BLOG.TESTSUCCESSHAWAII.COM

Scholarship News

2009-12-29T22:24:00Z

Are you a high school senior who has been accepted as a full-time student in a
Food Service related major at a 2 or 4 year college/university for the 2010 Fall Term?

If so, you may qualify to receive $500 or $1,000 from the Worthy Goal Scholarship provided by International Food Service Executives Association.

Download the application form. Deadline to apply is February 1, 2010.

Call Test Success Hawaii at (808) 394-8378 with questions or for assistance.

Choosing the right SAT & College prep Company

2009-12-07T21:12:00Z

I have a friend who is very proactive about her teenage daughter’s education. Her daughter is lovely, smart, active in sports, with a great personality and strong potential for a successful future. She really doesn’t like to read much.

My friend called to tell me that she received two phone calls this past week, each from a different company. They both were selling SAT & ACT review software. My friend asked how they had her phone number and was told that her daughter gave it at a website that the teen did not remember visiting.

My friend’s main concern was that if her daughter won’t open the books to study, she may not be motivated to work with the cd either.

My first thought was that if it’s fun, the teen could get enjoy it. My second thought was that my friend is probably right, her daughter would rather be at the beach than working with the software. It could go either way, depending upon the teen’s motivation and the software itself.

Then my friend began telling me about the conversation with the second company; how they guarantee to raise scores a certain amount - and that the first company couldn’t guarantee that high of a score. I reminded her that every teen is unique and there is no score guarantee for anyone.

I began to understand that she wasn’t comfortable, especially about this second company. So I Googled both companies.

And she was right. Both companies are in the same city, show scam complaints on Google, and have over 50 complaints filed at the Better Business Bureau.

It is so difficult to see companies try to take advantage of parents like my friend, who are so strongly involved in their teen’s education and future. So I would like to point out a few "red flags" if your teen has recently taken the PSAT or has attend a college fair:

1) You should not be receiving phone calls at your home from any SAT/ACT/college-prep company unless you are already a client.

2) The College Board, your school and anyone connected to your school will not be giving out your teen’s name and phone number.

3) No one can ever "guarantee" a specific score raise - it is dependent upon the teen and the actual instructor

4) Check out their website and ask for information in writing, or try to call them back in a few minutes -- before making a decision

5) Always check the Better Business Bureau in the company’s home city, as well as your local Better Business Bureau. If they are not listed with their local Better Business Bureau, even if there are no complaints, beware.

If you find that you have been scammed in such a way, contact the Federal Communications Commission:
http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm

and visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation:
http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/fraudschemes.htm#telemarket

If you have a friend who works with a local SAT & College Prep company, ask for her advice before you buy ...

Aloha,
Toni

New Winter Programs

2009-11-20T03:13:00Z

We are so excited to have new programs! Based on requests from parents of busy teens, we have created 5 new programs for the Holiday Season.

2 evening webinars and a Winter School Break special are available are very affordable prices.

Our Weekend Review webinars are specially priced for our previous students who wish to simply review the strategies.

visit http://www.testsuccesshawaii.com for more information.

Introduction video

2009-11-13T02:36:00Z

Introduction to Test Success Hawaii by Alex Shortsleeve

Welcome

2009-11-10T21:53:04Z

Aloha and Welcome to our Test Success Hawaii blog.

We are very excited about our new SAT & College prep programs.

Our on-line virtual classroom is becoming as popular as our after-school programs.

Test Success Teens, our previous students, are now able to refresh and reveiw their strategies with our weekend workshops held online the weekend before each test.

Continue to visit our calendar for scheduled programs, and stay tuned for new and exciting opportunities to watch your teen succeed.