Many parents, myself included, are looking for ways to make this time out of school as manageable as possible and, hopefully, constructive. I know that the journey ahead is a long one. With that in mind, I want to let our community know how Intelligentsia can help during these uncertain and unscheduled times.

In addition to moving our regular tutoring to remote services, we’re introducing two online seminars focused on the college application process; offering meaningful discounts on daytime remote learning support; and announcing a partnership with Test Innovators, a fantastic online test prep platform.

As a company, we have always incorporated distance learning and video sessions into our standard work with students and feel confident that we can help make time spent learning online more efficient and more impactful.

Read on for a full suite of remote learning services offered and take care of your families during this time.

– Hilda Seidman, LP, Founder & President

I. College Application Seminars

For students…

Writing Yourself: The Personal Essay and Why it Matters // $350 for five weeks, beginning July 7, 2020 at 11 a.m. ET.

Geared towards high schoolers, this seminar will introduce students to the fundamentals of writing a personal essay. The ultimate goal of this course is to have students think about themselves and their experiences in terms of narrative, and reflect deeply on the best way to render those narratives on the page. The skills garnered during this seminar will be examined in the broader context of the College Application and we will pay close attention to how a keen grasp of writing fundamentals puts you at a significant advantage when applying to schools.

Meets once a week for two hours and will include assignments.

::: SIGN UP HERE :::

For families…

College Application Crash Course // $400 for four weeks, beginning July 29, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Join Intelligentsia’s head college process strategist, Colin Garretson, as he breaks down the college application process into its four main categories:

Search & Selection: crafting thoughtful school lists & how to visit colleges remotely
Tests, Recommendations & Transcripts
Essays, Activities & Portfolios
Navigating the Common App & Submitting Your Application

A great survey course for any family interested in learning more about the application process as a whole, particularly amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Meets once a week for 90 minutes.

::: SIGN UP HERE :::

II. Test Prep

Intelligentsia is fortunate to have recently partnered with Test Innovators, an online test prep platform that gives our tutors the ability to administer full-length mock tests for the SSAT, ISEE, PSAT, SAT & ACT remotely, in addition to providing:

Core reports with highly accurate stanines and percentiles, placing them in the context of target schools.
Diagnostic tools categorizing questions by subject type and difficulty to quickly identify areas for improvement.
Practice monitoring and strengthening test-taking skills, such as time management.
Personalized Prep Plans, recommending the best next steps as you prepare for test day and targeted practice based on your actual test results.

Intelligentsia clients who sign up for test prep utilizing Test Innovators will receive a 20% discount on their Test Innovators membership.

Additionally, Intelligentsia is offering 20% off all Test Prep tutoring bundles for a limited time, whether using Test Innovators or not. Contact us to learn more or to sign up!

III. Remote Learning Support

Intelligentsia is offering support to help structure or supplement your home learning environment. With this new learning environment, we’re offering special rates throughout the shutdown on a variety of services:

Assistance keeping learning on track and schedules regulated
- Setting up and monitoring home school schedules
- Designing custom curricula
- Consulting on best practices for effective home learning environments
- Remote cultural enrichment
Academic subject tutoring & homework help
- Focus on executive functioning
- One-on-one lesson explication
Extracurricular Expansion & Enrichment
- Virtual music instruction
- Instruction in coding, graphic design, physical fitness, and more

Special rates will apply during “school hours,” 9 AM to 3 PM, Monday through Friday, and we are offering the first hour of consultation and assessment at no cost. Contact us for more information on specific offerings and pricing.

Reading comprehension sections can be found on virtually all standardized tests. What I am about to share may appear to be simple, but it is critical for reading comprehension success on standardized tests.

Many students replicate the working-from-memory model on reading comprehension sections of standardized tests. Where is this model learned, and what does this model look like? School teachers assign a chapter or two from a novel or textbook, students read the material at home, and the following day students are quizzed on the material and are expected to reproduce answers from memory. School readings and subsequent examinations (mostly) require students to rely on their memories.

Why is relying on memory a poor strategy for reading comprehension sections on standardized tests? One, standardized test makers exploit students who use this working-from-memory model. They try to present answer choices that would seem familiar to students to deliberately trip them up. Two, working from memory isn’t necessarily the best strategy when the passage can be accessed with the flip of a page. In school, students are prohibited from accessing a novel or textbook during exams. On standardized tests, the passage they are being tested on is right in front of them.

Successful students, by and large, continually and strategically refer back to the passage. Less successful students, however, may be habituated (by school) to use the working-from-memory model on standardized tests to their detriment. What’s a better model? Treat reading comprehension sections on standardized tests as if they are reference passages, that is, passages that are to be continually consulted for specific details and information, like one would do with a manual or user guide. Manuals and user guides are not memorized; they are referred back to quickly, carefully, and systematically. Reading comprehension passages should be treated similarly. With training, there are ways of learning how to strategically locate the appropriate details on standardized test passages.

There is a whole repertoire of skills that tutors will teach their students on standardized tests. But here is a fundamental procedure students need to learn that can have a profound effect on scores: Rely less on memory and rely more on actively consulting the passage for important details required for answering questions.

— Eugene Netupsky

Eugene Netupsky is Intelligentsia’s CEO and a test prep expert. Contact him at insight [at] intelligentsianyc [dot] com.