"Each year we invite Compass to present to our 10th grade
families about college admission testing. These events help our
families feel confident, relieved, and well-informed, and they
help us keep healthy behaviors at the center of our program.
I am inundated by offers from test prep companies, but
I always find myself coming back to Compass."

- Canh Oxelson, Executive Director of College Counseling, Horace Mann School
Formerly Dean, Harvard-Westlake and Director of Recruitment, UPenn

College Admission Testing Presentation for Portledge School

9th-11th Grade Families

Wednesday, December 6th, 7:00PM – 8:30PM

Bahnik Hall

Presented by Compass Education Group

Compass is invited by elite secondary schools throughout the U.S. to provide expert guidance on college admission testing. Please review this page to learn about the content of the presentation and the printed resource that you will receive, background of the company that is providing the presentation, and the bio of the speaker (Compass co-founder Adam Ingersoll).

Institutions Supported by Compass

Compass provides testing-related programming and resources to secondary schools, universities, nonprofit organizations, and professional counseling associations throughout the USA. Click the column headings below to view a sampling of these institutions.

Southern CA

826 Young Authors
Alliance for Minority Affairs
Archer School for Girls
Banning High School
Beverly Hills High School
Brentwood School
Buckley School
Campbell Hall
Cate School
Chadwick School
CHAMPS Charter High School
City Honors High School
Cleveland Magnet High School
College Bound Today
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Da Vinci Design High School
de Toledo High School
Eagle Rock High School
Episcopal School of Los Angeles
Explore Solutions, San Diego
Flintridge Preparatory School
Harvard-Westlake School
iLEAD Schools
Immaculate Heart High School
Independent School Alliance
Jserra Catholic High School
Loyola High School
Louisville High School
Malibu Boys & Girls Club
Malibu High School
Marlborough School
Marshall High School
Marymount High School
Mira Costa High School
Montebello Unified School District
MOSTe (Motivating Our Students Through Experience)
National Charity League – Pasadena
New Roads School
New West Charter
Northwood High School
Oaks Christian School
Oakwood School
Operation Jump Start
Pacific Ridge School
Palisades High School
Palos Verdes High School
Peninsula High School
The Pilgrim School
Polytechnic School
Providence High School
San Marino High School
San Marcos Unified School District
Santa Margarita Catholic High School
Sequoyah School
Shalhevet School
Sierra Canyon School
St. Monica’s High School
Step Up Women’s Network
Thacher School
UCLA Lab School
University of Southern California Office of Admissions
Upward Bound
Viewpoint School
Vistamar School
Wesley School
Westchester Charter
Western Association of College Admission Counselors
Westridge School for Girls
Whittier Christian
Wildwood School
Windward School
Young Eisner Scholars

Northern CA

10,000 Degrees
Archbishop Riordan High School
Athenian School
Bentley School
Branson School
Breakthrough SF
Bridge the Gap
Cardinal Newman High School
Castilleja School
College Bound / Achievement Matters
College Preparatory School
Convent of the Sacred Heart, SF
Crystal Springs Uplands School
Design Tech High School
Dominican University
Dougherty Valley High School
Drew School
Galileo High School
Harker School
Head-Royce School
John O’Connell High School
Juma Ventures
Junipero Serra High School
Kehillah Jewish High School
King’s Academy
Lick-Wilmerding High School
Marin Academy
Marin School
Maybeck High School
Menlo-Atherton High School
Monta Vista High School
Notre Dame High School (San Jose)
Nueva School
Pinewood School
Presentation High School
Quarry Lane School
Redwood High School
Ruth Asawa SF School of the Arts
Sacred Heart Preparatory
Saint Francis High School
Saint Ignatius College Preparatory
Saint Mary’s College High School
San Domenico School
San Francisco Day School
San Marin High School
San Rafael High School
San Ramon Valley High School
Sir Francis Drake High School
Sonoma Academy
Stuart Hall High School
Summerbridge
Tamalpais High School
UC Berkeley College Counseling Certificate Program
University High School
University of San Francisco
Upward Bound
Urban School
Western Association of College Admission Counselors

National

Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools
Avenues NYC: The World School
Brooklyn Friends School
Casady School, Oklahoma City
Chapin School, NYC
Colleges that Change Lives
Convent of the Sacred Heart, NYC
Dwight-Englewood School, NJ
Higher Education Consultants Association
Horace Mann School, NYC
Hun School, Princeton, NJ
Independent Educational Consultants Association
Iowa City and Iowa City West High Schools
Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
National Association for College Admission Counseling
Newark Academy, NJ
Nightingale-Bamford School, NYC
Pine Crest School, Ft. Lauderdale
Poly Prep Country Day School, Brooklyn
Regina Catholic Education Center, Iowa City
St. John’s School, Houston
Staten Island Academy
University of Rochester Office of Admissions

Follow-up after the 12/6 Presentation

Navigating College Admission Tests

On 12/6, Compass Co-Founder, Adam Ingersoll, delivered a presentation to families on the ins and outs of college admission testing. Families who missed the event can download the handouts from this page and are welcome to contact Compass for an individual consultation and guidance. Major topics covered in the presentation included interpretation of PSAT and ACT practice test scores, how to carefully consider the SAT vs ACT decision, the role of Subject Tests, and best practices for calendaring test dates and test prep.

Watch a video recording of a recent testing presentation HERE.

WANT THE SLIDES?

DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION

Handouts for Attendees

The Compass Guide to College Admission Testing

Attendees receive a complimentary copy of The Compass Guide to College Admission Testing. This essential resource for families and counselors contains more than 80 pages of unbiased information on the ACT, SAT, PSAT, Subject Tests, and more. The print edition has reached over 100,000 families and is used by counseling offices at many of the top schools in the U.S. The Guide is also available as a free PDF or iBook download via the link below. Sharon Cuseo of Harvard-Westlake School says “I wish every family in the country received this terrific resource.”

Check out the Guide

Praise for Compass Presentations and Speakers

“

Compass is an invaluable resource for us. Their approach to testing is smart and reasonable. Their sophomore parent testing evenings are of the highest quality – useful, comprehensive, well-researched, and delivered with compelling and fresh insight.
Laura Hotchkiss, Director of Upper School, Marlborough School

“

I appreciate the research and development that Compass shares regarding college admission tests. In their presentations, Compass illuminates what these tests DO and DON'T measure, which enables our students to separate their test scores from their identities. The tone of these events is overwhelmingly positive and optimistic.
Jeff Morrow, Director of College Counseling, Oaks Christian School

“

We only receive positive feedback from families who have prepared with Compass. In a service industry that often feels 'transactional,' Compass makes a student's well-being and his or her specific needs the focal point.
Tamar Adegbile, Former Upper School Dean, Harvard-Westlake School

“

I only trust Compass to speak to the sophisticated audience at my school about college admissions testing and preparation. I love seeing the looks on their faces when they hear what Compass has to say in their informed, straight-talking, helpful presentations. Students feel much more at ease and families walk away with real insight into testing.
Krista Klein, Co-Director of College Counseling, Lick-Wilmerding High School

“

Concerned about the changes to the 2016 SAT, I had invited Compass to our Sophomore College & Academic Planning Night. We had never had a test prep company speak to our families in the past. The presentation was informative, professional, and calming - Compass has an open invite for the future!
Jennifer Thomas, College Counselor, Maybeck High School

“

When we refer families to Compass, we know that we are connecting them to professionals who can manage the entirety of the admission testing process. Students often say how much they love their tutors and how much their scores have improved.
Molly Branch, Co-Director of College Counseling, Windward School

“

Compass’ presentation was, by far, the best one we have ever had on admission testing. The content was spot on and the delivery was wonderful: clear, articulate, warm, and reassuring. Our parents were extremely complimentary and said they felt much better.
Gail Devine, College Counselor, Louisville High School

“

Compass' seminar has been a tremendous benefit to my 10th graders and their parents each year for the last decade. The Compass leadership is in a class of its own; they are the foremost experts in the field with the highest ethical standards.
James Skrumbis, Head of School, Sierra Canyon School

“

I receive nothing but positive feedback following Compass' presentations. They have a natural way of putting families at ease, which is so important given the angst around standardized testing and college admissions. I highly recommend Compass to my colleagues and invite them back to our campus every year!
Lisa Neumaier, College & Career Specialist, Sir Francis Drake High School

“

I continually look to Compass to provide the students and parents I work with the proper perspective on testing. As a college counselor who employs a student-centered process, I have found Compass to be well-informed, comprehensive, and engaging to my students' and comforting to their parents. Most importantly, they are completely in synch with our philosophy and reinforce our message perfectly.
Cesar Guerrero, Director of College Counseling, Stuart Hall High School

“

Our families gravitate toward Compass because its tutors and staff honor each student, appreciating his or her unique strengths and weaknesses. Compass is the gold standard within the industry of test preparation.
Jennifer Simpson, Director of College Counseling, Campbell Hall

“

Compass presenters manage to take a calm and light-hearted approach while also being professional in their delivery. Their talks strike the perfect balance - reducing anxiety while providing families with solid guidance regarding admission tests. Also, their materials, including the College Admission Testing Guide, are thoughtfully compiled by professionals I trust.
Steffany Perez, Co-Director of College Counseling, Oakwood School

“

Compass' ability to marry clarity and depth of knowledge is a significant asset to the Urban School. Each time Compass presents, I walk away reassured that our students and parents are getting honest, well-researched information about college admission testing. This assurance is confirmed by the waves of appreciative emails I receive from families.
Lauren Gersick, Associate Director of College Counseling, the Urban School of San Francisco

“

With all of the anxiety around college admissions testing and the redesigned SAT, Compass' presentation could not have been more timely and relevant for our students and parents. They have great skill at explaining the complex nuances of testing, while still making it clear enough for everyone to understand.
David Rion, Director of College Counseling, Sonoma Academy

“

We enjoyed Compass' presentation and found it comforting to realize that their recommendations and information were so in tune with Presentation's philosophy on standardized testing. Compass eased the fears of our parents rather then exacerbating them, a definite must for families entering the college process.
MaryLynne Rodriguez, College Counselor, Presentation High School

“

I’ve been working with Compass for over 10 years. From the start, Compass has demonstrated a healthy, developmentally appropriate approach to test preparation. This is a calling the Compass team rather than simply a business endeavor, which is evident in the messaging they have thoughtfully crafted. In a time when test prep companies are lurking around every corner of our community and offering questionable advice, it is refreshing to be able to refer our families to Compass year after year and trust their guidance is in sync with ours.
Gloria Diaz Ventura, Director of College Counseling, Flintridge Preparatory School

“

Compass has been an invaluable resource for our families. Their staff is outstanding and have provided our students and parents with exceptional presentations to help demystify testing. In addition, the wealth of information and testing support they have provided to our families have been instrumental in helping our students achieve their best scores. We greatly value the collaborative effort provided by Compass to best support our students.
Clara Bird, Director of College Counseling, Providence High School

Meet Our Expert Presenters

Adam Ingersoll – Founder and Principal
Adam began his career in test prep in 1993 while at the University of Southern California, where he was a student-athlete on the basketball team, worked in the admission office, and graduated magna cum laude. Over the last two decades he has guided thousands of families to successful experiences with standardized tests and has mentored hundreds of the industry’s most sought-after tutors. Adam is known nationally as a leading expert on college admission testing and is a frequent presenter at higher ed conferences, faculty development workshops, and school seminars.

Bruce Reed – Founder and Principal
Bruce graduated from Colby College and has served in leadership roles in education for more than 20 years. Bruce founded our Northern California office in 2004 where he continues to serve as its hands-on leader while also guiding our Southern California team in his broader role as Compass’ Executive Director. Bruce is recognized throughout the Bay Area and beyond as a visionary and passionate voice in the realm of teaching, testing, and educational development.

Art Sawyer – Founder and Principal
Art graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he was the top-ranked liberal arts student in his class. Art pioneered the one-on-one approach to test prep in California in 1989 and has written more than a dozen test prep books. Although he has routinely attained perfect scores on the SAT and ACT, Art is far prouder of the thousands of students he has helped over the past 25 years. Nobody knows more about standardized tests and tutoring than Art, and we make sure all Compass students benefit from his wisdom.

Matt Steiner – Senior Director, Outreach
Prior to joining the Compass team, Matt obtained an M.A. in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz. He has over eight years of experience in the field of test preparation, working as both an instructor and administrator for multiple tutoring firms in Los Angeles. In his presentations, Matt enjoys incorporating the latest research on neuroscience and test-taking, while also sharing his personal challenges as a ‘Good-Student-Bad-Test-Taker’ (GSBTT).

Ash Kramer – Senior Director, Product and Curriculum
With a career in test prep and higher education that began in the late 90s, Ash has held a variety of educational roles from tutor to administrator. She is currently a PhD candidate at USC and the Director of Curriculum at Compass, where she researches the latest developments in admission testing and pedagogy. Ash regularly leads professional development seminars for secondary and post-secondary institutions to help educators respond to the latest assessments by College Board and ACT.