it better to pay students for output (getting good grades), or for input (putting in the work to get good grades)? APIP uses the first approach, but Fryer’s research shows that the second approach may be better.
So let’s say it works: there are still questions to answer. Even if APIP improves test scores, is it a good idea? What about the lessons that it teaches students? Does paying students to learn keep them from appreciating the value of knowledge for its own sake? Does it make kids spoiled or shallow? Is Time magazine correct in calling it a “bribe?” These types of questions are difficult to answer.
One thing that I think everyone can agree on is that even though improving test scores is important, it can’t be schools’ only focus. Standardized test scores don’t necessarily say anything about how much a student has learned. Paying students to score well on AP tests can only address a very small part of a very big problem.
Advanced Placement Strategies < http://www.apstrategies.org/>
Fryer Jr., Roland G. “Financial Incentives and Student Achievement: Evidence from Randomized Trials.” Quarterly Journal of Economics. (May 2011). < http://www.edlabs.harvard.edu/pdf/studentincentives.pdf>
Jackson, C. Kirabo. “Cash for Test Scores: The Impact of the Texas Advanced Placement Incentive Program.” Education Next. Vol. 8, No. 4 (Fall 2008).
http://educationnext.org/cash-for-test-scores/
Jackson, C. Kirabo. “A Little Now for a Lot Later: A Look at a Texas Advanced Placement Incentive Program.” Working Papers. 2007.
Ripley, Amanda. “Should Kids Be Bribed To Do Well in School?” Time. (April 8, 2010). < http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1978758,00.html>
Thus the Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP) was born. APIP offers money to students and teachers for improving scores on AP tests. Under this program, students who score a 3 or above can receive between $100 and $500, and teachers can receive up to a $15,000 bonus if their students are successful.
Not surprisingly, some people are offended by the idea of paying students to get an education. In fact, when a Harvard economist named Roland Fryer tried to perform some of his own experiments, he received death threats. And even though more and more school districts are giving APIP, or something like it, a shot, many schools have rejected the idea outright.
It isn’t that this kind of solution isn’t effective; in fact, APIP seems to be very successful. It began in 10 schools in Dallas, and now exists in over 60 around the country. According to the APS website, school districts participating in this program have seen a 1089% increase in qualifying AP scores since the program began.
According to a research done at Cornell University, districts which have joined the APIP have seen improvements in other academic areas as well. Kirabo Jackson of Cornell writes that some of these schools have seen “a 30 percent increase in the number of students scoring above 1100 on the SAT or 24 on the ACT, and an 8 percent increase in the number of students who matriculate in college.”
Some people may object that they don’t want their tax money to contribute to this kind of thing, but most of the program’s funding doesn’t come from taxes: about 75% comes from private donors. Other people may argue that $500 is just too high a bonus for high school students, but the number is not entirely arbitrary. Part of its justification is that the money students receive helps to offset the cost of taking AP exams, which can run almost as high as $100 per test.
Some details of the APIP approach still need to be worked out. For instance, is it better to pay students for output (getting good grades), or for input (putting in the work to get good grades)? APIP uses the first approach, but Fryer’s research shows that the second approach may be better.
So let’s say it works: there are still questions to answer. Even if APIP improves test scores, is it a good idea? What about the lessons that it teaches students? Does paying students to learn keep them from appreciating the value of knowledge for its own sake? Does it make kids spoiled or shallow? Is Time magazine correct in calling it a “bribe?” These types of questions are difficult to answer.
One thing that I think everyone can agree on is that even though improving test scores is important, it can’t be schools’ only focus. Standardized test scores don’t necessarily say anything about how much a student has learned. Paying students to score well on AP tests can only address a very small part of a very big problem.
Advanced Placement Strategies < http://www.apstrategies.org/>
Fryer Jr., Roland G. “Financial Incentives and Student Achievement: Evidence from Randomized Trials.” Quarterly Journal of Economics. (May 2011). < http://www.edlabs.harvard.edu/pdf/studentincentives.pdf>
Jackson, C. Kirabo. “Cash for Test Scores: The Impact of the Texas Advanced Placement Incentive Program.” Education Next. Vol. 8, No. 4 (Fall 2008).
http://educationnext.org/cash-for-test-scores/
Jackson, C. Kirabo. “A Little Now for a Lot Later: A Look at a Texas Advanced Placement Incentive Program.” Working Papers. 2007.
Ripley, Amanda. “Should Kids Be Bribed To Do Well in School?” Time. (April 8, 2010). < http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1978758,00.html>
Friday, December 2, 2011
To Tutor or Not to Tutor, That is a Good Question!
Parents who want to help their students do well on their standardized exams face a tough decision when they seek help for their students. Should they seek the help of a private tutor, or would the student do better in a classroom setting? There is no hard and fast answer to this question. Each student is different, and their educational needs are different, not to mention troubles with scheduling classes around clubs and sports. However, for the parent who’s on the fence about the issue, here are some general guidelines to aid you in the decision.
Private tutoring might be the best option for highly motivated students who already have above average SAT or ACT scores and simply seek to improve them enough to be more competitive in admissions to certain universities. These students benefit from the flexibility of private tutoring, which allows them to work with their tutor at their own pace, breezing through material they already understand while slowing down for their weak points on the test. Further, students who fall into this category have already gained mastery of the basic concepts in each section and use their private tutoring sessions to focus on the advanced concepts. Private tutoring best suits these students by building upon the foundations already laid by their previous education and by tailoring lessons to what the individual student needs to learn specifically.
On the other end of the spectrum, motivated students who have done poorly in the past on standardized tests could benefit greatly from private tutoring. These students need the focused help and attention of a private tutor in order to uncover systemic errors in their critical thinking process. A private tutor can work through each problem with the student step-by-step in order to correct the logic the student uses in finding the answer. Private tutoring also allows for a slower pace in covering the material, so that all the student’s questions can be answered thoroughly, and information can be covered repeatedly as needed.
Finally, private tutoring is a good alternative for students whose busy schedules would prevent them from attending a regular class. After all, signing up for an SAT prep course does not automatically give a boost to your score. Therefore, if a student cannot commit to a regular weekly schedule of classes in addition to school, sports, clubs and the like, private tutoring can be a flexible option to work with the schedule the student already has.
All of this is not to say that other students cannot benefit from private tutoring. Any student can, so long as he or she has the motivation to focus during the time with his or her tutor. Conversely, this is also not to say that these types of students would not benefit from a classroom program. These sorts of programs allow students to learn from each other as well as the instructor by allowing them to see a number of approaches to a problem or different questions raised from different perspectives. It also helps students to focus in a way, as the attentiveness of one student often encourages it in others. Finally, it creates good-natured rivalries between classmates that encourages them to try to outdo the other, motivating them by using another’s success as the bar to surpass.
As an instructor, I find that students benefit most from a combination of both classroom instruction and private tutoring. It allows the students to learn the strategies in class and put them into practice on their practice exams while giving them time to cover problems they personally face in each of the sections.
Whether you decide on private tutoring, a class, or both, the important thing is to find help for your student in whatever way will best aid him or her in preparing for this exam.
Toni Whalen is an instructor with Victory Step.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Victory Step in Fort Worth, TX - Coming Soon!
In keeping with our company’s goal of helping every student reach their full academic potential, we here at Victory Step are opening our new office in Fort Worth very soon! We hope this new location will help us reach out to college-bound students in Ft Worth and surrounding areas.
The new location will offer the same excellent services as our Dallas and Irving offices, with private instruction and group classes available from our highly qualified, caring instructors, at the same affordable prices. We plan to open our doors by first week of January!
As always, we encourage our clients to share their experiences and success stories with friends and family, and to take advantage of our Refer ‘n’ Win program. With the opening of our new location, more students than ever before will be able to improve their standardized test scores!
Take a step toward your bright future today!
The new location will offer the same excellent services as our Dallas and Irving offices, with private instruction and group classes available from our highly qualified, caring instructors, at the same affordable prices. We plan to open our doors by first week of January!
As always, we encourage our clients to share their experiences and success stories with friends and family, and to take advantage of our Refer ‘n’ Win program. With the opening of our new location, more students than ever before will be able to improve their standardized test scores!
Take a step toward your bright future today!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Study Skills and The Wall Street Journal
Toni Whalen is an instructor with Victory Step.
A recent Wall Street Journal article addressed a pressing question that most students have, especially with their SAT’s and ACT’s coming up. The article, “Toughest Exam Question: What is the best way to study?” does not specifically outline how you should prepare for each and every test. It does, however, give some good, general advice to young scholars that can help them to retain information.
The article touches, directly and indirectly, on two main parts of Victory Step’s test preparation strategy. First, the article covers how repetitive studying helps students best retain information. Of course, studying for the SAT is not quite like studying for a history exam. You cannot simply memorize names, dates and facts in order to pass this sort of exam. What you can do, though, is practice the same sorts of skills over and over in order to build them up so that you will be ready for any question they throw your way. It’s a bit like building up your muscles by weight-lifting, except instead of working on your skeletal muscles, you work on a different kind of muscle: your brain.
Certainly this information is not new; yet many students still skim through a test prep book once and expect that will help their scores. Thankfully, Victory Step’s founder, Varun Tewari, recognized the importance of repetition in test preparation and based our classroom program off of this idea. Students do not simply memorize formulas for a few hours and then take their exam. They learn the skills in class at least once, practice the skills on their homework and on their four practice exams, and cover the skills one more time with the instructor in a review class. This way, each student has the chance to cover each type of question a number of times before facing down the real test.
Second, the article implicitly addresses how preparation for tests must be long-term. This means in the weeks before a major exam, students should study diligently piece by piece so that they are prepared the day of the exam. Students should also prepare by developing good eating and sleeping habits, especially in the days before a big test, in order to get their minds working in top form.
Of course, some students still think cramming can help them do better on a test. Victory Step holds a different opinion on that. Students in our classroom program spend six weeks learning our strategies and implementing them on practice exams before they ever have to face the real thing. This gives students the chance to absorb, process, and comprehend the information rather than trying to squeeze it in all at once. After all, it takes time to build up a muscle; you can’t just do it all at once.
While both of these strategies should be common sense to students, many students still ignore these strategies backed by wisdom and science. This is where Victory Step comes into play, giving students a structured classroom environment in which to prepare for their exams, where students cannot simply say, “I don’t feel like studying today.” That is why Victory Step has helped so many students achieve their goals on standardized testing.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
VS: Now Offering Private Tutoring in all Dallas and Ft. Worth Locations!
96% of Victory Step's first time callers become our customers. Here is why:
1. It's Flexible
You tell us what schedule works for you, and we will make it work. Victory Step's programs are entirely tailored to fit your needs. Whether you want to learn once a week or twice a week, whether you prefer short sessions or long, Victory Step will make it work for you!
2. It's Customizable
Victory Step understands that each student is different. Our experienced instructors will sit with you for a free consultation, and gauge your needs. Once we understand your strengths and weaknesses, we will design a program that addresses areas that you can target, to increase your scores dramatically!
3. It's Effective
Victory Step's instructors work with the students to maximize learning by stimulating them with fun-filled sessions. The programs are interesting, the concepts are unique, and the techniques used are eye-opening. It is no surprise that we have an excellent track record in score-improvement among our students.
4. It's Economical
Our rates are the lowest in the market, and we can guarantee that! All of our classes are taught by the best instructors, and we don't charge for "premium" instructors, unlike competition.
Call us today at 214 417 9406 or visit us online at http://www.victorysteponline.com to understand more about our private tutoring programs.
Message from the Founder!
Dear Students,
Your last SAT or ACT prep book may have been thicker than a regular phone book. That SAT/ACT prep class at your school is possibly being taught by someone who is completely boring and out of touch. Your friend's overpriced SAT/ACT tutor probably assigns him/her 300 practice problems each week.
Would you like to add hundreds of points to your SAT score in a few weeks, without doing thousands of practice problems? Would you like to make sure you get the SAT score you deserve, without risking thousands of dollars on a mundane SAT prep course? If you can add, subtract, multiply, or divide, if you have basic and general vocabulary, if you could use your "grammar ear" to answer basic grammar questions, then you already have the potential to quickly and easily boost your SAT score to levels you never dreamed possible.
I can confidently assure you that this whole process is much easier than you think. If you are anxious and nervous about getting a great SAT/ACT score, but are not willing to spend thousands of dollars or countless hours over mind numbingly boring questions, I have great news for you!
Victory Step was founded on the idea that there needs to be different, but better ways of doing things. There has to be a middle ground between expensive, boring test prep companies and self-study. Victory Step's methods, strategy and program pricing are re-defining the test preparation industry in and around Dallas, TX. After spending years working with students in one-on-one and classroom settings, we've learned what works and what does not. If you are aware of the right SAT/ACT tricks and strategies, your score can skyrocket quickly and easily. We have also learned that each student is different, with unique personalities, needs, and strengths. Victory Step's instructors and tutors have been thoroughly trained to instill confidence and motivation into each one of you. We build upon your unique strengths and help you deal with weaker areas. Most importantly, we help you identify yourself. We want to take you through the path to high scores while you actually enjoy the journey. Our classes are fun-filed, lively and highly interactive, and we stimulate you into tackling standardized test problems with ease. We have innovative study material, advanced methods and informative progress tracking. We back our services with score guarantees and satisfaction promise. No wonder Victory Step is one of the fastest growing and best-rated test prep companies in town.
Victory Step is also on a social mission to assist each student in need, regardless of his or her financial background. I believe that you deserve the opportunity to go to college, and also the necessary tools to get there. Victory Step offers merit-based and need-based scholarships for all of our programs to anyone that meet our requirements. Victory Step also offers flexible payment plans to further assist you.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website (www.victorysteponline.com). I invite you to explore what we have to offer and see if it fits your needs. I am confident that we can meet and even exceed your expectations, if given the chance. Call us with any questions you have, or if you need any clarification. Avail our special holiday rates on private tutoring and classroom training. Compare us with other offerings available in the area and read our reviews on Yahoo, Google and more, to learn about what I call the Victory Step Advantage. You can even schedule a free, no obligation consultation with one of our talented instructors. At Victory Step, we are committed to going above and beyond for one purpose- to get you into the college of your dreams.
Sincerely,
CEO & President
Victory Step LLC
Ph: 1 855 773 7744
Web: http://www.victorysteponline.com
Your last SAT or ACT prep book may have been thicker than a regular phone book. That SAT/ACT prep class at your school is possibly being taught by someone who is completely boring and out of touch. Your friend's overpriced SAT/ACT tutor probably assigns him/her 300 practice problems each week.
Would you like to add hundreds of points to your SAT score in a few weeks, without doing thousands of practice problems? Would you like to make sure you get the SAT score you deserve, without risking thousands of dollars on a mundane SAT prep course? If you can add, subtract, multiply, or divide, if you have basic and general vocabulary, if you could use your "grammar ear" to answer basic grammar questions, then you already have the potential to quickly and easily boost your SAT score to levels you never dreamed possible.
I can confidently assure you that this whole process is much easier than you think. If you are anxious and nervous about getting a great SAT/ACT score, but are not willing to spend thousands of dollars or countless hours over mind numbingly boring questions, I have great news for you!
Victory Step was founded on the idea that there needs to be different, but better ways of doing things. There has to be a middle ground between expensive, boring test prep companies and self-study. Victory Step's methods, strategy and program pricing are re-defining the test preparation industry in and around Dallas, TX. After spending years working with students in one-on-one and classroom settings, we've learned what works and what does not. If you are aware of the right SAT/ACT tricks and strategies, your score can skyrocket quickly and easily. We have also learned that each student is different, with unique personalities, needs, and strengths. Victory Step's instructors and tutors have been thoroughly trained to instill confidence and motivation into each one of you. We build upon your unique strengths and help you deal with weaker areas. Most importantly, we help you identify yourself. We want to take you through the path to high scores while you actually enjoy the journey. Our classes are fun-filed, lively and highly interactive, and we stimulate you into tackling standardized test problems with ease. We have innovative study material, advanced methods and informative progress tracking. We back our services with score guarantees and satisfaction promise. No wonder Victory Step is one of the fastest growing and best-rated test prep companies in town.
Victory Step is also on a social mission to assist each student in need, regardless of his or her financial background. I believe that you deserve the opportunity to go to college, and also the necessary tools to get there. Victory Step offers merit-based and need-based scholarships for all of our programs to anyone that meet our requirements. Victory Step also offers flexible payment plans to further assist you.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website (www.victorysteponline.com). I invite you to explore what we have to offer and see if it fits your needs. I am confident that we can meet and even exceed your expectations, if given the chance. Call us with any questions you have, or if you need any clarification. Avail our special holiday rates on private tutoring and classroom training. Compare us with other offerings available in the area and read our reviews on Yahoo, Google and more, to learn about what I call the Victory Step Advantage. You can even schedule a free, no obligation consultation with one of our talented instructors. At Victory Step, we are committed to going above and beyond for one purpose- to get you into the college of your dreams.
Sincerely,
CEO & President
Victory Step LLC
Ph: 1 855 773 7744
Web: http://www.victorysteponline.com
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