Summer Advantage

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arty n GGaQHqT4Q unsplash scaled Summit PrepAs we approach summer, I am optimistic. A gradual return to normalcy. Travel. Beach. BBQ. The physical embrace of family members not seen for over a year. Lazy summer evenings by the fire pit. Relaxed weekend afternoons at a vineyard. The sunshine after a storm is more welcome than before it. Post-pandemic, we can all better appreciate the substance of normal life.

And yet, amid that optimism, we know that there is hard work to be done. After every natural disaster, it takes time to rebuild, and rebuild we must. For most students, this summer will be their most important thus far. Here’s why:

Summer Advantage

Even pre-pandemic, if students wanted an educational advantage, summer has always been the best time gain it. Why? Because when everyone is learning during the school year, students have to work extra hard to gain an advantage, and that advantage is likely to be relatively small. But, when most people are not learning (or are regressing) but a student continues to learn, then every piece of knowledge and increase in skill gives them an advantage. According to Malcolm Gladwell’s data in “Outliers,” those students using summers to their advantage quadrupled their advantage over those not doing so after just four summers.

Gladwell summer advantage 2 Summit Prep

Pandemic Effects

Consider the difficult task students face: many have had all half-days of school for a year (for what reason did they ever have full-days if only half was necessary?), they are drained from staring pexels andrea piacquadio 3807747 scaled Summit Preppassively at a computer screen for hours a day and months on end with no in-person peer interaction between classes, and many teachers are not the most adept at using remote instruction tools to teach as effectively. So students have been left to learn on their own — or to find methods and shortcuts to continue to get good grades.

For most students, their learning loss over the past year has been staggering. The almost constant refrain from students goes like this: “I learned this Math topic during the pandemic, which is why I have no idea how to do it.” Many schools switched to all open note exams, and many/most students exploited every tool to then do well on those open note exams from home: Translation apps for language classes, “Photo Math” and other Math apps to do the problems for them, Chegg to have homework and exam problems done for them, Slader to get the answers to textbook quizzes and exams that teachers use, etc, etc, etc.

Unsurprisingly, here are some quotes from students:

“My mom knows I haven’t learned anything this year.”

“I can’t go back to in-person. It would destroy my 96% average.”

But students can use this summer to learn much of, all of, or even more than what they missed. For that reason, this summer is likely to be the largest differentiator between which students are prepared for school in the fall.

What To Do

We have always offered academic enrichment, particularly over summer. But this summer is different: parents started pre-booking academic enrichment months ago. That had never happened pexels andrea piacquadio 3764011 1 scaled Summit Prepbefore. But it makes sense: kids are worried about going back to in-person school in the fall and both parents and students have almost no objective idea of where students are in their learning compared to where they would have been or should be. And, at the end of the day, parents want their kids to be well-equipped and on the path to getting good jobs. I think the feelings of many parents are summed up by a mom’s recent question and entreaty to me: “What can I do? Help.”

To help ease that anxiety of both students and parents and to help students learn what they missed and even gain an advantage, we have licensed diagnostic testing for our students. All Summit Prep students from 1st to 12th grade will be able to take free diagnostic testing through us to assess their grade-level knowledge of core academic knowledge and skills. We can then use this data to target their weaknesses, customize diagnostic tests to hone in on specific skills, and re-test as often as once per week to continuously track their progress.

Please let us know if you would like your child to take a diagnostic test. Then, if they need academic support or would like to simply build upon their skills to gain an advantage, we are always happy to help.

Rain eventually turns to sunshine, tears to smiles, and perseverance into success. We are, as always, grateful for the opportunity to help empower your children to succeed in life.

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Reviews

Margie B.
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I can’t thank david for all his hard work and getting my son the score he was aiming for!! Summit prep is an unbelievable place to get your kids ready for their college prep Act and SAT courses!!! Thanks again for making this year end with a bang!!
Thomas S.
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The entire experience from start to finish was excellent. The process was clearly outlined and understood. Scheduling was a breeze and our teacher come not have been more flexible.
Georgia B.
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Eva was wonderful. With her help I was able to get into my top school and receive and scholarship. I loved her help and spending time studying.
Jeanine L.
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We were lucky enough to be referred to David at Summit Prep! My son enjoyed working with David as he felt that he really helped him prepare for the ACT. He explained concepts covered on the test as well as the test itself. My son felt confident taking the test and did so well that he only had to take it once!
Ben H.
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David helped me improve my SAT from a 1480 to a 1570 over the course of about 2 months. Each session made me feel more and more confident.
Jill B.
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Eva took on an almost impossible task and seriously worked a miracle! We found out we were moving, and our son had to take the ISEE exam asap. From his practice test to the exam, his scores went up exponentially. We give her 5 enthusiastic stars!
Rachel F.
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My twins have had a wonderful experience with Summit Prep preparing for the ACT. David is extremely knowledgeable and connects individually in a very relatable and helpful manner for each student. I highly recommend Summit Prep!
Janice B.
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All three of my children have used Summit Prep for their test prep and, I believe, reached their full potential as a result of the outstanding guidance of David and Ryan. His ongoing support went above and beyond. Many thanks!
Kwesi A.
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My son just got accepted into MIddlebury!! He could not have gotten a better tutor than Eva!!! She is the best!
Arlene S.
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Summit Prep are professional, enthusiastic, encouraging and most importantly successful in helping our son achieve his goals. We would strongly recommend using David and his team and want to convey our thanks for all of their help!
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