Articles & Videos

Commit To ACT or SAT Prep For the Money

For students who need help making a school-year commitment to serious ACT or SAT prep. It can be hard to find motivation. Our founder, Mark Greenstein, explains why you should commit to seriously preparing for college admission tests. Concentrated test preparation shows your academic authority and dedication to continually grow and develop.

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Visiting College Campuses: How, When, and Why?

Should you visit a college campus you are applying to? Ivy Bound owner Mark Greenstein answers some of the most common questions parents and students have about campus visits. For over 20 years, Ivy Bound Test Prep and Academic Tutoring has helped students accomplish their academic goals. The academic admissions process is familiar territory for our tutors and staff. Call today to see how we can help.

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“Test Optional” is not “Test Blind”

Are you thinking about applying to a university early decision without submitting your ACT or SAT scores? Learn how the word "test optional" might deceive students and harm their chances of acceptance. Ivy Bound's Mark Greenstein presents the most up-to-date information on why you should submit your test scores to improve your chances of acceptance. Call today to learn how we can help your student

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What Looks Good On College Applications?

Is your family trying to determine what looks good on college applications? SAT or ACT scores help students who want to get into good colleges, and this is especially true for African-Americans who want to go to top schools. But everybody needs something more. Mark Greenstein of Ivy Bound shows parents and students what makes a college application stand out.

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Are AP Classes Worth It?

Ivy Bound's Mark Greenstein helps students and parents assess the importance of APs, honors, IB, and challenging university classes for college admission. For SAT and ACT Prep, Ivy Bound's tailoring, its materials, and its talented tutors yield great results for students, over 140 point average SAT increases, and nearly 14 section-point ACT score increases.

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Do I Need To Take The SAT?

The SAT is a huge admissions helper for ambitious minority students. At most universities, the SAT is also a significant helper to their parents in the form of scholarships. The SAT is primarily a test of skills, among them reasoning skills. Boosting those skills is what we do best at Ivy Bound, and we are here to help you towards that goal.

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Exceptions to “Test Optional” Rules: Who Needs to Show VERY High SAT Scores?

The big exception on admission to "test optional" colleges. These students need to show SAT scores WELL above the university’s published median. Students with few to no extracurricular activities that colleges appreciate need to show scores 100+ points above the published medians to feel good about admission to a given college.

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Early Decision Statistics Among Elite Colleges

Many elite schools saw a dramatic increase in applications, especially early applications, with Princeton up 18 percent and Columbia, Duke, Dartmouth, and Cornell reporting the largest early application pools in their histories.All Ivy League institutions and many other selective colleges have released their early admissions stats*. We've compiled them below and will continue to update the numbers applying to, and accepted by, these elite institutions.

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College Prep Suggestions for Teens and Parents

Before a student even begins the college search, he or she will have to deal with things like taking college preparation classes in advanced mathematics and language arts, including foreign languages, visiting college fairs and college campuses, and determining a course of university study. The list offered here is the result of experience with thousands of  college-bound students and their parents who have been through the process. We hope that, as you apply to college and then bask in the joy of college acceptance, you'll see the process as a journey that is manageable -- and maybe even enjoyable -- with the right resources.  

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