by Gretchen | Dec 3, 2019 | blog
Today’s tips is more for parents and educators than for students… though as always, teens, I invite you to listen in! Grown ups: Have you noticed that the language we use when talking to teens (or or anyone really!) about their habits and behaviors can...
by Gretchen | Nov 27, 2019 | blog
Do you love taking personality quizzes? Recently I told one of my clients (a 9th grader) that if we had extra time in my session, we’d do something “fun.” When I told her we were going to take a personality quiz, she totally perked up! I’m not...
by Gretchen | Nov 19, 2019 | blog
Do you get bored by flashcards? Are they too repetitive, dull, and unmotivating? Not the way I teach students to play with flashcards! Recently I taught a student my special approach, and we reflected on how well she was able to “retrieve” the information...
by Gretchen | Nov 14, 2019 | podcast
In today’s episode, Megan responds to a mom’s question about how to choose what schools her son has a chance of getting into based on his high SAT but average GPA scores. Here’s Sandra’s question: Any tips on how to be honest about chances of a senior with very high...
by Gretchen | Nov 14, 2019 | podcast
We love it when families reach out with questions! Today Megan and Gretchen tackle topics related to college admissions, the Duke TIP program for 7th graders, homeschooling, and more! Switching to ACT. My son thought the SAT would be his test, but turns out he...
by Gretchen | Nov 14, 2019 | podcast
Getting students to persist through college is as — or more! — important than getting in. But families often put so much effort into the first part of the process that they forget to pay attention to the second. Gretchen and Megan chronicle six challenges that...
by Gretchen | Nov 12, 2019 | blog
Do you forget to check your grades online?! I’ve noticed that there’s a certain kind of forgetful student who probably should check their grades on a daily (or every-other-day) basis, but can’t seem to remember. In this video, I share a story about...
by Gretchen | Nov 5, 2019 | blog
Do you have the (faulty) idea that colleges are more interested in students who do a lot of different activities? Recently on my podcast my cohost and I were talking about things juniors in high school need to do to make sure they’re “on track” for...
by Gretchen | Oct 21, 2019 | podcast
Does college still work? Is the system designed just to protect the privileged and leave everyone else behind? Or can a college education today provide real opportunity to young Americas. Join us for an interview with journalist and author Paul Tough, who has just...
by Gretchen | Oct 21, 2019 | podcast
The most common question Megan gets from families is how to choose between the ACT, SAT or both? The answer is sadly not clear cut, so Megan walks parents through a number of considerations around the following three questions: Will either test work for my student?Do...
by Gretchen | Oct 21, 2019 | podcast
One of the hardest new habits for parents of middle and high schoolers to learn is how to talk to their students about grades. Last year in May 2019 Gretchen had an indepth email conversation with the parent of one of her 8th grade executive-function challenged...
by Gretchen | Oct 3, 2019 | podcast
Gretchen’s former client Tatiana had a bumpy transition from her last two years of high school into college. She quickly dropped out of a college that she wasn’t very excited to attend, that that started a long but fruitful journey into ADHD diagnosis, community...
by Gretchen | Oct 1, 2019 | blog
How’s your morning routine? Are you always running late? I have a client whose mom texts me every morning with a report about how the morning routine went for her 9th grader. Usually, her daughter is running about 1 minute late for the carpool, and so...
by Gretchen | Oct 1, 2019 | blog
One of the most frequent questions I get from parents of clients AND the coaches I train is this — what do you do when a student doesn’t think they need to use a planner because their teachers post the assignments all online? In this quickie video made...
by Gretchen | Oct 1, 2019 | blog
Parenting students in this day and age is so, so anxiety-provoking. In this moment I’m thinking about all the parents of scattered students who struggle to keep up with their homework, keep track of their papers, turn their work in, and study effectively, etc....
by Gretchen | Oct 1, 2019 | blog
Are you used to making flashcards to learn vocab and other key terms? Do you love it or hate it? I find that most of the students I work with think flashcards are the best method to prep for tests. Although they’re kinda bored with testing themselves using...
by Gretchen | Oct 1, 2019 | blog
Do you write in your planner? Congratulations!! You’re a step ahead of many students. 😉 But do you write THESE words in your planner? Please don’t! I’ll explain why in the video, but if you don’t have time to watch, scroll down for a copy of...
by Gretchen | Sep 27, 2019 | Academic Coaching
The perfect planner is so elusive! Gretchen shares some reflections about the criteria that EVERY planner system must meet in order to help students organize their lives… especially if they executive function issues. Specifically she and Megan discuss: Four problems...
by Gretchen | Sep 27, 2019 | podcast
Top students think they are the top of their class — so shouldn’t their admission into top universities be a sure thing? A look at the numbers tells a different story. About 35,000 valedictorians in US– not enough seats in the freshman classes of the top 20...
by Gretchen | Sep 27, 2019 | podcast
It’s time for another super relevant podcast from the archives! For juniors and seniors, there are so many important dates to remember and plan around related to academics, extracurriculars, and the college search. Megan walks you through how to sit down for a few...
