The Journey- How I got to Cal (Part 3)
I’m back! Last time we left off, I made some important decisions which ultimately led to me only wanting to apply to the UC schools. As you can guess, this decision had greatly simplified the application process for me. However, this may not be the case for you. If you want to apply to other schools, you will have to do individual applications, request letters of recommendation, and work in supplemental essay questions for each school. However the beauty of the UC system is that you can apply to all 9 schools through the same… Continue Reading
Congratulations Yash Rane!
When Yash Rane learned that he had received a perfect score on the ACT Exam, he was ecstatic. “When I first out about it, I was just sitting at my desk in my house. I was incredibly excited to be getting my score,” he said. “The first person I told was my brother, who was closest. He was pretty excited too. The first thing [my mom] did was, she couldn’t believe that I got that score, she just had to tell everyone.” Rane got a 36 after taking Excel’s ACT Core Classroom Course, and he… Continue Reading
Congratulations Vineet Kosaraju!
Congratulations to Vineet Kosaraju, who received a perfect score on the SAT after taking Excel’s classes and practice tests! Hailing from The Harker School, Vineet is heavily involved with the campus newspaper. “Last year I was a copy editor, which meant that I reviewed most of the articles before they went into print,” he said. “This year I moved to the online publication, where I’m one of the assistant tech editors. I review all of the articles that are based on science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, and sometimes business as well.” In addition to his… Continue Reading
Advanced Placement
The school year is nearing its end, and you students must be busier than ever. Upperclassmen fret over AP tests and SATs, but fun times are right around the corner. Junior Prom and Senior Ball are coming up (if not already past) and many students are planning exciting summer vacations. Some of you will be taking well-deserved rest at home, while others will be taking challenging summer courses to advance your academic knowledge. Others will be vying for spots at competitive summer programs. And as the weight of school becomes heavier than ever, you start… Continue Reading
Vocabulary Distress
Vocabulary can be the most frustrating part of the SAT. We all remember the feeling of not knowing any of the answer choices in SAT sentence completion. Sadly this humiliation does not end with the SAT; some of us continue to struggle as we read material with difficult words. One must not be pusillanimous when it comes to approaching vocab words; in fact one should reach the prodigious ability to engage in lexicon snobbery on a daily basis. The best way to attain this level of skill is to peruse resources such as the Excel… Continue Reading