Posts in tutor
'Test-Optional' Doesn't Mean 'Test-Prohibited'

Just because some colleges are “test-optional” nowadays, it doesn’t mean that your teen shouldn’t try to take the SAT or ACT. In this post, Dr. P. provides parents with three easy steps to determining whether and how to take one of these tests to prepare for college admissions.

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Dr. P. Shares Key Trends & Takeaways from This Spring's Admission Cycle

Crimson Coaching Founder and President Dr. P. (Dominique Padurano, Ph.D.) shares three trends from the 2022 admissions season -- and two takeaways for those coming up in 2023 and later.

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“Zero Out of Eleventy-Million”: Do’s and One Big Don’t for Getting a Great Letter of Recommendation

Think the college app’s all about GPA, SAT, and extracurriculars? While those elements matter, in these days of test-optional admissions policies, the teachers’ letters of recommendation matter more than ever. Learn several “do’s” and one big fat “don’t” in the process of getting GREAT teacher letters of recommendation.

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Do These 5 Things NOW to CRUSH the 2021-22 School Year

Want to make good use of the next five weeks? CRUSH the 2021-22 school year by doing these 5 things NOW!

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Visiting Campuses This Summer?: All Your Questions Answered Here

Not sure when, where, why, or how to visit campuses in person this summer or fall? Independent college counselor Dr. P. (Dominique Padurano, Ph.D.), Founder and President of Crimson Coaching, answers your questions and more!

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SAT or ACT: How to Decide?

Ever wonder whether the SAT or the ACT was the right “fit” for YOUR kid? If so, you’re not alone! It’s the question I’m most often asked by concerned parents. In this piece, I give you the unvarnished truth — advice from the heart and my 30 years of tutoring all kinds of teens for BOTH exams.

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So What is it That a College Application Essay Coach Does, Exactly?

No: I don't write kids' essays for them. No: I don't earn millions by bribing your kid's way into Stanford. So, as a college application essay coach, what is it that I do exactly? In the words of one client, I "motivate" "students [to] achieve the good results... lurking beneath the surface."

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How to Find the Right College Essay Coach for Your Kid

As more and more colleges adopted “test-optional” admissions policies in the wake of COVID-related SAT and ACT cancellations this spring, the personal statement will play an even greater role than it has in recent years. Read on to find out Dr. P.'s top 4 tips to find the right college essay tutor for your child.

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Making It Through May and June

Is your middle or high school student struggling to finish (or start) schoolwork every day? Master teacher, tutor and private academic coach Dr. P. gives parents five concrete steps to facilitate their kids' academic progress during the last two months of school.

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Tutor Lists Top 10 Math Skills To Cover During Closings

Recent school closures give parents a unique opportunity to shore up their kids' essential math skills. Longtime SAT tutor Dr. P. identifies which concepts to cover -- along with the all-important WHY and HOW to tutor your child in math NOW.

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Tutor Advises How To Deal With the Cancelled SAT

As a tutor, I've received several calls, emails, and texts from confused and worried parents of HS juniors whose SAT on March 14, 2020, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  What follows is a summary of my advice to them -- and to all parents facing the same circumstances.

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