What Sets Us Apart!
StratEDGEy Session
The StratEDGEy Session is something that our Founder introduced when she started The Edge in order to really get to know her new clients and their needs and create a customized program that would ultimately get them the scores they needed to get them into their dream schools. Even after the international expansion, she never wanted to lose the personal touch that a StratEDGEy Session offers students and their parents, and continues to recommend that all Edge students start their journey with one.
During a StratEDGEy Session (similar to the Initial Consultation for our Admissions Counseling students), a master instructor will meet with a student and his or her parent(s) to discuss the student’s starting PSAT score and sample ACT score and an initial list of schools in which the student is interested. Based on this information, the instructor will be able to gauge the following:
- Whether the initial schools are way out of reach for the student
- If they’re not, how much improvement is needed to get the SAT and/or ACT score to where it needs to be.
- How much preparation will be needed to achieve the goal score
- The type of test prep that would be most suitable (live course, Bootcamp, private tutoring, Skype tutoring, online course, or a combination of a few).
- Whether the student should take/prep for the SAT or ACT, or in rare cases, both.
After the session, the instructor will then customize a test prep program that will suit the specific needs of that student . The ideal time to set up a StratEDGEy Session is when a student has his or her PSAT score AND a sample ACT score. For students living in the New York Tri-State area, London, or Buenos Aires, see our practice test schedule **link** to sign up for a practice test, or call our office to request a test to be mailed or e-mailed to you. PSAT scores are always released in December and students take them in their junior (and sometimes sophomore) year. Once you have the scores call 877.499.3343 x1 or e-mail Melodee Claassen at melodee@edgeincollegeprep.com to schedule your in-person or Skype StratEDGEy Session.
Our Teaching Philosophy
The Edge was founded on the philosophy that good teachers are born not made and prioritizes teaching ability over perfect scores any day. That is not to say that our instructors are not expert test-takers (all have scored in at least the 97th percentile on the test they are teaching), but we only hire enthusiastic, motivational instructors who can elucidate complex materials, inspire confidence, and banish the anxiety surrounding college preparation. All instructors participate in an extensive training program and must complete several mock teaching workshops before working with students.
Authentic Test Conditions
It has become a common practice for test prep companies to write their own practice tests. While this might seem like it would be beneficial to students, it actually couldn’t be farther from the truth. Not only do other companies overload the tests with questions utilizing their techniques (providing an unrealistic assessment of a student’s progress), but they also often administer the hardest test first and the easiest test last in order to show a dramatic score improvement and instill confidence. While it is important to instill confidence, we find it even more important to provide an accurate assessment of a student’s progress, and therefore only use real ACTs in an authentic testing environment.
Most Efficient Path to Score Improvement
- Goal Score: At the StratEDGEy Session, we discuss a student’s goal score on the test and create the most efficient path to achieving that goal score by only focusing on the techniques and strategies needed to reach that particular level. For example, if a student wants to reach a 30 on the math section, we might not waste his time teaching him advanced math concepts such as matrices, logarithms, and trigonometry because he can achieve a 30 without knowing all concepts on the math section. We focus on the questions necessary for the targeted score.
- 3 Levels of Materials: The Edge utilizes 3 separate levels of materials based on a student’s starting score. For example, a student with a starting score in the 500s would start at an Intermediate level, whereas a student with a starting score above a 600 would be Advanced. Each level assumes a student has a certain level of knowledge for that particular section of the test and targets strategies for the specific topics needed to get to the next level.
- Students Grouped by Score: In any of our group classes, students are always grouped by score for each section of the test in order to ensure that all students feel challenged, and comfortable to ask any questions they might have.
Small Class Size
All Edge courses have a very personal feel and all of our instructors really do get to know their students. Wheras other courses place up to 25 students in a classroom, The Edge will never put more than 10 students in a class to guarantee that all of our instructors get to know each student’s individual strengths and weaknesses.
