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Admission Testing Symposium for Seattle-Area Counselors

BY COMPASS EDUCATION GROUP

We are regularly invited by schools and organizations throughout the U.S. to provide presentations on college admission testing. While our talks for students and parents are often billed as “Admission Testing 101,” the symposia we facilitate for college counselors could be considered graduate-level. We take a deep dive into the current landscape of admission testing, offering up-to-date, nuanced information on all the thorniest questions.

Examples of topics covered include:

  • The surge in high scorers and the implications for students, counselors, and admission offices
  • Understanding the harsh scaling of the June 2018 SAT and how unexpected raw difficulty of tests impacts students
  • How to successfully discourage students from starting too soon, correcting the “more is more” assumptions around testing and test prep, and using data to inform developmentally-appropriate testing timelines
  • Helping students choose between the SAT and ACT, what differences are meaningful, how to understand practice test reports and make the correct decision
  • Making sense of the shifting milieu of college testing policies: Subject Tests required vs. recommend vs. will consider, SAT/ACT essay requirements and scoring variability, super-scoring and score choice restrictions and the implications for repeat testing

We’ll share a detailed rationale and perspective around these questions and more, which you can put to use immediately to help encourage healthy testing-related behavior by students and parents.

Versions of this presentation have been well-received by counselors at conferences and group meetings nationwide, including:

  • ACCIS Summer Institute
  • NACAC and numerous *ACAC conferences
  • Interschool & Hilltop schools in New York City
  • LAISCC group in Los Angeles
  • BAISCC group in San Francisco
  • DMV group in Washington DC area, hosted by National Cathedral School
  • AIMS group in Baltimore, hosted by Friends School of Baltimore
  • SAIS group in Seattle, hosted by Lakeside School
  • PACC group in Portland, hosted by Oregon Episcopal School and Catlin Gabel
  • Richmond/Norfolk/Charlottesville group, hosted by Collegiate School
  • MISP group in Minneapolis, hosted by Mounds Park Academy
  • PAIS group in Philadelphia

Lakeside School has generously offered to host an event in collaboration with Compass. Please join us for a rousing discussion accompanied by a tasty lunch.

Date, Time, and Location

Thursday, 2/28, 12pm-2pm

Lakeside School
14050 1st Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98125

Parking Instructions
TBD

Please complete the short registration form below. Feel free to share this event page with colleagues who may be interested in attending.

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    PRAISE FOR OUR EVENTS

    “We were so impressed with Compass' presentation to our parents – great data-driven information, concisely delivered with a nice dose of humor! The professionalism and quality of all Compass does is also evident in their Guide to College Admissions Testing (a wealth of helpful data and wisdom) and in the excellent and timely service they provided during our practice ACT.”

    Kate Goodwin, Co-Director of College CounselingSeattle Prep

    “Compass is my go-to source for clear, helpful, and thorough information about college standardized tests. Their style is polished and professional as well as accessible and fun. I find Compass to be in tune with and responsive to the needs of teenagers, educators, and parents.”

    Erin Johnston, Director of College GuidanceNational Cathedral School

    “From Compass' compelling presentations on the testing landscape (whether in overviews to families or in deeper dives to area counselors), to the staff's deft tailor-making of school-specific online resources, we have been thoroughly impressed with our Compass experience.”

    Brian Leipheimer, Director of College GuidanceCollegiate School (Richmond)

    “We are delighted to partner with Compass, as so many of our colleagues have done. The education and training Compass provides to our school and the counselor community are invaluable. Their excellent research de-stresses rather than raise alarms.”

    Katy Murphy, Director of College Counseling & Former NACAC PresidentBellarmine College Prep

    “Compass is a good fit for the families of Memphis University School. Their philosophy and approach to prep are based on careful analysis of data. Our parents left Compass' presentation better educated and reassured about how to navigate the admission testing process. I trust Compass because their guidance does not come at the cost of a sales pitch.”

    Zach Hansen, Director of College CounselingMemphis University School

    “What we value most about Compass is their integrity. We trust the services they provide -- private tutoring, practice testing, and public speaking -- and the intelligently responsive manner in which they offer them.”

    Sharon Cuseo, Upper School DeanHarvard-Westlake School

    “Compass provides testing knowledge and high-quality research shared in an accessible, anxiety-reducing way for audiences from experienced college counselors to families just starting the college process.”

    Emmi Harward, Executive DirectorACCIS

    “We consider Compass to be consummate professionals and colleagues. When their speakers come to campus, families leave both informed and relieved of the anxiety that often accompanies admission testing.”

    Marty O'Connell, Former DirectorColleges that Change Lives

    Meet Your Presenter

    Matt Steiner, MA

    SENIOR DIRECTOR

    matt@compassprep.com
    800.925.1250

    Professionally, Matt has a decade of experience in the field of test preparation, having worked as an instructor, consultant, and keynote speaker on the topic of admission testing. Matt and his colleagues at Compass are invited to speak at over 150 high schools and professional organizations each year, where they demystify college admission tests and allay anxiety about the testing process. Currently, Matt teaches graduate-level courses on admission testing for the counselor certificate programs at UC San Diego, UC Irvine, and UCLA.
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