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‘Near-perfect’ for test-taking prepping
  
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By CYNTHIA LESCALLEET
Since they scored high on their own college board exams, five students now at prestigious colleges are teaching others how to do the same.
Now heading into their sophomore and junior years, the students are part of Ivy Insiders. The Boston-based test prep company recruits and trains college students with perfect or near perfect scores on the SAT and other achievement tests to develop and manage branches in their home towns.
Trained both to teach and to run their summer businesses, the students offer classes on content and also insights into the strategy and “game” of test-taking, said Laura Diez of Dartmouth College, a 2008 graduate of St. John’s School.
Diez and 2007 Bellaire High School graduate Calvin Dotsey of Columbia University have opened one branch this summer. Meanwhile, SJS 2007 graduates Patrick Hayes, a student at Stanford University, and SJS classmate Jeremy Slawin, also of Columbia University, have another branch. And another SJS 2007 classmate, Harvard student Yijing Sun, also has a branch.
The students quickly realized they’d all likely tap the same marketing area so they divided up area high schools based on a ranking system ultimately apportioned by the regional manager, Hayes said.
Company founder Nicholas Green said Houston had one branch last year and this summer will be making a bigger splash, given how recruiting played out. While some cities have the program year-round, Houston is too new a market for that. Branches here will close when their student managers return to school.
Diez and Hayes said starting up the branch has met with challenges for students of colleges that get out later than most (like theirs) but that classes and tutoring are under way.
Green said that in hiring managers/teachers close in age to the client base, there is an immediacy in the learning dynamics that allows the teachers to be relevant role models. Since they’ve been there — and been there recently — they remember the angst as well as what motivation and mentoring can bring to the testing table, he said.
Students make enthusiastic teachers, Green said. He recruits ones with teaching experience as well as “mental horsepower” and the ability to communicate.
As branch managers, the college students end their 12-week commitment with a share in their branch’s profits. They’ve gained experience across a huge skill set by running their own business.
Sun, who is studying economics and math, is enjoying the entrepreneurial aspects of her summer business.
Hayes said the flexibility of establishing such a business appealed to him but that the program’s teaching initially drew his interest. He’ll be a resident tutor next year at school.
Diez also cited her experience tutoring and mentoring in high school and college as a reason to set up shop.
They all spoke on how preparing for college tests is about more than content mastery alone.
College Board testing is predictable, Diez said. It helps to know the types of questions and to be conditoned on answering them.
As with anything, she said, “if you do all the work, you’ll do better than if you don’t.”
Being prepared also means knowing how the test makers frame the questions, they said. It’s a game.
Hayes compared test-taking to golf. The best athletes do well, but players who know the game can win.
For information, visit www.ivyinsiders.com.
Now heading into their sophomore and junior years, the students are part of Ivy Insiders. The Boston-based test prep company recruits and trains college students with perfect or near perfect scores on the SAT and other achievement tests to develop and manage branches in their home towns.
Trained both to teach and to run their summer businesses, the students offer classes on content and also insights into the strategy and “game” of test-taking, said Laura Diez of Dartmouth College, a 2008 graduate of St. John’s School.
Diez and 2007 Bellaire High School graduate Calvin Dotsey of Columbia University have opened one branch this summer. Meanwhile, SJS 2007 graduates Patrick Hayes, a student at Stanford University, and SJS classmate Jeremy Slawin, also of Columbia University, have another branch. And another SJS 2007 classmate, Harvard student Yijing Sun, also has a branch.
The students quickly realized they’d all likely tap the same marketing area so they divided up area high schools based on a ranking system ultimately apportioned by the regional manager, Hayes said.
Company founder Nicholas Green said Houston had one branch last year and this summer will be making a bigger splash, given how recruiting played out. While some cities have the program year-round, Houston is too new a market for that. Branches here will close when their student managers return to school.
Diez and Hayes said starting up the branch has met with challenges for students of colleges that get out later than most (like theirs) but that classes and tutoring are under way.
Been there, done that
Green said that in hiring managers/teachers close in age to the client base, there is an immediacy in the learning dynamics that allows the teachers to be relevant role models. Since they’ve been there — and been there recently — they remember the angst as well as what motivation and mentoring can bring to the testing table, he said.
Students make enthusiastic teachers, Green said. He recruits ones with teaching experience as well as “mental horsepower” and the ability to communicate.
As branch managers, the college students end their 12-week commitment with a share in their branch’s profits. They’ve gained experience across a huge skill set by running their own business.
Sun, who is studying economics and math, is enjoying the entrepreneurial aspects of her summer business.
Hayes said the flexibility of establishing such a business appealed to him but that the program’s teaching initially drew his interest. He’ll be a resident tutor next year at school.
Diez also cited her experience tutoring and mentoring in high school and college as a reason to set up shop.
They all spoke on how preparing for college tests is about more than content mastery alone.
College Board testing is predictable, Diez said. It helps to know the types of questions and to be conditoned on answering them.
As with anything, she said, “if you do all the work, you’ll do better than if you don’t.”
Being prepared also means knowing how the test makers frame the questions, they said. It’s a game.
Hayes compared test-taking to golf. The best athletes do well, but players who know the game can win.
For information, visit www.ivyinsiders.com.
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