Why did you choose this program?
By the end of my junior year, a considerable amount of worry around admissions had set in. For this reason, I began to search for a way to receive adequate SAT preparation, information about colleges, and assistance with the application process. Abbey Road's College Prep program in Boston seemed to be the best match.
After completing my session with Abbey Road College Prep, I can honestly say that I believe it to have been among the most effective and fun ways to complete all of those challenging tasks.
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Everything was thoroughly planned and executed by professional staff members and teachers. I appreciated the accommodating and caring staff that was always striving to ensure an enjoyable experience for students. In this way, I was very pleased with the balance between structured activities, time for work and time for play.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
Before participating in Abbey Road's program I thought that college prep programs are not worth the time and efforts. However, leaving Boston, I had the peace of mind regarding my application essays, a more defined list of colleges that interested me, and a clear path to follow to my next SAT and to complete my application process. Not to mention, I left the program having made friends with students from all over the nation that I continue to keep in touch with as we journey through the remainder of the application process.
In these ways, the Abbey Road Program met all of my needs pertaining to my college search, and I could not be more satisfied with the results that Abbey Road helped me achieve!
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
As a program, we were able to enjoy many outings, including a tour on the Duck Adventures Boat, an afternoon at Quincy Market, an outing at Revere Beach and my personal favorite: a visit to the Institute of Contemporary Art. However, the program was not only about tours and sightseeing.
Through activities such as constructing a “Must Haves & Deal Breakers” list, drafting a résumé, and brainstorming essay topics, the teachers effectively broke down the massive amounts of information about the college search, prepared students for all that goes into an application, and finally assisted in fine tuning each student’s application essays.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
Initially, I was nervous that fitting the entire Princeton Review course into two weeks may not have been effective. That prejudgment could not have been further from the truth! Our Princeton Review professor was extremely thorough, continually dedicated to ensuring students’ comprehension of the material and to helping the students succeed. In fact, I would say the two-week course, compared to a longer school year or summer course, ended up as the most effective way for me to prepare for the SAT.
