7 May

Top Test Prep Review - Reviews for TopTestPrep.com

We’ve been working with a company called Top Test Prep - at (http://toptestprep.com) for the past year and a half;  Top Test Prep provides private tutors, test preparation, and admissions counseling to help students get into the best boarding schools, best colleges, and best medical schools.  

Here’s how our program worked at Top Test Prep Reviews:

-Our office called the TTP team and inquired about adding some of the private tutors and admissions experts to our growing website.  Our focus would be tutoring, but we wanted some of our tutors to be in the top 1%. 

-After speaking with their test prep experts, we made it clear that we could only justify charging clients higher prices if we could offer the best tutors.

-Within 2 days, the Top Test Prep team provided us with several of their best tutors; additionally, we were given the option to work with admissions counselors who could guide parents on their kid’s applications to private schools, colleges and graduate school programs.

-After a month working with this company, we decided to expand our program and have families at StudyHall work with several more of their tutors.

-Our reluctance to initially signing our students up with Top Test Prep, was the cost of the program…. but if your scores are important to you - and you only want to work with the best… it’s worth it - 100%.  They focus on the best of the best schools and nothing can replace your education!

Here are the results from working with Top Test Prep:

-94% of our students saw an average 360+ point increase within 30 days on the SAT and ACT.   The remaining 6% saw an increase of at least 150 to 200 points on these exams.

-92% of our students got an average 12 to 15 point score increase on the MCAT.  The remaining 8% saw an increase of at least 7 points.

-93% of our students improved their SSAT and ISEE score by 200 to 300 points within 30 days.

-ALL Grad schools exam students (out of 100 in our program) for MCAT, GRE, LSAT and GMAT - increased their score;  only 3 did not complete their program as they decided to stay in current jobs.

-ALL private school applicants (boarding schools primarily) increased their scores (out of 45 in our program) - that’s 100% improvement.

Our Review of Top Test Prep

Yes, we would recommend parents give Top Test Prep a call;  They are qualified, dedicated professionals, and we’re happy to recommend them.  Their score results and increases speak highly of the quality and ambition of the TopTestPrep team.  Their private tutors are fantastic - the result of intensive training and commitment to families.

26 Apr

Hiring a PHP Developer - Washington DC

StudyHall is looking for a talented PHP developer skilled in all aspects of web development.

We are uber passionate about education, and want a developer who can share our mission for connecting students to the best instructors.  We’re based in Washington DC, near Sidwell Friends School.

The position:

PHP Developer at StudyHall

  • Proficiency in PHP 5 and object-oriented patterns
  • Proficiency in HTML, CSS, XML, CSV
  • Proficiency in Javascript and AJAX
  • Working knowledge of Zend Framework
  • Knowledge of HTML5 and Zurb Foundation (SASS)
  • Knowledge of SQL syntax and database set-up
Other skills:
  • Experience working with plugins and WordPress/Expression Engine
  • SEO hacks and sitemap capabilities
  • Experience working with Drupal and other open-source frameworks
  • Experience with third-party payment APIs, Stripe, Balanced - API working knowledge
  • Experience in developing web services (REST, RPC, JSON, XML, SOAP)
  • Experience with Github
  • Experience with unit testing and security checks
  • Experience with iOS and Mobile development (SDKs)

StudyHall was a TechCrunch Finalist (2012); StudyHall is a company dedicated to reimagining how students find the best talent to help them succeed. 

We’re building an education platform that provides students with a marketplace for connecting with top instructors.  

How can you apply? 

Email your resume to by May 15, 2013:

engineers@studyhall.com

19 Mar

Private Tutors in Washington DC

Check out Top Test Prep for private tutors in Washington DC.  They are an incredible company and we highly recommend them for test prep and tutoring in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

6 Mar

Reviews of The Site Slinger (Austin, TX company) Do not use SiteSlinger.

Our friends at Top Test Prep just posted a very interesting review on the company The Site Slinger, http://thesiteslinger.com/ and two people responsible for the company:  Nate McGuire and Connor Hood.  As we’re also a startup, it is sad that our friends there had to deal with these unprofessional people. 

We would also recommend NOT using The Site Slinger, and further that the Capital Factory think twice before having them associated with your co-working space.

They said this about Nate McGuire and Connor Hood (of The Site Slinger):

“To give you examples of why we would not recommend the SiteSlinger, we contacted both Nate McGuire and Connor Hood in early 2013.  After setting clear expectations about the length and level of our site re-design, we were promised professional and prompt service.  After paying a significant amount up front, which is something we also recommend you do not do, we were told the project would be completed within a two-week period.  The problem with Site Slinger was that these guys decided not to contact our team up until a couple days before the project was to be completed.”

This was also very interesting that Top Test Prep noted:

“SiteSlinger does not respond to customers.

Further, when we would call, every one of our phone calls went straight to voice mail.  We wouldn’t hear back for days.  Totally unprofessional.  Our staff each called and left several messages - and would get an email back, not a phone call.  They have no decency.”

It’s also important to note that The Site Slinger - and Nate McGuire and Connor Hood- are affiliated with the Austin, TX based co-working space and incubator - http://www.capitalfactory.com/

We are going to include contact information for both Nate McGuire and Connor Hood - and hope they get this message loud and clear.

Connor Hood  (connor@thesiteslinger.com)

Nate McGuire (nate@thesiteslinger.com)

They are connected with The Capital Factory.

We all need to look out for fellow startups.  Don’t let this happen to you!

 

26 Feb

Setting Your Sights on a Job this Summer

It’s never too early to start planning when it comes to a job search.

No matter if you’re looking for a summer internship or will be graduating this May, here are some useful tips from Phil’s Career Blog to help you kick into gear and be successful in your search.

25 Feb

Professors’ Office Hours: a Must Do

You want an A. The best way to get an A is go to your professors. After all, they’re the ones who give you your grade.

It’s like having the best, most applicable one-on-one tutor at no additional cost! Go introduce yourself, ask questions, get any confusion cleared up, and, if you’re lucky, get a few tips on how to best prepare for your next exam.

Now that the professor knows you, you’re more likely to stay awake in class, since you wouldn’t want him/her to notice you dozing off. That would certainly put a damper on your efforts to get that A. Because you’ll be more alert in class, you’re bound to do better.

Recommendations. You will need them. Whether for law school, med school, or a scholarship application, having a professor you can go to for one is vital. You don’t want to find yourself in a tight spot with an application due in a few weeks and no professor who knows you well enough to write you a good rec. Going to office hours is the answer.

Who knows, you may actually really like your professors and make a new friend! Getting to know them may also help you find what interests you about the subject they teach.

You have nothing to lose!

23 Feb
theatlantic:

What Day Most Changed the Course of History?
Ellen Fitzpatrick, professor of history, University of New Hampshire

History is about change over time—its course rarely changes profoundly in a single day. That said, things would never be the same after the successful test of the atomic bomb in Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. Humankind harnessed the power of nature and gained the capacity to destroy all it had made.            

Charles Hill, professor of international studies, Yale

October 12, 1492. Columbus’ landing in the New World caused everything to be re-thought. It sparked a Spanish debate on the question of whether the natives were humans, with souls and therefore possessed of rights and eligible for salvation. The answer, argued by Bartolomeo de las Casas, was yes. From that point forward all Humanity had to be considered as One.

Philippa Gregory, author of The Other Boleyn Girl

There must have been a day sometime in 1526 when Katherine of Aragon told someone that she knew would report to her husband, Henry VIII, that she was not going to step aside and leave him free to marry a younger woman who might bear him a son. This set Henry on the course which would lead England into Protestantism, divorcing the country from Renaissance Europe and forcing it instead to look outwards to Empire and America.

Margaret Cho, comedian

I don’t know about all history, but my history was changed for sure on September 11, 2001. It was the first time I felt the world shaken, and everything stop and then start again. 

Claudia Goldin, Harvard economist

There is no particular day because there would always have been another. Had December 7, 1941 not occurred, the U.S. would still have been involved in WWII.  If April 11, 1861 were wiped from the calendar of history, the U.S. Civil War would still have broken out.  And if we knew the day of the Big Bang and erased it from time, we would all still be here almost the same as we are today. 
Read the rest of the responses. [Image: Graham Roumieu]

In this month’s issue, we debut our newest feature, where we ask a variety of experts and public figures a “Big Question”. 
Now we’re asking you. What day most changed the course of history?

theatlantic:

What Day Most Changed the Course of History?

Ellen Fitzpatrick, professor of history, University of New Hampshire

History is about change over time—its course rarely changes profoundly in a single day. That said, things would never be the same after the successful test of the atomic bomb in Alamogordo, New Mexico, on July 16, 1945. Humankind harnessed the power of nature and gained the capacity to destroy all it had made.            

Charles Hill, professor of international studies, Yale

October 12, 1492. Columbus’ landing in the New World caused everything to be re-thought. It sparked a Spanish debate on the question of whether the natives were humans, with souls and therefore possessed of rights and eligible for salvation. The answer, argued by Bartolomeo de las Casas, was yes. From that point forward all Humanity had to be considered as One.

Philippa Gregory, author of The Other Boleyn Girl

There must have been a day sometime in 1526 when Katherine of Aragon told someone that she knew would report to her husband, Henry VIII, that she was not going to step aside and leave him free to marry a younger woman who might bear him a son. This set Henry on the course which would lead England into Protestantism, divorcing the country from Renaissance Europe and forcing it instead to look outwards to Empire and America.

Margaret Cho, comedian

I don’t know about all history, but my history was changed for sure on September 11, 2001. It was the first time I felt the world shaken, and everything stop and then start again. 

Claudia Goldin, Harvard economist

There is no particular day because there would always have been another. Had December 7, 1941 not occurred, the U.S. would still have been involved in WWII.  If April 11, 1861 were wiped from the calendar of history, the U.S. Civil War would still have broken out.  And if we knew the day of the Big Bang and erased it from time, we would all still be here almost the same as we are today. 

Read the rest of the responses. [Image: Graham Roumieu]

In this month’s issue, we debut our newest feature, where we ask a variety of experts and public figures a “Big Question”. 

Now we’re asking you. What day most changed the course of history?

22 Feb
LINK

UW-Madison to offer free public online courses starting in fall

UW-Madison was among 29 universities in several countries that announced new partnerships with the online learning company Coursera, a platform for massive open online courses called MOOCs.

the four pilot courses that literally thousands of students around the world may take online will showcase a handful of UW-Madison’s best and brightest faculty. The first two courses, Video Games and Learning and a business course, Markets with Friction, will be offered this fall. In spring 2014, Globalizing Higher Education and Research for the Knowledge Economy will be offered, fol lowed by a human evolution course.

(Source: gjmueller)

21 Feb

6 Hidden Gems for Homework Help on the Web

There is a lot of content on the web, most of which is great at distracting students from their studies. 

There are quite a few hidden gems, though, whose creators have really put time into making engaging tools and resources for students.

Here are a few of my favorites in science and English:

1. Need some extra help in English? The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) has a bunch of tools to help you hone your skills, as well as handy reference guides.

2. Poetry 180 is a site put together by the Library of Congress to increase high school students’ exposure to poetry, with a poem for each day of the school year.

3. Vocabulary.com has a very useful dictionary— always a great tool to have when reading something new.

4. The CIA’s World Factbook is a great resource for your social studies or geography class. You and your teach can both agree on it’s reliability, unlike everyone’s pal Wikipedia.

5. If you need help memorizing elements or an explanation of a theory in physics, Jefferson Lab is your place. Chock full of flashcards, study games, and useful information, this site will assuage anyone’s fear of science.

6. Science Friday and NOVA (I know I said 6, but NOVA is a bonus) are both fun sites to learn more about science in our daily lives and interesting new discoveries. 

20 Feb
LINK

Technology in Education: The Teacher Report: Portrait of a Flipped Classroom

techedblog:

Repost from the We Are Teachers blog

We love the idea of a flipped classroom—in theory. But all of the theoretical talk we’ve heard has been just that…theoretical. How does a flipped classroom actually work? And how are teachers putting words into action to help their students learn? We…