Blog
Apr
28
2020
Important SAT, ACT, AP, and College Admissions News
In an effort to keep you informed on the ever-changing college testing and admissions landscape, today we have several important updates to share…
OCT
31
2019
Cherry Creek School District – PSAT Cancellation
This week’s unseasonably severe weather has impacted many students, including those in the Cherry Creek School District, who were anticipating taking the PSAT/NMSQT this week…
OCT
9
2019
ACT Announces Three Major Changes
On Tuesday, October 8, ACT announced three major changes that will affect test-takers over the next year. The first, due to go into effect next September…
SEP
26
2019
Becoming a Great Reader
A common question we field from parents of younger children is, “How can I tell if my child understands what he reads?” This is a really important question, so let’s explore reading comprehension in more detail…
SEP
18
2019
The Hyphen, En Dash, and Em Dash
There is, rightfully so, a lot of confusion around three horizontal punctuation marks of varying lengths: the hyphen, the “en” dash, and the “em” dash…
SEP
11
2019
ISEE: What You Need to Know
The ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) is a widely accepted entrance exam for independent schools, and is the most commonly taken test for admission to Colorado independent schools…
SEP
9
2019
College Board Drops Plans for “Student Adversity Scores”
It came as no surprise to many of us in the education field when the College Board on August 27th, 2019—amid much deserved criticism—dropped its plan to include student socioeconomic data known as “student adversity scores” from SAT score reports…
SEP
2
2019
Junior Year Testing: A Primer
As the new school year begins, Juniors begin to think more seriously about college. Many are taking challenging course loads and pursuing any number of extra-curricular activities as well…
AUG
28
2019
ACT Test Information Release (TIR): What You Need to Know
The ACT Test Information release (TIR) is a service the ACT provides that allows students to request a copy of the multiple-choice test questions used to determine their score, a list of their answers, and the answer key…
AUG
17
2019
4 Tips to Get Off a College Waitlist
Many soon to be college freshmen are disappointed to learn that they have been wait-listed by a “top choice” college. And, at many schools, the odds of getting off the wait-list are slim…
AUG
7
2019
The Importance of Developing Number Sense
Since the advent of the modern American educational system, students have long complained that their coursework doesn’t feel like anything they’ll ever use “in real life”…
JUL
26
2019
Why Your Brain Needs You to Read…Every Day
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Reading puts your brain to work. Your brain on books is growing and changing…
JUL
21
2019
2019 Opportunity Scholarship Winner Announcement
The Moser Team is excited to announce the winner of our 2019 Opportunity Scholarship! Jessica M. is an outstanding Denver student who has consistently challenged herself academically throughout her high school career…
JUL
11
2019
Test Anxiety: How Students and Parents Can Make Tests Less Intimidating
Tests make most of us anxious. While that’s certainly not revelatory news, the fact that test anxiety can be a good thing is something that we often don’t consider…
JUL
4
2019
Further Proof that Learning Styles Don’t Exist
Perhaps the most pervasive myth in education is that people learn better when taught through a preferred “learning style.” But, we must be clear on what the science and research is telling us…
JUN
27
2019
Fear of the Blank Page: How to Start Your College Essays
For many rising seniors, the onset of summer marks the beginning of college application season. Even if the final list of colleges isn’t yet complete, with the stress of Junior year in the rear-view mirror, summer is a great time to get a start on your college essays…
JUN
20
2019
Graduate School Loan Debt: An Outsized Problem
The exorbitant cost of higher education in the United States, and the ensuing student debt crisis it has created is no secret. The full scope of student borrowing was recently revealed when…
JUN
13
2019
Cultivating Curiosity
Albert Einstein noted, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” And, it appears, perhaps unsurprisingly, that Einstein was right…
JUN
5
2019
A Summer Reading List for the Family
As students wrap up final exams and the stress of a hectic school year fades, it can be easy to let all thoughts of mental enrichment fade as well…
MAY
29
2019
The New SAT “Adversity Score” Explained
The College Board recently announced that it will begin sending colleges new ratings that take into account SAT test takers’ educational and socioeconomic backgrounds based on where they live and attend school…
MAY
22
2019
Transitioning to College: What Every Student Should Know
The transition from high school to college is a defining moment in a student’s life. Gone are many of the safety nets a student has grown accustom to…
MAY
15
2019
SAT Subject Tests Explained
Among all of the components of a college application, SAT Subject Tests stand apart as one of the least understood…
MAY
8
2019
Summer ACT and SAT Prep
As the school year winds down and students and parents begin to look forward to their summer plans, it’s a great time to start thinking about next school year…
MAY
1
2019
Memory Retention Methods Debunked
At Moser Educational, we define “Learning Theory” as the process whereby students absorb, process, retain, and apply knowledge. Unfortunately, we spend relatively little time with our students each week…
APR
24
2019
The 2019 Moser Opportunity Scholarship Program
As an organization dedicated to student success, we share in the frustrations of many that students of limited financial means have less access to paid services that can help them accomplish their goals…
APR
17
2019
The New Digital LSAT: FAQs Answered!
The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) has recently released information about the new digital version of the LSAT that is set to launch in July 2019…
APR
9
2019
AP Exam Preparation: 5 Tips!
With May rapidly approaching, it is time for students to start planning and preparing for Advanced Placement (“AP”) exams. Below are five tips on how best to prepare for AP exams…
APR
4
2019
Meet the Western Undergraduate Exchange
Many students and parents often discount the possibility of attending an out-of-state public college or university due to the exorbitant cost of non-resident tuition…
MAR
27
2019
An Open Letter on the College Admissions Scandal
During recent weeks, we have received a growing number of questions and concerns regarding the college admissions cheating scandal that has captured the attention of students, parents, counselors, and educational professionals across the country…
MAR
20
2019
50% Extended Time Testing on the SAT
By far the most common accommodation received by College Board students—regardless of whether they are taking the PSAT, SAT, SAT Subject Tests, or AP Exams—is 50% extended time…
MAR
13
2019
GMAT or GRE: Choosing the Right Test for Business School Admissions
The landscape of business school admissions is changing. Most graduate programs have begun accepting the GRE as an alternative to the GMAT in their admissions processes…
MAR
7
2019
Understanding College Board Testing Accommodations
Students with documented disabilities are eligible for testing accommodations on any test administered by the College Board, including the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and AP Exams…
FEB
27
2019
Taking a “Gap Year”
With increasing frequency, we are fielding questions from parents about the idea of having their children take a “gap year.” Sometimes, the parent is seeking validation for the decision to have her son take a year off post-high school…
FEB
20
2019
The ACT and SAT Essays: Who Needs Them?
Developments in the testing landscape over recent years have resulted in optional essay components on both the ACT and SAT. This leaves students with the question of whether to pursue these “options”…
FEB
13
2019
SAT Question and Answer Service (QAS) Explained
The SAT Question and Answer Service (QAS) is an option offered to students taking the SAT in March, May, and October. The QAS includes a copy of the SAT questions from the specific test date and a report showing a student’s answers…
FEB
7
2019
Is SAT Score Choice for Me?
Applying to college is an exhausting process fraught with a seemingly endless number of decisions. To create an outstanding application, you need to take advantage of every opportunity you’re given…
FEB
1
2019
Does Standardized Testing Have Value?
Those of a certain generation remember well a scene from “The Karate Kid” in which Daniel-San is instructed to interminably wax cars, sand floors, and refinish fences. As only an 80s movie could, “The Karate Kid” goes on to teach viewers…
JAN
24
2019
Standby Testing for the ACT
If you’ve missed the late registration deadline for the upcoming February ACT, don’t panic! Students who miss the late deadline to register for an ACT test date may still be able to take the exam under an option known as standby testing…
JAN
17
2019
The LSAT Goes Digital
The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) recently announced that it will be transitioning the LSAT (the test taken by the vast majority of law school applicants) to a digital format, beginning in July 2019…
JAN
5
2019
Robust Growth in AP Computer Science
Since their launch, the two Advanced Placement (“AP”) Computer Science courses created by the College Board—AP Computer Science A and AP Computer Science Principles (“AP CSP”)—have been two of the fastest growing AP courses…
DEC
28
2018
The Myth of the Ivy League
For many high school seniors, winter is a time of limbo, when feverish work on college applications yields to the long wait for news of acceptance or rejection. Every applicant hopes for admission to a top choice school, and friends and family eagerly await news…
DEC
10
2018
Understanding the PSAT
Many people assume that the “P” in PSAT stands for practice. In reality, it stands for “preliminary.” However, for most students, it really is a practice test…
DEC
5
2018
Making the Most of Winter Break
With winter break just a few weeks away, students are busier than ever, preparing for end-of-semester exams, projects, and papers…
OCT
7
2018
Improving Your ACT Math Timing
The time pressure on the ACT is intimidating, to say the least. In fact, the primary downside of the ACT—in contrast to the SAT—is that the former puts students under much more time pressure…
SEP
15
2018
The National Merit Scholarship Program:
What You Need to Know
We have fielded many questions from parents and students about the upcoming PSAT and its National Merit Scholarship Program (“NMSP”) implications, and we hope to address your questions…
JUL
13
2018
#rescoreJuneSAT
You’ve undoubtedly heard by now of the latest viral hashtag: #rescoreJuneSAT. Yes, you read that correctly! It’s rare that boring standardized exams make national headlines, but it happened yesterday…
JUL
3
2018
What is Executive Function?
In recent years, there has been a groundswell of chatter about the concept of executive function, fueled by a growing body of academic literature on the topic. To many, however, the concept remains…
JUL
1
2018
ACT Time Accommodations Changes
Recently, the ACT has decided to change its testing format for students with the standard extended-time accommodation (known as “National Extended Time Testing”). Starting in September, students…
JUL
1
2018
Using the GRE to apply to (some) law schools: What you need to know
Last fall, Harvard Law School announced that it would begin to accept GRE scores in lieu of the LSAT for applicants to its JD program. Currently, 18 other American Bar Association (ABA) accredited…
JUN
28
2018
The ACT Gets Longer
Beginning with the September 8th ACT test date, the ACT test will include a 20-minute, experimental section, located after the Science Test and before the Writing Test. Previously, only students…
JUN
28
2018
Official SAT / ACT Concordance Report
On June 14th, 2018, the ACT and College Board released the first joint concordance of the new SAT and ACT, which replaces the College Board’s interim concordance from May 2016…